_—_ _ BY a w__ V F _— ; IV, rahs Song, Judges 57 24, &c: And ſome who moke it their buſi- | neſs to pick quarrels with the Holy Scripture, from hence tzke oc- caſion to queition and rejett their Divine Authority, for this very paſſ+ge, becauſe it commends an a& ſo contrary to all Humanity, and fo great a breach of Faith: And whereas all the pretence of cheir Infidelity is taken from the following Song, and not from this Hiſtory, wherein the FaQt is barely related, without any re- fleftion upon it ; there are many Anſwers given ro that Argument, as, 1. That there was no League of Friendihip between 7ael and Siſcra, But only a Ceſſation of AQs of Hoftility ; of which ſee the Notes on v. 17. 2. That Deborah doth not commend Jaels words, wv. 18. Turn in my lord, fear wt ; in which the great firength of this ObjeCtion lies ; but on'y her ation, and thr Artifice, that he acked water, and fhe gave h\m milk; which if impartially examined, will be found to differ but little trom that of wzriike Stratagems, where- in a man lays a Snare for his Enemy, and decives him with pre- tences of doing ſomething which he never intends. And $iſ:ra, though for the time he pretended to be 2 Friend, yet was in truth a bitter and implacable Enemy unto (zcd and all his people, and conſequently to Jael her ſe]f, But theſe and ether Anſwers may be omitted, and this one conſideration following may abundantly tuf- fice to ſtop the mouths of theſe men :; Ir cannor be denjed, that every word, or paſſage, or diſcourſe which is recorded in Scrip- ture, is not Divineiy inſpired, becauſe ſome of them were uttered by the devil, and others by Holy men of God, but miſtaken, ( the prophets themſelves not always ſpeaking by Inſpiration ) ſuch as. the diſcourſe of Nathan to Dav'd: 2 Sam. 7. 3- which God prefent- ly contradifted, wv. 4, 5, ©c. and ſeveral diſcourſes of Jobs three Friends, which were ſo far from being Divinely intpired, that chey were in a great degree unſoutid, as God himſelf tells them, Job 47. 7+ Ye have not ſpoken of me the thing that is right, as my ſervant Job hath ; this being to, the worſt that any malicious mind can infer from this place :s, Phat this Song, though indited by a good min or woman, was not Divinely inſpired, but only compoſed by a perſon piouſly minded, and tranſported with joy for the Delive- rance of Geds people, bur ſubje& to miſtake ; who therefere, out of zeal to commend the happy Inftrumenz of ſo great a Dzlive- rance, might eaſily overlook the indireQaeſs of the mens by which it was accompliſhed. and commend that which ſhould have been diſliked, And if they further obje&, rhar ir ws compoſed by a Propheteſs, Deborah, and therefore muſt be Divinely inſpired ; it may bereplied, 1. Thatit is not certain what kind of Propheteſs Deborah was,whe ther extraordinary and infs]lib!e, or ordinary, and ſo liable co miſtakes ; for there were prophets of both kinds, as hath been proved above on ver. 4. 2+» Thar every expreflion of a true and ex'raordinary Prephet was not Divinely inſpired ; as is evident from Nathans miſtake above-mentioned, and from Smucls miſtake concerning Eliab, whom he thought to be the Lords 4n0in ted, 1 Sam. 16. 6.
22 And behold, as Barak purſued Siſera, Jael came out to meet him, and ſaidunto him, Come, and I will ſhew thee the man whom thou ſeekeſt. And when he came intoher tent, behold Siſera was dead, and the nail was in his temples.
23 So God ſubdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan, before the children of Iſrael. | 24 And the-hand of the children of Iſrael + profpe- + Heb red, and prevailed againſt Jabin the king of Canaan, a were until they had deſtroyed Jabin king of Canaap.
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Deborah exhorts to praiſe : ſhe begins 8 recounts the former wonders and Mer cies of God to his people, t— ——5. From the miſeries of former times glo= ries 1n their preſent ſlate, 6 -— 9g. Excites the Governours, 8c. to praiſe the Lord, 10 —-: 13, Commenas the chief of the Tribes who went forth willingly ro this Battel, and checks the unw: ling who tarried at home, 14— 18. Deſcribes the ViFery in all ts Circumſtances, 20 — 22. Cur ſeth Meroz for not coming to their aſſiſtance, 23. Extols Jael and her AF, 24— 27. Derideth S.ſeras Gourt Lad:es, 28 39. Prays for like Judgment on their Enemies, and proſperity to God's people, 7 1,
"Jon ſang Deborah « and Barak the ſon of Abi- noam on that day, ſaying, a The Compoſer of this Song, as may be gathered from wer. 7. 2 Praite ye the LORD 6 tor the avenging of Iſrael c, when the people 4d willingly offered themſelves e.
ving that the Heavens and a'l the Etemer ts conſpired agair:{t him, Iſa 6g. 7
as againſt one devot:dro D: ſtruction ; parily, by che fair opportu- nity which Gods providence put into er wands; ard prirc:ipajly, by the fecrerc 1nitinCt of God inc'ting her 7017, ard aff: ring ner of Sncceſs in it» 2%. Whar ſha'l we judge of this fat of Jatls ? Iris a difficulrqueſticn, avd neceſſary io be determines, becauſe 1n the one hand riere feemsro be gro1s p<rtidioutneſs, end an horrid vio- lation of all rhe Laws cf tolptraiity and Friendſhip, and of the
4,3 Peace which was eftab'iſhed berween Siſera aud her ; and on the other fide, this tact of hers ts applauded and cemmended in 2:69,
the fame thing, even Gods marching in the head of his peo l2, # ab. from Scir Gr Egvem. towarcs rhe Laing of Canaan: Whileſt the 17a lites were enc: mpaiſi!-g Mount Seir, there were none of rhe to]- lowing effects; but wh-1 once they had done that, and got Erom on their backs, then they marched dire&'y forwards towards the Land of Canzmm. The prophereſs being ro praiſe God tor the pre- tent Mercy, rak2s her riſe Prghery «ny begins her S-ng wir the Commemoration of tae former and ancient Deliverances afforied
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by did upon a like manifeſtation of thy elf; ſo there 1s only
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by God to his people, the rather becauſe of the great reſemblance tlis had with them, in the extraordinary and miraculous manner ofthem. 7 Either, 1- The Inhabitants of the Farth or Land; or, 2» The Earth, properly taken, as the following paſſages are; God prepared the way for his pezop!e, and ſtruck 2 dread into their Ene- miesz by Earthquakes, as well as by other terrible Signs, k (7e.) Thon &i6ſt ſend moſt dreadful Showers of rain,Storms andTem peſts, Thunder and Lightning, and other tokens of thy diſpleaſure upon