in Gods preſente, calling him in to be Witneſs of them.
2 And Joſhua ſaid unto all the people 4, Thus ſaith
the LORD God of Iſrae], * your fathers dwelt on the + 6: :, other ſide of the floud e | in old time, even Tera the fa- 26: 1. ther of Abraham, and the father of Nachor : and they and 12: 1. f ſerved other gods. 7 Heb.
d ( 7. e- ) That people which were preſent, to wit, to the Zlders, &c. by whom 1t was to be imparted to all the reſt, and to as many of
the people as came thither« e Or, the River, to wity Euphrates, "0m 0 as all agree; ſo called by way of Eminency. f (7. e« ) Both Abra. Y ham and Nachor were no lets Idolaters than the reſt of Manking, "8 T bis 1s ſaid to prevent their vain boaſting in their worthy Ance= ſtors, and to aſſure them that whatſoever good was in, or had been done by their Progenitors, was wholly from Gods free Grace, and
not for their own merit or righteouſneſs, as the Jews were very apt
bo concen, -
3 AndI took g your father Abraham from the other fide of the floud,and led him throughout all the land of | Canaan þ, and muliplied his ſeed 3, and * gave him + Gn: Ifaac &. : 21; 2- g I apprehended him by my grace, and ſnatched him our of that Idolatrous and Wicked place, and tock him into Acquainrance and Covenant with my ſelf, which was the higheſt Honour and Happi-
neſs he was capable of. þ ( 7.e.) I brought him after his Fathers Death into Canaan, Gen: 12: 1. and Icondutted and preſerved jm : in ſafety in all his Travels through the ſeveral parts of Canaan.; (:-e.) ; Gave
Meolamy that is,
*N 21.3 Deut 326
* Nu a2 Dzut
4»
* Exod 23. 28 Deur.
20, * Pl.
J- Ge
y Deut log 11,
a i
I,
Chap. XXIV.
» Gen- 250 2 26» * Cow 36.
8. * Gen.
46+ I,
* Exod:
Jo 16+
* Exod-
12: 37+ » Exod-
I+ 9
*Numb. 21. 34, Deur, 326
Þ2 .
» Chap.
Jo I 4+
* Chap.
C, i- an 1. 1, and Ils 1,
* Exod. 23- 28. Deut. 7. 20.
voy 44* ing Judgemerts. Or 2. Properly fo calicd. Sce on Exod: 237 48. 3 6.
* Deut: 6: labour, and * cities which ye built not y, and ye dwell
* Ley; I7: To Ezzki 20
Gave him a numerous Poſterityznot only by Hagar and Kerwrah,but even by Sarah and by Iſaac, as it follows. k by my ſpecial Power and Grace to be the Heir of my Covenant, and all my Promiſes, and the Seed in or by which ali Nations weie to be Bleſſed,Gen: 12+ 1: and 21? 2.
4 And I gave unto Iſaac, * Jacob and Eſau, and I gave unto * Eſau mount Seir to poſſeſs it /: * bur Jacob and his children went down into Egypt m. en
/ That he might leave Canaan intire to his Brother Jacob and his Poſterity, Gen: 36: 7, 8. m Where they long lived 1n grievous Bondage ; which God having delivered us from, I ſhal now paſs 1t over. |
5 * I ſent Moſes alſo and Aarcn, and I plagued E- gypt according to that which I did » amongſt them: and afterwards I brought you out. WH
» ( ive. ) Ta ſuch manner,and with ſuch plagues as I infl;Qed,and are recorded.
6 And TI* brought your fathers out of Egypt, and ye came unto the ſea, and the Egyptians purſued after your fachers with chariots and horiemen unto * the Red-ſea.
> And when they cried unto the LORD, he pur darkneſs between you and the Egyptians, and brought the ſea upon them, and covered them, and your eyes have ſeen what I have done in Egypt o; and ye dwelt in the wilderneſs a long ſ{caſon.
o He ſpeaketh this to the Elders, v. 1. who were ſo, not only by Power ard Dignity, but many of them by Age ; and. their being now nor ſfixry yeors patt fince rhoſe Egyprian Plagues, it is very pro- b.ble that a co'fi:izrab'e number of rhote here preſent, had fcen thoſe things 11+ Ezypr, and bu:ng not twenty years old, were exemp- r:d from 114 orcay ful Senrence of Dettruttion, patled upon all who were then of mor. years ſtanding, Numb: t 4+
8 And I brouz1i:t you iuto the hand of the Amorires, wiich dwelt onthe o: her ſide Jordan : *and they fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, that ye
might poilcls their iand, and 1 deſfroyed them from be-.
fore you. 9 Then Balak the ſon of Zippor, king of Moab,aroſe
and warred againſt Ifraei p and * ſent and cailed Balaam " the ſon of Beor ro cutfe vou.
? Q-. How is this tru», wien Balak did never fizht again#t Iſrael, Judges 1 25 ? An. One Prince may commence a War againſt ano- ther though he never come to a Ba tel, nor ſt: ike one ſtroke ; So Balak warred, though not by op:n fo. ce, yer by Crafty Counſel and Warlike Stzatzgems, by Magica! Arts. by W ;ked Devices, by mak- ing bate betwixt them a; d God their Confederate ; or by Warlike
a:ations, in caſe Balaams Charm: ha'i ſucceeded, as may be ga- ! : 5. ; people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: there-
thered from Numb: 22:11. 6r ar leaſt by ceſign or intention; things
JOSHUA.
follows ; or ofa falſe corrupt worſhip of God, with that which God appoiated ; and Trurþ is oppoled rod flinulation and falſen«ſs, and inſtability of heart, a Whereby ir appears, Thar al:chough Jojbua had doubtleſs prevented and purged our 21 publick and ma- nifeſt Idolatry, yer there were ſome of thera who prattiſed it in their private houſes and retirements. See below v.23. .1mes 5;25,: 6 AG 7: 423 43» b Terah, and Nachor, and Abral2m, as wv. 2. and 0- thers ot your Anceſtors. c Sce Exzek: 23: 3, 8, 19, 21, 27. Under theſe parciculars, no doubr he comprehends all other talſe gods which were ſerved by the Nations amongſt whcm they were, es ap= pears from wv. 15- but only mentions theſey as rhe Idols which rhey were in more danger of worſhipping then thoſe in Canaan; partly be- cauſe thoſe of Canaan had been now lately and pa!pably diſgraced by their inability to preſerve their Worſhippers from toral ruine; and partly, b-caufe che other Idols came recommended un'o them by the venerable name of Antiquity, and the cuſtom of their forefa: hers. See Jers 443 17. Exek:; 203 18.
If And if itſeemevil 4 unto you to ſerve theLORD,
gods which your fathers ferved, that were on the other tide of the floud, or the gods of the Amorites, in whole
land ye dwell : but as ior nie and my houſe, we will ſerve the LORD F. ;