26 If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down:

27 For that is his covering only; it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.

28 Thou shalt not revile 'the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

29 Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits," and of thy liquors: the first-born of thy "sons shalt thou give unto me.

30 Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.

31 And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.

3. Unnatural abominations are here made capital; such beasts in the shape of men as are guilty of them are unfit to live; v. 19, Whosoever lies with a beast shall die.

4. Idolatry is also made capital, v. 20. God having declared himself jealous in this matter, the civil powers must be jealous in it too, and utterly destroy those persons, families, and places of Israel, that worshipped any god, save the Lord: this law might have prevented the woful apostacies of the Jewish nation, in aftertimes, if those that should have executed it had not been ringleaders in the breach of it.

The

5. A caution against oppression; because those who were empowered to punish other crimes were themselves most in danger of this, God takes the punishing of it into his own hands. (1.) Strangers must not be abused, (v. 21,) not wronged in judgment by the magistrates, not imposed upon in contracts, nor must any advantage be taken of their ignorance or necessity; no, nor must they be taunted, trampled upon, treated with contempt, or upbraided with being strangers; for all these were vexatious, and would discourage strangers from coming to live among them, or would strengthen their prejudices against their religion, to which, by all kind and gentle methods, they should endeavour to proselyte them. reason given why they should be kind to strangers, is, "Ye were strangers in Egypt, and knew what it was to be vexed and oppressed there." Note, [1.] Humanity is one of the laws of religion, and obliges us particularly to be tender of those that lie most under disadvantages and discouragements, and to extend our compassionate concern to strangers, and those to whom we are not under the obligations of alliance or acquaintance. Those that are strangers to us are known to God, and he preserves them, Ps. 146. 9. [2.] Those that profess religion should study to oblige strangers, that they may thereby recommend religion to their good opinion; and take heed of doing any thing that may tempt them to think ill of it, or its professors, 1 Pet. 2. 12. [3.] Those that have themselves been in poverty and distress, if Providence enrich and enlarge them, ought to show a particular tenderness toward those that are now in such circumstances as they were in formerly, doing now by them as they then wished to be done by. (2.) Widows and fatherless must not be abused; (v. 22,) Ye shall not afflict them, that is, "Ye shall comfort and assist them, and be ready upon all occasions to show them kindness." In making just demands from them, their condition must be considered, who have lost those that should deal for them, and protect them; they are supposed to be unversed in business, destitute of advice, timorous, and of a tender spirit, and therefore must be treated with kindness and compassion; no advantage must be taken against them, nor any hardship put upon them, which a husband or a father would have sheltered them from. For, [1.] God takes particular cognizance of their case, v. 23. Having no one else to complain and appeal to, they will cry unto God, and he will be sure to hear them; for his law and his providence are guardians to the widows and fatherless, and if men do not pity them, and will not hear them, he will. Note, It is a great comfort to those who are injured and oppressed by men, that they have a God to go to, who will do more than give them the hearing; and it ought to be a terror to those who are oppressive, that they have the

V. 25-31. Here is,

1. A law against extortion, in lending. (1.) They must not receive usury for money from any that borrowed for necessity, (v. 25,) as in that case, Neh. 5. 5, 7. And such provision the law made for the preserving of estates to their families by the year of jubilee, that a people who had little concern in trade could not be supposed to borrow money, but for necessity, and therefore it is generally forbidden among themselves: but to a stranger they were allowed to lend upon usury, whom yet they might not oppress: this law, therefore, in the strictness of it, seems to have been peculiar to the Jewish state; but, in the equity of it, it obliges us to show mercy to those of whom we might take, and to be content to share with those we lend to, in loss, as well as profit, if Providence cross them; and, upon this condition, it seems as lawful to receive interest for my money, which another takes pains with, improves, and runs the hazard of in husbandry. (2.) They must not take a poor man's bed-clothes in pawn; but, if they did, must restore them by bedtime, v. 26, 27. Those who lie soft and warm themselves, should consider the hard and cold lodging of many poor people, and not do any thing to make bad worse, or to add affliction to the afflicted.

2. A law against the contempt of authority; (v. 28,) Thou shalt not revile the gods, that is, the judges and magistrates, for their executing of these laws; they must do their duty, whoever suffer by it; magistrates ought not to fear the reproach of men, or their revilings, but to despise them as long as they keep a good conscience; but they that do revile them for their being a terror to evil works and workers, reflect upon God himself, and will have a great deal to answer for, another day. We find those under a black character, and a heavy doom, that despise dominion and speak evil of dignities, Jude 8. Princes and magistrates are our fathers, whom the fifth commandment obliges us to honour, and forbids us to revile. St. Paul applies this law to himself, and owns that he ought not to speak evil of the ruler of his people; no, not though the ruler was then his most unrighteous persecutor Acts 23. 5. See Ec. 10. 20.

