of Saul, how was it that they were first furnished from Libya in the time of Sefac? But another circumftance in facred Hiftory will fhew us, that Egypt, which fupplied Canaan, abounded in Horfe ftill much earlier. In the law of Mofes, we find this prohibition, perfonally directed to their future King: he shall not multiply borfes to himself, nor cause the people to return to EGYPT, TO THE END THAT HE SHOULD MULTIPLY HORSES: forafmuch as the Lord hath faid unto you, Ye fhall benceforth return no more that way". Now the reafon, here given, being to prevent all commerce with Egypt, we muft conclude, if it appear that Egypt, at this time, fupplied other nations with horfes, that the law extended to their Judges as well as Kings. But they did fupply other nations. For we find the confederate Canaanites (who, by Sir Ifaac's confeffion, had their horfes from Egypt) warring against Jofhua, 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". The law therefore did certainly refpect the Judges. And the reafoning is confirmed by fact. For Joshua, when he had defeated thefe confederate hofts, boughed their -Horfes and burnt their chariots with fire, according to the commandment of the Lord: obferving it in the fame rigorous manner in which it was obeyed by their Kings, to whom the law was perfonally addreffed: For thus Ahab destroyed the horses and chariots of Benhadad". So that I now conclude the other way from this Law, that a general traffic with Egypt for Horfes was very common m DEUT. xvii. ver. 16. I KINGS xx. ver. 21. n Jos. xi. ver. 4. ⚫. ver. 9. in in the times of Mofes and Jofhua. Confequently Egypt was not firft furnished with Horfes from Libya in the time of Sir Ifaac Newton's Sefoftris. But it may give strength to this argument, as well as light to the facred Text, to inquire more particularly into the reasons of this PROHIBITION; which we fhall find fo weighty and various as to appear worthy of its Author, and accommodated only to a Law of divine original. 1. The first reafon (which was exprefly delivered with the Law) is, properly, RELIGIOUS. He [the King] fays the Law, fhall not multiply Horfes to himfelf, nor caufe the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply Horfes: forafmuch as the Lord had faid unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. i. e. He fhould not establish a body of Cavalry, because this could not be effected without fending into Egypt, with which people the Lord had forbidden any communication, as, of all foreign commerce, that was the most dangerous to true Religion 1, When Solomon had violated this Law, and multiplied Horfes to fuch excess that, we are told, he had forty thousand falls of Hcrfes for his chariots, and twelve thousand Horfemen', it was foon attended with thofe fatal confequences which the Law had foretold. For this wifeft of Kings having likewife, in violation of another Law of Mofes, married Pharaoh's daughter', (the early fruits of this commerce) and then, by a repetition of the fame crime, but a tranfgreffion of another law, had See the next fections 2 KINGS . ver. 1. A KINGS iv. ver. 26. espoused espoused more strange women'; they first of all, in defiance of a fourth Law, purfuaded him to build them idol Temples for their ufe; and afterwards, against a fifth Law, ftill more fundamental, brought him to erect other Temples for his own". Now the original of all this mifchief was the forbidden. traffic with Egypt for Horses: For thither, we are told, the agents of Solomon were fent to mount his Cavalry. And Solomon gathered chariots and borsemen and be had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot-cities, and with the king at Jerufalem-And he had Horfes brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. And they fetcht up and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for fix hundred shekels of filver, and an Horfe for an hundred and fifty *. Nay, this great King even turned factor for the neighbouring monarchs. And fo brought they out Horfes for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria by their means. This opprobrious commerce was kept up by his Succeffors; and attended with the fame pernicious confequences. Ifaiah, with his usual majesty, denounces the mischiefs of this traffic; and foretels that one of the good effects of leaving it, would be the forfaking their idolatries. Wo to them that go down to Egypt for help, and stay on HORSES and truft in chariots, because they are many; and in HORSEMEN, because they are very strong but they look not unto the holy one of Ifrael, neither feek the Lord. For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me: Like as the lion, and the young lion, roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abafe himself for the noise of them: fo fhall the Lord of bofts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the bill thereof Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Ifrael have deeply revolted. For in that day every man shall caft away his idols of filver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a fin2. The 2. The fecond reafon against multiplying Horfes I take to have been properly POLITICAL. Ifraelites, feparated by GoD for his peculiar People, under his government as King, muft needs have been defigned for the proprietors of one certain country. Accordingly the land of Canaan, the poffeffion of the feven nations, was marked out for their proper inheritance. Within these limits they were to be confined; it being foreign to the nature of their Inftitution to make conquefts, or to extend their dominion. But the expulfion of the feven nations being, as we shall fee presently, to be effected by the extraordinary affistance of their KING, JEHOVAH, their fucceffes muft, of course, be full and rapid. But nothing is fo impatient of bounds as a Multitude flesht with easy victories: the projects of fuch a people are always going on from conqueft to conqueft; as appears from the Mahometan Arabs, under the fame circumftances, led out to conqueft by a falfe Prophet, as the Ifraelites by a true. Now to defeat this fo natural a difpofition, in a nation not defigned for Empire, a Law is given against MULTIPLYING HORSES; than which nothing can be conceived more effectual. The Country that confined them, was rocky and mountainous, and therefore unfit for the breed and fuftentation of horse. Telemachus is commended z Is. xxxi. ver. 1, 4, 6, 7. for for giving this reafon for refufing the horses of Menelaus: Haud male Telemachus, proles patientis Ulixei; Befides, when they had once gotten poffeffion of thefe mountains, they had little need of horfe to preferve their conqueft; as all fkilled in' military matters very well understand". The Ifraelites therefore, had they been either wife or pious, would foon have found that their true ftrength, as well political as religious, lay in Infantry: As that of Egypt, for a contrary reason, was in their Cavalry. Hence that people, who well understood their advantages, fo induftriously propagated the breed of Horfes, as the fureft defence of their territories. There is a remarkable paffage, in the hiftory of these times, to fupport what I here advance. When Benhadad, the gentile king of Syria, whofe forces confifted of chariots and horsemen, had warred, with ill fuccefs, against the king of Ifrael, the Ministers, in a council of war, deliver their ad'vice to him in thefe terms: Their Gods are Gods of the HILLS, therefore they were stronger than we: but let us fight against them in the PLAIN, and furely we shall be stronger than they. And be bearkened a HOR. The late bishop Sherlock fuppofed, that "the divine original of the Law might be inferred from this prohibition of the ufe of Cavalry: for that nothing but a divine command could have prevailed with Mofes to forbid the princes of his country the ufes of Horfes and Chariots for their defence." [4th Differ. p. 329. Ed. 4.] But I chufe not to infit on this, as the use of Cavalry could not be neceflary for their defence after they were in poffeffion of the country. unto |