Ye shall henceforth return no more that way." The multiplication of horses being forbidden to the king, much more was it forbidden to private individuals: for the horse, not having been yet used for agricultural purposes, could be employed only for state or war. Accordingly we find, that in no part of the Mosaic law is the possession of horses by any Israelite, of whatever rank, even so much as recognized. Nor indeed does it appear to have been protected. The tenth commandment, for one instance out of many, while it particularizes the ox and the ass, omits all mention of the horsek.

It

One reason of this peculiarity is to be found in the words of the law itself. was, that as horses could be procured in those times from Egypt alone, the people might not visit that country even temporarily, and be in danger of falling into its idolatrous practices. But there was another reason of equal importance. As the law was thus preventive of the Israelites See also Deut. xxii. 1,

¡ Deut. xvii. 16. and xxviii. 31.

&c.;

learning the worship of false gods, it was designed also to exercise their trust in the true God. In acquiring and keeping possession of the promised land, they would be opposed by enemies, whose force, like that of Egypt which was overwhelmed at the Red Sea, consisted chiefly of horses and chariots; and with whom, according to human judgment, the Israelites, fighting on foot, would be utterly unable to cope. But God had taken them under his peculiar care: He had engaged his honour and his truth to " bring them in unto the land concerning the which He did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob," and to secure it to them" for an heritage'," and perpetual possession. And though, when human means seem best calculated to secure their object, the success of them depends in reality upon the providence of God; yet He designed to make his interposition and care on behalf of the Israelites visible both to them and to their enemies; so that it might be known by all that He is the Lord, and that

'Exod. vi. 8.

there is none else. He designed to cut off all occasion of boasting on the one side; so that they should not “ say in their heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth":" and on the other, that the heathen might be taught in a language which could not be misinterpreted; how vain were all their gods; and how vain were the mightiest help and preparations of man, when arrayed against the God of Israel.

In conformity with this design, the use of the horse was forbidden in the Israelitish armies and this, in the state of military science at that time, placed them in great and manifest inferiority to their enemies, whose main force consisted, as has been said, of chariots and horsemen.

The

success of the Israelites in war was, therefore, palpably dependent on the help of their God and upon that help they were encouraged to rely with all confidence. "When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies," saith the Lord, "and seest horses and chariots, and a

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people more than thou, be not afraid of them for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt".' And when they were come nigh unto the battle," the priest was ever to encourage them with these words: "Hear, O Israel: ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint; fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them. For the Lord thy God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." The officers, moreover, were to proclaim full liberty for all the fearful and faint-hearted to withdraw. Nay, there are not wanting instances in which, when the number of the people of Israel ready for battle was so great as to give some apparent hope of victory, a very small number were permitted to go forth, that the victory and the triumph might be the Lord's only. Thus in the case of Gideon, "the Lord said unto him, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the

Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me:" and out of thirty and two thousand men brought into the field, no more than three hundred were permitted to go against the enemy; of whom, nevertheless, they destroyed as many as an hundred and thirty-five thousand

men.

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Thus we perceive the peculiar force and appropriateness of Miriam's response : Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea." And thus also we can appreciate the literal truth, and the beauty as well as piety, of these expressions of the Psalmist: "We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save • Exod. xv. 21.

P Judges vii. 2.