their bodies, together with their armour, full on the fhore where the Ifraelites ftood. The Ifraelites stripped them, and accoutred themselves;-and were thus prepared (which is a striking circumftance) to vanquish Canaan with the arms of Egypt.

These marvellous inftances of divine favour, difplayed towards them on their first outfet, were excellently calculated to create in the Ifraelites (which was very needful) a pious hope and firm reliance on God in all future occurrences.

And in the land of Canaan, fingular occurrences did frequently happen, arifing from

drove them directly towards the Ifraelites, "who faw them dead upon the fea fhore:" ver. 30. that is, upon the Arabian shore, where they then stood. A circumftance favourable to the Ifraelites on various accounts--not only as it fupplied them with fufficient arms, and valuable spoils; but as it exhibited a proof to the nations on this fide the fea of the vengeance which God had taken on the Egyptians for their oppofition to his people; and then, as it served to strike a terrour into all around; and difpofe them the more readily to fubmit to their terms and propofals; or, if they refused, to forewarn them of the dreadful confequences.

t

JOSEPH, Ant. Jud. lib. ii. c, xvi. § 6.

the

the fingular conftitution of their law; which, without the immediate protection of heaven, muft neceffarily have expofed them to heavy diftreffes.

On their first entrance into that land, they were commanded to renew the rite of circumcifion; which gave them a title to the inheritance of the country, and freed them from the reproach of being any longer flaves. But, notwithstanding the privileges it brought with it, how ftrangely impolitic muft it feem, how exceffively dangerous muft it appear, in the eye of common prudence, to circumcife at once a whole army!—that is, to render them totally incapable of fighting, at a time when their enemies were full in view, and might inftantly fall upon them! But here we fee, let

Huc facit, quod Deus populum, recentem a circumcifionis

vulnere, fic allocutus fit, (Josh. v. 9.) Hodie abftuli opprobrium Egypti a vobis: hoc eft," ritu illo vos in civium meorum numerum adoptavi, ingenuos et terræ felicis hæredes declaravi, et omnia feritus Ægyptiaca (dedecoris et opprobrii veftri) figna delevi et monumenta." SPENCER de Leg. Hebr. lib. I. c. v. § 2. & § 5. Vide et JOSEPHI Antiq. Jud. lib. v. c. 1. § 11. in textu et notis. Ed. Havercamp.

human

human policy fay what it will, that piety is the strongest guard, and obedience the best fecurity. For now, in reward of their ready compliance, and alfo as an encouragement to farther confidence; God, who commanded the rite to be performed—and furely nothing less than the pofitive command of God could induce the general then to perform it-defended them throughout, by his gracious protection, from all the misfortunes and dangers that might attend it. He kept the Canaanites ftill and quiet within their own walls, till fuch time as his people were healed, and fufficiently able to attack them. But to proceed

When they had gained poffeffion of the promised land, where their law was to operate with its full force; they were strictly enjoined by a particular precept in that law, to fuffer their ground to reft uncultivated, at the return of every feventh year; which was therefore called the fabbatic year. Now this precept was not only contrary to the com

Lev. XXV. 2—5.

mon

mon rules of rustic œconomy; but feems to be also productive of many great and grievous inconveniencies. For if the Jews were forbidden to "fow their ground, or prune their vineyards every seventh year;" the confequence must neceffarily be, that, unless they were fupported in fome extraordinary manner, they would often be liable to numberlefs hardships in thofe years, for want of bread, and other provifions". But God, who gave them this fingular precept, and whofe chief aim in giving it was to preferve in their minds a conftant fenfe of their dependance on himself, promifed to reward their obfervance of it with a double increase the year

h Lev. xxv. 20.

pre

"I will command my

So I understand, Levit. xxv. 21. bleffing upon you in the fixth year, and it fhail bring forth fruit for three years-" i. e. for the end of the fixth, the whole feventh, and the beginning of the eighth; which make in all two years; and for which a double increafe was fufficient. Mr. WHISTON (in his Jofephus, vol. iv. p. 524, &c. 8vo.) fuppofes that fomething is wanting in the text, relative to the year of jubile; and fays, that God here promifes, he would not only give the Jews a double crop on the common fixth year,

to

preceding; by which the diftreffes, that might otherwise happen, were entirely and seasonably prevented. And this promise never failed them, whilft they obferved the condition on which it depended. For when they fuffered the land to enjoy the rest of the feventh year; "their barns," on the fixth, "were filled with plenty; and their preffes burst out with new winek. But whenever they tranfgreffed in this point, whenever they profaned the fabbatic years,

to fupply food for two years; for that fixth year itself; and for the following ordinary feventh, or fabbatis year but that he would moreover give them a triple crop on the extraordinary fixth year, to fupply food for three years: for that fixth year itfelf, and for the two following years of reft, the fabbatic year, and the year of jubilee. Others however affirm, that the year of jubilee never followed the fabbatic year; but was always co-incident with it: which, if true, entirely overthrows Mr. Whiston's interpretation; and superfedes the neceffity of the correction he proposes. But after all I must needs confess, that I ftill fufpect there is fome errour in the text. For "if they fowed the eighth year,” ver. 21, they only wanted “ the increase of" two years; whence it should feem, that, by an

לשנים was inferted initead of לשלש ,carly miftake

* Prov. iii. 10.