7zß Chap. 31. An Fxporition stpon sloe Book! of J o B. Verf.34.. Wee are loth to difpleafe kindred, or to be difpleafed with them. It was the commendationof the tribe of Levi (and the Lordho- noured them with the Priesthood for it) that they Cooke no no- tice ofrelations in the Lords caule (D ut: 3 3.8, 9.) And ofLevi hefayd,let thy Thu+nmim and thy Vrimbe with thy holy one whom thoudiá}s prove Rt Allflab, and with whom thoudidt firive at the waters ofMeribab. whofaydunto hie father, and to hie mother, l have not feene biro, *tither did bee acknowledge biebrethren, nor kaew bid Donne children : theyobferved thy word, and kept thy Co- venant. Had there Levines call off all natural! affc&ion ? How is it then fayd, they did not know father or mother ? R was in exe- cuting the Lords command, as appeares ( i"xed: 32. 27. ) a-4nd he (chat is, lMafes) fayd unto them, thusfaith the Lord ClodofIf rael, Put every man his(word by hit fde, Andgoo inand art from gate togate throughout the Canope, and flay every man his brother, and every man hiscompanion, andevery man his neighbour. Now, when the other Tribes were unwilling to execute this fentenceof God upon their kindred and neare relations, Levi did it, as is re- ported in the next words (v. 28.) And the ebildren of Levi did according to the wordof Motes, and therefell of the people that day about three thoufand men; for Alofes had fayd , Cenfecrateyour felves today to the Lord,even every man upon his ton, anduponhis brother, that he may bellow uponyou ,e bleng this day. Levi did not know father or mother or child fo,as to be partiall in or neg- le& the execution ofthe decree and fentenceofGod.It is a great poynt of holy knowledge in fuch cafes not to know father or mo- ther or any relations; And it is a truth,that the knowledge of re- lations often byafíeth us from duty in many cafes. When a kinf- man is in the cafe, the Law (in fome mens opinion) is ocherwife. If Davidt heart had not been strongly as wel as fìncerely fet for God, The contempt of his wife had cooled his zeale, and made him aihamed ofhis Daunting before the Arke (a Sam: 6. a 6. ) That was a Noble resolution of Saul, if it had been well ground- ed, when hecaft lotts to find out who had eaten contrary to the oath wherein he had rafhly engaged the Army (a Sam: 14.24, 39) For ou the Lord livethwhichfaveth lfrael,though it be 7ona- than my San, he!hallfsorely die. Had Saul done w'4 in adjuring the people not toBate till the evening,he had done eminentlywel in refolving not to fpare his owneSon for eating but the former being
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