proof of the folly of the prevailing idolatry, which adored the sun and moon, and all the hosts of heaven. So when Christ expired upon the cross, and thus finished his conflict with the Prince of the power of the air, the sun withdrew his light, and there was darkness over all the land (Matt. xxv. 45.).

Joshua was a type of Christ in regard to his conquests over his enemies. We read of five kings at once subdued by him (Josh. x.), and he bids his captains tread upon their necks; and the fruit of all these glorious victories was the securing to the chosen people of God their possession of the promised land of rest (Josh. xxi. 44, 45.). So Christ by the more signal overthrow of his and our spiritual enemies, has opened to his faithful people and obedient subjects an entrance into the heavenly Canaan, the lot of their everlasting inheritance.

The government of the Israelites, from

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their departure out of Egypt to the time of Samuel was a theocracy; for although their temporal affairs were occasionally directed by Judges, yet God himself was the supreme head of their civil and religious politythis continued for the space of 310 years. Othniel, the first of the Judges

N. B. The Judges were twelve in number, and their government continued about 300 years.

They do not appear to have succeeded each other in any regular order, but to have been appointed according to state emergencies.

There is considerable uncertainty in fixing the periods of their respective administrations.

Ehud, the Benjamite, kills Eglon, the king of Moab, and thus delivers the Israelites from their second bondage, which

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1405

The Israelites, returning to their idolatry and wickedness, are sold into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, who oppresses them for the space of twenty years.

Deborah, the Prophetess, the fourth Judge, delivers Israel from the tyranny of Jabin

The Israelites are brought into subjection to the Midianites, who for the space of seven years, utterly overrun and impoverish the land, about

Gideon, the fifth Judge, delivers them from this servitude, and judges Israel from 1256 to

Abimelech succeeds Gideon

Tola, of the tribe of Issachar, succeeds Abimelech, and is succeeded by Jair, a Gileadite. The period of their administrations lasted from 1183 to Jephtha, the Gileadite, the ninth Judge,

dies

Jephtha was succeeded by Ibzan, a Bethlehemite; to him succeeded Elon, a

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1286

1256

1209

1209

1161

1137

Zebulonite; to him Abdon, a Pirathonite; but these three last appear to have been only civil Judges to administer justice in North Israel (Jud. xii. 8.).

Samson, the son of Manoah, judges the Israelites from 1161 to

Overcomes the Philistines

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1120

1141

After the death of Samson, the Ark of the Lord is taken, Eli being Judge

1118

Samson was in several important respects a type of Christ, the Sun or Minister (oy Shemesh, whence Schimeschon, a little Sun, or Samson) of righteousness (Mal. iv. 2.).

His birth, like that of our blessed Redeemer and of Isaac, had in it something miraculous, and like theirs, was foretold by an angel-and, like that of Christ, confirmed by a sign (Jud. xiii. 20. Luk. i. 36, 42.). They were likewise both Naza

1

The Sun is the glorious servant of all the world; whence Schimschon, Samson, a little Sun' (Leigh's Crit. Sac. ad verb.).

rites from their birth. Samson, according to the Nazarites (Numb. vi. 2.), Christ, by special sanctity, fulfilling that typethat holy thing that shall be born of thee (Luk. i. 35.), as also by the place of his residence, being born indeed at Bethlehem, but bred at Nazareth (Matt. ii. 1, 5, 23.), and thence called a Nazarene or Nazarite.

There is also an analogy or resemblance between Christ and Samson in some special actions of their lives-chiefly in their strength and victories over their enemies; especially in this circumstance, that Samson wrought his glorious deeds alone by his own personal strength, his countrymen would not stand by him (Jud. xv. 10, 11, 12.). So Christ trod the winepress alone, when all the disciples forsook him and fled (Matt. xxvi. 56.).

Samson slew a thousand men with the jaw-bone of an ass; a very weak and unlikely instrument with which to effect such a work of destruction; yet by the

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