Joshua taketh the whole land. 1 And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon,and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, 2 And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,

3 And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the landof Mizpeh. 4 And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people,even as the sand that is upon the seashore in multitude,with horses and chariots very many. 5 And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. 6 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.

7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.

8 And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.

9 And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.

10 And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms. 11 And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe and he burnt Hazor with fire.

12 And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded.

13 But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn. 14 And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.

15 As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.

16 So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;

17 Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.

18 Joshua made war a long

time with all those kings.

19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.

20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

bron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.

22 There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.

23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war. LECTURE 383.

21 And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from He

Against questioning the dealings of God.

Some have been surprised that the Lord should instruct Joshua to maim the horses, which the Canaanites employed in their battles; as if it were strange for God to inflict sufferings on brute creatures, they being not supposed capable of sin. But if the sin of our whole race has entailed suffering on all those animals, which here do us service, we need not be surprised to find, that a punishment inflicted on this particular portion of mankind, was attended with much of suffering inflicted on the animals, that ministered to their wants. It adds to the manifestation of God's wrath against sin, when we see every thing connected with sinners involved in the calamity which overtakes them. And if the warning which is afforded by these instances of wrath, should be the means of winning souls that never die, what are the sufferings of such as horses in comparison? But this chapter contains another fearful warning. For it tells us how it came to pass, that these various nations, kings, and cities, ventured against Israel in battle, and so rushed upon their own destruction; instead of suing, as we should have thought they would, for peace. "It was of the Lord to harden their hearts." This also is thought strange by many. So apt is the weak mind of man to imagine itself qualified for scanning the ways of God! As if it were not obvious, that He can easily interfere, to influence our minds, as well as to affect our bodies! As if it were not as reasonable, and just, and good, for Him to harden the hearts of those, who persist in impenitence, as it is for Him to turn them and to soften them, whensoever they are willing to repent. Let us never venture to doubt of his goodness and truth, lest we provoke Him to harden us in unbelief. Let us never venture to question the justice of his dealings with any of his creatures, lest we be made for ever monuments of his justice ourselves.

The kings whom Moses and Joshua smote.

1 Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east: 2 Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;

3 And from the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea on the east, the way to Beth-jeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdoth-pisgah : 4 And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,

5 And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

6 Them did Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

7 And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the

tribes of Israel for a possession
according to their divisions;
8 In the mountains, and in
the valleys, and in the plains,
and in the springs, and in the
wilderness, and in the south
country; the Hittites, the Amo-
rites, and the Canaanites, the
Perizzites, the Hivites, and the
Jebusites:

9 The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;

10 The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; 11 The king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; 12 The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; 13 The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; 14 The king of Hormal, one; the king of Arad, one;

15 The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; 16 The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Beth-el, one; 17 The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; 18 The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; 19 The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;

20 The king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;

21 The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;

22 The king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one;

23 The king of Dor in the coast of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one;

24 The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.

LECTURE 384.

That our whole life may be a course of victory.

Many events of great importance are here summed up in a short space. And the names of these various small kingdoms are set down, without mention of the particulars which attended the conquest of each. Those particulars were doubtless well remembered among the Israelites, for many generations. And the enumeration of the names in this list would suggest to their memories many a signal deliverance, which God had wrought for them, many a signal triumph, which God had given them, in the places here set down. To us it is not even possible to ascertain exactly where each of these places was. Some we know, by their having become afterwards places of importance in the commonwealth of Israel. Some are nowhere else mentioned in Scripture. Some of the names, though they occur elsewhere, seem to belong to places different from those which are meant here. And the only way to know any thing certainly on the subject, is to compare this chapter with other passages of Scripture, in which any of these names occur. But though our utmost pains would not enable us to find out exactly where each place was situated, the whole list may serve to give us a lively impression of the important fact, mentioned at the conclusion of the last chapter: "So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses." Ch. 11. 23. He took it, in the length of it, and in the breadth of it. He took it, from the east unto the west, from the north unto the south. And though he left some remaining, some of the people who were all to be driven out in the end, yet he for his part did all that lay in his power; he, as we have already been told of him, "left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses." Ch. 11. 15. What a glorious testimony is this, in behalf of any child of Adam! What an What an animating history for us to read; privileged as we are to know, that we also may bave grace to lead life of one continual victory! Let us but do all that God has commanded us by Christ, and behold, sin after sin shall flee before us, one stronghold of Satan shall fall after another, and every day of our existence, as it adds to our battles fought, shall also add to our conquests gained. And though there be no record kept on earth, to point out each stage of our advancement in the ways of holiness and of heaven, we may reflect with thankfulness, that these things are not buried in oblivion; but that as they redound to the glory of God, they are also sure to be remembered to our own endless gain.

Give us, Lord, the grace to fight thy battles, each day that we are continued here. Give us the joy to gain the victory on earth, that we may have the glory of triumphing with Thee in heaven.

The boundaries of the land not yet conquered.

1 Now Joshua was old and nine tribes, and the half tribe of stricken in years; and the LORD Manasseh, said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

LECTURE 385.

How we might best extend the bounds of Christendom.

It has been computed from a comparison of some passages in this book, and in the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy, that the wars, in which Joshua was so greatly prospered by the Lord, occupied about six or seven years; and that he was himself about