428 A SHORT VIEW OF SCRIPTURE HÌSTORY. the people sustained the miseries and confusions of an anarchy', as it is several times expressed in the book of Judges, " There was no king in Israel, ami every one did what was right in his own eyes." And by their disunion and want of government, they were weak^ned, and became an easy pray to their enemies round about them : But at particular seasons, God raised them up extraordinary judges to recover them from slavery, and to restore government among them :. And these had a domi- nion over many, or all the tribes, being raised up eminently by' God himself. This was the original and appointed method of the govern- tnent of .Israel, as I have described it, we may learn partly from Deut. i. 13. where the officers are chosen, and Dent. xvii. 8-12. and xix. 16-18. where Moses appoints the busi- ness of the priests and the judges; and partly from 2 Chron. xvii. 7 -9. and xix. 5-11. where Hezekiah makes a reforma- tion throughout the land, and appoints 'the judges to be execu- tors of justice, the priests, and levites to be the teachers to the people, and counsellors to the judges, and the high- priest to be the chief counsellor : And sometimes he was a judge also, as was before intimated. 37, Q. Was not thehigh-priest their ruler under God ? A. The high - priest seems to be appointed by God and Moses to be the chief counsellor in-declaring the laws and statutes of God, as the other priests were also counsellors : But the executive power of government,was rather vested in those-who were called judges, whether they were ordinary or extraordinary ; Dent. xvii. 9-22. 38. Q. Did these ordinary officers do justice, and maintain good order in the land after the days of Joshua ? A. We have very littie,account of them; but it is certain they did not fulfil their duty, because there was sometimes great wickedness among the people without restraint : Much idolatry and mischief, both public and private, and that for want of government ; Judges xvii. 6. and xxi. 25. 39. Q. Why did God, the king of Israel, leave his people under these inconveniences ? A. As they had forsaken God and his laws, so God seemed sometimes to have forsaken the care of them, and given them up to the confusions and miseries which arise from want. of government for a season ; and also suffered their enemies on every side tó; make inroads upon them, and being them into slavery; Judges ii. 11 -15. 40. Q. But did not the great God interpose for their deli- verance? A. Sometimes, in the course of his providence, and by special inspiration, he raised upextraordinary judges to rescue them from the hand of their enemies, and to restore government among them ; Judges ii. 16-19. 41. Q. Who were some of the most remarkable of these
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