3. A law concerning the offering of the first-fruits to God, v. 29, 30. It was appointed before, (ch. 13.) and it is here repeated; The first-born of thy sons shalt thou give unto me; and much more reason have we to give ourselves, and all we have, to God, who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. The first ripe of their corn they must not delay to offer; there is danger, if we delay our duty, lest we wholly omit it; and, by slipping the first opportunity, in expectation of another, we suffer Satan to cheat us of all our time. Let not young people delay to offer to God the first-fruits of their time and strength, lest their delays come, at last, to be denials, through the deceitfulness of sin, and the more convenient season they promise themselves, never arrive. Yet it is provided, that the firstlings of their cattle should not be dedicated to God till they were past seven days old, for then they began to be good for something. Note, God is the first and best, and therefore must have the first and best.

4. A distinction put between the Jews and all other people; Ye shall be holy men unto me; and one mark of that honourable distinction is appointed in their diet, which was, that they should not eat any flesh that was torn of beasts, (v. 31,) not only because it was unwholesome, but because it was paltry, and base, and covetous, and a thing below those who were holy men unto God, to eat the leavings of the beasts of prey. We that are

CHAPTER XXIII.

This chapter continues and concludes the acts that passed in the first session (if I may so call it) upon mount Sinai. Here are, I. Some laws of universal obliga tion, relating especially to the ninth commandment, against bearing false witness, (v. 1,) and giving false judgment, v. 2, 3, 6-8. Also a law of doing good to our enemies, (v. 4, 5,) and not oppressing strangers, v. 9. 11. Some laws peculiar to the Jews. The sabbatical year, (v. 10, 11,) the three annual feasts, (v. 14-17) with some laws pertaining thereto. III. Gracious promises of the completing of the mercy God had begun for them, upon condition of their obedience. That God

would conduct them through the wilderness, (v.20-24.) That he would prosper all they had, (v. 25, 26.) That he would put them in possession of Canaan, v. 27-31. But they must not mingle themselves with the nations, v. 32, 33.

THOU THOU shalt not raise a false "report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil: neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.

3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

4 If thou meet thine enemy's cox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. 5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee

⚫or, receive. a Ps. 15. 3. Prov. 19. 5. Eph. 4. 25. c 1 Kings 19. 10. Job 31. 34. t answer. d ver. 6. e Matt. 5. 44. for, wilt thou cease to help him, or, and wouldest cease to leave thy business for him, thou shall surely leave it to join sanctified to God, must not be curious in our diet; but we must be conscientious, not feeding ourselves without fear, but eating and drinking by rule, the rule of sobriety, to the glory of God. NOTES TO CHAPTER XXIII.

V. 1-9. Here are,

I. Cautions concerning judicial proceedings; it was not enough that they had good laws, better than ever any nation had, but care must be taken for the due administration of justice according to those laws.

1. The witnesses are here cautioned, that they neither occasion an innocent man to be indicted, by raising a false report of him, and setting common fame against him, nor assist in the prosecution of an innocent man, or one whom they do not know to be guilty, by putting their hand in swearing, as witnesses against him, v. 1. Bearing false witness against a man, in a matter that touches his life, has in it all the guilt of lying, perjury, malice, theft, murder,with the additional stains of colouring all with a pretence of justice, and involving many others in the same guilt. There is scarcely any one act of wickedness that a man can possibly be guilty of, which has in it a greater complication of villanies than this has. Yet the former part of this caution is to be extended to common conversation, and not only to judicial proceedings; so that slandering and backbiting are a species of false witness bearing; a man's reputation lies as much at the mercy of every company, as his estate or life does at the mercy of a judge or jury; so that he who raises, or knowingly spreads, a false report against his neighbour, especially if the report be made to wise and good men, whose esteem one would desire to enjoy, sins as much against the laws of truth, justice, and charity, as a false witness does-with this further mischief, that he leaves it not in the power of the person injured to right himself. That which we translate, Thou shalt not raise, the margin reads, Thou shalt not receive, a false report; for sometimes the receiver, in this case, is as bad as the thief; and a backbiting tongue would not do so much mischief as it does, if it were not countenanced. Sometimes we cannot avoid hearing a false report, but we must not receive it, that is, we must not hear it with pleasure and delight, as those that rejoice in iniquity; nor give credit to it, as long as there remains any cause to question the truth of it. This is charity to our neighbour's good name, and doing as we would be done by.

