that People, were fo ftrangely addicted to Idolatry, that all the Signs and Wonders they faw in Egypt, in the Red-Sea, and in the Wilderness, could not perfectly cure them; but whenever they had opportunity, they joined themselves to the Heathen Gods, ate of their Sacrifices, and bowed themselves before them; that had these Men gone into Canaan, which was then a Land of Idolaters, they would certainly have worshipped their Gods, instead of destroying them, and have mingled themfelves with the People of the Land, and have learnt their Manners: for they who fo often tempted God, and difobeyed Mofes, while they were in the Wilderness, in expectation of the Promifed Land, what would they have done, had they been once poffeffed of it? So that to have given that Generation of Men Poffeffion of Canaan, would not have anfwered God's original Defign in chufing Ifrael for his peculiar People; for in all likelihood they would have proved a Nation of Idolaters, like the other Nations round about them: And therefore God deferred the final Accomplishment of his Promife, till that Generation was all dead, and a new Generation fprung up which knew not Egypt, nor had converfed with Idolatrous Nations, but had feen the Wonders of God in the Wilderness, and had learnt his Statutes and Judgments, and were fufficiently warned by the Example of their Fathers, whofe Carcaffes fell in the Wildernefs, to Fear and Reverence the Lord Jehovah, and to make him their Truft. This is the very Account the Scripture gives of it; and thus accordingly it proved; for that new Generation of Men were never charged with Idolatry; but we are exprefly told, That Ifrael ferved the Lord all the days of Joshua, and

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all the days of the Elders that over-lived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord that he bad done for Ifrael, 24. Josh. 31.

All this, we fee, was defigned by God with admirable Wisdom, to make his own Glory and Power known, and to publifh his Choice of Ifrael for his peculiar People, and to prepare them for himself, and to establish his Name and Worfhip among them: And now God had made. them fit Inhabitants of the Land of Promife, without any longer delay he gives them the actual Poffeffion of it; and therefore let us now follow them into the Land of Canaan.

The History of the Wars of Canaan is fufficiently known; which prefents us with new Wonders and Miracles, not inferior to those which God wrought in Egypt, and in the Red-Sea; for: God fo vifibly fought the Battels of Ifrael, that they and all the World might know, that it was he that gave them Poffeffion of that good Land, and drove out thofe wicked Inhabitants before them; which declared his Glory, and made his Power known: And what I have already difcourfed concerning the Wonders and Miracles in Egypt, is equally applicable to this, and I need add no more. Let us then confider Ifrael in poffeffion of the Land of Promife: And there are. but two things more I fhall obferve in the Jewish History till the coming of our Saviour.

1. Their frequent Relapfes into Idolatry, for which they were as frequently and feverely punifhed.

2. Their Captivities and Difperfions among the Nations, whereby God made himself and his Laws more univerfally known in the World.

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1. As for the firft, nothing could be more directly contrary to God's original Intention in chufing the Pofterity of Abraham for his peculiar People, than their falling into Idolatry; and yet God forefaw, that this they would do, and threatens to punish them feverely when they did; which is the Subject of Mofes his Prophetick Song, 32. Deut. and the whole Hiftory of the Jewish Nation may fatisfy us, that though God many times fpared them when they were guilty of other great Sins, yet they never fell into Idolatry, but Vengeance foon purfued them; and they were either oppreffed by their Enemies at home, or carried Captive into Foreign Countries. When Jofhua was dead, and all that Generation which Joshua led into Canaan; There arofe another generation after them, that knew not the Lord, nor get the works which he had done for Ifrael. And they foon declined to Idolatry, and ferved Baalim; they for fook the Lord, and ferved Baal and Ahtaroth, 2. Judges ro, 11, 12, &c. And what follows gives us a fummary account of God's dealings with them all the time of the Judges. And the anger of the Lord was bot against Ifrael, and be delivered them into the hands of fpoilers that fpoiled them, and be fold them into the hands of their enemies round about them: Whither foever they went out, the band of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had faid, and as the Lord bad fworn unto them ; and they were greatly diftreffed. Nevertheless the Lord raifed up Fudges, which delivered them out of the band of thofe that spoiled them. And yet they would not bearken unto their Judges, but they went a whoring after other Gods, and bowed themselves unto them: They turned quickly out of the way that their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord;

Lord; but they did not fo. And when the Lord raised them up Judges, then the Lord was with the Judge, and delivered them out of the bands of their Enemies all the days of the Fudge. (For it repented the Lord because of their groanings, by reafon of them that oppreffed them, and vexed them.) And it came to pass when the Fudge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themfelves more than their fathers, in following other Gods to ferve them, and to bow down unto them ; they ceafed not from their own doings, and from their ftubborn way

For this reafon, as it follows in the Text, God refolved not to drive out any from before them of the Nations which Joshua left when he died. God had promised to put out thofe Nations by little and little, not confume them at once, lest the beasts of the Field Should increafe upon them, 7. Deut. 22. But withal, Joshua affured them, That if they did in any wife go back, that is, relapfe into Idolatry, and cleave unto the remnant of thofe Nations, even thofe which remain among you, which Joshua had not driven out; know for a certainty that the Lord 1 that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of thefe Nations from before you; but they shall be Snares and traps unto you, and Scourges in your fides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good Land which the Lord your God hath given you, 23. Jofhua 12, 13 And thus accordingly God dealt with them; for he left the five Lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites, that dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-Hermon, unto the entring in of Hamath, and they were to prove Ifrael by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the Commandments of the Lord, which be commanded their fathers by the band of Mofes, 3. Judges 1,4

This was a wife Provifion God made to correct and punish Ifrael, whenever they should de

cline to Idolatry; for thefe Idolatrous Nations, who ftill lived among them, or round about them, were not more ready to tempt them to Idolatry, than they were to opprefs and afflict them, when God thought fit to chaftife Ifrael: The whole Book of Judges is a manifeft Proof of this; and the Story is fo well known, that I need not infift on Particulars: Let us then briefly contemplate the Wisdom of Providence in those fevere Judgments God executed on Ifrael for their frequent Idolatries. God had chofen Ifrael for his peculiar People to be the Worshippers of the One Supreme God, and a vifible confutation of the Heathen Idolatries; but their great Propenfity to Idolatry, after all the Signs and Wonders which God wrought in Egypt, and in the RedSea, and in the Wildernefs, and in giving them Poffeffion of the promised Land, did threaten the final Apoftacy of Ifrael, which would have defeated God's Wife and Gracious Defign in chufing them for his peculiar People. For had they turned Idolaters like the reft of the Nations, the Worship of the One Supreme God had been totally loft in the World.

To prevent this, God never fuffered their Idolatries for any long time to efcape unpunifhed; and if we would understand the true Reafon of this, we must not confider thefe Judgments merely as the Punishment of their Idolatries, but as the wife Methods of Providence to preferve his own Worship among them, notwithstanding their Idolatrous Inclinations, and to make his Name, and Power, and Glory known to the World.

The whole World were Idolaters; but God did not punish other Nations for their Idolatry, as he did Ifrael; which fhews, that the Punish

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