Gods Three Arrows, Section 67 – Section 72
§. 67. Of rehearſing to others matters of moment.
VI. *See §. 61.MAtters worth record muſt be rehearſed. They muſt be oft ſpoken of an related to others. aExo. 12. 17.—13. 14. Deut. 6. 20.The Law expreſly enjoyns this. This among like means of inſtruction is intended in that bGen. 18. 19.commendation which God giveth of Abraham, of inſtructing his houſhold. For, God revealed the judgement which he intended to bring on Sodom to Abraham, becauſe he knew that he would command his houſhold to feare God, the rather becauſe of the evidence of that judgement. When Iethro, Moſes his father in law, came to ſee him, he related to him cExo. 18. 8.all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh, &c.
By this means memorable matters, worthy to be knowne farre and neare, in ages preſent and to come, are divulged and propagated, to the greater praiſe of God, whoſe praiſe is thus ſpread abroad, and to the edification of many more then were preſent at the firſt working of thoſe remarkeable things.
This eſpecially concernes Miniſters, whoſe office it is to declare, as the counſell of God revealed in his word, ſo alſo the will of God manifeſted in his works: eſpecially, ſuch works as are done in their owne dayes: which, being more freſh, uſe to be the more diligently attended unto, and the more carefully heeded. In this reſpect it will be their wiſdome, to take due notice themſelves of the memorable works of God, yea, to be inquiſitive after them, and to do what they can to have true and certaine intelligence thereof, that ſo they may rehearſe them to others, and inſtruct their people to make the right uſe thereof.
This alſo concernes others that have charge of others, as, Parents, Maſters, Tutors, and other Governours, oft to rehearſe in the eares of thoſe that are under them the remarkable works of the Lord.
Yea, becauſe we are all keepers one of another, it behooveth private Chriſtians, as they have occaſion to meet together, to rehearſe in the eares one of another ſuch memorable matters as may according to the ſubject thereof, miniſter matter of humiliation and ſupplication, or of exultation and gratulation. We have a good patterne hereof in Cleophas, and his companion.Luke 24. 14.
Commendable in this reſpect is that Act of Parliament which was made in the third yeare of the raigne of King IAMES, for an annuall gratefull remembrance of our more then ordinary deliverance from the Gun. Powder-treaſon. It is anſwerable to that act which was made by Esther and Mordecai, Eſt. 9. 26.for keeping the dayes called Purim. The annuall celebrating of the fift of November, being enjoyned by Act of Parliament, Miniſters and people make conſcience of obſerving it: and thence many Miniſters take occaſion yeare after yeare to ſet out before their people the unnaturall inhumanity, unſatiable cruelty, and perfidious treachery of Papiſts: and ſo bring people into an utter deteſtation of that more then Heatheniſh Idolatry. Very well did our learned King IAMES, in that ſpeech which he made to both houſes of Parliament upon the diſcovery of that diveliſh powder-treaſon-plot, obſerve, that No other ſect of Heretiques, not excepting Turke, Iew, nor Pagan, no, not even thoſe of Calicute, who adore the Devill, did ever maintaine by the grounds of their religion, that it was lawfull, or rather meritorious (as the Romiſh Catholicks call it) to murther princes or people for quarrell of religion. And although particular men of all profeſſions of religion have beene ſome theeves, ſome murtherers, ſome traitors, yet ever when they came to their end and just puniſhment, they confeſſed their fault to be in their nature, and not in their profeſſion. Theſe Romiſh Catholicks onelyonly excepted. Preſervations therefore, and deliverances from ſuch miſchievous perſons are the beſt preſervations and deliverances: moſt worthy to be remembred thoroughout all generations: that thoroughout all generations due praiſe may be given to God. If See the Discourſe of diſcovering the powder-treaſon, in the works of King IAMES.the horrible miſchiefe intended by that powder-plot, if the neare approach of the time of accompliſhing that plot before it was diſcovered: and if the manner of diſcovering the ſame bee well weighed, wee cannot but diſcerne that there was juſt and great cauſe for preſerving both an annuall, and perpetuall memoriall thereof.
Though like publique memorials of all the judgements Private memorials of Gods judgements.which God inflicteth on the enemies of the Church be not made: yet it behooveth particular Chriſtians to take ſpeciall notice of them, ſo farre as they come to their ſight and hearing, and to make ſome private records of them to themſelves: that thereby they may the rather bee provoked both to feare God, and alſo to truſt in him.
