J U D G E S. F Question. WHAT Governours bad the People after Joshua ? A Judges. Q. Why were they called Fudges? A. Because they did execute GOD's Judgments upon their Enemies. Q. Had they many Enemies after the Death of Joshua ? A. Yes. Q. What was the Caufe? Q. What was their general Sin? C. How did that spread? Q. How were they vainly pitiful? A. In making League with the Canaanites, whom they ought to have caft out, Chap. i. Q. How were they Idolaters? A. In worshipping Idols, Chap. 24. Q. How ungrateful? A. Being made Owners of Cities, which they built not; and Vineyards, which they planted not; they forgot to glorify the Giver. Q. What was the general Pu A. After the Death of Febua, Caleb and Gibniel judged If rael; then Othniel the Younger, after that Lkud, then Zeborah, affited by Barak, her Capain General after thefe judged Graeon Abrinekech, Tela, Faer, Fphibab, bzan, Elom, Abdon, Samffin, Eli, and Samuel. Q. What is remarkable in the Word Othniel ? A. Othniel fignifies the God of Time, alfo a Type of CHP IST, who is the God of Time; and in His due Time conquered the World, and Satan the Prince thereof; thereby deliveri g the poor afflicted Members of his Church out his miferable Servitude and Bondage; for which Caufe GOD hath made Him Judge over it, and given full Power and Authority to rule and govern it. What in Deborah ? * A. Deborah in the Hebrew fignifies a Bee, and is a memorable Type of the Church; for as a Bee in all her A&tions foundeth pleafantly; fo the Members of GOD's Church in all their Actions fing and found forth the Praifes of GOD; or by con tinual Prayers, implore His Aid, and Affiftance; with the Bee, fucking upon the Flower of the Holy Scriptures, the fweet and acceptable Doctrine of Faith by which the Hope of everlafting Life is ftrengthened in us, with the Sting of God's Word repulfing all vain Delufion, and idie Imaginations (the Temptations of the Devil) and thofe wafpifh Affections of cruel and wicked Men; according to that of Ecclefiafticus, The Bee is but small, but bringeth forth most pleasant Fruit: And prefenteth unto Man many memorable Inftructions. And as PLATO faith The King of Bees, although with. out a Sting, yet ruleth and governeth his Commonwealth with great Severity and Fuftice. (finely defcribed by VIRGIL, in his fourth Geor.) So CHRIST, the Head of the Church, the Saviour of Souls, without any Sting of Bitterness, ruleth and governeth with fingular Juftice and Sincerity. Q. What her Captain Barak? A. He taketh his Name from Thunder and Lightning; Typically Reprefenting the Glory of CHRIST * This Name_hath been given by other Nations to illustrious Women, as among the Greeks; for Intance, the Nymph, faid to be the Nurfe of J VE, is called Meliffa, which fignifies a Bee in the Greek Laguage and the Wife of PERIANDER, King of Corinth, had the fame Name. *DEBORAH was the Wife of Lapidoth, and dwelt under a Palm-Tree between Bethel and Rameth in Mount Ephraim, 8 Miles N. of Jerufalem, and fucceeded Ehud in 2632. After Deborah was appointed Judge of Ifrael, the or dained Barak Chief Commander, or Captain. BARAK was the Son to Abineam, a Noble Captain, who lived at Kades from whence he went to the Palm-Tree, and took Deborah back with him to Kades from thence they went with 10000 Men to the Hill Thabor 36 Miles, Situated on the Borders of achar and Zebulon, 56 Miles N. of Gideon. And 23 CHRIST JESUS, as the chief the Devil, hath dispoffefs'd him Captain of the Church, who with the Thunder of the Law, and bright fhining Glory of the Gofpel, deftroyed the Enemies thereof; and by the Hofts of Angels, and Saints, at the End of the World, will caft them down with Thunder and Lightning, into that Bottomlefs Pit, there to remain for ever. Q. What dorb SAMPSON fignify ? A. He Typically reprefenteth CHRIST divers Ways; firft, in his Perfonhe was a mightyMan; fecondly, in his Profeffion, he was a Nazarite; thirdly, in his Calling, he was a Prince, and a Judge, fourthly, in his Manner of Living,; for he went from