CHAP. III. SUMMARY VIEW OF THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS FROM THE DEATH OF MOSES TO THE PRESENT TIME. JOSHUA OSHUA, having received from the Almighty a promise of unfailing fupport (a), and a grant, in behalf of the Ifraelites, of the whole region extending from the Euphrates to the Mediterranean, and from the mountains of Lebanon on the north to the Wilderness of Sin on the fouth (b); prepared to put the twelve tribes into poffeffion of their inheritThe hand of God was ftretched out to aid him. The waters of the river Jordan, at that time overflowing, like the Nile, with its annual inundation, were miraculously parted afunder to afford a paffage on dry ground to the hoft. The walls of Jericho fell to the earth. The fun and the moon ance. ftood ftill to afford Ifrael time for the complete overthrow of his enemies, The extir (a) Joshua, i. 5. (b) Joh. i. 4. See alfo Numb. xxxiv, 3.-Deut. xi, 24, and Gen. xv, 18, pation of the Canaanites was gradual; that the beafts of the field might not have time to multiply and overspread the land (c). But before the death of Jofhua, the country, though a confiderable portion remained to be subdued, was divided by lot, according to the command of God, among the tribes; with the exception of that of Levi, and of those which had already received at their own requeft their inheritance in the conquered kingdoms of the Amorites, on the other fide of the Jordan. The Levites were provided with cities for the refidence of their families; and with an ample fubfiftence from the facrifices and tithes of other tribes, on whofe behalf, as well as on their own, they were to minifter at the altar. The command, which God had given to Ifrael refpecting the Canaanites, was, that they should be exterminated. "Of the cities "of these people, which the Lord thy God "doth give thee for thine inheritance, thou "fhalt fave nothing alive that breatheth." The reason of this injunction is immediately fubjoined: "thou fhalt utterly destroy them, as the Lord thy God hath commanded "thee: that they teach you not to do after "all their abominations (d)." Perfons who (c) Deut. vii. 22, (d) Deut, xx. 16. feem feem to have conceived that to cavil at the Bible is a mark of difcernment, have eagerly feized upon this paffage: and have represented it as containing a fanguinary edict unworthy of a merciful Governor of the universe; and as in fact affording a conclufive proof that the Bible is not the Word of God. Our faith however in the truth of Scripture is founded on too many irrefragable arguments to be ftaggered by such an objection as this, even if an answer in every point fatisfactory could not be returned it. In every work of God around us there is much that we cannot perfectly underftand. Why then should we be furprised, if he should permit that, for the exercife of our understandings and the trial of our faith, fome difficulties fhould exift in his word alfo? But the difficulty in queftion is of no formidable nature. The command is fully juftified even to human apprehenfion by the reafon which God himself affigned for it. We know that the Canaanites, in their grofs and bloody idol-worship, a worship celebrated with the facrifice of their own children, and in the univerfal and unbridled profligacy of their manners, had abandoned themselves to fuch fhameless and deteftable wickedness; that, in the emphatical language of holy writ, the land itself abhorred and vo mited out her inhabitants (e). We know the obftinate propenfity of the Ifraelites to forfake their fupreme Benefactor; and to pollute themfelves with idolatry and all its attendant abominations. We know too, that when they difobeyed the injunction to extirpate all the nations which dwelt in Canaan, and contented themselves with fubjecting fome of them to tribute; thofe Canaanites, who were thus permitted to remain, proved thorns and fnares to the people of Ifrael; grievous as enemies, corrupting as friends, and ultimately the cause of their ruin, according to the previous warnings delivered from God himself by the mouth of Mofes and of Joshua (f). The deftruction of the Canaanites therefore was fully deferved by their crimes; and was requifite in the fight of the Divine Wisdom to preferve Ifrael from being enfnared by them, or by their pofterity, into the fame crimes. The latter circumftance explains the reafon why even the young children of the people of Canaan, who, when grown up, would not only have fought to revenge the destruction of their ancestors, but would naturally have reverted to their unhallowed worship, were included in the fentence (e) Lev. xviii. 24, 25, &c. ) Numb. xxxiii. 55, 56. Deut. xii. 31. of of extirpation: and "juftifies the ways of God "to man" in an inftance which has been alleged as contrary to all ideas of the Divine rectitude by objectors, who seem to have forgotten that in earthquakes alfo, and in famines, and in peftilences, the Deity fees fit to let unoffending infancy be involved in the common defolation (g); and that a future life affords ample fcope for the complete difcrimination between innocence and guilt. The employment of the Ifraelites as minifters to execute the Divine vengeance was calculated to imprefs them with a deep conviction of the enormity of the fins of their predeceffors in the land; and with an aweful recollection that the fame punishment was already denounced against themselves, if they fhould fall into fimilar tranfgreflions. Jofhua, now far advanced in years, and deeply folicitous for the perfeverance of his countrymen in true religion, affembled the twelve tribes of Ifrael to hear his laft inftructions. He recounted the wonders which God had wrought for them in Egypt, in the Wilderness, and in the land of Canaan, notwithstanding their many provocations; pointed out the pun&ual accomplishment of every (g) See Bishop Watfon's Apology for the Bible, 3d edition, P. 14, &c. one |