mh_parser/vol_split/6 - Joshua/Chapter 21.xml

<div2 id="Jos.xxii" n="xxii" next="Jos.xxiii" prev="Jos.xxi" progress="8.70%" title="Chapter XXI">
<h2 id="Jos.xxii-p0.1">J O S H U A</h2>
<h3 id="Jos.xxii-p0.2">CHAP. XXI.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Jos.xxii-p1">It had been often said that the tribe of Levi
should have "no inheritance with their brethren," no particular
part of the country assigned them, as the other tribes had, no, not
the country about Shiloh, which one might have expected to be
appropriated to them as the lands of the church; but, though they
were not thus cast into a country by themselves, it appears, by the
provision made for them in this chapter, that they were no losers,
but the rest of the tribes were very much gainers, by their being
dispersed. We have here, I. The motion they made to have their
cities assigned them, according to God's appointment, <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.1-Josh.21.2" parsed="|Josh|21|1|21|2" passage="Jos 21:1,2">ver. 1, 2</scripRef>. II. The nomination of
the cities accordingly out of the several tribes, and the
distribution of them to the respective families of this tribe,
<scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.3-Josh.21.8" parsed="|Josh|21|3|21|8" passage="Jos 21:3-8">ver. 3-8</scripRef>. III. A
catalogue of the cities, forty-eight in all, <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.9-Josh.21.42" parsed="|Josh|21|9|21|42" passage="Jos 21:9-42">ver. 9-42</scripRef>. IV. A receipt entered in full
of all that God had promised to his people Israel, <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.43-Josh.21.45" parsed="|Josh|21|43|21|45" passage="Jos 21:43-45">ver. 43-45</scripRef>.</p>
<scripCom id="Jos.xxii-p0.1_1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21" parsed="|Josh|21|0|0|0" passage="Jos 21" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Jos.xxii-p0.2_1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.1-Josh.21.8" parsed="|Josh|21|1|21|8" passage="Jos 21:1-8" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Josh.21.1-Josh.21.8">
<h4 id="Jos.xxii-p1.7">The Cities of the Levites. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xxii-p1.8">b. c.</span> 1444.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Jos.xxii-p2">1 Then came near the heads of the fathers of the
Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun,
and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of
Israel;   2 And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of
Canaan, saying, The <span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xxii-p2.1">Lord</span> commanded
by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the
suburbs thereof for our cattle.   3 And the children of Israel
gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment
of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xxii-p2.2">Lord</span>, these cities and their
suburbs.   4 And the lot came out for the families of the
Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, <i>which were</i>
of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of
the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen
cities.   5 And the rest of the children of Kohath <i>had</i>
by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the
tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.
  6 And the children of Gershon <i>had</i> by lot out of the
families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher,
and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of
Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.   7 The children of
Merari by their families <i>had</i> out of the tribe of Reuben, and
out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve
cities.   8 And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the
Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xxii-p2.3">Lord</span> commanded by the hand of Moses.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p3">Here is, I. The Levites' petition presented
to this general convention of the states, now sitting at Shiloh,
<scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p3.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.1-Josh.21.2" parsed="|Josh|21|1|21|2" passage="Jos 21:1,2"><i>v.</i> 1, 2</scripRef>. Observe,
1. They had not their lot assigned them till they made their claim.
There is an inheritance provided for all the saints, that royal
priesthood, but then they must petition for it. <i>Ask, and it
shall be given you.</i> Joshua had quickened the rest of the tribes
who were slack to put in their claims, but the Levites, it may be
supposed, knew their duty and interest better than the rest, and
were therefore forward in this matter, when it came to their turn,
without being called upon. They build their claim upon a very good
foundation, not their own merits nor services, but the divine
precept: "<i>The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses to give us
cities,</i> commanded you to grant them, which implied a command to
us to ask them." Note, The maintenance of ministers is not an
arbitrary thing, left purely to the good-will of the people, who
may let them starve if they please; no, as the God of Israel
commanded that the Levites should be well provided for, so has the
Lord Jesus, the King of the Christian church, ordained, and a
perpetual ordinance it is that <i>those who preach the gospel
should live of the gospel</i> (<scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p3.2" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.9.14" parsed="|1Cor|9|14|0|0" passage="1Co 9:14">1 Cor.