2. The judges are here cautioned not to pervert judgment. (1.) They must not be overruled, either by might or multitude, to go against their consciences in giving judgment, v. 2. With the Jews, causes were tried by a bench of Justices, and judgment given according to the majority of votes; in which case, every particular justice must go according to truth, as it appeared to him upon the strictest and most impartial inquiry, though the multitude of the people, and their outcries, or the sentence of the rabbim, (we translate it many,) the more ancient and honourable of the justices, went the other way. Therefore (as with us) among the Jews, the junior upon the bench voted first, that he might not be swayed or overruled by the authority of the senior. Judges must not respect the persons either of the parties, or of their fellow-judges. The former part of this verse also gives a general rule for all, as well as judges, not to follow a multitude to do evil. General usage will never excuse us in a bad practice; nor is the broad way ever the better or safer, for its being tracked and crowded. We must inquire what we ought to do, not what the majority do; because we must be judged by our Master, not by our fellowservants; and it is too great a compliment, to be willing to go to hell for company.

(2.) They must not pervert judgment, no, not in favour of a poor man, v. 3. Right must in all cases take place, and wrong must be punished, and justice never biassed, nor injury connived at, under pretence of charity and compassion. If a poor man be a bad man, and do a bad thing, it is foolish pity to let him fare the better for his poverty, Deut. 1. 16, 17.

lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him; thou shalt surely help with him. 6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

8 And thou shalt take no gift; for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for 'ye know the "heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

10 And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:

11 But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave, the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy "olive-yard.

with him. f ver. 3. g c. 31. 7. A Prov. 17. 23. 1s. 33. 15. § the seeing. i Matt. 18. 33. Heb. 2. 17, 18. soul. Lev. 25. 3, 4. 26. 34. Tor, olive

trees.

(3.) Neither must they pervert judgment, in prejudice to a poor man, nor suffer him to be wronged, because he had not wherewithal to right himself; in such cases, the judges themselves must become advocates for the poor, as far as their cause was good and honest; v. 6, "Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of the poor; remember they are thy poor, bone of thy bone, thy poor neighbours, thy poor brethren, let them not, therefore, fare the worse for being poor."

(4.) They must dread the thoughts of assisting or abetting a bad cause; v. 7," Keep thee far from a false matter; do not only keep thee free from it, nor think it enough to say, thou art unconcerned in it, but keep thee far from it, dread it as a dangerous snare. The innocent and righteous thou wouldest not, for all the world, slay with thine own hands; keep thee therefore from a false matter, for thou knowest not but it may end in that; and the righteous God will not leave such wickedness to go unpunished. I will not justify the wicked," that is, "I will condemn him that unjustly condemns others." Judges themselves are accountable to the great Judge.

(5.) They must not take bribes, v. 8. They must not only not be swayed by a gift to give an unjust judgment, either to condemn the innocent, or acquit the guilty, or adjudge a man's right from him; but they must not so much as take a gift, lest it should have a bad influence upon them, and overrule them, contrary to their intentions, for it has a strange tendency to blind those that otherwise would do well.

(6.) They must not oppress a stranger, v. 9. Though aliens might not inherit lands among them, yet they must have justice done them, must peaceably enjoy their own, and be righted if they were wronged, though they were strangers to the commonwealth of Israel. It is an instance of the equity and goodness of our law, that if an alien be tried for any crime except treason, the one half of his jury, if he desire it, shall be foreigners; they call it a trial per medietatem linguæ, a kind provision that strangers may not be oppressed. The reason here given is the same with that, (ch. 22. 21,) Ye were strangers; which is here elegantly enforced, Ye know the heart of a stranger; ye know something of the griefs and fears of a stranger, by sad experience, and therefore, being delivered, can the more easily put your souls into their souls' stead.

II. Commands concerning neighbourly kindnesses; we must be ready to do all good offices, as there is occasion for any body, yea, even for those who have done us ill offices, v. 4, 5. The command of loving our enemies, and doing good to them that hate us, is not only a new, but an old commandment, Prov. 25. 21, 22. Infer from hence, 1. If we must do this kindness for an enemy, much more for a friend, though an enemy only is mentioned, because it is supposed that a man would not be unneighbourly to any, unless such as he has a particular spleen against. 2. If it be wrong not to prevent our enemy's loss and damage, how much worse is it to occasion harm and loss to him, or any thing he has. 3. If we must bring back our neighbours' cattle when they go astray, much more must we endeavour, by prudent admonitions and instructions, to bring back our neighbours themselves, when they go astray in any sinful path. See Jam. 5. 19. And if we must endeavour to help up a fallen ass, much more should we endeavour, by comforts and encouragements, to help up a sinking spirit, saying to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong. We must seek the relief and welfare of others as our own, Phil. 2. 4. If thou sayest, Behold, we know it not, doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? See Prov. 24. 11, 12.

