"evident from the facred Hiftory, which "Mofes himself wrote.

We may find a pretty exact Account of the Nature of this high Office in the Hebrew Government, in the Appointment of Joshua Succeffor to Mofes, and the Recognition of his Authority by the People.

xxvii. 18,

19, 20, **.

As to the Appointment of Joshua, Succeffor to Mofes, the Lord faid unto Mofes, take Numbers thee Joshua the Son of Nun, a Man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine Hand upon him, and fet him before Eleazar the Priest, and before all the Congregation, and give him a Charge in their Sight; and thou shalt put fome of thine Honour upon him, that all the Congregation of the Children of Ifrael may be obedient; and be shall stand before Eleazar the Prieft, who fhall afk Counsel for him, after the Judgment of Urim before the Lord; at bis Word fhall they go out, and at his Word they fhall come in, both be, and all the Children of Ifrael with him, even all the Congregation.

From this Account, tho' fhort, we may Not an eyet, I think, conclude with fufficient Autho-reditary rity, that this high Office of the Judge of Office. Ifrael was not to be an bereditary Office; nor did the Policy of Mofes take one Step to perpetuate this great Magiftracy in his Poiterity or Family. On the contrary, the History informs us, that Mofes himself deN 3 fired

fired the Nomination of a Succeffor before his Death, and confulted the Oracle upon it. Numbers And Mofes fpake unto the Lord, faying, let the xxvii. 15, Lord, the God of the Spirits of all Flesh, fet a 16, 17. Man over the Congregation, which may go

out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in, that the Congregation of the Lord be not as Sheep which bave no Shepherd.

It appears then Mofes could have no Views of leaving this great and powerful Of-. fice in the Hebrew Government, an hereditary Honour in his own Family, in virtue of any hereditary Claims or Right. It was highly convenient, this important Office fhould be difcharged by Perfons of great and eminent Qualifications. A Man," in whom was "the Spirit of Courage, Prudence, and the "Fear of God, with all other Gifts neceffary.

in an excellent Governor," fays Bishop Patrick. And therefore God, by the Voice of his Oracle, appoints Joshua the Son of Nun, of another Family, and even of another Tribe, to be his Succeffor; for Joshua was of the Tribe of Ephraim. Thus this high Office of Mofes, with all his Authority and with all his Policy, continued in his Family no longer than his own Life.

However, the great Usefulness and Importance of this Magiftracy in the Hebrew Government, is strongly recommended as a ma

erial Part of the Constitution, that the Congregation may not be as Sheep without a Shepherd. To go in and out before them, to lead them out, and to bring them in, may mean the Command in War and the Direction of civil Affairs; and it should fem to be understood fo, when Mofès is directed to put fome of his Honour on Joshua, that all the Congregation of the Children of I/rael may be obedient. What can be the Meaning of putting fome of the Honour of Mofes on Joshua, but what Bishop Patrick obferves, communicating fome of his Au

thority to him at prefent, and making " him an Affociate in the Government ?" Now it is plain that Mofes judged Ifrael by Authority in Civil Affairs, as well as by the chief Command of their Armies.

The Au

not arbi

, trary.

It will further however appear, that how great foever the Authority of the Hebrew thority of Judge or Stadtholder was, it could not be the Judge arbitrary. Greater Matters, as we have seen, were to be proposed to the Congregation and Princes, or Senate of Ifrael; and he was alfo to confult the Oracle, after the Judgment of Urim before the Lord: So that the Judge, as well as the Congregation, were to be directed by the Oracle. The Rabbins have form'd a general Maxim from hence, "That no private Perfon was allow'd to "confult the Oracle; none but the King, "the Head of the great Sanhedrim, and fuch

N4

<< as

as were appointed in the Name of all the People*.*

It is plain the Judge is here directed to ftand before the Priest, who fhall afk Counfel for him. In this all the Succeffors of McJes were inferior to him. He confulted the Oracle himself, but all his Succeffors were to afk Counsel of the Oracle by the HighPrieft. So that the Authority of the Judge could not be arbitrary, when it was tempered by the Approbation of the Oracle, as well as by the Advice and Confent of the Senate and People. This Ufe of the Oracle may give light to fome Parts of the Hebrew Hiftory, which too commonly are mistaken, or not well understood. In particular, this will fhew a wife Reason why the Hebrews were so often overcome and opprefs'd by their Enemies, becaufe they acted rafhly, trusting to their own Counfels without asking Counfel of the Oracle, or difregarding the Directions given by it, which must be a very criminal Behaviour in this Conftitution.

Josh. i. 1.

We may yet more diftinctly perceive the Nature of this Part of the Hebrew Government, if we confider Joshua's actual Acceffion to the Government. Now after the Death of Mofes the Servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord pake unto Joshua

Quin ad illud in Mifna, de confulendo hoc Oraculo; nemini fcilicet id licuiffe privato, fed Regi, & Synedrio, & ei qui Reipublicæ, id eft, qui Populi & Univerfitatis nomine, atque Autoritate ut Legatus confulebat. Selden de Synedr. 7. iii. c. 12. §. 4. V. I. 1723.

Jof. i. 5.

fofhua the Son of Nun, Mofes's Minifter; and encourages him to take upon him the Command of the Ifraelites, promifing there fhall not be any Man able to ftand before thee, all the Days of thy Life; as I was with Mofes, fo I will be with thee, I will not fail thee nor for fake thee. Thus Joshua was in a very folemn Manner confirm'd in his Office by the Voice of the Oracle; on this Occa- 12,13,14, fion he fends for the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, 15, and the half Tribe of Manaffeh, who were settled in the Country Eaft of Jordan, to direct them to pafs with their Brethren over that River, and to affift them in taking Poffeffion of their Portion on the Western Side. Now the Authority they acknowledg'd in Joshua as Judge, is thus exprefs'd: And they anfwered Joshua, faying, All that thou com- 16,17,18. mandeft us, we will do and whither foever thou fendeft us, we will go. According as we hearkened unto Mofes in all Things, fo will we hearken unto thee only thy God be with thee, as he was with Mofes. Whofoever he be that doth rebel against thy Commandment, and will not hearken unto thy Words in all that thou commandeft him, he Shall be put to Death; only be strong and of a good Courage.

;

the Lord

This feems, fays Bishop Patrick, to be the Voice of all the People, and of their Elders, or a Decree made by the Elders, as the Jews understand

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