Jews, when Chrift is reprefented entering in triumph into Jerufalem mounted on an afs.

But contemptible as an ass, or a man riding on an afs, may be at prefent, from the beginning it was not fo. In many countries, and particularly in Judea, perfons of the higheft diftinction were ufually fo mounted. The governors of Ifrael are described in the Song of Deborah as riding on white affes, Judg. And the thirty fons of Jair, who was judge and prince over Ifrael twenty-two years, are faid to ride on thirty affes, Judg. x. 4. And another judge of Ifrael is recorded to have had forty fons, and thirty nephews, that rode on feventy afs colts, Judg. xii. 14.

V. IO.

Were it at all neceffary, it would be easy to confirm this obfervation with many more authorities: but this paffage of Scripture will furnish other inquiries, and of a more ferious confideration.

For, fuppofing it to have been an ufual thing to ride on an ass, how comes this usual thing to be mentioned in relation to the Meffias as a mark of diftinction Might not the prophet upon this fuppofition as well have faid, he fhould come walking on foot? And would he not have been as well known by one character as by the other? Befides,

If you turn to the book of Zechariah, where this prophecy is to be found, you will fee the perfon there described to be a King, a juft King, and one having falvation: and what is there in this character of riding on the foal of an ass that is peculiar to a King, to a juft King, and to one who was to bring falvation and deliverance to his people?

If we look into the prefent, or into the ancient

world, we fhall not find reafon to appropriate this character to kings: thofe of Egypt, Affyria, and of other nations, neighbours to Judea, rode in another manner much lefs fhall we be able to find any connection between the juftice and ability of a prince to fave his people, and this circumftance of riding on the foal of an afs.

Since then this prophetical character can never be accounted for by confidering the state and condition of kings in general; there must needs have been fomething very peculiar in the circumftances of a king of Ifrael, on which the propriety of this character is founded.

I fhall therefore endeavour to trace out this peculiar circumstance, and to fet this prophecy in a proper light, which has been very greatly abused; and, perhaps, only because it has been very little underftood.

If we look into the hiftory of the rife and fall of nations, we shall generally find that their prosperity and fuccefs have borne fome proportion to their force and power, and to the conduct and ability of their leaders. But with the Jews, who from flaves in Egypt became a great and powerful people, the cafe was not fo. The best and greatest of their kings, and he who carried the empire to the greatest height, has left us another account of their affairs. The people fays he, got not the land in poffeffion by their own fword, neither did their own arm fave them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them, Pfalm When we read this, and other like passages,

xliv. 3.

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we are apt to ascribe them to the piety and devotion of the Pfalmift, and to look upon them only as acknowledgments of God's general providence in the affairs of the world; and this makes us apt to overlook, or not fufficiently to attend to the hiftorical truth which they contain. It is true indeed, that all fuccess may in a just sense be ascribed to God; that it is he who giveth victory unto kings: but yet he ordinarily makes use of natural means; and it is no offence to his providence, that princes lift their thousands of horse and foot to fecure themselves and their dominions. But with the Jews it was otherwife they were never so weak, as when they made themselves ftrong; never fo certainly ruined, as when their force was great enough to create in them a confidence in themselves. For God had taken the defence of Ifrael upon himself; and whenever the people took it out of his hands, and placed it in their own, they were fure to be undone.

Nay, fo tender was God of his honour in this refpect, and fo concerned to justify his promife, to defend Ifrael in the eyes of the world, that he would not always permit natural causes to interfere in their deliverance, left the people fhould grow doubtful to whom they should ascribe their victories. When Gideon ftood up to deliver the people from the Midianites, he raised an army of thirty-two thoufand men: God refused to go forth with fo great an hoft, and the reafon given for it is this; The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, left Ifrael vaunt themfelves against me, faying, Mine own hand hath faved

me, Judg. vii. 2. Accordingly, the thirty-two thoufand were reduced to three hundred, and by them the hoft of Midian was overthrown.

To come nearer to our present purpose. For the fame reason it was that God would not permit the 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 militia confifted chiefly in them, as appears in the Scripture hiftory, and in the oldeft writers of profane ftory. Such was the ftrength of Egypt, and fuch the force of the Affyrians, and of the other eaftern nations. And it is obfervable, that when God is introduced in the book of Job fetting forth the great works of the creation, he describes the horse as if made on purpose for the day of battle. Haft thou, fays God, given the horfe ftrength? haft thou clothed his neck with thunder?

Canft thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his noftrils is terrible.

He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his firength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.

He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the fword.

The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering Spear and the fhield.

He fwalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the found of the trumpet. He faith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he fmelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the fhouting.

But this courage, this aptness for war in horfes, was the very reason why God would not fuffer his

people to make use of them for their defence. He himself had undertaken their cause, and he wanted neither horse nor foot to fight his battles. Of this he gave fufficient proofs in the firft inftance of their deliverance. When he brought them out of Egypt, they were a mere crowd of women and children, and of men trained up in flavery, under hard and cruel task-mafters. On the Egyptian's fide were the ancient foldiery of the kingdom, a mighty power of chariots and horses, led on by princes and by nobles. And what was the iffue? The ftrength of Egypt was deftroyed, and the people faved. And the glory which God took to himself, in faving a weak people against the ftrength of the chariots and horfes of Pharaoh, is finely described in the fong of Mofes :

I will fing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horfe and his rider hath he thrown into the fea.

The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name: Pharaoh's chariots and his hoft hath he caft into the fea.

It may be thought perhaps no wonder that the people at this time had neither chariots nor horses; for where should they have them? they were themfelves but flaves, and doubtless their mafters were cautious enough not to put the power of war into their hands. Let us go on then, and fee how the cafe ftood afterwards, when the people had an opportunity of furnishing themselves with horfes and chariots, if it had been lawful for them fo to do. After the death of Mofes, Jofhua was in command over the people: his victories over the Canaanites fo alarmed the neighbouring princes, that with one