V. 10-19. Here is,

I. The institution of the sabbatical year, v. 10, 11. Every seventh year the land was to rest; they must not plough or sow it at the beginning of the year, and then they could not expect any great harvest at the end of the year; but what the earth did produce of itself should be eaten from hand to mouth, and not laid up. Now this was designed, 1. To show what a plentiful land that was into which God was bringing them that so

12 Six days thou shall do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest; that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thine handmaid and the stranger may be refreshed.

13 And in all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.

15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt; and none shall appear before me empty :) 16 And the feast of harvest, the first-fruits of thy labours which thou hast sown in thy field; and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

* Deut. 4. 9. Eph. 5. 15. I Josh. 23. 7. P. 16. 4. Hos. 2. 17. or, feast. m c. 34. 26. n Is. 63.9.

numerous a people could have rich maintenance out of the produce of so small a country, without foreign trade, and yet could spare the increase of every seventh year. 2. To remind them of their dependence upon God their great Landlord, and their obligation to use the fruit of the land as he should direct. Thus he would try their obedience in a matter that nearly touched their interest. Afterward we find that their disobedience to this command was a forfeiture of the promises, 2 Chr. 36. 21. 3. To teach them a confidence in the Divine Providence, while they did their duty; that, as the sixth day's manna served for two days' meat, so the sixth year's increase should serve for two years' subsistence. Thus they must learn not to take thought for their life, Matt. 6. 25. If we are prudent and diligent in our affairs, we may trust Providence to furnish us with the bread of the day in its day.

II. The repetition of the law of the fourth commandment concerning the weekly sabbath, v. 12. Even in the year of rest, they must not think that the sabbath day was laid in common with the other days, but, even that year, it must be religiously observed; yet thus some have endeavoured to take away the observation of the sabbath, by pretending that every day must be a sabbath day.

III. All manner of respect to the gods of the heathen is here strictly forbidden, v. 13. A general caution is prefixed to this, which has reference to all these precepts; In all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect. We are in danger of missing our way on the right hand and on the left, and it is at our peril if we do, therefore we have need to look about us. A man may ruin himself through mere carelessness, but he cannot save himself without great care and circumspection: particularly, since idolatry was a sin which they were much addicted to, and would be greatly tempted to, they must endeavour to blot out the remembrance of the gods of the heathen, and must disuse and forget all their superstitious forms of speech, and never mention them but with detestation. In Christian schools and academies, (for it is in vain to think of reforming the playhouses,) it were to be wished that the names and stories of the heathen deities, or demons rather, were not so commonly and familiarly used as they are, even with intimations of respect, and sometimes with forms of invocation. Surely we have not so learned Christ.

IV. Their solemn religious attendance on God in the place which he should choose, is here strictly required, v. 14-17. 1. Thrice a year, all their males must come together in a holy convocation, that they might the better know and love one another, and keep up their communion as a dignified and peculiar people. 2. They must come together before the Lord, (v. 17,) to present themselves before him, looking toward the place where his honour dwelt, and to pay their homage to him as their great Lord, from and under whom they held all their enjoyments. 3. They must feast together before the Lord, eating and drinking together, in token of their joy in God, and their grateful sense of his goodness to them; for a feast is made for laughter, Ec. 10. 19. Oh what a good Master do we serve, who has made it our duty to rejoice before him, who feasts his servants when they are in waiting? Never let religion be called a melancholy thing, when its solemn services are solemn feasts. 4. They must not appear before God empty, v. 15. Some free-will offering or other they must bring, in token of their respect and gratitude to their great Benefactor. As then they were not allowed to come empty-handed, so now we must not come to worship God empty-hearted; our souls must be filled with grace, with pious and devout affections; holy desires toward him, and dedications of ourselves to him; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. 5. The passover, pentecost, and feast of tabernacles, in spring, summer, and autumn, were the three times appointed for their attendance; not in the midst of their harvest, because then they were otherwise employed; so that they had no reason to say that he made them to serve with an offering, or wearied them with incense,

17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the LORD God.

18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.

19 The first of the first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe "a kid in his mother's milk.

20 Behold, I send an "Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.

22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites,

V. Some particular directions are here given about the three feasts, though not so fully as afterward. I. As to the passover, it was not to be offered with leavened bread, for at that feast all leaven was to be cast out, nor was the fat of it to remain until the morning, lest it should become offensive, v. 18. 2. At the feast of pentecost, when they were to begin their harvest, they must bring the first of their first-fruits to God, by the pious presenting of which the whole harvest was sanctified, v. 19. 3. At the feast of ingathering, as it is called, (v. 16,) they must give God thanks for the harvest mercies they had received, and must depend upon him for the next harvest, and must not think to receive benefit by that superstitious usage of some of the Gentiles, who, it is said, at the end of their harvest, seethed a kid in its dam's milk, and sprinkled that milk-pottage, in a magical way, upon their gardens and fields, to make them more fruitful next year. But Israel must abhor such foolish customs.

