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xxi. 13.

not punish'd with Death, is in the Nature of it fure to be attended with Infamy and great Inconveniences, in this Life; and, in the next, to have its adequate and proper Reward.

We have one or two Inftances of this Punishment being inflicted upon the pretended Account of Blafphemy, in the holy Kings Scripture; One, in the Cafe of Naboth; where two Men, fuborn'd by Jezebel, witneffed against him, in the prefence of the people, faying, Naboth did blafpheme God and the King. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with ftones, that he died. The other in the Cafe of Acts vi. St. Stephen. They fet up false witnesses, which faid, This man ceaseth not to speak blafphemous words against this holy place, and the law. And, upon his making his Apology, They stopped their ears, and ran upon him, with one accord, and caft him out of the city, and ftoned him. And the witneffes, (who began to caft the first Stone) laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whofe name was Saul.

13.

ib. vii. 57.

And, upon our bleffed LORD's, faying, John x. I and my father are one; which the Jews immediately

30.

immediately understood to be, as it really was, making himself equal with God, John v.8. they took up ftones to ftone him. JESUS anfwered them, many good works have I Shewed you from my father; for which of thofe works do ye ftone me? The Jews anfwered him, faying, For a good work we ftone thee not: but for blafphemy; and becaufe that thou, being a man, makeft thy Self God.

Though Decollation or Beheading, is not mention'd in the Law, it is probable, it was the ordinary and moft ufual Way amongst them, of putting to Death. We Matt. find Herod, fent and beheaded John in the xiv. 10, prifon. As for Strangling or Hanging, there is no Mention of that, but in the Cafes of Achitophel and Judas, two Traitors, who, out of Defpair, laid violent Hands upon themselves.

SECT. X.

Their MAGISTRATES.

The Chief Magiftrate among the Ifrae lites, before the Time of their Kings, was in the Capacity of either a Leader, or a

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xxvii.17.

Judge, and call'd by the Name of the one orotheother, according as the Nature of the Business was, for which he was pla

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ced at the Head of their Affairs. Joshua Numb. was conftituted a Leader or Captain of the People; to go out before them, and to go in before them, and to lead them out, and to bring them in: And particularly, to Deut. conduct them into the promis'd land.

xxxi. 23.

Judges

1. 16.

⚫ Sam.

ix. 16.

And, when, after the Death of Joshua, they forfook the LORD God of their Fathers; and thereby caufed the LORD to forfake them, and to deliver them up into the Hands of their Enemies, we are told that, after a Time, the LORD, remembring his Promife to Abraham, raifed up Judges, which delivered them out of the hands of thofe that spoiled them. Not but that, the Chief Magiftrate, by whatever Name he was called, govern'd in both thefe Capacities; as we may fee plainly from the Nature and End of the Kingly Office, when they are any where spoken of. The LORD fays to Samuel, concerning Saul, I will fend thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint bim to be captain over my people Ifrael.

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2.

Thou shalt feed my people Ifrael, and thou 2 Sam. v, fhalt be a captain over Ifrael. And again David fays concerning Solomon his Son; I have appointed him to be ruler, over If-! Kings rael, and over Judah.

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fay

i. 35..

I Sam. viii. 5.

and v

2 Sam.

viii. 15.

And to fhew that it was their Business to judge as well as rule, The Elders to Samuel, Behold, thou art old, thy fans walk not in thy ways; now make us a king to judge us like all the nations, And fo it is faid of David, That he reigned over all Ifrael, and executed judgment and justice unto all his people. Nay, to fhew that this latter Qualification is the great End of Kingly Government; God fays to Solomon; Becaufe thou hast asked? Chron. wisdom and knowledge for thy felf, that thou mayeft judge my people, over whom I have made thee king, wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches and wealth and honour, fuch as none of the kings have had.

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Such a Character is by far the greatest that any King can arrive at; and, of all others, the most defirable, in point of Intereft and Profit; as the Rewards annex'd

i. II.

to

4, 7, 8.

to it fufficiently declare. It is exalted above all mortal Glory and Splendor; it is truly divine and Godlike. When the Pfalmift is raifing his Voice to the highest Pitch of Rapture and Gratulation, he says, Pfalm ix. I will praise thee, O LORD, for thou haft maintained my right and my caufe, thou fateft in the throne, judging right. Again; The LORD fhall endure for ever; ke hath prepared his throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righeoufnefs; He shall minifter judgment to the people, in uprightness.

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To rule and to judge make up the natural Notion we have of the Office of a fupreme Magistrate. And therefore, when Mofes would have compos'd the Difference between the two contending Ifraelites, the Aggreffor fays to him, Exod. ii. Who made thee a Prince and a Fudge over us? In a Word, the whole Duty of the Head of any People is, first to adminifter juftice among them, according to their Laws; and when there is Occafion, to lead them forth, either to avoid or meet their Enemies; in Defence of their Religion, Liberty, and Poffeffions.

14.

And

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