Place to Place, to revenge himfelf upon the Enemies of GOD's People, the Children of Ifrael, and in his Death. Even fo our Saviour CHRIST, is that ftrong Man; who being mightier than of his tyrannical Jurifdiction over the Souls of Mankind; hath ta ken away thofe Gates of Death by His Mercy. opening unto us the Door of Life; that fo being fet at Liberty from that hellifh Imprisonment, we may be made Partakers of everlafting Happinefs. He was alfo a Nazarite even from his Mother's Womb, born and bred there, tying Himfelf to a Vow of Bondage, that we might be made Free. He is a Prince and a Prieft after the Order of Melchifedeck: During the Continuance of his Life, in this Vale of Mifery, His chiefeft Actions were to go from Place to Place, to teach, to do good, and to rescue, and relieve the poor diftreffed Members of the Church, who lay miferably af flisted under the Hands of Satan ; Healing fome, Relieving others, and bringing a third Sort into the State of Grace: So that as as Jofephus writeth, Lib. Antiq. 4. there fell fuch a Shower of Rain and hail upon the Enemies of the Ifraelites, that through the extream Violence thereof they were difperfed, and Sifera their Captain conftrained to leave his Chariot, and to fave himself by Flight, never staying 'ull he came to the Tabernacle of Fael, in the Plain of Zenanaim, where he was murder'd. Barak pursued the Enemy with great Slaughter to Harafeth of the Gentiles, a City in the Up. fer Galilee, and from thence went to Jael, where he found Sifera, as Deborah the Prophetefs had told him; and then went with all his Army to Hazer, where Fabin King of the Canaanites kept his Court; and of a fudden conquered the City, and deftroyed it, as Joshua had before done, with Fire and Sword, putting all the Inhabitants to Death. Jofeph. Ant. Lib.5. SAMPSON was born in the City of Zavea, and brought up in the Tents of Dan and Eltahol, Judg. 13. From thence he went to Timnah, which is 12 Miles; there he fell in Love with Judah the Daughter of a Philiftine, Judg. 14. he went back to his Father at Zaica, and revealed his Affection, and they went together again 10 fee the Maid and by the Way he killed a Lion, Chap. 14. Within a While after, Sempton and is Friends went again to Timah, and by the Way found Honey in the Lion that he had flain, and gave it to his Friends to eat; and when he came to the Philiftines Hunfe he propounded the Riddle in Judg. 14 in the Year of the World 2791; of which time he fucceeded ABDON in the Rule of the Jews. He went then to Alcalch a Cuy of the Philiftines, and killea thirty of their Men, and took AWAY as SAMPSON delivered the Iraelites from the Bondgage of the Philistines: CHRIST our Prince and Judge delivered His from the Slavery of Satan; by His Death, faving more Souls than in His Life; and thereby pulling down the strong. Buildings, (the Temptations of Satan) and hath laid them level with the Ground, that they fhall never be reftored again; and lastly, after this Life ended, He fhall be our Prince and Judge, and bring us to that Place of Promife, prepared for us in His everlafling Kingdom. Q. What were the particular Sins of the Ifraelites ? a i A. In Abimelech three. Q. How was he ambitious? Chap Q. Where? A. At the Tower of Fabez, Ver. 53. Q. What Sin reigned particular in the People? A. In Sampson, Lust; in Fphthah, Temerity, or Rafhnels; in Q. How did Jotham is a Levite, Love of Vanity; in I the away their Garments; and then retur ned to Timnah, and delivered the Philiftines which had unfolded the Riddle thofe changes of Garments. From thence ( bein angry, that his Wife bad difclofed the Riddle) be returned to Zarea to his Friends; but when his Anger was over, he returned to his Wife, it being then Wheat Harvest, and carried with him a Goat to make merry, and be reconciled to her s but her Father shut him out of Doors; (because he had married his Wife to another Man) wherefore he took a Company of Foxes, and tying them Tail to Tail, put Fire Brands to their Tails, and turned