V. 20-33. Three gracious promises are here made to Israel, to engage them to their duty, and encourage them in it; and each of the promises has some needful precepts and cautions joined to it.

I. It is here promised that they should be guided and kept in their way through the wilderness to the land of promise, Behold, I send an Angel before thee, (v. 20,) mine Angel, (v. 23,) a created angel, say some, a minister of God's providence, employed in conducting and protecting the camp of Israel; that it might appear that God took a particular care of them, he appointed one of his chief servants to make it his business to attend them, and see that they wanted for nothing. Others suppose it to be the Son of God, the Angel of the covenant: for the Israelites in the wilderness are said to tempt Christ; and we may as well suppose him God's Messenger, and the Church's Redeemer, before his incarnation, as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And we may the rather think he was pleased to undertake the deliverance and conduct of Israel, because they were typical of his great undertaking. It is promised that this blessed Angel should keep them in the way, though it lay through a wilderness first, and afterward through their enemies' country; thus God's spiritual Israel shall be kept through the wilderness of this earth, and from the insults of the gates of hell. It is also promised that he should bring them into the place which God had not only designed, but prepared for them; and thus Christ has prepared a place for his followers, and will preserve them to it, for he is faithful to him that appointed him.

The precept joined with this promise, is, that they be observant of, and obedient to, this Angel whom God would send before them; (v. 21,) "Beware of him, and obey his voice in every thing, provoke him not in any thing, for it is at your peril if you do, he will visit your iniquity." Note, 1. Christ is the Author of salvation to those only that obey him. The word of command is, Hear ye him, Matt. 17. 5. Observe what he hath commanded, Matt. 28. 20. 2. Our necessary dependence upon the divine power and goodness should awe us into obedience. We do well to take heed of provoking our Protector and Benefactor; because, if our Defence depart from us, and the streams of his goodness be cut off, we are undone. Therefore "Beware of him, and carry it toward him with all possible reverence and caution. Fear the Lord and his goodness." 3. Christ will be faithful to those who are faithful to him, and will espouse their cause who adhere to his; (v. 22,) I will be an Adversary to thine adversaries. The league shall be offensive and defensive, like that with Abraham, I will bless him that blesseth thee, and curse him that curseth thee. Thus is God pleased to twist his interests and friendships with his people's. It is promised that they should have a comfortable settlement in the land of Canaan, which they hoped now, (though it proved otherwise,) within a few months, to be in the possession of, v. 24-26. Observe, 1. How reasonable the conditions of this promise are-only that they should serve their own God, who was indeed the only true God, and not the gods of the nations,

and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.

24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do rafter their works; but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

25 And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless "thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come; and I will make all thine enemies turn their *backs unto thee.

28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Moses, as mediator between God and Israel, having received divers laws and ordiDances from God privately, in the three foregoing chapters, in this chapter, 1. Comes down to the people, acquaints them with the laws he had received, and takes their consent to those laws, (v. 3,) writes the laws, and reads them to the people, who repeat their consent, (v. 4-7,) and then, by sacrifice, and the sprinkling of blood, ratifies the covenant between them and God, v. 5, 6, 8. II. He returns to God again, to receive further directions. When he was dismissed from his former attendance, he was ordered to attend again, v. 1, 2. He did so with seventy of the elders, to whom God made a discovery of his glory, v. 9-11. Moses is ordered up into the mount, (v. 12, 13,) the rest are ordered down to the people, v. 14. The cloud of glory is seen by all the people on the top of mount Sinai, (v. 15-17,) and Moses is there with God forty days and forty nights, v. 18.

ND he said unto Moses, Come up unto "the and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. 2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD; but they shall not come nigh, neither shall the people go up with him.

3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.

4 And Moses wrote "all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

c. 20. 5. r Lev. 18. 3. Deut. 12. 30. Ps. 101. 3. 8 c. 32. 20. Num. 33. 52. Chr. 31.7. & Josh. 22. 5. Deut. 7. 13. Is. 33. 16. Mal. 3. 10, 11. Ps. 103. 3. to Deut. 28.4. z Josh. 2. 9, 11. 1 Sam. 14, 15. 2 Chr. 14. 14. * neck. Ps.

