p Since God hath laid ſo great Obligations upon you, Jet us alit- tle conſider whether you have anſwered them. 9q Heb. the Rrghte- ouſneſſes ; i ee Mercies or Benefits ; for ſo that word is oft uſed, as Pſal. 24+ 5+ and 36. 10. Prov. 10. 2. and II. 4. and that is the chief Subje& of the following Diſccurſe; ſome of their Calamities being but briefly named, and that for the Illuſtration of Gods mercy in their Dehiverances. :
8 * When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fa-
thers * cried unto the LORD, then the LORD * ſent Moſes and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers
out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place r.
» In this Land : in which Moſes and Aaron are ſaid to ſertle them; 3: 10: and partly, becauſ: they brought them into. and ſeated them in parr 45 16: of it, to wir, that without Jordan ; partly, becauſe they were under God, the principal Authors of their entring into the Land of Canaan; inaſmuch as they brought them out of Egypr, condufted them thorough the Wilderneſs ; and there by their prayers to God, and Counſel to them, preſerved them from utter Ruine, and gave Com- mand and DireCion from God for the diſtribution of the Land a- mong them, and incouraged them to enter into it by promiſes and aNurances of Succeſs. And laſtly, Moſes ſubſtirured Joſhua in his ſtead, and commanded him to carry them thither, and feat them
there, which alſo he did.
mine eyes at hims
+ Heb. Righteouſe ne ſſ:s or benefits.
t Heb.
; with,
* Gen. 46: 5, 6; * Exod- 2: 23;
* Exod-
YL TS23MDETI
—— —
Chap. X11. | 9 And when they forgat the LORD their God {,
* heſold them into the hand of Siſera, captain of the * Judg;
roit of Hazor, and into the hand * of the Philiſtines, * Jag
and into the hand of the king * of Moab,and they fought Rs
againſt them 7. * Judg. } i. e. They revolted from him, as it is explained wv. 10. and car- 3: 12:
ried themfſclves as ungratefully and unworthily towards God, as if
they had wholly forgotten his great and innumerable Favours, and
their infinite Obligations to him. Forgetting of God, is oft pur for
all manner of wickedneſs, whereof indeed that is the true cauſe.
See J/a. 17. 10. Jer. 3. 21, Exek. 2% 12, This he faith, partly, to
Anſwer an Obje&ion, That the reaſon why they deſired a King, was
becauſe in the time of the Judges they were at great uncertain-=
ties, and off-times exerciſ?zd with ſharp Afffiiions : to which he Anſwereth by Conceſſion that they were ſo; but adds, by way of
Retortion, that they themſelves were the cauſe cfir, by their for-
gerring of God : So that it was not the fault of that kind of Govern=
ment, bur their tranſgrefling the Rules of it ; and partly, to mind
rhem, that this their ungrateful carriage towards God, was no new
or ſtrange thing, bur an hereditary and inveterate Diſcaſe, that ſo
they might more eaſily believe their own Guilt herein, and be more
deeply humbled, both for their own, and for their Parents Suns.
; To wit, with ſucceſs, and ſubdued them.
io And they cried unto the LORD, and ſaid, We have ſinned, becauſe we have ferſaken the LORD, and have ſerved Baalim, and Aſhtaroth ; but now de- liver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will ſerve thee.
11 And the LORD ſent * Jerubbaal, and Bedan «, and * Jephthah, and * Samuel x, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every ſide, and ye dwelled fafe y.
u This certainly is one of the Judges; and becaufe there is no Judge lo called in the Book of Fudges, it is reaſonably concluded, that this was one of the Judges there mentioned, having two Names, as was very frequent. And this was, either, Firſty Samſon, as moſt Interpreters believe, who is called Began ; i. e. in Dan, or of Das, or the Son Dan, one of that Tribe, to ſignifie that they had no reaſon rodiſtruſt th:t God, who could, and did raiſe ſo eminent a Saviour out of ſo obſcure a Tribez Or, Secondly, Fair the Gileadite of whom Juag. 10. 3. which may ſeem beſt to agree, Firſt, with | the rime and order of the Judges ; for Jair was before Jephthah, bur | Samſon was after him. Secondly, With other Scriptures : for among the Sons of a more ancient, and a famovs Jair, of whom ſee Numb. 32. 41. we meet with cne called Bedan, x Chren. 7. 17, which Name ſeems h-re given to Jar the Judge, to diſtinguiſh him from that firſt Jair. Thirdly, With the following words, which ſhew that this Beaan was one of thoſe Judges who delivered them out of rhe hand of their Enemies on every ſide,and made them to dwell ſafely;which teems not ſo preper!y rc agree to Samſon, who did only begin to deliver Iſrael our of the hand of the Philiſtines ; as was foretold of him, juag. 13. 5. as toJair, who kept them in peace and ſafety, in the midſt of all their Enemies, as miy be gathered from Judg. 10. 3, 44 5, 6 And ſodid all the reſt of ke judges here mentioned, » He ſpeaks of himſelf in the Third Perſon, which is ficquent in the Hebrew Tongue, | as Gen. 4+ 23. Pſal. 132 1, 10, It. Dan. 1. 6. Iſa, tr. i, And he mentions himſcifnot through vain oftentation. bur for his own juſt and neceſſary Vin-ication, and for the juſtificar:on and inforcement of his following Reproof, to ſhew thar he had nor devenerated from his Predeceffors, nor bad been ſo inconſiderable ard unpro- firable to them, as to give them any occaſion to contrive or deſire this change of Government in his days, y So thar it was no Ne« ceſſity, but meer Wantonneſs, thar made you deſire a Change.
i2 And when ye ſaw that Naſh the king of the chil- dren of Ammon came againſt you, * ye ſaid unto me, * chu Nay, but a king ſhall reign over us z, when the LORD 8: 19:
your God was your king 4. _ = See the Notes on Chapter 11. 1. @ #. e. When God was your 1mmediate King and Governour, who was both able and willingto deliver you, if you had cried ro him, whereof you and your An- ceſtors have had plentiful experience; ſo that you did not at all need any other King ; and your deſire of another, was a manifeſt | reproach againſt God, as if he were either grown Impotent, or Un« faithful. or Unmercitul ro you.
I 2 Now therefore, behold the king whom ye have choſen b, and whom ye have deſired : and behold, the
LORD hath ſer a king over you c. |
| 6 Though God choſe him by Lot, yer the people are ſaid to chuſe him ; either generally, becauſe they choſe that Form of Govern- ment : or particularly, becauſe they approved of Gods choice, chap. 10. 24+ and confirmed it, chap. 1. I5. c He hath yielded to your inordinate deſire.