Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-03-14


their government. 8. We argue thai
thsss commands did nos rsqniTethe INDl-
viDUA / destsaction Of the Cdaaanites nm
eoaditioHallg. from Che fact that Che most
pi0as IsrGeiites neUer seem 70 hare 50 re-
gardedJkem. Joshua was selected asthe
leader Of Israelto execute Gods threat
enings upon Canaan He had no disers-
fioaary power. Gods commands were
bis official instrpetions. Going beyond
them would have been usurpation; refus-
ing 10 carry them Ont. rebellion and tTea-
son. For not obeying. in eoery Partieu-
lar. and in single instance. Gods COM
mand respecting the Amalekites. Saul was
rejected from being king.
Now, If God commanded the lndividu-
al destruction of all the CanaanitIsh ma
tons. Joshua lisobeyed ham IN erery an
stance. For at his death, the IsraelItes
still !" d,oelt among them" and each ma
ton is mentioned by name See Judges
j. IS, end yet we are told that " Joshua was
full of the spirit of the Lord and of Wis
DOM" Deut. xxxiv. 9. fof course. he cod
not have been ignorant of the meaning of
those commands, )--that "ihe Lord was
with him." Josh. vi. 81; and that be" left
nothing undone of all tina. the Lord COM
manded Moses - and further. that he "took
all that land" Joshua xi. 1913. AL
50, that "ihe Lord gave unto Israel all the
land which he sware to give unto their
fathers, and they possessed 1t and dwelt
therein, and there stood not man of all
their enemies before them" 1.-The Lord
delivered all their enemies into their
hard.n SC. - u .ga# @e.- ,I5-.ez.
How can this testimony be reconciled
with ITSELF If we suppose that the COM
mand to destroy enjolned indioidHal tx
termination, and the command to drire
oEf. enjoined The unconditional expulsion
of individuals FROM tn. country, rather
than their expulsion from the possesssoa or
Ownership Of it, as the lords of the soil ?
Il is true, multituies of the Canaanites
were slain, but in every case it was in
consequence Of their refusing to surren-
der their land TO the possession of the Is
raelites. Not solitary case can be found
Ia which Capaanite was either killed or
driven OUT Of the country. who aequieSe.
ed in the transfer of the territory Of Cana
an, and Its sovereignty. from the inhabIt-
ants Of the land to the israelites. Wit
ness the case of Rahab and all her kind.
red, and the inhabitants Of Gideon, Che
phirah, Beeroth, and kirjaihjearim.s Tue
Canaaniles knew Of the miracles in
Egypt. al the Red Sea, in the wilderness,
aud al the passage Of Jordan They knew
that their land had been transferred 70 the
lsrae.ites. as judgment upon them for
their SINS. See Joshua il. Gil, and tx.
9, 10. "a. Many OF them were awed BY
these wonders, and made no resistance to
the con6scaiion of their territory. Oh
ers 6ercely resisted, defied the God of the
armies Of Israel, and came out to battle
These occupied the fortified cities. were
1.-THE most inveteTafe heathen-the GristOc.
raey of idola,ry, the kings, the NOtitity s
gentry, the priests with their crowds o
saiellites. and retainers that aided in the
performance of idoiatrous rites, the mit-
tary forces with the chief profigates and
lust pandels Of both sexes. Every Blbl.
stuient will recall many facts corroborat
ing this suposition. Such as the multi
tudes of Tributaries in the midst of Isra
ei, and that TOO, when the Israeliles haC
4" waxed srong.' andthe unermost nation'
q1aked at the terror of their name. Th,
large numbers of the Canaanitss, as vel
as the Phiiistines and others. who becam'
prosslytrs. and joined themselves to tn,
Hebrews--as the Netheniins, Uriah TIT
Hiuiie. one Of Davids memorable " thir.
i ty-sevenh -Rahab, who married one o
the princes ofJudah-btai-T The six hun
dred Cities lvid's body guard, "anh
full among the faithless."-2 Sam. xv. l6
III. Obededom the Gittlte, who wa
adopted into the tribe of Levi.-Compar'
2 Sam. vi. 10, IL. with Chron. XIV. le
and Chron XVI. As. The cases of ia
z.Z, and Obil,--l Chron. XVI. 81, 81, 80
Jephunneh, the father OF Caleb--the Ken
lie, registered in the geneaIogies of tn
tribe Of Judah, and the one hundred an
fifty thousand Canaanites, employed b.
Solomon in the birding of the Temple.
Aid TO these, the fact that the most memo
rable miracle on record, was wrought 70
the salvation of portion Of those yer
Canaanites, and for the destruction q
those who would ex,erminate them
Joshua X PA. Further-the term
used in the directions of God to the Isra
elites, regulating their disposal of the G.
naantes, such as. drive out" put out,
least OUT "expel." "dispossess," &c
d Perhaps il win be objected, thai the preserv
:. ton Of the Glib onites. and of RAtab and b
kindred, was a vio;at on Of the command of Go,
u We answer. 4 IL had been, we m CHIT expect sol
!. such intima,ion. Ii God had s,ra fly command,
them 10 erteTnli,sGfe all the CaaaG,lites. the
: pledge 10 save them alive. was neither repeal
! the statute. nor absolution for the breach uf
U IL unconditional destruction was the import
n the com.nsnd, would God have permitted such
ncl 10 mass ,Rifhnui aevar.. \. h,lka IA r,.rld