18.40.

which were no gods at all, and which they had no reason at all to have any respect for. They must not only not worship their gods, but they must utterly overthrow them, in token of their great abhorrence of idolatry, their resolution never to worship idols themselves, and their care to prevent any other from worshipping them; as the converted conjurers burned their books, Acts 19. 19. 2. How rich the particulars of this promise are. (1.) The comfort of their food; He shall bless thy bread and thy water; and God's blessing will make bread and water more refreshing and nourishing than a feast of fat things and wines on the lees, without that blessing. (2.) The continuance of their health; I will take sickness away, either prevent it, or remove it. The land shall not be visited with epidemical diseases, which are very dreadful, and sometimes have laid countries waste. (3.) The increase of their wealth; their cattle should not be barren nor cast their young; which is mentioned as an instance of prosperity, Job 21. 10. (4.) The prolonging of their lives to old age; "The number of thy days I will fulfil, and they shall not be cut off in the midst by untimely deaths." Thus hath godliness the promise of the life that now is.

III. It is promised that they should conquer and subdue their enemies, the present occupants of the land of Canaan, who must be driven out to make room for them. This God would do, 1. Effectually by his power, (v. 27, 28;) not so much by the sword and bow of Israel, as by the terrors which he would strike into the Canaanites. Though they were so obstinate as not to be willing to submit to Israel, resign their country, and retire elsewhere, which they might have done; yet they were so dispirited, that they were not able to stand before them. This completed their ruin; such power had the devil in them, that they would resist; but such power had God over them, that they could not. I will send my fear before thee; and they that fear will soon flee. Hosts of hornets made way for the hosts of Israel; such mean creatures can God make use of for the chastising of his people's enemies; as in the plagues of Egypt. When God pleases, hornets can drive out Canaanites as well as lions could, Josh. 24. 12. 2. He would do it gradually, in wisdom, (v. 29, 30,) not all at once, but by little and little. As the Canaanites had kept possession till Israel was grown into a people, so there should still be some remains of them, till Israel should grow so numerous as to replenish the whole. Note, The wisdom of God is to be observed in the gradual advances of the church's interests. It is in real kindness to the church, that its enemies are subdued by little and little, for thus we are kept upon our guard, and in a continual dependence upon God. Corruptions are thus driven out of the hearts of God's people; not all at once, but by little and little; the old man is crucified, and therefore dies slowly. God, in his providence, often delays mercy, because we are not ready for it. Canaan has room enough to receive Israel, but Israel is not numerous enough to occupy Canaan; we are not straitened in God; if we are

6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.

7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.

y Deut. 7. 20. Josh. 24. 12. z Num. 34, 3, &c. Deut. 11. 24. a Num. 34. 3. Josh. 1. 4. Ps. 72. 8. b Josh. 21. 44. c c. 34. 12, 15. Ps. 106. 35. 2 Cor. 6. 15. d Judg. 2.3. a ver. 15. c. 31. 2. b c. 28. 1. e Num. 11. 16. d Deut. 5. 27. Josh. 24. 22. e Deut. 31. 9.

straitened, it is in ourselves. The land of Canaan is promised them, (v. 31,) in its utmost extent, which yet they were not possessed of till the days of David; and by their sins they soon lost possession.

The precept annexed to this promise, is, that they should not make any friendship, nor have any familiarity, with idolaters, v. 32, 33. Idolaters must not so much as sojourn in their land, unless they renounced their idolatry. Thus they must avoid the reproach of intimacy with the worshippers of false gods, and the danger of being drawn to worship with them. By familiar converse with idolaters, their dread and detestation of the sin would wear off; they would think it no harm, in compliment to their friends, to pay some respect to their gods, and so by degrees would be drawn into the fatal snare. Note, Those that would be kept from bad courses must keep from bad company; it is dangerous living in a bad neighbourhood; others' sins will be our snares, if we look not well to ourselves, We must always look upon our greatest danger to be from those that would make us sin against God. Whatever friendship is pretended, that is really our worst enemy that draws us from our duty.

NOTES TO CHAPTER XXIV.

V. 1-8. The two first verses are the appointment of a second session upon mount Sinai, for the making of laws, when an end was put to the first. When a communion is begun between God and us, it shall never fail on his side, if it do not first fail on ours. Moses is directed to bring Aaron and his sons, and the seventy elders of Israel, that they might be witnesses of the glory of God, and that communion with him to which Moses was admitted; and that their testimony might confirm the people's faith. In this approach, 1. They must all be very reverent; Worship ye afar off, v. 1. Before they came near, they must worship. Thus we must enter into God's gates with humble and solemn adorations, draw near as those that know our distance, and admire the condescensions of God's grace in admitting us to draw near. Are great princes approached with the profound reverences of the body? And shall not the soul that draws near to God be bowed before him? 2. They must none of them come so near as Moses, v. 2. They must come up to the Lord, (and those that would approach to God must ascend,) but Moses alone must come near; therein a type of Christ, who, as the High Priest, entered alone into the most holy place.