Private means of keeping in memory Gods judgments, are ſuch as theſe, frequent meditation on them, oft mentioning them in our praiſes to God, much conferring with others about them, declaring them to our poſterity, writing them in private records of our owne, and other ſuch like.
§. 68. Of Governours obſervation of Gods former dealings.
VII. *See §. 61.GOvernors of Gods Church muſt eſpecially be acquainted with Gods former dealings. When God intended to make Moſes a Governour over his people, he tells him that he is aExo 3. 6.the God of Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob, thereby putting him in mind what great things he had formerly done for thoſe three Patriarchs and their children. bIoſ. 1. 6.God implied as much in the charge which he gave to Ioſhua, of meditating in the booke of the law, wherein the great works of the Lord as well as lawes were regiſtred. cDeut. 17. 18.The like charge on the like ground was given to Kings. But moſt pertinent to this point is d—3. 21.Moſes rehearſing to Ioſhua the conqueſts made of Sihon and Og. e2 Sam. 7. 9.Thus by Gods appointment Nathan putteth David in mind of the former works of God. The like did f2 Chr. 15. 2.Azariah to Aſa; and g2 King. 19. 25Iſaiah to Hezekiah.
Governours over others being by ſuch meanes well inſtructed in the mind and power of God, and therby brought to feare God, and to truſt in him, have opportunity according to their calling to inſtruct and encourage others: ſo as the benefit which they reape thereby may prove a ſingular benefit to many others.
The application of this point, as it concernes Governours themſelves, to uſe all diligence in acquainting themſelves with Gods former works: eſpecially ſuch as concerne his Church, the preſervation of it, and the deſtruction of the enemies of it: ſo it concernes their Chaplens, and ſuch Miniſters as in any particular relation belong unto them, to rehearſe in their eares, and declare unto them the marvellous works that God hath done for ſuch as feare him, and reſt upon him.
§. 69. Of Gods avenging.
VIII. *See §. 61. See alſo The Plaiſter for the Plague, on on Num. 16. 45 § 21.IT is God that avengeth. The Lord challengeth this as his owne prerogative. aDeut. 32. 35.To me (ſaith he) belongeth vengeance. bRom. 12 19.Vengeance is mine. Iuſtly therefore doth the Pſalmiſt give this title to him, cPſal. 94. 1. foreignGod of vengeances: and by an dforeign.elegant figure thus doubles it, O Lord God of vengeances, O God of vengeances. So the Prophet Nahum, and that with ſomwhat more emphaſis, eNah. 1. 2.God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious: the Lord will take vengeance of his adverſaries.
Gods abſolute ſoveraignty, almighty power, infinite juſtice, incomprehenſible wiſdome, perfect hatred of ſin, indulgent care over his Church, and other like divine properties give proofe hereof. For,
1. It is a part of ſupreme or abſolute ſoveraignty to take Gods properties manifeſted in deſtroying enemies.vengeance of ſuch as obſtinately rebell againſt his will; and ſeek to do what miſchiefe they can to his ſervants and Saints.
2. By ſo doing he gives evidence of his almighty power, whereby he is able to ſubdue his Churches enemies: and ſhewes how fAct. 9. 5.hard it is to kicke againſt the pricks.
3. Iuſt revenge is as true an effect of juſtice, as due reward. eRom. 2. 5, &c.The Apoſtle therefore exemplifieth the righteous judgement of God in both.
4. His incomparable wiſdome is manifeſted by ordering the evill plots and practices of wicked men ſo as they tend to the ruine of the contrivers of them. gPſal 9. 15.They are ſunk down in the pit that they made: in the net that they hid is their foot taken.
5. Execution of due vengeance of ſinne is an apparent demonſtration of his hatred of ſinne.
6. By that vengeance which the Lord executeth on enemies of the Church, the Churches tranquillity and ſecurity is maintained, and Gods providence over her thereby manifeſted. On theſe premiſes it may well be concluded, that hPſal. 9. 16. Iudgment on enemies miniſters comfort to Saints.The Lord is knowne by judgement which he executeth.
1. Great conſolation hence ariſeth to the Church of God. God is their Lord. What if their enemies be many, mighty, malicious, ſedulous, yet are they under the power of him who is the Protectour of the Church. Their power, their wit, their breath is in his hands, to take away all as he will. On this ground iHeb. 13. 6.Wee may boldly ſay, The Lord is my helper: and I will not feare what man can doe unto mee.
