immediately understood to be, as it real

ly was, making himself equal with God, John v.8.
they took up ftones to stone him. JESUS
anfwered them, many good works have I
fhewed you from my father; for which of
thofe works do ye ftone me? The Jews an-
fwered him, faying, For a good
ftone thee not: but for blafphemy; and be-
caufe that thou, being a man, makest thy
Self God.

work we

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

SECT. X.

Their MAGISTRATE S.

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

Judge; and call'd by the Name of the one or the other, according as the Nature of the Business was, for which he was placed at the Head of their Affairs. Joshua 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.

Numb. xxvii. 17.

xxxi. 23.

Judges

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, rai1. 16. fed 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 him to be captain over my people Ifrael.

1 Sam.

ix. 16.

7

And

2.

And fo, the LORD faid unto David; 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.

And to fhew that it was their Bufinefs

i. 35:

viii. 15:

to judge as well as rule, The Elders fay I Sam. to Samuel, Behold, thou art old, and viii. 5. thy fons 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 reign- 2 Sam. ed over all Ifrael; and executed judgment and juftice unto all his people. Nay, to fhew that this latter Qualification is the great End of Kingly Government; God fays to Solomon; Because thou haft 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 bonour, fuch as none of the kings have had.

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

to

i. II.

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 bast maintained my right and my cause, 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 righeoufness; He shall minister judgment to the people, in uprightness.

To rule and to judge make up the natural Notion we have of the Office of a fupreme Magiftrate. 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 Judge over us? In a Word, the whole Duty of the Head of any People is, first to administer justice 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

10.

And fuch a Power God delegated to Mofes over the Children of Ifrael; even before the Promulgation of the Law; when he gave him a Commiffion to bring Exod. iii. forth his people out of Egypt. By Virtue of this Commiffion, therefore, Mofes and ib. iv. 29. Aaron went and gathered together all the Elders of the children of Israel: And the people believed, that he was appointed by God to be their Captain and Judge, and they submitted themselves to him accordingly, and bowed the head and worshipped.

31.

14.

But, after he had brought them out into the Wilderness, Jethro, his Father-inLaw, obferving that he fate to judge the ib. xviii. people from morning until evening, said unto him; The thing that thou doft is not good; Thou wilt furely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: For this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thy felf alone. Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counfel, and God fhall be with thee. Be thou for the people to Godward, that thou mayeft bring the causes unto God. And thou fhalt teach them ordinances, and laws, and Shalt fhew them the way, wherein they must

walk,