It was that valley where Achan was stoned, the story ⟨p. 377⟩of which you may read in the 7 Chapter of the Book of Joshua, and upon that occasion of the troubles that the people of Israel had by Achan, this valley was called the valley of Achor, for the valley of Achor is nothing else but the valley of trouble, valla tribulationis, the valley of trouble; so alluding to that name Achan. Now it is true that generally, or by very many, these words are carried thus; That God will so work things about, as to cause the troubles of his people, to be but doors of hope to let in Mercies to them, and there is a truth in that doctrinal point, but not a truth in the grounding of it upon this text, for the meaning of the text is otherwise. The valley of Achor. Though the name signify trouble, yet the truth is that this valley of Achor was a delightful valley, a very fruitful valley, it was just after the entrance into the Land of Canaan that God gave it, and God here doth allude still to the way of marriage, expressing his love to the ten tribes, that he would receive them again, and marry them unto himself, in that way that they did use to marry amongst the Jews, and the way was this, amongst them, when they did marry any, according to the state of the husband he used to give her gifts; commonly some field or piece of Ground, and if he were a rich man, then a larger piece of ground, or a more fruitful piece of ground, and so according to the height of his condition was his gift, So saith God. I will give you a valley of Achor for a door of hope, as you when you take a spouse to your selves, then you use to endow her with some piece of land, or ground, according to your estate, and that you give to her as a testification of that Love, she is to expect from you for the future. So I will give you a valley of Achor, I will bestow fresh and choice mercies upon you for the present, and these mercies shall be in a way of dowry, as a testification of abundance of future good you shall receive from me; this is the scope and sense of the Holy Ghost in these words. As when God gave the people of Israel the land of Canaan, he gave ⟨p. 378⟩them this Valley of Achor as the entrance at the door of Hope unto that Mercy, that they should enjoy from him in the Land of Canaan. That this Valley of Achor was a delightful fruitful Valley, it appears evidently from that Text in Esa. 65.10.
It was that vally where Achan was stoned, the story ⟨p. 377⟩of which you may read in the 7 Chapter of the Book of Joshua, and upon that occasion of the troubles that the people of Israel had by Achan, this vally was called the vally of Achor, for the vally of Achor is nothing else but the vally of trouble, valla tribulationis, the vally of trouble; so alluding to that name Achan. Now it is true that generally, or by very many, these words are carried thus; That God wil so work things about, as to cause the troubles of his people, to be but doors of hope to let in Mercies to them, and there is a truth in that doctrinal point, but not a truth in the grounding of it upon this text, for the meaning of the text is otherwise. The vally of Achor. Though the name signify trouble, yet the truth is that this vally of Achor was a delightful vally, a very fruitful vally, it was just after the enterance into the Land of Canan that God gave it, and God here doth allude stil to the way of marriage, expressing his love to the ten tribes, that he would receive them again, and marry them unto himself, in that way that they did use to marry amongst the Jews, and the way was this, amongst them, when they did marry any, according to the state of the husband he used to give her gifts; commonly some field or piece of Ground, and if he were a rich man, then a larger piece of ground, or a more fruitful peece of ground, and so according to the height of his condition was his guift, So saith God. I wil give you a vally of Achor for a door of hope, as you when you take a spouse to your selves, then you use to indow her with some piece of land, or ground, according to your estate, and that you give to her as a testification of that Love, she is to expect from you for the future. So I wil give you a vally of Achor, I wil bestow fresh and choyce mercies upon you for the present, and these mercies shal be in a way of dowrie, as a testification of abundance of future good you shal receive from me; this is the scope and sence of the Holy Ghost in these words. As when God gave the people of Israel the land of Canaan, he gave ⟨p. 378⟩them this Valley of Achor as the enterance at the door of Hope unto that Mercy, that they should injoy from him in the Land of Canaan. That this Valley of Achor was a delightful fruitful Valley, it appears evidently from that Text in Esa. 65.10.