2. When we ſee judgement executed on the Churches God to be praiſed for enemies deſtruction.enemies, we are to take notice of the principall agent therein, and to ſay, This is the finger of the Lord: and anſwerably to give him the glory thereof, as kExo 15. 6.Moſes, l2 Sam. 22. 1, &c.David, and others.
3. The terrour of the Churches enemies muſt needs be Gods executing vengeance terrour to wicked.much aggravated by this, that God takes upon himſelfe to execute vengeance. For, this Lord is an almighty, ever-living, juſt, and jealous God. His ſtroaks are heavy. There is no avoiding them, no enduring them. His vengeance is endleſſe, and eaſeleſſe, mercileſſe, and remedileſle. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Hebr. Deus juſtè vindicans tradit impios in concupiſcentias aliorum nocere volentium, ſua ſemper incommutabili aequitate ſervato. Aug. ad Simplic. l 2. Quaeſt. 1.10. 31.
Queſt. How doth God revenge?
Anſw. Sometimes by cauſing judgements to deſcend immediately from himſelfe (as on Sodom, Gen. 19. 24.) and ſomtimes by giving men over to the deſire of ſuch as have a mind to worke miſehiefe: but ſo as he alwayes keeps ſafe his owne immutable juſtice and equity.
§. 70. Of Gods vengeance extended to mans utter ruine.
IX. *See § 61.GOD may be provoked to the utter ruine of a people. Inſtance aGen. 6. 7.the old world, b—19. 24, 25.Sodom and Gomorrah, the cNum. 21. 32.Amorites, dIoſ. 11. 14.Canaanites, and other nations utterly rooted out by Iſrael. As much is proved by theſe and ſuch like phraſes frequent in the Prophets, eNah. 1. 14.No more of their name ſhalbe ſowen, fIer. 48. 42.They ſhalbe destroyed from being a people, gIſa. 13. 19.They ſhalbe as the destruction of God in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Queſt. When was Amalek (of whom this utter deſolation was here threatned) utterly deſtroyed?
Anſw. This was not done at once: but, at ſeverall times, by degrees. If Saul had faithfully executed h1 Sam. 15. 3.the charge of God, by him had this denunciation beene executed. But, yet then it was i—14. 48.—15. 7, 8.in part performed: k—30. 17.afterwards more fully by David. For, after Davids time we read little of any of them.
Extremity of judgement is ſomtimes executed,
1. To give inſtance of Gods almighty power. For, lPſal 47. 2, 3.by utter ruinating of kingdomes and nations, he ſheweth, that no power can ſtand againſt his almighty power.
2. To give proofe of the ſeverity of his wrath: which, being kindled and not quickly quenched, burneth up whole nations.
3. To give demonſtration of his patience in ſparing ſuch as ſtand: for, he that rooteth out ſome nations, can as eaſily root out others, one after another, as he did the ſeven nations before Iſrael.Deut. 7. 1.
4. To give evidence of the intolerableneſſe of mens impiety and iniquity. For, ſuch ſeverity of vengeance ſhewes that mens ſinnes are growne to Afulneſſe: ſo as the land vomiteth them out.Gen. 15. 16. Lev. 18. 25.
What need is there now that men take heed of adding ſin to ſin: and of aggravating ſin by obſtinacy, impudency, and other See A Plaiſter for the Plague, on Num. 16. 45. §. 22.ſuch like circumſtances. Aſſuredly as ſin is multiplied & aggravated, ſo ſhall judgement alſo; eſpecially when multitudes run on headlong to ſin. And if lighter judgements prevaile not, God will not ceaſe till he have utterly ruinated them. This of old was threatned; this in former ages hath Lev. 26. 18, 32.been executed. Now God ſtil remaineth to be the ſame God, as juſt, as jealous, as powerfull as ever he was. With the froward he will ſhew himſelfe froward. To them that are unſatiable Pſal. 18. 26.in ſin, God will be implacable in wrath.
§. 71. Of Gods revenge in every place.
X. *See §. 61.THere is no place of ſafety from Gods revenge. aIer. 16. 16.Behold (ſaith he) I will ſend for many fiſhers, and they ſhall fiſh them, and after I will ſend for many hunters, and they ſhall hunt them from every mountaine and from every hill. After that the King of Babel had deſtroyed the greater part of the Iewes in their owne country, and caried many of them captive into Babylon, a remnant of them continuing obſtinately in their wicked courſes, thought notwithſtanding Ier. 44. 12.that in Egypt they might be ſafe; but even there alſo the hand of the Lord was ſtretched out againſt them, and deſtroyed them.
