sands of the Philistines, and carried away the gates of Gaza, was entangled with one whorish woman after another! So much easier is it to perform wonders, than to govern our own passions. It is much to be wondered at, that a man of common sense should not be aware of what this treacherous woman was designing against him; that he should be such an arrant fool as to tell her his whole heart, when he might easily perceive what she intended. But whoredam takes away the heart, blinds the eyes, and makes men fools. Let those whose eyes behold strange women, and are led away by fleshly lusts, hear and fear; and learn, from the catastrophe of this great man, what a wound and dishonour whoremongers get, and that the adultress hunts for the precious life. Lo, the eyes which doted on strange women, are put out! he that was a slave to an harlot, is become so to the Philistines ! May we all maintain, not only the greatest chastity of behaviour, but the utmost purity of heart. Let those especially who are young, healthy, and gay, be sensible that they are in peculiar danger; and learn, from this story, not to boast of or confide in their strength, or their privileges as christians, or any peculiar relation to God. Let them guard against every thing that may have a tendency to stir up irregular desires; and especially avoid, as dangerous and pestilential, the company of rakes and debauchees, or bold, immodest women. It is probably in allusion to this story, as well as from his own unhappy experience, that Solomon thus cautions, Prov. vii. 24-27. Hearken unto me, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths: for she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

CHAP. XVII.

The history of the acts of the judges and governors of Israel ended with the former chapter; those which follow contain an account of some memorable events which happened in their time, or rather, before it; but were not related in their place, that the writer might not interrupt the history. It is generally thought they happened between the death of the elders and the first judge, near three hundred years before Samson's time. We have in this chapter an account how Micah procured a god and a priest.

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ND there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name [was] Micah. Idolatry crept into Israel in the tribe of 2 Ephraim. And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred [shekels] of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver [is] with me; I took it. She must have been a rich and

notable woman to have hoarded up eleven hundred pieces of silver, worth one hundred and twenty five pounds of our money. The son found out the hoard, and stole it; his mother cursed, that is, imprecated ruin and destruction on the person who had taken it; the son hearing that, was affected, and confessed, for fear the curse should light upon him. And his mother said, Blessed [be thou] of the LORD, my son. Instead of reproving him for his theft, she prayed that the curse might be turned into 3 a blessing, because he had so freely confessed his fault. And when he had restored the eleven hundred [shekels] of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand, to the service of the true God, though in an idolatrous way, for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee, that thou mayest cause these things to be made, as representations or remembrancers of the true God, and in honour to him, as they thought. Perhaps this woman was one who came out of Egypt, had seen idolatry there, and the golden calf, 4 and retained something of the old superstitions. Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred [shekels] of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image, and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah; the rest of the money she gave to her son to make the sacred utensils, and to adorn his chapel. And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod," that is, a garment like the high priest's, and teraphim, little images, like the household gods of the heathen, by which they consulted their deity, waiting for an answer by some omen or occurrence that happened afterward; and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest; he filled his hands, that is, put sacrifices and offerings into it. This seems to have been the first instance of revolt to idolatry after the death of Joshua, and there6 fore is so particularly mentioned. In those days [there was] no king in Israel, no supreme magistrate to punish offenders, [but] every man did [that which was] right in his own eyes.

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And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who [was] a Levite, and he sojourned there. And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find [a place ] and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. He seems to have been a rambling fellow who, forgetting his sacred character and office, strolled about, inquiring who had any work for a Levite? ready to hire himself to any one who would have 9 him; he came to Micah's house probably to ask alms. And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I [am] a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to so10 journ where I may find [a place.] And Micah, who thought his chapel would be more like the tabernacle if he had but a Le

vite for his priest, without inquiring into his character, said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, a teacher and governor in the family, as well as a priest in the chapel; and I will give, thee ten [shekels] of silver by the year, about twenty five shillings a year wages, and a suit of apparel, a double suit, one for summer, and one for winter, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in; this shabby wretch consented to the proposal; he should, have known better, and res 11 proved Micah for his idolatry, and taught him the law. And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons, both of them were highly 12 pleased. And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. This was the highest presumption in both; the Levite, not being of Aaron's family, was incapable of being a priest; and Micah 13 had no authority to consecrate him. Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to [my] priest. He thought this was a mark of the divine favour, and that his services would be more acceptable to God such was the darkness and confusion of those times,

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E see in Micah, what evils the love of money produces;

Wit tempted him to rob his mother, and her to fly into

such a violent rage as to curse the person that had meddled with her treasure. Her silver was her god before she had made an image of it; or else she would not have been so outrageous when it was stolen. The loss of a little money makes covetous men impatient and fretful; and they are ready to curse the persons by whom they have suffered. But good men are easy and contented; they can smile at such disappointments; and instead of cursing, will pity the thief, and pray for him. Would we govern our passions, let us lessen our value for the things of this world; well knowing that the love of money is the root of all evil.

