APPENDIX, N° I,

Referred to vol. i. p. III.

In which the case of Hannab-1 Sam. i.is more particularly confidered.

Α As

SI fhould be forry to be misled myself, so I should be equally anxious not to mislead others, with refpect to any fcripture quoted, referred to, or explained in the foregoing pages, and fo many of which have been employed to prove that polygamy is neither against any law given before the Sinai-covenant, nor against any law then delivered; confequently, is not finful-for fin is not imputed where there is no law-and where there is no law there is no tranfgreffion. Rom. v. 13.

iv. 15.

As a proof of God's own fentiments on the matter, I have produced the striking inftance of Elkanah the Levite, and his two wives, Peninnah and Hannah; and by confidering Hannah as taken after, and in the life-time of Peninnah, have drawn arguments, which appear to me conclufive, with regard to the main point, viz. that if polygamy was a tranfgreffion

of

--

of the original institution of marriage-of the feventh commandment or of any other pofitive law of GOD, it is highly unreafonable and abfurd to fuppofe, that God fhould fo fignally bless, and own it as lawful, in so many inftances, and particularly in that of Hannah.-But I find it is an ufual opinion, and that several commentators rather feem to embrace it, that Peninnah was the fecond wife, and Hannah the first; I have the more earnestly and more diligently examined the whole paffage, as willing to retract what I have faid if it be false, as to abide by it if it

be true.

The ground on which the opinion that Hannah was the first wife is built, is a very uncertain one, viz. that "he is "*named firft." 1 Sam. i. 2. But the

very

*The Hebrew words--though they may be rendered first and fecond, yet are fo frequently used for one and the other (as in our tranflation) that nothing conclufive can be gathered from them in this place. See Exod. i. 15. Numb. xi. 26. Ruth i. 4. 2 Sam. iv. 2. The best way of confidering the matter, is to advert to the whole of the following context; in which it appears, from many circumftances, that Hannah was the fecond or after-taken wife.

And indeed there is a very natural and obvious reason why Hannah, though the fecond-taken wife,

fhould

very next fentence furnishes us with juft as good a reafon for fuppofing Hannah was the fecond, for there Peninnah ftands first. -And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children :-and the reason ftill grows ftronger for fuppofing Peninnah to be first, ver. 4. for there the is not only mentioned first, but has the precedency of a first wife given her by her husband Elkanah, who ferved her firft of the peace-offerings:-And when the time was come that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her fons and daughters, portions; but to Hannah he gave a more worthy portion, for he loved Hannah; i. e. fhe was his favourite, as Rachel was Jacob's, Gen. xxix. 30. The custom of placing the eldest first was very antient, as we find, Gen. xliii. 33. And they fet before him, the eldest according to his birth

fhould yet be named first in the beginning of the history because the fubfequent parts of it principally relate to her and her fon Samuel.

For a like reafon we may suppose Shem to be mentioned firft of the fons of Noah-Gen. x. 1.-though not the eldeft, Shem and his defcendents being the chief fubject of the facred hiftory.

So Mofes is commonly placed before Aaron" (though three years younger) wherefoever they are named together, Mofes being the principal perfon

treated of.

right,

right, and the youngest according to his youth-and he took and fent messes to them from before him; but Benjamin's was five times as much as any of theirs. Benjamin was diftinguished as the favourite of his brother Jofeph, tho' younger than all the reft; fo was Hannah, the youngest or after-taken wife, diftinguished as the favourite of Elkanah, and though, as youngest, helped after Peninnah, and her fons and daughters, yet had a larger share, or, as it is mentioned in the margin, a double portion. This is our tranflation;

literally מנה אחת אפים but the words

fignify-" a piece, part, or portion of the roafted meat"-fome more choice part, we may fuppofe, which he had referved for her. Elkanah's love, and preference of Hannah in his affections, would hardly have fuffered him to place her after Peninnah, if Hannah had not been the youngest and after-taken wife; any more than Jofeph's affection to Benjamin would have fuffered him to have placed him below the rest of his brethren, had it not been against all rule to have done otherwise.

But if we look more deeply into this fcripture, we may gather from Hannah's Jong, chap. ii. 1-10, a certain proof that Hannah was the second wife. The

Song

Jong itself is evidently prophetical, it treats upon the fame fubject as that of the Virgin Mary, which is recorded Luke i. 46-54; and these two wives of Elkanah, are spoken of as typical of what should come to pass in the latter days, when the Jews, the elder profeffing people of GOD, and who brought forth profeffing children, should become barren, and the poor barren Gentiles become fruitful. Hannah fays, chap. ii. 5. The barren hath borne feven, and she that bath many children is waxed feeble. A clear prophecy of the rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles, the former typified by Peninnah, and the latter by Hannah. So If. liv. 1.—alluding to the fame interefting and wonderful events-fays, Sing, O barren, thou that didft not bear; break forth into finging, and cry aloud, thou that didft not travail with child; for more are the children of the defolate, than the children of the married wife, faith the Lord. In this view of the matter, Hannah muft certainly be the fecond wife, as the Gentiles were called fubfequently to the Jews, or else the whole fimilitude of this prophetical tranfaction, as to the fulfilment of it, in the rejection of the Jews, and calling of the Gentiles, is deftroyed at once.

For