Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

a people who received an exprefs and manifeft commiffion from him for that purpose; and this could not but be evident, when all the paffage of the children of Ifrael from Egypt to the land of Canaan was conducted by a series of miracles, and when they were affifted by fupernatural power in making their conquefts. It was like the regular execution of a commiffion, by perfons who carried their credentials or warrant along with them.

The particular reafons for the extirpation of the Canaanites are clearly and repeatedly expreffed in the books of Mofes. Thus, in one place, the fettlement of the Ifraelites in the promised land is faid® to have been deferred, becaufe the iniquity of the inhabitants was not full; and the Ifraelites are frequently reminded that the extermination of the Canaanites, and their own fettlement in the country, were appointed by God, not on account of their goodness, but for the wickedness of those people who were driven out before them. It is remarkable that, in all the other wars in which the Ifraelites might happen to be engaged with their neighbouring nations, they were expressly enjoined to purfue very different and more humane maxims, fparing all except fuch as were found bearing arms. In this particular cafe, only, they were exprefsly commanded to exterminate utterly.

That the Ifraelites were not influenced by the ufual paffions of conquerors, but acted under an

authority

authority which controuled their natural defires, is manifeft from their not fparing even the cattle, and even refraining to appropriate to themselves the treasure which they found in Jericho, which was the first fruits of their conquefts, and to be devoted to God. The Ifraelites have often been compared to barbarous conquerors and cruel murderers; but let other conquerors and affaffins be produced, who refrained from plunder as thefe did. That they were not actuated by mere rage and revenge is evident from their having received no particular provocation, not indeed, having had any perfonal intercourfe with the inhabitants of Canaan. Their motives, it is evident, must have been of a very different nature from thofe of common robbers and murderers, and, in the eye of reafon, it is the motive that determines the nature of the action.

It is alfo remarkable that, notwithstanding the paffion the Ifraelites may be fupposed to have had for war, which would have been inflamed by the rapidity of their conquefts, they were forbidden to extend them beyond the boundaries of the land of Canaan; and the conftitution of their government was altogether unfuited to extenfive empire.

It would be a fufficient reafon for the extermination of the Canaanites by the fword of the children of Ifrael, if, as is very poffible, it was the beft method of impreffing the minds of the Ifraelites themfelves with a juft idea of the heinous nature of idolatry,

idolatry, and to make fufficient provision against their being feduced into the fame abominable practices. If their living only in the neighbourhood of idolatrous nations was fo unfafe for this people, as their history fhews it to have been, what danger would they not have been in, if they had fpared the old inhabitants of Canaan, and suffered them to live unmolested among them.

I would obferve, however, that the order to exterminate utterly in the cafe of the Canaanites; though expreffed in abfolute terms, is fuppofed by fome to have been conditional in fact, and that their lives were to have been fpared upon their fubmiffion, and especially on their for faking idolatry.

This fuppofition is fufficiently analogous to other threatnings in the fcriptures (the nature of which is explained by the prophet Ezekiel xxxiii. 14.) as that of Jonah against the Ninevites. He was commiffioned to say that in forty years Nineveh fhould be overthrown, Jonah iii. 4. and yet we see that, upon repentance, that city was fpared.

It is plain in fact, that the Ifraelites either did not understand the command to be abfolute, or they knowingly tranfgreffed it, even in the beft and most flourishing state of their affairs; for mention is made of the remains of the Canaanitish nations living in fubjection to the Ifraelites even to the times of the kings. 1 Kings, ix. 20, 21.

All

All the people that were left, of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Ifrael, their children that were left. after them in the land, whom the children of Ifrael also were not able utterly to deftroy, upon thofe did Solomon levy a tribute of bond fervice unto this day. It is plain from this paffage that, though before the days of David and Solomon, the Ifraelites could not entirely fubdue those nations, they were then wholly reduced, and at the mercy of their conquerors; and we no where read of their being blamed for the favour they fhewed them, as Saul was in the case of the Amalekites, who were reduced by war. We alfo read Judges, i. 28. It came to pass that when Ifrael was frong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out. And it must be obferved that Uriah, one of David's principal heroes was a Hittite.

Befides the reason and end for which the order for the extermination of the Canaanites was given, which was, left the children of Ifrael fhould be inticed by them into idolatry, entirely ceafed upon their fubmiffion, and abandoning their idol worship.

Laftly, it is pretty clearly inferred, that this order was conditional, from finding that if the hearts of the Canaanites had not been hardened to oppose the Ifraelites, they would not have been cut off. Joshua, xi, 19, 20. There was not a city that made

peace

peace with the children of Ifrael fave the Hivites. For it was of the Lord to har den their hearts, that they should come against Ifrael in battle, that he might defray them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might defroy them, as the Lord commanded Mofes, i. e. evidently in cafe of oppofition only. As to the Lord's hardening their hearts, there is nothing peculiar in it in this case, and, it will be explained hereafter.

The orders which the Jews had, not to spare even their nearest relations, if they fhould attempt to feduce them into idolatry, has been made the foundation of the fame charge of cruelty, and has alfo been cenfured as a perfecution on the account of religious principles. But it fhould be confidered, that the very reafon for fetting apart the Jewish nation to be the theatre of the extraordinary providence of God, refpecting the whole world of mankind, which was at that time univerfally finking into idolatry, was to fecure the belief of the great and important doctrine of the divine unity, and univerfal moral government; and that this, which was the great object both of the religious conftitution, and also of the civil government of the Hebrews, would have been defeated, if the most effectual provifion had not been made for fecuring to the one true God the allegiance of this one nation, and their adherence to the purity of his worship.

Befides,

« ForrigeFortsæt »