incidents; and his fuperiority over the hea-
then deities difplayed to the view of all. For
the three principal deities, whom the Amo-
rites adored, and in vindication of whose
violated honour they feem to have entered
on the present attempt, were the Sun, Moon,
and Heavens or Air. To convince them
therefore that thefe gods were entirely fub-
ject to the God of Ifrael; and to punish
them, at the fame time, for the false worship
they paid them; "the Lord thundered
against them from heaven, and showered
in their faces great hailstones from the air,
which flew vaft numbers of them; and
then stopt the two great luminaries in their
courfe, till the Ifraelites had completely
vanquished the remainder t."
And God, it
fhould feem, infpired now the Hebrew ge-
neral to call for this miracle" in the fight
of Ifrael," to deter them from the practice

r

Or perhaps real ftones, many showers of which history records to have happened. See CALMET's Differtation on the fubject.

Jofh. x. ver. II.

Ibid. ver. 12.

U 3

of

1

of the like idolatry; "from kiffing their hands," as the manner was, "when they beheld the fun as it shined, or the moon walking in brightness "."

It may be thought perhaps, that the only motive, which induced Joshua to put up his prayer for the prolongation of the day, was his earnest defire of gaining time to pursue his advantages; which otherwise, he apprehended, would be too fhort for the entire conqueft and fubverfion of his enemies. But this, if indeed any motive at all, appears, however, from the circumftances of the narration, to be neither the only one, nor the chief. The mere finishing fuch a conquest feems to be scarce a fufficient ground for fo extraordinary a petition. But admit it was; yet, how came the petition to be offered up at fuch a time? When the request was made, the greatest part of the enemy was deftroyed, and the reft put to the rout: the day was but half spent, and the fun in the

meridian. Now, what is there to be dif covered in the prefent circumstances, that could prompt the victorious and triumphant general to require fuch a miracle to be wrought in his behalf? He had light fuffi cient before him, in all probability, to accomplish his defigns: or, if he found the victory unexpectedly retarded, would it not have been time enough to petition for a longer day, when he faw the fun low in its declenfion, and near its fetting? These confiderations would lead one to conclude that the prayer, now preferred by Joshua, was rather the effect of a divine impulfe, than the result of his reflections on the event of the day; and that the chief purport of the miracle, exhibited in anfwer to it, was to convince both armies, and all who obferved it, "that the gods of the heathens were but idols; and that it was the Lord who made,

* For the Heb. text fays" So the fun stood fill yna in the midst of heaven, or in the mid-heaven; and hasted down or decline about a whole day." ver. 13.

not to go

—Κατὰ ΜΕΣΟΝ τῷ ἐραν· ἐ προεπορεύετο εἰς δυσμάς. Lxx.
In medio cæli, neque feftinavit ad occafum. Syr.

-

and who governed the heavens." This at least must be acknowledged; that it was admirably adapted to work such a conviction, whatever ends it might serve besides.

Marvellous and furprising as Joshua's conqueft of these fouthern provinces appears; yet fo blind, and fo inconfiderate were the northern kings, that they neither recognized therein the power of the Lord, nor indeed perceived the operation of his hands." On the contrary, they attributed the misfortune, which their brethren sustained, to their fighting in fmall parties; to their bringing erroneously into the field an inadequate number of men; and trufting folely to the valour of their infantry. In remedy therefore of fo fatal an errour, these kings warily united their forces;" and went out, they and all their hofts with them; much people, even as the fand that is upon the fea-fhore in multitude, with horfes and chariots very many: and they pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Ifrael." This army

y Pfal. xcvi. 5.
7 Josh, xi, 4, 5.

Was

was truly formidable; confisting, if we may believe Jofephus, of no less than three hundred thousand footmen, fupported by ten thousand horsemen, and twenty thoufand chariots *" But, numerous and formidable as they were, God commanded his people to attack them; and upon this attack-to fhew them that he was the God of forces;" to manifest to the world, that "no king can be faved by the multitude of an hoft;" and that horfes and chariots were but vain inftruments of defence against his avenging power: to make them, I fay, and others through them, duly fenfible of these things; he “delivered them up into the hand of Ifrael; who chased and smote them till they were all destroyed"," and who then got fpeedy poffeffion of their country-divided it among themselves-and enjoyed it without farther disturbance.

Thus have we seen by what means Canaan was conquered; and in what manner its wicked and idolatrous inhabitants were destroyed. If we review these means by the

a

JOSEPH. Ant, Jud, lib. v, c. i, § 18, ✦ Josh. xi. 8,

light