[8] natural Causes to interfere in their Deliverance, lest the People should grow doubtful to whom they should ascribe their Victories. When Gideon stood up to deliver the People from the Midianites, he raised an Army of Thirty two Thousand Men: God refused to go forth with so great an Host, and the Reason given for it, is this ; “The People that « are with thee, are too many for me to give “ the Midianites into their Hands, lest Israel “ vaunt themselves against me, saying, mine

Hand hath saved me.” (Judg. vii. 2. Accordingly, the Thirty two Thousand were reduced to Three Hundred, and by them the Host of Midian was overthrown.

To come nearer to our present Purpose. Forthe same reason it was that God would not permit șhe People to have Horses and Chariots of War for their Defence; not because they were thought useless in War, for it is well known that the Strength of the ancient Miliţia consisted chiefly in them, as appears in the Scripture History, and in the oldest Writers of profane Story. Such was the Strength of Egypt, and such the Force of the Asyrians, and of the other Eastern Națions. And it is observable, that when God is introduced in the Book of Job, setting forth the great Works

of [9] of the Creation, he describes the Horse as if made on purpose for the Day of Battel. “Haft “ thou (says God) given the Horse Strength? “ hast thou clothed his Neck with Thun-. " der?

“ Canst thou make him afraid as a Grass

hopper? The Glory of his Nostrils is ter« rible.

“ He paweth in the Valley, and rejoiceth “ in his Strength; he goeth on to meet the « armed Men.

“ He mocketh at Fear, and is not affright

ed; neither turneth he back from the « Sword.

“ The Quiver rattleth against him, the glittering Spear and Shield.

“ He swalloweth the Ground with Fierce«? nefs and Rage; neither believeth he that it " is the Sound of the Trumpet.

” He saith among the Trumpets, Ha, ha; « and he smelleth the Battel afar off, the “ Thunder of the Captains, and the Shout« ings.”

But this Courage, this Aptness for War in Horses, was the very reason why God would not suffer his People to make use of them for their Defence. He himself had undertaken their Cause, and he wanted neither Horse nor

Foot

Foot to fight his Battels. Of this he

gave

sufficient Proof in the first Instance of their Deliverance. When he brought them out of Egypt, they were a mere Croud of Women and Children, and of Men trained up in Slavery, under hard and cruel Task-masters. On the Egyptian's Side were the antient Sole diery of the Kingdom, a mighty Power of Chariots and Horses, led on by Princes, and by Nobles. And what was the issue ? The Strength of Egypt was destroy'd, and the People saved. And the Glory which God took to Himself in saving a weak People against the Strength of the Chariots and Horfes of Pharoah, is finely described in the Song of Moses.

“ I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath " triumphed gloriously; the Horse and his $. Rider hath he thrown into the Sea.”

“ The Lord is a Man of War; the Lord

is his Name, Pharoah's Chariots and his ^ Host hath he cast into the Sea."

It may be thought perhaps no Wonder that the People at this Time had neither Chariots nor Horses ; for where shou'd they have them? They were themselves but Slaves, and doubtless their Masters were cautious enough not to put the Power of War into their Hands. Let us go on then, and fee

how

how the Case stood afterwards, when the People had an opportunity of furnishing themselves with Horses and Chariots ; if it had been lawful for them so to do. After the Death of Mofes, Joshua was in Command over the People: His Victories over the Canaanites, so alarmed the neighbouring Princes, that with one Consent they confederated against him, and brought together an incredible Multitude in Arms; and as it is particularly remarked, with Horses and Chariots very many: Joshua prevail'd against them,and took all their Horses and Chariots; and had an Opportunity of strengthning his Army with Cavalry. But observe the express Command of God to him. Thou shalt hough, or hamstring, their Horses, and burn their Chariots with Fire, (Josh. xi. 6.) Is this the common Practice of War? Do Princes who want Horses to mount their own Troops, use to destroy those taken from the Enemy, or render them useless by hamstringing them? There can be no Foundation for the Command to destroy the Horses, but this only, that it was not lawful for Joshua to keep them, for the Reason already given.

I have laid these Observations together, to give Light to a general Precept of the Law, in which every Prince, who should fucceed

to

to the Government of Irael, was concerned ; and upon which the true Interpretation of the Prophecy, now before us, does, as I conceive, depend. It is to be found in the 17th of Deut. in these Words, “He (that is, who“ ever shall be King of Israel) shall not mul

tiply Horses to himself, nor cause the Peo

ple to return to Egypt, to the End that he " should multiply Horses.” If we consider the Situation of Judea, how it was surrounded by Warlike Nations, who had strong Armies both of Horse and Foot; it will be impossible to justify this Law by the Measures of human Prudence: But the true Reason of the Law is express’d in the 20th of Deut. " When thou goeft out to Battel against thine “ Enemies, and seest Horses and Chariors, « and a People more than thou, be not afraid “ of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, “ which brought thee out of the Land of

Egypt.” When God forbad his People the use of Horses and Chariots, he promised that He would be to them instead of Horses and Chariots. This Law therefore was to be a standing Trial of Prince and People, whether they had Trust and Confidence in God their Deliverer. In this View there is Sense in the Law; for he who gave it, knew how to re

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