them into the Wheat of the Philifines, and fer on Fire all the Wheat, and Vines, and Olives thereabouts, Jud. 15. From thence he went to a Cave in the Rock Eta, in the Tribe of Juda, near to the River Socrek, which runs into the Mediterranean Sea. At the Rock Eta, Sampson was bound with two new Cords by the Ifraelites; and from thence led to Ramah, fix Miles, where he killed 1000 Philiftines with the Faw-Bore of an Afs: He came to Gaza, and there carried away the Gates of the City; and went to the River Soreck, and dwelt with Dalilah the Harlot, and by her was deceived, and taken by the Philistines; they put out both his Eyes, bound him in Chains, and led him to Gaza, brought him into the Ecufe of their God Dagon, to make them Sport; but he pulled down the Houfe, and a multitude of tem were flain, where he alfo died; and was buried in the Sepulcher of Maroth his Father, between Zerea and Efthaol. As Jome think, this Simp on, according to the Meaning of the Word, was the true Hercules, and thofe roble Explots that be did, the Gricans attributed to their Hercules. the Men of Benjamin, the Rape of a Woman; in the Ebbraimites, Envy. Q. Towards whom was Sampfon lufiful? A. Towards Dalilah, a wicked Woman, Chap. xvi. 4. Q. How was be punished? A. He loft GOD's excellent Gifts, and became a Slave to his Enemies, Ver. 1. 9. Q. How was Jephthah guilty? A. In making a rafh Vow, and performing it. * Q. How was he punished ? A. Thro' his own Folly, he became Childlefs. C. Was it well done of Jephthah to make good bis Vow? A. It was Sin to 'vow it; Murder in the higheft Nature to perform it. Q. How was the Levite guilty? A. In forfaking the Service af GOD, to fupply the Wants of his Body. Q. How was that? A. He was content to serve in the Temple of Idols for Meat, Drink, and Apparel, Chap. xvii. 10, 11. Q. What was his Punishment? A. He was taken Prisoner by the Men of Lan. Ch. xviii. 17. Q. How was the Tribe of Benjamin ? A. For the ravishing of a Levite's Wite. Q. What was their Punishment ? A. All the other Tribes rofe up against them, razed their City, and flew all th ir Men but fix hundred that fled into the Wilderness, Chap. xx. 46, 47. Q. How were the Ephraimites envious ? A. They Deborah being dead, Zeba and Zalmunah, Kings of the Midianites, cruelly invaded the Land of Judea, but the LORD, taking Compaflion of his People, Tent them an Helper. One Gideon, Son of Joas, of the Family of Abiczer, boin at Ephron, a City in the Tribe of Manaffes. This Man, at the Appointment of the LORD, took upon him the Change of the People; and at Ophra he defroy'd the idol Baal, pitching upon that Place an Altar unto the LORD: Wherefore he was called Fern Baal. He began to rule in Ferufalem 2672. He went from Ophra to Narad in the half Tribe of Manaffeth, where he blew the Trumpet, and fet ient back 22000 of his Army, as the LORD had ap pointed. The Midianites, hearing of this Preparation, provided a great Hoft, and pitched in the Valley of the Hill Moreb. So Gideon, taking only 300 with him, went over to Jordan, and came to the Town of Jezreel, 16 Miles from Harad, where he gave the Midianites a wonderful Overthrow, Judges 7. Jezreel was a fair City, fituate upon a Hill at the Foot of the Mountain Gilboak, near to the Flood Kijon. Ahab and Jezabel kept their Court here, and Fo ram their Son, whom Sehu overcame. And here Fezabel was eaten up of Dogs, Fof. xvi. 19 II. Sam. it. * This Vow by fome learned Criticks is confidered in another Senfe JEPHTHAH did not offer his Daughter a Sacrifice as a Thing facrific'd, buc comtered her the Service of GOD; and condemn'd her to perpetual Virginay, which was counted one of the greatest Calamities that could hap pen to an Ifrael tifh Maiden: And being an only Child, it is no Wonder hy Felbab expreffes fuch Grief at the Sight of his Daughter, Chap. xi. 35. For by the Performance of this Vcw, he deprived that dear One of the greatest Happincis of Life; for fuch was Marriage, efpecially when bleffed with Chil dren, efteemed in Irael. |