ings upon much lefs Occafions. To add Weight to this Remark, Peter Martyr * obferves from St. Ambrofe, that Jephthah made this Vow not before, but in the Heat of the Battle, when he was hard preffed by the Ammonites, and when he must be prefumed to vow fomething of the greatest Confequence. If it be faid that St. Ambrofe had no Authority for this Observation, it may be answered, that this is taking a Point for granted which cannot be proved. There might be a Tradition in the Cafe which might have come down to his Time, tho' he only has exprefly mention'd it, and which might have been loft to us if he had not recorded it. It is a Circumstance highly probable in itself, and at least no Way contradicted by the Scripture Account. It seems rather implied, as it is introduced in the History, being mentioned juft after his fpeedy Progrefs thro' Gilead and Manaffeb, and Mizpeb of Gilead, and juft before his compleat Victory over the Ammonites. Now if this was the Cafe, if his Apprehenfions were raised with the immediate Dangert, 'tis lefs Wonder if he was not fo confiderate as he should, and would otherwise have been in the Subject-Matter of his Vow, but was only eager to propofe fomething which feem'd to him of the highest Importance. However, without the Advantage of this Suppofition, if the Vow was made before the Engagement, yet even then, that he could vow one Animal for an Offering in Return for a national Bleffing, is very unfuitable to the Reafon of the Thing, and the Notions and Practices of

Ambrofius fcribit Jiphtam voviffe, non ante pugnam, fed in acie, in ipfo conflictu, & rebus ambiguis. Pet. Mart, Loc. Com.

P. 411.

Is eventu belli conflictatus ambiguo, præliorumq; veritus incerta, votum vovit hujufmodi, &c. Ambrofius de Virg. Lib. III. P. 228.

the

the Jews. But now, fuppofe that he really intended a human Sacrifice, and whatever other Objections may be thought to lie against this Suppofition, yet this Difficulty is at an End. This was a Sacrifice of high Value and Dignity, and fuch at least in this Refpect, as one might fuppofe a Perfon in the greatest Distress, and under the highest Apprehenfion of Danger, to have vowed on the Occafion.

But was it not easy for Jephthah to have foreseen, that this Vow might probably fall on his Daughter? Was not fhe, who was the moft nearly interested in his Preservation and Succefs, the moft likely to be the first of his Family who fhould come forth to meet him, and congratulate him on his Return? So we judge, and the Event feems to confirm our Judgment. And yet perhaps this was not fo probable as we are now apt to think. It might not then be fo customary for the Virgin-Daughters of Ifrael to appear in publick, tho' fhe might well think fo extraordinary an Occafion might juftify her, and an over-eager Defire of feeing her Father in Triumph might betray her into an unufual Step. Certainly fhe would not have done it alone, and fhe was fo lately return'd from the Land of Tob, that it might not have been expected that the fhould as yet have been fo honoured by the Daughters of the Land, as to be attended by them, and to grace the Solemnity with their Prefence. Yet the Text plainly represents her as thus attended, coming out to meet her Father with Timbrels and with Dances, and in the 37th Verfe, fhe exprefly makes mention of thefe her Virgin-Fellows. This is mentioned only as a Conjecture, as a poffible Reafon at leaft, why Jepththab might not expect to meet his Daughter firft at his Return; for it has juftly been thought a Difficulty, that he should make fuch a Vow concerning the first Person, whom he fhould meet at his Re

