synopsis of Moses's death and Joshua's winning of the Promised Land
CWF Rockefeller Library, Special Collections - SCMS 1940.2
[missing previous page] he put the Tribes of Reuben & Gad, and half
the Tribe of Manasses, into possession of their
Countrys. Haveing thus gloriously finisht the last Scene of his
life, He appointed Joshua his Successor, en-
[cou]rageing both him and the People to behave
themselves gallantly, with a firm assurance, that
God woud give a happy Success to their Arms. And
that the Law might descend uncorrupted to
Posterity, he deliverd it to the Priests in Write-
ing, with orders both to them and the Elders,
to cause it to be read to the People every Sea-
[v]en years in a very Solemn Manner. Then he
[torn]lld Heaven & Earth to witness, that if they
[torn]d God and kept his [Co]mmandments, they
might depend on life & prosperity; but if they
disobeyd him, and turnd aside after Other
Gods they woud Surely be extirpated.
Moses haveing finisht his Exhortat[blot]
went up to the mountain of Nebo, and viewd
the Land, which God had Promis'd to Abra-
ham, Isaac, and Jacob. He passt soon from
the Survey of this delightfull country, to
that of another World, dying in the fl[torn]
of his youth, tho' he was 120 years old. For
it is recorded of him, that to the last his Eye
was not dim, nor any part of his Natural Force
abated. God was pleas'd to bury him in one of ye
vallys of that mountain So privately, that
his grave was never discovered and this he did lest his
Countrymen, always inclind to Idolatry [torn]
pay Divine Honours to his Remains. Th[torn]
probaby the cause of that feirce Conten[ti]on
between Micael the Arch-Angel and the
Devil, concerning the Body of Moses.
The Enimy of mankind woud faign
have publisht where the Ashes of this g[ood]
Character of this great Hero, never dreaming he
coud be commission'd by Heaven to exterminate
Nations that never offended Him? But it Seems
they had offended God by their most abominable
crimes, beyond all hopes of amendment. He fore-
saw without questionthe future Generation woud Stil improve up-
on the vices of their Fathers. Twas therefore
Suitable to the Divine Justice, to cut off a Peo-
ple root and Branch, which was utterly incorri-
gable; Nay it was a mercy to the children
to prevent their guilt by a Sudden Destruck
tion, And Secure their happiness in another
World by makeing them an innocent Sacrifice in this.
However this was Divinity too refind for the
unhappy Canaanites to understand, which made
them treat Joshua as a Robber, for putting
the Vengeance of Heaven in execution.
Indeed the prodigious Success with which
the Arms of Joshua were blesst, was some proofe
of a Divine commission, Tho' I must own that woud not
have been a Sufficient Proof had he not
man were deposited, with design to improve the
Regards the Israelits had for Him into Adoration
But the Arch-Angel powerfully withstood him
and disappointed his Malicious purpose.
After the Death of Moses the command de-
volved wholly upon Joshua, who performd great ac
tions against the Ancient Inhabitants of Cana-
an. Nothing coud justify the horrible Slaughter
and devastation he made in that Country, but the
special command of God. No Age or Sex escapd
his fury, the blushing Virgin, & the harmless
Infant, who coud offend Neither God nor [faded]
were Sharers in the Common destruction.
Very few of this devoted People made their
Escape by Sea, And Settleing themselves on
the Coast of [Pearbury], erected a Pillar [faded]
ing their Original, with this Inscription. [Hi]
ther fled the Canaanits from Joshua the S[faded]
Nun the Robber. How mistaken were they [missing remainder]