THE Amalekites were a people long fince devoted to deftruction by Almighty GoD, for one of the most notorious inftances of cruelty, inhumanity, and impiety that ever was heard of; viz. the invading and destroying, as far as in them lay, by treachery and furprise, an innocent people, uninjured and unprovoked.

WHOEVER is any way converfant in the Bible, will foon perceive, that by this people, I mean the Ifraelites, when they were going out of Egypt, and were manifeftly under the immediate and miraculous protection of Almighty GoD.

THIS was a fin at once fo inhuman and fo atheistical, as perhaps cannot be parallel'd in any one inftance from the foundation of the world: and therefore it is no wonder, if this flagrant act of villainy and impiety produced that dreadful decree againit them, recorded in Deut. xvii. 14. I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven *.

And

* Mr. Chubb tells us, in his Pamphlet relating to Doctor Rundle's Election, &c. that this is not true in fact; seeing they remained long after, even till Saul's time, a diftinct people.

Let us try the weight of this objection. The Amalekites remained a diftinct people till Saul's time; therefore GOD's decree of extirpation was not executed upon them.

And foon after the reafon and manner of effecting this are added in a subsequent declaration: the strict sense of which, in its most literal translation, stands thus ; because the hand against the throne of God, the war of God against Amalek from generation to generation; i.e. because Amalek hath lifted up his hand against the throne of GOD, hath fet himself

to

This is juft fuch reasoning as if he had faid, that Adam lived above 900 years after the fentence of death denounced against him; and therefore he never died. I allow, that a remnant of the Amalekites outlasted both Saul and David, and reached even to the reign of Hezekiah, 1 Chron. iv. 4.1. But at the fame time, we learn from the laft verfes of that chapter, that the fous of Simeon fmote the reft of them that efcaped, (i. e. that efcaped all the preceding attempts against them) and dwelt there unto this day.

But if we are to rest upon Mr. Chubb's peremptory affertion, they not only were not extirpated, but they continued unmolefted, till the days of Saul. But this furely is a rath and ungrounded allertion; for they joined the Moabites and Midianites against Ifrael, Num. xxiv. 20. about 40 years after their first attempt. And I think there is no doubt but they were defeated with the Midianites (Num. xxxi.). There is alfo, I think, good reafon to believe, that these inveterate enemies of Ifrael were included in the general confederacy against Jobua, and thared in their common defeat, Joh. xi. This is certain, that more than 40 years after this, they again joined the Moa bites against Ifrael (Judg. iii.). And when the Moabites were defeated by Ehud, can it be made a doubt, whether they shared in that defeat? Or if there could, Deborah and Barak's Song puts the point out of all doubt (ver. 14.).

It is alfo certain, that about 150 years after this, they again joined the Midianites against Ifrael, (Judg. vi. & vii.) and were involved in their common deftruction: and forafmuch as the Pfalmift mentions them as the confede

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to defeat the divine determinations in favour of Ifrael; therefore God will have war with them from generation to generation, until they are utterly extirpated.

To reconcile this fevere decree to the principles of juftice, and to God's own declarations, Ezek. xviii. of his limiting the vengeance of guilt to the person of the offender, we need only reflect upon one plain observa

rates of Gebal and Ammon against Ifrael, it is not improbable, that they fhared in the defeat of Ammon by Fephthah, about 88 years after this. And from this period to the command given to Saul to extirpate them, paffed about 80 years.

The learned authors of Univerfal History obferve, (p. 631. note P.) that this was only a particular application of the general commands before given, (and which the Jews had bound themfelves and their posterity by a folemn oath to observe) to destroy all thofe nations that would not accept of proffered peace, and forfake their idolatry; and to eliminate all that belonged to them. And the exhortation of Mofes to them, as far as it is applicable to this head, they thus paraphrase: "Remember "therefore, that there is no redemption for them; and "that if you fuffer yourselves, either thro' pity, or cove"toufnefs, to fpare any of them, you will not only incur "the punishment of perjury and rebellion, but be in"fnared into greater guilt, by conforming to their ways. "Had Saul been mindful of this, he had not faved the « king of Amalek, and the choiceft of the cattle and "plunder (1 Sam. xv. 9, &c.). When therefore he "made that weak and puerile excufe, that he defigned "the latter as an offering to Go D, Samuel did justly re"prove him, by fhewing him how vain it was to pretend << to atone for one open violation of GOD's command by "another."

tion, which every day's experience sufficiently furnishes us with; that nothing is more common, than for children to appear unrepentant, and, it may be, improved and inveterate in the fins of their ancestors: and that nothing is more eafy to the divine prefcience than to foresee this, and to pronounce upon it. And that this was the cafe of the Amalekites, fufficiently appears from their history. For as their fathers attempted upon the Ifraelites, when under the manifest protection of God; their fons continued to do the fame upon every occafion, tho' the fame protection became every day more and more confpicuous, by many and repeated inftances.

How this decree had hitherto been put in execution by the people of GOD, and under his immediate direction, from age to age, will beft be learned from the books of Numbers, Jojbua, and Judges. And now Saul, as next in order, was appointed, was in a very folemn, exprefs, and particular manner, commanded to execute his part. And to fhew that the fins of thofe very Amalekites now commanded to be deftroyed, were the real motives of their deftruction; they are,

in that command given for it, exprefly and emphatically called the finners the Amalekites and their king is charged by the prophet with the guilt of Murders; (and the Kenites, as lefs criminal, are commanded to be separated from them).

To this

BUT we are asked, why their innocent children should be put to death? it is very obvious to anfwer by another very plain queftion; Why do innocent children die every day? It was a mercy to the children of the Amalekites to be taken off in their innocence, before they were tainted with the infection of their fathers guilt *.

AND to put it out of all doubt even with Saul himself, that the punishment and prevention of guilt, were the only end and aim of that command; he was exprefly enjoined to destroy not only the Amalekites,

*We are told, that Schab Abbaz extirpated the inhabitants of feveral Villages in Perfia, for their abominable wickedness (Ambaff. Travels, 1. 7. p. 294). Nor have hiftorians, as far as I can learn, charged this act upon him as cruel or tyrannous. There is fuch a thing as the vulgar call an ill breed, and fins run in the blood. It is certainly a bleffing to the world to have fuch a race rooted out. The infection of incorrigible guilt fhould be arrested at any rate; and if nothing but extremities can effect this, extremities are then fufficiently juftified in the great Governor of the world. Men are tied down to other meafures of acting.

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