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Let us now pafs on to the time of Mofes, 8. Mofes. who seems himself to have fallen into this Sin, Num. 12. for he Marry'd an Ethiopian, if she was not a Profelyte. However this did not Excufe the Sedition of Aaron and Miriam, upon that Account; because Mofes was their Superior: And the Power of Reformation does not lye in the Subjects. Of which hereafter.

The first Blafphemer that was Stoned, by 9. The first God's own exprefs Command, is mark'd as Blafphemer. a Son of one of these Marriages; his Father an Lev. xxiv. 10. Egyptian, by a Woman of Ifrael.

When Ifrael was Proof against all the En10. Baal-peor. chantments of Baalim, they were infnared into Num. XXV. Idolatry by mixing with the Daughters of

Moab.

This is Recorded as the Sin for which God 11, The first of fold Ifrael into the Hand of the King of Me- the Captivities Sopotamia, in the time of the Fudges. That of Ifrael. they Marry'd with the Canaanites, Hittites, &c. Judg. iii. 6. And ferved their Gods. This was the first of their Captivities.

In thefe times Samfon is a famous Inftance, 12. Samfon. who Marry'd with the Philistines. Whence enfued his dismal Tragedy, and the Captivity of

his Country.

David Marry'd the Daughter of Talmai King 13. Abfalom. of Gefhur, by whom he had Abfalom, the Dif-2 Sam. iii. 3. grace and Troubler of his Reign.

The Cafe of his Son Solomon is notorioufly 14. Solomon. known, who by Marrying of ftrange Wives, 1 Kin. xi. 1, 2. fell into Idolatry: And his Example stands as a Warning to all Generations of Men, not to trust themselves with that Tentation, which prov'd too strong for the most Wife of all mere Mortals, that ever were, or shall be Created. Befides that he was greatly Beloved of God, who fent by the Hand of his Prophet, to give

him

2 Sam. xii. 25. him the Name of His Beloved. And God vouch I Kin. xi. 9. fafed to appear Twice unto him. He was Cho fen of all the Men upon the Earth to build the Temple of God, and erect a new Oeconomy of the Temple-Service, fuperior to that of the Ta 1 Chron. xxii. bernacle eftablifhed by Mofes. And he was na

8, 9, 10.

15.Rehoboam.

med of God for this great Work before he was born; and in this, preferred to David his Fa ther; and had the Promife of an Everlafting Kingdom given unto him, which is fulfilled in Chrift our Lord, who fprang from him, and now fitteth upon the Throne.

And if fuch a Man as This was fuffer'd by the All-wife Providence to Fall by this Sin; it was meant (furely) to teach all others, That none fhould thereafter prefume, upon their own Strength or Attainments, to Taft of this For bidden Fruit.

So that this Example of Solomon ftands inftar omnium, inftead of a Thoufand. Yet let us name a few more.

His fatal Son Rehoboam, who loft Ten of 1 Kin. xiv. 21. the Twelve Tribes, was the Fruit of one of thefe Marriages, for his Mother was an Ammonitefs.

16. Achab.

1 Kin. xvi. 31.

Chap. 21.25,

26.

17. Jehoram.

The Marriage of Achab with Jezebel the Daughter of Ethbaal King of the Zidonians, is Reckon'd as a greater Sin than that of Jeroboam; at least as a great Aggravation of it: And it is written, That She Stirred him up to follow Idols.

Jeboram King of Judah Marry'd Achab's 2 Chron. 6. 12. Daughter, and walked in the Ways of Achab. And God fent grievous Plagues upon him, and a miferable Death, according to the Prophefie of Elijah, fent to him in Writing.

18. Ahaziah.

And this Iniquity of his went on to rain his 2Chron.xxii.3. Son Abaziah, who alfo walked in the Ways of

the

the House of Achab, for his Mother was his 2 Chr. xxii. 9.
Counfeller to do Wickedly. And after that her v. 10.
Counfel had brought him to a violent End, She
Deftroy'd all the Seed-Royal of the Houfe of
Fudah, and ufurp'd the Kingdom to her
Self.

F More particular Examples of this fort might
be Produc'd, but let thefe Suffice to bring

us,

ift, To the utter Difperfion and Lofs of the 19. Lofs of the Ten Tribes, even to this Day. Which is faid Ten Tribes. to be Chiefly for this Sin of Idolatry, to which I Kin. xvii. they were Tempted and Enfnared by these Mar

riages of their feveral Kings.

