For, it is added, there was a deadly deftruction throughout all their cities; the hand of God was very heavy there, and the men that died not were fmitten with emrods, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

ye

The whole nation being now thoroughly alarmed, they agreed to fend away the ark without any farther delay, and with prefents, to appease the anger of the God to whom it was facred. Wherefore, faid they, Ch. vi. 6, Do harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he wrought wonderfully among them. Did they not let the people go? But, to afcertain whether what had befallen them was owing to a real miracle, or not, they agreed to place the ark upon a cart, and that it should be drawn by milch cows, whofe calves were left at home, which it was well known the cows would not naturally leave. See, fay they, Ch. v. 9, If it go up by the way of its own coast, to Bethfhemefh, then he (i. e. Jehovah) has done us this great evil; but if not, we shall know that it is not his hand that fmote us. a chance that happened to us. Accordingly,

It was

as

as we read, they did fo, and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. The event must have fatisfied them that what they had fuffered was no chance, but the judgment of a superior power. For, as we read, ver. 12. The cows took the ftraight way, the way to Bethfhemesh, and went along the high way, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philiftines went after them, unto the borders of Bethfhemesh.

It may be faid, that this story is written by Hebrews, and therefore of fufpicious authenticity. But the taking of the ark, or the not taking of it, by their enemies, must have been a thing of fuch notoriety, and importance, that no hiftorian would have ventured to record what was known to be untrue with refpect to it. A fiction fo extravagant as this, could never have gained credit, and least of all with a people not naturally prejudiced in favour of their religion, but always inclined to that of their neighbours. And if the ark was taken by the Philistines, the return of it

was

was a fufficient proof of its being in confequence of a miracle. For nothing could have induced the Philiftines voluntarily to give up fuch a trophy of their victory, so clear a monument, as they would confider it, of the fuperiority of their gods to the God of their enemies.

Besides, the subsequent hiftory of the Ifraelites is a proof of the authenticity of this event. For after this we do not, of a long time, read of any relapfe into idolatry; and the observance of their own religion was thoroughly eftablished in the fucceeding times of David and Solomon, during which the country enjoyed a diftinguished ftate of profperity and glory.

By the folly and obftinacy of Rehoboam the ten tribes revolted from the houfe of David. And it was the policy of Jeroboam, whom they made their king, in order to prevent his subjects from returning to the houfe of David, to provide a different mode and place of worship for them; but still the difference was only in mode and form, and not with refpect to its object. For it was the worship of Jehovah

by

by the images of calves, to which they had been accustomed in Egypt, where Jeroboam himself had refided during his banishment from his own country in the reign of Solomon. These calves he fet up at Dan in the northern part of the country, and at Bethel in the fouthern.

The pofterity of Jeroboam was cut off in the fourth generation, according to an exprefs prophecy delivered to him. Baafha, who fucceeded them, trod in his fteps, notwithstanding the fame fentence paffed upon him, and which was executed by Zimri, who was dethroned by Omri. Ahab, the fon of Omri, who married Jezebel, a daughter of the idolatrous king of Tyre, went beyond all his predeceffors in idolatry and wickednefs. For we read, 1 Kings xvi. 31; As if it had been a light thing for bim to walk in the fins of Jeroboam the fon of Nebat, he went and ferved Baal, and worshipped him. And Ahab made a grove, and he did more to provoke Jehovah, the God of Ifrael, to anger, than all the kings of Ifrael that went before him. This was the introduction of the worship of another

Gud,

God, with rites of a peculiarly horrid na

ture.

In this reign, at a time of general apoftafy, appeared the famous prophet Elijah the Tifhbite, who opened his commiffion with denouncing the judgments of God upon the country in a drought of three years continuance, followed, of course, by a dreadful famine. In the last period of this great judgment Elijah met Ahab, who accofted him by faying, 1 Kings xviii. 17, Art thou he who troubleth Ifrael? The prophet answered, I have not troubled Ifrael, but thou and thy father's house, in that ye have forfaken the commandment of Jehovah, and have followed Baalim.

After this the prophet made the following fair propofal, in order to determine which of the two, Jehovah, or Baal, was the true God; 1 Kings xviii. 21. Elijah came unto all the people, and faid, How long balt ye between two opinions? If Jehovah be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. The people being filent, the prophet proceeded as follows: I, even I only, remain a prophet of Jehovah, but Baal's pro

N

phets