turn without thinking of her, or that he should defignedly engage to fulfil fuch a Vow if he did think of her: I pretend not to clear Jephthab from the Imputation of great Rafhnefs in this Particular, but am obferving only, that on Account of her Sex, 'tis poffible he might not expect her on the Road to meet him. The laft cited Author plainly confirms this Suppofition, by rendering thus the Words of Jephthah's Lamentation, * Heu me Filia mea decepifti me, &c. and the vulgate Latin follows this Tranflation. Bishop Smalridge feemed to incline to the Opinion of his really thinking of his Daughter at that Time, and devoting her as the nearest and dearest Person to him in the World, in Hopes of Succefs, and accordingly has put Words in his Mouth to that Effect +. And if we fuppofe with St. Ambrofe, that this Vow was made in the Hurry of the Engagement, when he was almoft driven to Extremity, this will take off much of our Surprize at a Vow of this Nature. His Life, nay more, his Reputation was at stake, and not that only, but the Success of the People who had made him their Commander; and as the prefent Diftrefs always feems the greateft, any Thing he might think was to be vowed to deliver him from that. This is fo ufual with many People in great Emergencies, and the Notion of the Efficacy of Vows to render the Deity propitious, was fo prevalent amongst the Jews, that it will much abate our Amazement, if we put the Suppofition at the worst Difadvantage, that he actually thought of his Daughter at the Time. Yet upon the Whole, I think it seems more probable, that she was out of his Thoughts or Expectations at least, when he vow'd his Vow. The Confufion and Horror that he expreffes on the Sight of his * Ambrofius de Officiis, Lib. III. Cap. 12. Vol. II. P. 38. Sermon xxii. P. 228.

Daughter,

Daughter, feem plainly to fhew, that this was the first Time that he thought of his Vow reaching her. But to proceed now to the Circumstances of the Hiftory, which, whether he originally intended to facrifice his Daughter or not, will plainly prove, that in the Event he did do it.

...It pleafed God, the Scripture tells us, to profper his Prayers, and to give him an entire Victory over thefe Enemies of his Country. This Account is thus related by the facred Hiftorian, in few emphatical Words immediately following the Relation of the Vow. So Jephthah paffed over unto the Children of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his Hands. And he fmote them from Aroer, even until thou come to Minnith, even twenty Cities, and unto the Plain of the Vineyards, with a very great Slaughter. Thus the Children of Ammon were fubdued before the Children of Ifrael. Upon this happy Conclufion of his Labours, and compleat Victory over his Enemies, he prepares to return Home in Triumph, when an unforeseen Accident alters the Scene, and turns all his Joy and Satisfaction to Lamentation, and Mourning, and Woe. And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his Houfe, and behold bis Daughter came out to meet him with Timbrels and with Dances; intending doubtless to congratulate his fafe Return, and Country's Triumph in the Employment of him: And then the Hiftorian to aggravate the enfuing Diftrefs, very pertinently adds, and she was his only Child; befide her he had neither Son nor Daughter. At the Sight of this his only begotten Child, he rents his Heart as well as his Garments, puts on the ufual Gesture of Mourning, and breaks out into the moft paffionate Exclamations of Sorrow. And it came to pass, when he jaw ber, he rent his Cloaths, and faid, Alas my Daughser, thou haft brought me very low, and thou art one

of them that trouble me; for I have opened my Mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back. The Tidings were too heavy to be communicated at once: He intimates only a Grief too big for Utterance, and there is much of Art and more of Nature, in thus preparing her to hear of her unhappy Fate. Could any one now who had read before the Words of the Vow, have the leaft Doubt of the Meaning and Iffue of it, when he fees it work that Effect, which he muft suppose it would work in a Father, upon finding it, by the Accident of her firft coming out, determined to his Daughter? We read the Sentiments of Jephthah himself in the Bitterness of his Soul, in that overflowing Sorrow which manifefted itself in his Behaviour and Expreffion. If he by his Rashness had brought himself to a Neceffity, at leaft as he thought, of facrificing his own Daughter, his Conduct and Language are fuitable to what we fhould expect on fuch an Occafion. There is a Severity in them equal to the Pungency of fuch Affiction, as he muft feel in fuch a Situation; and if we review the Expreffions of this his firft Address to her, it will extort Pity and Compaffion to him as well as to his more innocent, but fcarce more unhappy Daughter. He rent his Cloaths, and faid, Alas, my Daughter, thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me; for I have opened my Mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back. We fee him labouring under the greatest Diftrefs; his Vow he thought was indifpenfable; the Violation of it was not to be thought of, and yet the Performance of it would end in the Destruction of his own, his only Child, the propofed Comfort of his Age, and Support of his Family. If he really meant a Sacrifice, he could not indeed fay lefs, nor could he well fay more; but the whole Account is fuitable and confiftent. But if, accord