2ly, Of the great Captivity of the Two Tribes, 20.0f the Kingthe Kingdom of Judah, for lxx Years in Baby-dom of Judah. lon, which was likewise for the fame Sin.

And it is told before in the 10th Inftance, That their firft Captivity was upon their first falling into this Sin after their entring into the Poffeffion of Canaan.

Let us now look into the time after their After the CapReturn from the Captivity.

tivity. And we find this fame Sin moft fharply Re- 21. Ezra. prehended by Ezra the Prieft; not only as to ix. 1, 2, 3. their Marriages with the Seven Curfed Nations, which are all particularly nam'd, Deut. vii. 1. But he names likewife the Ammonites, Moabites, and Ægyptians, who were none of these Nations. And the Reafon he gives reaches to All other People who were not of their Communion, viz. That the Holy Seed have mingled themfelves with the People of thofe Lands; That is, with any other who were not of the Holy Seed. Which was not confin'd to their Nation, but Religion; because they were Allow'd to Marry Profelytes of other Nations.

And

xiii. 23.

v. 25, &c.

And let us obferve the great Zeal of Ezr against these Marriages. When (faid he) heard this thing, I rent my Garment and Mantle, and Pluck't off the Hair of my Hea and of my Beard, and fate down Aftonied, & And he conceiv'd a moft paffionate Prayer ( the end of that Chapter) Attributing the Fudg ments that had befallen them to this Sin. 22. Nehemiah. After him, Nehemiah exprefs'd no lefs Indig nation in the fame Cafe. And the Nations he nam'd with whom the Ifraelites had Marry'd were Afhdod, Ammon, and Moab; none of which were of the Seven curfed Nations. And I contended with them (faid he, that is, with his Brethren of the Captivity, who had marry'd with thefe) and curfed them, and Smote certain of them, and pluck'd off their Hair, and made them fwear by God; Saying, Ye shall not give your Daughters unto their Sons, nor take their Daughters unto your Sons, or for your felves. Did not Solomon King of Ifrael Sin by thefe things? Yet among many Nations was ther no King like him, who was Beloved of his God, and God made him King over all Ifrael; neverthelefs, even him did Outlandish Women caufe to Sin. Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great Evil, to tranfgrefs against our God, in marrying ftrange Wives

23. Schifm of the Samaritans.

The laft Inftance I fhall give, is that of the great Schifm of the Samaritans, which is not extinguifhed to this Day; and took its Rife from this laft mention'd Reformation of Nehemiah, who tells us in the very next Words to Neh. xiii. 28. thofe before quoted, That one of the Sons of Fehoiada, the Son of Eliashib the High-Prieft, was Son in Law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore (fays he) I chafed him from me. This Jofeph. Antiq. L. xl. c. 8. gave the Occafion. About 1x Years after the

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Schifm broke out, in the Year of the World 3672, when Manaffes Brother to faddus the High Prieft refufed to put away his Strange Wife, and was therefor driven from the Sacrifice. His Father-in-Law Sanballat, then Gover nor of Samaria, Revolted from Darius his lawful King, and obtain'd leave of Alexander, who had conquer'd him, to build a Temple on Mount Gerizim, of which he made Manaffes the High-Prieft. And all that adher'd to their Unlawful Marriages reforted to this Temple; and fuch other Offenders as did not think themfelves fafe at Ferufalem.

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Here was Temple fet up againft Temple Altar against Altar, Prieft against Prieft; Car ry'd on by Rebels Supported by the Lay-Power of a Conqueror, and Fuftify'd by Levites, who Lov'd or Fear'd their Wives more than the Church out o c: of.. D I have now given a fhort Account of these Marriages out of the Peculium, and the Con fequences of them, from the beginning of the World, through the feveral States of the Pa triarchs, and the Jews unto this Day. For, as I faid, this Schifm, now grown a Sect of Samaritans, remains unto this Day.

i

New Tefta

ment.

In the History of the New Teftament we find No Examples no Examples of this Sin. For befides that it of this in the reaches but a fhort way, The Cafe was fo pofitively Rul'd by the Apoftles, and thefe Marria ges forbidden to the firft Chriftian Churches, as has been fhew'd, That they degenerated not during the Lives of the Apoftles, as the Ifraelites did not during the Life of Joshua; but fell afterwards in the time of the Judges, who grew more carelefs, as fhew'd before in the 10th Inftance

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