ix. 14</scripRef>), and should live comfortably. 2. They did not
make their claim till all the rest of the tribes were provided for,
and then they did it immediately. There was some reason for it;
every tribe must first know their own, else they would not know
what they gave the Levites, and so it could not be such a
reasonable service as it ought to be. But it is also an instance of
their humility, modesty, and patience (and Levites should be
examples of these and other virtues), that they were willing to be
served last, and they fared never the worse for it. Let not God's
ministers complain if at any time they find themselves postponed in
men's thoughts and cares, but let them make sure of the favour of
God and the honour that comes from him, and then they may well
enough afford to bear the slights and neglects of men.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p4">II. The Levites' petition granted
immediately, without any dispute, the princes of Israel being
perhaps ashamed that they needed to be called upon in this matter,
and that the motion had not been made among themselves for the
settling of the Levites. 1. The children of Israel are said to give
the cities for the Levites. God had appointed how many they should
be in all, forty-eight. It is probable that Joshua and the princes,
upon consideration of the extent and value of the lot of each tribe
as it was laid before them, had appointed how many cities should be
taken out of each; and then the fathers of the several tribes
themselves agreed which they should be, and therefore are said to
give them, as an offering, to the Lord; so God had appointed.
<scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:Num.35.8" parsed="|Num|35|8|0|0" passage="Nu 35:8">Num. xxxv. 8</scripRef>, <i>Every one
shall give of his cities to the Levites.</i> Here God tried their
generosity, and it was found to praise and honour, for it appears
by the following catalogue that the cities they gave to the Levites
were generally some of the best and most considerable in each
tribe. And it is probable that they had an eye to the situation of
them, taking care they should be so dispersed as that no part of
the country should be too far distant from a Levites' city. 2. They
gave them <i>at the commandment of the Lord,</i> that is, with an
eye to the command and in obedience to it, which was it that
sanctified the grant. They gave the number that God commanded, and
it was well this matter was settled that the Levites might not ask
more nor the Israelites offer less. They gave them also with their
suburbs, or glebe-lands, belonging to them, so many cubits by
measure from the walls of the city, as God had commanded (<scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p4.2" osisRef="Bible:Num.35.4-Num.35.5" parsed="|Num|35|4|35|5" passage="Nu 35:4,5">Num. xxxv. 4, 5</scripRef>), and did not go
about to cut them short. 3. When the forty-eight cities were
pitched upon, they were divided into four lots, as they lay next
together, and then by lot were determined to the four several
families of the tribe of Levi. When the Israelites had surrendered
the cities into the hand of God, he would himself have the
distributing of them among his servants. (1.) The family of Aaron,
who were the only priests, had for their share the thirteen cities
that were given by the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin,
<scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p4.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.4" parsed="|Josh|21|4|0|0" passage="Jos 21:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>. God in wisdom
ordered it thus, that though Jerusalem itself was not one of their
cities, it being as yet in the possession of the Jebusites (and
those generous tribes would not mock the Levites, who had another
warfare to mind, with a city that must be recovered by the sword
before it could be enjoyed), yet the cities that fell to their lot
were those which lay next to Jerusalem, because that was to be, in
process of time, the holy city, where their business would chiefly
lie. (2.) The Kohathite-Levites (among whom were the posterity of
Moses, though never distinguished from them) had the cities that
lay in the lot of Dan, which lay next to Judah, and in that of
Ephraim, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, which lay next to
Benjamin. So those who descended from Aaron's father joined nearest
to Aaron's sons. (3.) Gershon was the eldest son of Levi, and
therefore, though the younger house of the Kohathites was preferred
before his, yet his children had the precedency of the other family
of Merari, <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p4.4" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.6" parsed="|Josh|21|6|0|0" passage="Jos 21:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>.