In the following verses, we have the solemn covenant made between God and Israel, and the exchanging of the ratifications; and a very solemn transaction it was, typifying the covenant of grace between God and believers, through Christ.

I. Moses told the people the words of the Lord, v. 3. He did not lead them blindfold into the covenant, nor teach them a devotion that was the daughter of ignorance; but laid before them all the precepts, general and particular, in the foregoing

9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel;

10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a f Heb. 9. 19-21. 13. 20. 1 Pet. 1. 2. g1 Kings 22. 19. Is. 6. 1, 5. h Ez. 1. 26. 10. 1. Rev. 4. 3. 21. 19.

chapters; and fairly put it to them, Whether they were willing to submit to these laws or no?

II. The people unanimously consented to the terms proposed, without reservation or exception; All the words which the Lord hath said will we do. They had before consented in general to be under God's government, (ch. 19. 8;) here they consent in particular to these laws now given. Oh that there had been such a heart in them! How well were it if people would but be always in the same good mind that sometimes they seem to be in! Many consent to the law, and yet do not live up to it; they have nothing to except against it, and yet will not persuade themselves to be ruled by it.

This is the tenor of the covenant, "That, if they would observe the foregoing precepts, God would perform the foregoing promises. Obey, and be happy.' Here is the bargain made. Observe,

1. How it was engrossed in the book of the covenant; Moses wrote the words of the Lord, (v. 4,) that there might be no mistake; probably, he had written them as God dictated them on the mount. As soon as ever God had separated to himself a peculiar people in the world, he governed them by a written word, as he has done ever since, and will do while the world stands, and the church in it. Moses, having engrossed the articles of agreement concluded upon between God and Israel, read them in the audience of the people, (v. 7,) that they might be perfectly apprised of the thing, and might try whether their second thoughts were the same with their first, upon the whole matter. And we may suppose they were so; for their words (v. 7) are the same with what they were, (v. 3,) but something stronger: All that the Lord hath said, (be it good, or be it evil, to flesh and blood, Jer. 42. 6,) we will do; so they had said before, but now they add, “And will be obedient; not only we will do what has been commanded, but in every thing which shall be further ordained we will be obedient." Bravely resolved! if they had but stuck to their resolution. See here, That God's covenants and commands are so incontestably equitable in themselves, and so highly advantageous to us, that the more we think of them, and the more plainly and fully they are set before us, the more reason we shall see to comply with them. 2. How it was sealed by the blood of the covenant, that Israel might receive strong consolations from the ratifying of God's promises to them, and might lie under strong obligations from the ratifying of their promises to God. Thus has Infinite Wisdom devised means that we may be confirmed both in our faith and in our obedience; may be both encouraged in our duty, and engaged to it. The covenant must be made by sacrifice, (Ps. 50. 5,) because, since man has sinned, and forfeited his Creator's favour, there can be no fellowship by covenant, till there be first friendship and atonement by sacrifice.

(1.) In preparation, therefore, for the parties interchangeably putting their seals to this covenant, [1.] Moses builds an altar, to the honour of God, which was principally intended in all the altars that were built, and which was the first thing to be looked at in the covenant they were now to scal. No addition to the perfections of the divine nature can be made by any of God's dealings with the children of men, but in them his perfections are manifested and magnified, and his honour showed forth; therefore he will now be represented by an altar, to signify, that all he expected from them, was, that they should do him honour, and that, being his people, they should be to him for a name and a praise. [2.] He erects twelve pillars, according to the number of the tribes; these were to represent the people, the other party to the covenant; and we may suppose that they were set up over against the altar, and that Moses, as mediator, passed to and fro between them. Probably, each tribe set up and knew its own pillar, and their elders stood by it. [3.] He appointed sacrifices to be offered upon the altar, (v. 5,) burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, which yet were designed to be expiatory. We are not concerned to inquire who these young men were that were employed in offering these sacrifices; for Moses was himself the priest, and what they did was purely as his servants, by his order and appointment. No doubt, they were men who by their bodily strength were qualified for the service, and by their station among the people were fittest for the honour.

(2.) Preparation being thus made, their ratifications were very solemnly exchanged. [1.] The blood of the sacrifice which the people offered was (part of it) sprinkled upon the altar, (v. 6,) which signifies the people's dedicating of themselves, their lives, and beings, to God, and to his honour. In the blood (which is the life) of the dead sacrifices, all the Israelites were presented unto God as living sacrifices, Rom. 12. 1. [2] The blood of the sacrifice which God had owned and accepted was (the remainder of it) sprinkled either upon the people themselves, (v. 8,) or upon the pillars that represented them which signified God's gracious conferring of his

11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did *eat and drink.

