as he did worſhip Baal to comply with his Neighbours, ſo now he d, and there remained cen thouſand. : oe deſerts him; to rs{cue his So. # He char thal further plead for fuch | © Not that f:mous _ rater: beyond Jordan ; for it 2 god as this, deſerves to die for h:s foily and impicty. Ir is no: | 'S apparent that both the Camps of the I/raelites and of the Midianites Seaketdls that this was all which he aid for his Shs a or | were on ti:1s ſide Jordan: bur another Mount Gilead in the Tribe of that he would n-gle& to mention the Ca'l his Son bad from GOD Manaſſeh ; which might be fo called, cither for ſome reſemblance it ro it, the Appariri n of an Angel, the Promiſe of D-I:verance : bur _ kg ay _ —_— ry in worn gria of their Father it is uſual in Scripture to give on'y ſome ſhort hinrs of thoſe Thing. | Gilead; or, that this migh: be a Memorial ef their nezr R-lation to which were more Jargely diſcouried. « i. e. Inſtantly, without de- | cheir Brethen, notwirhſtanding their being divid:d one from another lay ; for it was now Morning time, as appears from wv. 28, &c. x As | oy Jordan; or, for ſome other __ now — at this diſtance of the God of 1a! hath oftea done when any Indigniry or Injury | Time and Piace. O-, tre words may be rendred towards Munt Gi- hath been done to him. But Baal hath now ſhewel, that he is n«c1- |/cad; for rhe H:orew Particle ming or mn, is fomet:mcs rendred to. ther ab'e to he!p you, no: himſcIf; and checefore is not worthy wards, cf wh.ch fee Gen. 11. 2. and 13+ It. Deut 32. 2. 2 Sam. 6. 2. to be ſerved any longer. This curzgious and reſolute Arſwer was | And fo it may be underſtood uf the famous Mount Gilead, beyond nec ſſary to {t p the torrent of tne Peop'e+ bury ; and ir was drawn | Jordan, which he may m-nrion here, either, 1. Becauſe maiiy of from him, partly by the Senſe of his Son's extreme Danger ; and | his Soldiers were of that half Trib? of Maſh which dwelt there, parily by tae Confidence hz had, thar GOD wuu'd plead bis Son's | and ſo it was moſt proper for rbem to return thither; Or, 2. Bz- Cauſe, and uſe him fur the Reicue of his P. op'r, cauſe that was their {.feſt courſe to ger furrheſt from the danger 32 There'ore on that day he calied lim y Jerub-baal, haps nc feared Sos fr m—_— _— wi omg fa wee 109% 2 the 26; SO. . *” com danger, yet he would not have them: diſpe:f:d, but kept ſaying, Lec Baal plead againſt him, becauſe he hath rog2ther in a Boiy about Mount Gilead; k..owing tnat they who had. thrown down his | altar, ; \ | 10r Courage enough to fight their En mics, might have Valour e- 7 1. e. Foaſb called Gideon 15, Judges 7.1. 1n remembrance of this | zough to purſue rnem, when they were beaten by others; and ſu« noble Exploit, and top:ta bran up Baal. : ſpeQing, that the Mdiamres, if beaten, would probably flee that 23 4 Thenall the Midiaices, and the Amalekites. |away. 4 Who finding their whole Army to b= very ſinall, in com= and che children of the eaſt were gathered together anc _— ry ap who mais 2p ds 3 ay OY WW . 1 and, Judges 8.10. and they, no doubr well Armed and D-ſcipiined, —— and ptqgcenes _ valley of Jacvecd S [and encouragedby long Sicceſs; whereas the 1rael.res were d:ſ-{pi- Ra 5b at on pr Fanart JERILY Jo). = ED another in cired with long Servitude, ard many of them u- f.rathed wrh the Boiders of Man'ſ:þ an jachar, Jo). 17-16. aid 9 18. which | A;ms and Proviſions; loft the Courage which ia the beginning they was nut far diſtant frem O0/va/, whe:i- Gizcon dwe t,und now wass ſezmed 0 have. x
- + Heb: - _— aig ot the _— TR rr Gide- 4 And the LORD ſaid unto Gideon, The people coathed, 4, a5 NC" D.CW A tFUMPET, and ADICZer Þ T Was ga-| re yer too many : bring them down unto the water e,
* Numb. — 1969 A a 4 and I will iry them for thee f there, and it ſhal be, that 20. Jo rl 1M with extraorainary W .idom, and Cour-ge an | 1 : 1
Chap. 3- Zxal to vindicate GOD'S H+nour, and his Coun r.v's Liberty.Com- of whom I lay I chee, This thal 80 wich thee, the. 27 pare 1 C/r07. 12. 18. and 24+ 22+ b i.e, The Atezrites,his Kindred, ſame ſhal 80 with thee : and of whomfoever I ſay unto f Heb. wes and their Szrv ants, and oth«rs; who finding no barm coming to h'\m thee, This lhal nor g0 with thee, 'the ſame ſhal not go caled after tor the deſt:oying of Baal, buc rather a blefſi:g f om God, in giving ap» ;
bi, _ ce _ HI. _— ry and d ng--ous an Attempr, | *, pither that which ran from the Wellof Harsd, mentioned wv. 1- changed their ALNGS, and 10:10Wed bm as the Peiton by whoſe |. ſome other Brook. f Becaute thy Proctamarion hath nor ſuffici« hands God wou'd deliver them. | "ek acted aa ho ard foarfirl todo with wes ; ] he | lenoers t] Il M eh -ntly tried them ; for many Wo arc tearmi indeed, Will put | 3ſ And he lent meilengers nrougnout all MAnanlen :ce, and defire the opinion of bcing Valiant Pecfons; I will t:ke c, who aiſo' was gathered aticr him ; and he ſent mel- Jaacrhes courſes
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' Chap. VIL. 'FVD So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD faid unto Gideon, Every one that lap- ;eth of the water with his tongue as a dog lappeth,him ſhale thou ſet by himſelf ; likeways every one that bow- eth down upon his knees to drink g., g It is true, there may be natural reaſons given, why ſome did only Lap of the Water, when orhers bowed down te drink; from the Temperance,or Fortitude, or Patience,or Strengti,or Diligence of the one; and the Intemperance or Cowardice, or Impatiencey or Weakneſs, or Slothfuineſs of the other; bur theſe ſeem to be meer conjeftures : The truc reaſon and deſign of this courſe, ſeems to be only this, That God wouid reduce them to a very ſmall number, which was likely to be done by this means; for the Seaton of the Year being hor, and the generality of the Soldiers weary, and thirity, and faint, they would moſt probably bow down upon their Kn:es, that they might more fully refreſh themſelves by a libe- ral draught, as indeed they did; and it could be expected thar there would bz bur few, who either could or would deny th=mſelves in this matter; eſpecially, when God concurred in the work, and ſo diſpoſed of the Minds and Bodies of them) that all, except Three Hundred, ſhould lie down to drink. : 6 And the number of them that lapped, putting thei, hand to their mouth þ, were three hundred Men : but all the reſt of the People bowed down upon their knees