(4.) The Merarites, the youngest house, had their lot last, and it
lay furthest off, <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p4.5" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.7" parsed="|Josh|21|7|0|0" passage="Jos 21:7"><i>v.</i>
7</scripRef>. The rest of the sons of Jacob had a lot for every
tribe only, but Levi, God's tribe, had a lot for each of its
families; for there is a particular providence directing and
attending the removals and settlements of ministers, and appointing
where those shall fix who are to be the lights of the world.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Jos.xxii-p0.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.9-Josh.21.42" parsed="|Josh|21|9|21|42" passage="Jos 21:9-42" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Josh.21.9-Josh.21.42">
<p class="passage" id="Jos.xxii-p5">9 And they gave out of the tribe of the children
of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these
cities which are <i>here</i> mentioned by name,   10 Which the
children of Aaron, <i>being</i> of the families of the Kohathites,
<i>who were</i> of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the
first lot.   11 And they gave them the city of Arba the father
of Anak, which <i>city is</i> Hebron, in the hill <i>country</i> of
Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.   12 But the
fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb
the son of Jephunneh for his possession.   13 Thus they gave
to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, <i>to
be</i> a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her
suburbs,   14 And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with
her suburbs,   15 And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with
her suburbs,   16 And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with
her suburbs, <i>and</i> Beth-shemesh with her suburbs; nine cities
out of those two tribes.   17 And out of the tribe of
Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,   18
Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities.
  19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests,
<i>were</i> thirteen cities with their suburbs.   20 And the
families of the children of Kohath, the Levites which remained of
the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out
of the tribe of Ephraim.   21 For they gave them Shechem with
her suburbs in mount Ephraim, <i>to be</i> a city of refuge for the
slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs,   22 And Kibzaim with her
suburbs, and Beth-horon with her suburbs; four cities.   23
And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon
with her suburbs,   24 Aijalon with her suburbs, Gath-rimmon
with her suburbs; four cities.   25 And out of the half tribe
of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with her
suburbs; two cities.   26 All the cities <i>were</i> ten with
their suburbs for the families of the children of Kohath that
remained.   27 And unto the children of Gershon, of the
families of the Levites, out of the <i>other</i> half tribe of
Manasseh <i>they gave</i> Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, <i>to
be</i> a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beesh-terah with her
suburbs; two cities.   28 And out of the tribe of Issachar,
Kishon with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs,   29
Jarmuth with her suburbs, En-gannim with her suburbs; four cities.
  30 And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs,
Abdon with her suburbs,   31 Helkath with her suburbs, and
Rehob with her suburbs; four cities.   32 And out of the tribe
of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, <i>to be</i> a
city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammoth-dor with her suburbs,
and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities.   33 All the cities
of the Gershonites according to their families <i>were</i> thirteen
cities with their suburbs.   34 And unto the families of the
children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of
Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,
  35 Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four
cities.   36 And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her
suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs,   37 Kedemoth with her
suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities.   38 And
out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, <i>to
be</i> a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her
suburbs,   39 Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her
suburbs; four cities in all.   40 So all the cities for the
children of Merari by their families, which were remaining of the
families of the Levites, were <i>by</i> their lot twelve cities.
  41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of
the children of Israel <i>were</i> forty and eight cities with
their suburbs.   42 These cities were every one with their
suburbs round about them: thus <i>were</i> all these cities.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p6">We have here a particular account of the
cities which were given to the children of Levi out of the several
tribes, not only to be occupied and inhabited by them, as tenants
to the several tribes in which they lay—no, their interest in them
was not dependent and precarious, but to be owned and possessed by
them as lords and proprietors, and as having the same title to them
that the rest of the tribes had to their cities or lands, as
appears by the law which preserved the house in the Levites' cities
from being alienated any longer than till the year of jubilee,
<scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Lev.25.32-Lev.25.33" parsed="|Lev|25|32|25|33" passage="Le 25:32,33">Lev. xxv. 32, 33</scripRef>. Yet it
is probable that the Levites having only the cities and suburbs,
while the land about pertained to the tribes in which they lay,
those of that tribe, for the convenience of occupying that land,
might commonly rent houses of the Levites, as they could spare them
in their cities, and so live among them as their tenants. Several
things may be observed in this account, besides what was observed
in the law concerning it, <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p6.2" osisRef="Bible:Num.35.1-Num.35.34" parsed="|Num|35|1|35|34" passage="Nu 35:1-34">Num.
xxxv</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p7">I. That the Levites were dispersed into all
the tribes, and not suffered to live all together in any one part
of the country. This would find them all with work, and employ them
all for the good of others; for ministers, of all people, must
neither be idle nor live to themselves or to one another only.
