[48v] were the Leaders of such Tribes, as were willing to submitt themselves, unto their Conduct, as they were disposed unto it by Dangers from their Neighbourhood. We have plain Instances of this, in the Armies of Barak, and of Gideon; and in the Double Invasion which happened afterwards, from the Ammonites on the one Quarter, and the Philistines on the other. The War with the Ammonites was managed entirely by Jephtah and his People, that is to say, the Tribes beyond Jordan. The War with the Philistines was managed wholly by the Tribe of Judah. When Judah, by Divine Appointment was præferr'd before his Brethren, (on which account, the Tribe obtained a larger Portion, & in a more secure Province,) Ambition and Jealousy & Emulation prevailed on both Sides. The Tribes never well united their Forces, or joined in Confœderacies, to Resist a common Enemy. Indeed, in the Dayes of Saul, an Army was levied out of the whole Nation; but even then, they were Two Bodies, Israel was one, and Judah another. Upon the Death of Saul, they ran into Factions; the one for Ishbosheth, the other for David; and this Division became fixed and incureable after the Death of Solomon. Very Different Conditions must thus befal the Tribes, while they had their Separate Interests.⁵⁰

         Well; There yett remain 140 Years to be accounted for. Of these Years, the last 84 belong to Three of the Kings, just before the Foundation of the Temple. There are then 56 Years, left in the Period of the Judges. In that Space, we meet with a Double Servitude of the Israelites; the one to the Ammonites, the other to the Philistines. These two Servitudes were contemporary. They commenced at once, tho' they did not conclude so. The Idolatries of the Israelites multiplied; The Almighty Doubled their Punishment, and Sent Enemies upon them, both from the East, and from the West. [Judg. 10.6, 7.] The Ammonites Tyrannized indeed, but 18 Years; but the Philistines no less than 40. The Sacred Historian, first præmises a short Mention of both Invasions, because they began in the same Year; and then he proceeds to Relate them distinctly, beginning first with that which would be dispatched soonest. Thus, the Number of Years, which would else increase too much upon us, is brought within Compass, and the Chronology is cleared from all its Difficulties.⁵¹

         On the one side, after the Eighteen Years Tyranny of {the} Ammonites, there are Four Judges, namely, Jephtah, and Ibzan, and Elon, and Abdon. All the Years ascribed unto them, (including the 18 Years of Servitude also) are no more than 49. That Part of the Land, with which these were concerned, was in Peace, after the Tyranny of Ammon was over. In the Times that succeeded, [1. Sam. 7.14.] There was Peace between Israel and the Ammonites.⁵²

In the mean time, (during this Rest of the Eastern Parts,) the Violence of the Philistines extended itself in the West, and continued 40 Years. Nor do we find any Mention of a Deliverer from it, before the Time of Samuel, who by gaining that famous Victory at Ebenezer, putt an End unto their Tyranny. [1. Sam. 7.13, 14.] The Hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the Dayes of Samuel. Those Dayes of Samuel, are the Sixteen Years of his Government, before Sauls Inauguration. These were {the} only Years interposed, between the End of the Philistines 40, and the Beginning of the 84 of the Kings. But soon after Sauls Accession to the Crown, (the Second Year of his Reign,) the War began again with the Philistines, & held all the Dayes of Saul. Wherefore, Samuel began to Judge (in Judah, and the Parts adjacent,) in the last Year of Elon, of the Tribe of Zebulon; and was contemporary with Abdon, of the Tribe of Ephraim.⁵³

         We read of Sampson, [Judg. 15.20.] That he Judged Israel Twenty Years in the Dayes of the Philistines; that is to say, within the Space of those 40 Years, wherein they had the Philistines Rulers over them. However, he had not the supreme Power; nor did he deliver the Israelites, but was by his own People delivered into the hands of the Philistines.

         Nor ought we to look on Eli as a Deliverer. He lost the Ark; and he died in the Twentieth Year of the Servitude unto the Philistines; Twenty Years before the Victory at Ebenezer. His Power of a Judge, was no other than that of an High-Priest; and like that of Deborah, when she Judged Israel under the Palm-tree; or like that of the Successors to Gideon and Jephtah in times of Peace; or, like that of the Sons of Samuel, whom he made Judgike that of Samuel himself, after the anointing of Saul, who still Judged Israel all the Dayes of his Life; and Josephus tells us, that was Eighteen Years; but indeed it was many more.⁵⁴

         We find among the Tyrians, That Judges were constituted over them, after the old City on the Continent, was destroy'd by Nebuchadnezzar.