12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the 'mount, and be there and I will give thee tables "of stone, and a law, and "command

i Matt. 17. 2. Rev. 1. 16. Gen. 18. 8. ver. 2, 18. m Deut. 5. 22. n Neh. 9. 13.

favour upon them, and all the fruits of that favour, and his giving them all the gifts they could expect or desire from a God reconciled to them, and in covenant with them by sacrifice. This part of the ceremony was thus explained, “Behold the blood of the covenant; see here how God has sealed to you to be a God, and you seal to him to be to him a people; his promises to you, and yours to him, are both yea and amen.' Thus our Lord Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, (of whom Moses was a type,) having offered up himself a sacrifice upon the cross, that his blood might be indeed the blood of the covenant, sprinkled it upon the altar in his intercession, (Heb. 9. 12,) and sprinkles it upon his church by his word and ordinances, and the influences and operations of the Spirit of promise, by whom we are sealed. He himself seemed to allude to this solemnity, when, in the institution of the Lord's supper, he said, This cup is the New Testament, (or Covenant,) in my blood. Compare with this, Heb. 9. 19, 20.

V. 9-11. The people having, beside their submission to the ceremony of the sprinkling of blood, declared their wellpleasedness in their God and his law, again and again, God here gives to their representatives some special tokens of his favour to them; for God meets him that rejoices and works righteousness, and admits them nearer to him than they could have expected. Thus, in the New Testament church, we find the four living creatures, and the four and twenty elders, honoured with places round the throne, being redeemed unto God, by the blood of the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, Rev. 4. 4, 6.-5. 8, 9. Observe,

1. They saw the God of Israel, (v. 10,) that is, they had some glimpse of his glory, in light and fire, though they saw no manner of similitude, and his being, no man hath seen or can see, 1 Tim. 6. 16. They saw the place where the God of Israel stood, (so the LXX,) something that came near a similitude, but was not; whatever they saw, it was certainly something of which no image or picture could be made, and yet enough to satisfy them that God was with them of a truth.

Nothing is described but that which was under his feet: for our conceptions of God are all below him, and fall infinitely short of being adequate. They saw not so much as God's feet, but at the bottom of the brightness they saw (such as they never saw before or after, and, as the footstool or pedestal of it) a most rich and splendid pavement, as it had been of sapphires, azure, or sky-coloured. The heavens themselves are the pavement of God's palace, and his throne is above the firmament. See how much better Wisdom is than the precious onyx or the sapphires, for Wisdom was, from eternity, God's delight, (Prov. 8. 30,) and lay in his bosom, but the sapphires are the pave ment under his feet; there let us put all the wealth of this world, and not in our hearts.

2. Upon the nobles, or elders, of Israel, he laid not his hand, v. 11. Though they were men, the dazzling splendour of his glory did not overwhelm them: but it was so moderated, (Job 26. 9,) and they were so strengthened, (Dan. 10. 19,) that they were able to bear it. Nay, though they were sinful men, and obnoxious to God's justice, yet he did not lay his punishing, avenging hand upon them, as they feared he would. When we consider what a consuming fire God is, and what stubble we are before him, we shall have reason to say, in all our approaches to him, It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. 3. They saw God and did eat and drink; they had not only their lives preserved, but their vigour, courage, and comfort; it cast no damp upon their joy, but rather increased and elevated it. They feasted upon the sacrifice, before God, in token of their cheerful consent to the covenant now made, their grateful acceptance of the benefits of it, and their communion with God in pursuance of that covenant. Thus believers eat and drink with Christ at his table, Luke 22. 30. Blessed are they that shall eat bread in the kingdom of our Father, and drink of the new wine there. V. 12-18. The public ceremony of sealing the covenant being over, Moses is called up to receive further instructions, which we have in the following chapters.

I. He is called up into the mount, and there he remained six days, at some distance. Orders are given him, (v. 12,) Come up to the mount, and be there, that is, "Expect to continue there for some considerable time." Those that would have communion with God must not only come to ordinances, but they must abide by them. Blessed are they that dwell in his house, not that merely call there; "Come up, and I will give thee a law, that thou mayest teach them." Moses taught them nothing but what he had received from the Lord, and he received nothing from the Lord but what he taught them; for he was faithful both to God and Israel, and did neither add nor diminish, but kept close to his instructions.

Having received these orders, 1. He appointed Aaron and Hur to be as lords justices in his absence, to keep the peace and good order in the congregation, v, 14.

The care of his