Christ left his twelve disciples together in a body, but left
orders that they should in due time disperse themselves, that they
might <i>preach the gospel to every creature.</i> The mixing of the
Levites thus with the other tribes would be an obligation upon them
to walk circumspectly, and as became their sacred function, and to
avoid every thing that might disgrace it. Had they lived all
together, they would have been tempted to wink at one another's
faults, and to excuse one another when they did amiss; but by this
means they were made to see the eyes of all Israel upon them, and
therefore saw it their concern to walk so as that their ministry
might in nothing be blamed nor their high character suffer by their
ill carriage.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p8">II. That every tribe of Israel was adorned
and enriched with its share of Levites' cities in proportion to its
compass, even those that lay most remote. They were all God's
people, and therefore they all had Levites among them. 1. To show
kindness to, as God appointed them, <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Deut.12.19 Bible:Deut.14.29" parsed="|Deut|12|19|0|0;|Deut|14|29|0|0" passage="De 12:19,14:29">Deut. xii. 19; xiv. 29</scripRef>. They were God's
receivers, to whom the people might give their grateful
acknowledgments of God's goodness, as the occasion and disposition
were. 2. To receive advice and instruction from; when they could
not go up to the tabernacle, to consult those who attended there,
they might go to a Levites' city, and be taught the good knowledge
of the Lord. Thus God set up a candle in every room of his house,
to give light to all his family; as those that attended the altar
<i>kept the charge of the Lord,</i> to see that no divine
appointment was neglected there, so those that were scattered in
the country had their charge too, which was to see that no
idolatrous superstitious usages were introduced at a distance and
to watch for the souls of God's Israel. Thus did God graciously
provide for the keeping up of religion among them, and that they
might have the word nigh them; yet, blessed be God, we, under the
gospel, have it yet nigher, not only Levites in every county, but
Levites in every parish, whose office it is still to teach the
people knowledge, and to go before them in the things of God.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p9">III. That there were thirteen cities, and
those some of the best, appointed for the priests, the sons of
Aaron, <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.19" parsed="|Josh|21|19|0|0" passage="Jos 21:19"><i>v.</i> 19</scripRef>. Aaron
left but two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, yet his family was now so
much increased, and it was foreseen that it would in process of
time grow so numerous, as to replenish all these cities, though a
considerable number must of necessity be resident wherever the ark
and the altar were. We read in both Testaments of such numbers of
priests that we may suppose none of all the families of Israel that
came out of Egypt increased afterwards so much as that of Aaron
did; and the promise afterwards to the house of Aaron is, <i>God
shall increase you more and more, you and your children,</i>
<scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p9.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.115.12 Bible:Ps.115.14" parsed="|Ps|115|12|0|0;|Ps|115|14|0|0" passage="Ps 115:12,14">Ps. cxv. 12, 14</scripRef>. He
will raise up a <i>seed to serve him.</i></p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p10">IV. That some of the Levites' cities were
afterwards famous upon other accounts. Hebron was the city in which
David began his reign, and in Manhanaim, another Levites' city
(<scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p10.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.38" parsed="|Josh|21|38|0|0" passage="Jos 21:38"><i>v.</i> 38</scripRef>), he lay,
and had his headquarters when he fled from Absalom. The first
Israelite that ever wore the title of king (namely, Abimelech, the
son of Gideon) reigned in Shechem, another Levites' city, <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p10.2" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.21" parsed="|Josh|21|21|0|0" passage="Jos 21:21"><i>v.</i> 21</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p11">V. That the number of them in all was more
than of most of the tribes, except Judah, though the tribe of Levi
was one of the least of the tribes, to show how liberal God is, and
his people should be, to his ministers; yet the disproportion will
not appear so great as at first it seems, if we consider that the
Levites had cities only with their suburbs to dwell in, but the
rest of the tribes, besides their cities (and those perhaps were
many more than are named in the account of their lot), had many
unwalled towns and villages which they inhabited, besides country
houses.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p12">Upon the whole, it appears that effectual
care was taken that the Levites should live both comfortably and
usefully: and those, whether ministers or others, for whom
Providence has done well, must look upon themselves as obliged
thereby to do good, and, according as their capacity and
opportunity are, to serve their generation.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Jos.xxii-p0.4" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.43-Josh.21.45" parsed="|Josh|21|43|21|45" passage="Jos 21:43-45" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Josh.21.43-Josh.21.45">