2. We may learn hence, that parents should be, very careful to get their children, good examples, for they will easily be seduced by bad ones. We do not find that Micah had any thoughts of idolatry, till his superstitious mother put it into his head. She would have a graven image, and therefore he would have a house of gods, and garments, and sacred utensils. This suggests to us, that when parents do wickedly, their children in all probability will do the same; yea, be worse than they; as streams are wider than their fountains. As parents therefore, regard their own comfort, and the happiness of their children, let them never do any thing which may lead them into sin, or give them, in the, least degree, an handle to do wickedly.

3. It is common for men to think that God approves and favours them, because they enjoy some external privileges, or reform some irregularities. Perhaps Micah was convinced that he had done wrong in consecrating his son; but now having, as he thought, done right in one particular, that is, in having a Levite for his priest, he thought that God would do him good. He probably looked upon the rest of the Israelites as carnal and ungodly; and said to them, Stand by, I am holier than thou, when really he was turned to a pagan. He was guilty of many aggravated crimes in this transaction, and should rather have argued thus; How will God punish me, and blast all my designs, because I have broken his law, affronted his worship, and set up idols in my house!' Thus men are apt to think that God is pleased with them, because they enjoy some advantages, have godly parents, or live in praying families, and the like; or because God favours them in one instance, they think he is not displeased at their evil doings. A very common, but a very dangerous error this; because one instance of right conduct can never atone for allowed errors and guilt; no privileges will answer for an unholy life. If we desire to be accepted of God, and to receive good at his hand, we must be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

CHAP. XVIII.

Contains the history of the spread of idolatry from the family of Micah into a considerable part of the tribe of Dan. There are some hints of this story in Joshua xix. 47. but here it is enlarged upon.

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N those days [there was] no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites, that is, a large family in that tribe, sought them an inheritance to dwell in, for unto that day [all their] inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel; they were straitened for room by the 2 old inhabitants, the Amorites, chap. i. 34. And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts northwards, men of valour, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land who, when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there, near to Micah's house; probably at an inn, where the people that attended at Micah's 3 chapel used to put up. When they [were] by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite : and they turned in thither, and said, unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this [place ?] and VOL. II. Aaa

what hast thou here? how art thou employed, and how main4 tained? And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah 5 with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. And they, being as ignorant and stupid as himself, said unto him, Ask counsel we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our 6 way which we go shall be prosperous. And the priest gave them such as pleased them, and said unto them, Go in peace : before the LORD, under his eye and protection, [is] your way wherein ye go.

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Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, in the north of Canaan, at the foot of mount Lebanon; and saw the people that [were] therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure and [there was] no magistrate in the land, that might put [them] to shame in [any] thing; and they [were] far from the Zidonians, so that they could not come to help them, and had no business with [any] man, no trade or commerce, but were an idle, voluptuous people, 8 and therefore secure and confident. And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What [say] ye? What news have ye got? what report 9 do ye bring? And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them for we have seen the land, and, behold, it [is] very good and [are] ye still? do you question our report ? be not slothful to go, [and] to enter to possess the land; you have 10 nothing to do but to march and possess it. When ye go, ye

shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where [there is] no want of any thing that [is] in the earth: encouraging them by three arguments: it is a good country; it may be easily obtained; and, from the Levite's answer, they concluded that God had 11 given it them. And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed, or girded with weapons of war, and who car12 ried their wives and children and stuff with them. And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah, in the camp of Dan, where Samson afterward lived; see chap. xiii. 25. wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan, unto this day: 13 behold, [it is] behind Kirjathjearim. And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah ; this was their second day's journey.

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Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do, whether it may not be adviscable to take them along with us; they will be a good booty, we have had a favourable answer from them already; and they will be very 15 convenient for us, being so far from Shiloh. And they turned