&k To all the Rulers and Peop!e too, as he had occaſion in his Circuit, deſcribed below, wv: 16. mixing exhorrations ro Repen- rance, with his judicial Adminiſtrations. 1 If you do indeed what you profeſs, if you are reſolved ro go on in thar which you {cem to have begun. » Sincerely and in good earnefk. » Our of your houfes where ſome of you keep and worſhip them, and our of your Hearts and AffeRions, where they {till have an Intereſt in ma- ny of you. 0 And particularly or eſpecially, Aſbtaroth, which be mentions as a god, whom they, together with the neighbouring Nations, did more eminently worlhip. See Judges 2: 13. p By purging them from all ſin, and particularly from all inclinations ro other gods. Or, dire your hearts, having alienared your hearts from your !dols, turn them to God, and ner to other Idols or Va- nittes. pit,
RS : 'r diſtant from the Phil:fines, where therefore it was | ; : ſo1meWhes Torrey ELIE j againſt the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Iſrael « in Mizpeh.
. Rivers of Water; ſuch deſcriptions of pevitential- ſorrow being
4 Or. then, upon theſe conditions you may confidently ex-
RE £ Chap. VII. | 4 Then the children of Iſrael did put away * Baalim * Judges and Aſhtaroth, and ſerved the LORD only. 195 16»
5 And Samuel faid, Gather all Iſrael to Mizpeh,and
I will pray for you unto the LORD. 6 And they gathered together to Mizpeh r, and drew water, and poured z# out s before the LORD x, and faſted on that day, and ſaid there, We have ſinned
r Not thar beyond Jordan, of which Judges 11: 11, 29. but ano- ther in Canaan, where the Iſraelites uſed ro aſſemble, Judges 20; 1. 1 Sam. 10: 17. 5 Which they did either, 1. Figurarively, they drew tears out of theirHearts,and poured out of their Eyes at ir were
not unuſual : See Pſal: 6: 7. and 119: 136. Jer: 9: 1. Lam: 3: 48, 49- Or rather, 2. Properly, becauſe they are ſaid firſt to draw it, and then to poar it out. And this agrees well with rhe State of thoſe Times, wherein ſuch Rites as this were very cuſtomary. ; Now this courſe they ſeem ro have uſed, either, 1. As a mean or inſtru- ment of their Purification. So they waſhed themſelves in this Wa= ter,cthereby acknowledging their filthineſs, and cleanſing themſelves as the Law preſcribed. But this ſeems not probable; 7. Becauſe here is only mention of drawing and pouring forth this Water be« fore the Lord,bur not of any waſhing themſelves with it. 2.Becauſe this was no: a fit time and place to purifie themſelves in this great and genera] Aſſembly. Or, 2» As an External Sign, whereby they teſtified and profeſſed, both their own great filthineſs and need of waſhing by the grace and ſpirit of God, and blood of the Covenant, which are oft ſignified by Water, and their fincere deſire ro pour out their very Hearts before the Lord,in true Repentance, and to cleanſe themſelves from all filthineſs of fleſh and ſpirit. * i. e. In the publick Aſſembly, where God is in a ſpecial manner preſent, as hath been noted befcre» u 1- e. Governed them, reformed all Abuſes as gainſt God or man. took care that the Laws of God ſhould be ob« ſervedand executed, and wilful Tranſgrefſours puniſhed.
7 And when the Philiſtines heard thar the children of Iſrael were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philiſtines went up x againſt Iſrael : and when the children of Iſrael heard it, they were afraid y of the Philiſtines.
x To wit, with an Army, ». 10. ſuſpe&ing the effeQs of their general Convention, and intending to nip them in the bud. » Be- ing a company of unarmed perſons, and ugfit for Battel.