<p class="passage" id="Jos.xxii-p13">43 And the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xxii-p13.1">Lord</span>
gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their
fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.   44 And
the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xxii-p13.2">Lord</span> gave them rest round about,
according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood
not a man of all their enemies before them; the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xxii-p13.3">Lord</span> delivered all their enemies into their
hand.   45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the
<span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xxii-p13.4">Lord</span> had spoken unto the house of
Israel; all came to pass.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p14">We have here the conclusion of this whole
matter, the foregoing history summed up, and, to make it appear the
more bright, compared with the promise of which it was the full
accomplishment. God's word and his works mutually illustrate each
other. The performance makes the promise appear very true and the
promise makes the performance appear very kind.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p15">I. God had promised to give the seed of
Abraham the land of Canaan for a possession, and now at last he
performed this promise (<scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p15.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.43" parsed="|Josh|21|43|0|0" passage="Jos 21:43"><i>v.</i>
43</scripRef>): <i>They possessed it, and dwelt therein.</i> Though
they had often forfeited the benefit of that promise, and God had
long delayed the performance of it, yet at last all difficulties
were conquered, and Canaan was their own. And the promise of the
heavenly Canaan is as sure to all God's spiritual Israel, for it is
the promise of him that cannot lie.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p16">II. God had promised to give them rest in
that land, and now they had rest round about, rest from the
fatigues of their travel through the wilderness (which tedious
march, perhaps, was long in their bones), rest from their wars in
Canaan, and the insults which their enemies there had at first
offered them. They now dwelt, not only in habitations of their own,
but those quiet and peaceable ones; though there were Canaanites
that remained, yet none that had either strength or spirit to
attack them, nor so much as give them an alarm. This rest continued
till they by their own sin and folly put thorns into their own beds
and their own eyes.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xxii-p17">III. God had promised to give them victory
and success in their wars, and this promise likewise was fulfilled:
<i>There stood not a man before them,</i> <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p17.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.44" parsed="|Josh|21|44|0|0" passage="Jos 21:44"><i>v.</i> 44</scripRef>. They had the better in every
battle, and which way soever they turned their forces they
prospered. It is true there were Canaanites now remaining in many
parts of the land, and such as afterwards made head against them,
and became very formidable. But, 1. As to the present remains of
the Canaanites, they were no contradiction to the promise, for God
had said he would not drive them out all at once, but by <i>little
and little,</i> <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p17.2" osisRef="Bible:Exod.23.30" parsed="|Exod|23|30|0|0" passage="Ex 23:30">Exod. xxiii.
30</scripRef>. They had now as much in their full possession as
they had occasion for and as they had hands to manage, so that the
Canaanites only kept possession of some of the less cultivated
parts of the country against the beasts of the field, till Israel,
in process of time, should become numerous enough to replenish
them. 2. As to the after prevalency of the Canaanites, that was
purely the effect of Israel's cowardice and slothfulness, and the
punishment of their sinful inclination to the idolatries and other
abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord would have cast out
before them but that they harboured and indulged them. So that the
foundation of God stands sure. Israel's experience of God's
fidelity is here upon record, and is an acquittance under their
hands to the honour of God, the vindication of his promise which
had been so often distrusted, and the encouragement of all
believers to the end of the world: <i>There failed not any good
thing,</i> no, nor <i>aught</i> of any good thing (so full is it
expressed), <i>which the Lord had spoken unto the house of
Israel,</i> but in due time <i>all came to pass,</i> <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p17.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.21.45" parsed="|Josh|21|45|0|0" passage="Jos 21:45"><i>v.</i> 45</scripRef>. Such an acknowledgment
as this, here subscribed by Joshua in the name of all Israel, we
afterwards find made by Solomon, and all Israel did in effect say
<i>Amen</i> to it, <scripRef id="Jos.xxii-p17.4" osisRef="Bible:1Kgs.8.56" parsed="|1Kgs|8|56|0|0" passage="1Ki 8:56">1 Kings viii.
56</scripRef>. The inviolable truth of God's promise, and the
performance of it to the utmost, are what all the saints have been
ready to bear their testimony to; and, if in any thing the
performance has seemed to come short, they have been as ready to
own that they themselves must bear all the blame.</p>
</div></div2>