Ier. 23. 23, 24.Am I a God at hand, ſaith the Lord, and not a God a farre off? Can any hide himſelfe in ſecret places that I ſhall not ſee him? Do not I fill heaven and earth? Pſal. 139. 7, &c.Whither then ſhall any go from his Spirit, or whither ſhall he flee from his preſence? &c.
The onelyonly ſafe courſe, when Gods wrath is provoked, and the fire of his indignation flameth forth, is, not to fly from him, but to fall downe before him; as David did when he ſaw the Angell that ſmote the people with peſtilence. God uſeth to ſpare ſuch as at the apprehenſion of his diſpleaſure 2 Sam. 24. 17.humble themſelves in his preſence, when from every place under heaven he deſtroyeth ſuch as impenitently perſiſt in ſinne.
§. 72. Of the interpretation of the fifteenth Verſe.
EXOD. XVII. XV.
And Moſes built an altar, and called the name of it IEHOVAH-NISSI.
*See §. 1.IN this verſe the Memoriall which Moſes made of the fore-mentioned victory, is recorded. In memory thereof he is ſaid to build an altar.
The proper uſe of altars was to offer ſacrifices on them. The aforeign Sacrificium. foreign Altare.notation of the originall word importeth as much. The frequent bLev. 9. 7.charge to offer upon the altar: and the anſwerable cGen. 8. 20.practice of Saints in offering ſacrifices on altars do further prove as much. Yet alſo were they made for monuments, as is evident by dIoſ. 22. 26, 27.the apology which the Reubenites, Gadites, and halfe tribe of Manaſſeh made for the Altar which they built; whereby they deny that it was for ſacrifice, and affirme that it was onelyonly for witneſſe. Both theſe ends and uſes were here queſtionleſſe intented by Moſes. This word, eforeign aedificavit, extruxit.he built, ſheweth that it was now newly made, and that upon occaſion of the victory. The particular name given to it, importeth a memoriall. The kind of name implieth a gratulation, fIoſ. 8. 31.which of old was teſtified by erecting altars, and offering ſacrifices thereon.
This was thus done at this time becauſe the Tabernacle was not yet erected, nor the Prieſt-hood ſetled on Aaron and his poſterity.
The particular name here ſpecified word for word is this, gforeignIehovah my banner.
hforeign erexit vexillum Iſa. 10. 18. Nam foreign ſignificat erigere.The root or primary word from whence the word tranſlated banner commeth, ſignifieth to lift up a banner, or enſigne, or to hold up a ſtandard. Now banners uſe to be erected in armies, that by the ſight of them ſouldiers might know whether to come, or to go, or where to ſtand. In alluſion whereunto the preaching of the Goſpell to the Gentiles whereby they were called into the Church, and there directed what to do, is reſembled to the iIſa. 11. 10.—13. 2.—18. 3.lifting up of a banner, or enſigne.
kIer. 4. 21.—51. 12.Banners uſe alſo to be ſet up on the walls or towers of cities that are taken by conqueſt, to ſhew that they are in the conquerors power.
Here this title banner hath relation to Moſes his holding up his rod on the top of the hill, and that as a banner or ſtanderd, as was before noted in the end of §. 25. And by this title ſheweth that it was the Lord who cauſed the banner to be held up in the field, and to remaine ſteddy after the enemy was diſcomfited: that is, who afforded ſuccour in the battel, and gave ſuch ſucceſſe, as like victorers they continued to hold up their banners. The LXX Greeke Tranſlators of the Bible in that reſpect well expreſſe the meaning of the word, thus, The Lord my refuge: and St. Hierom thus, foreign.mDominus exultatiomea, vel exaltatiomea.The Lord my rejoycing, or my lifting up.
In this title Moſes uſeth the firſt perſon and ſingular number, thus, nforeignmy banner, partly in relation to this fore-named particular act of holding up the rod (teſtifying hereby that it was not any vertue in the rod held up, or in his act of holding it up, whereby the victory was obtained: but meerely the ſuccour and ſucceſſe which the Lord gave) and partly in oppoſition to ſuch as are out of the Church, and enemies thereto: ſo as, the Iſrael of God, the Church of God are compriſed under this particle, MY: and thus the Church is under this firſt perſon brought in, ſaying, The Lord MY banner, not the banner of aliens and enemies.