Gods Three Arrows, Section 1
§. 1. Of the Reſolution of the whole Hiſtorie.
THE hiſtory of the Iſraelites in the wilderneſſe is a viſible repreſentation of Gods governing his Church in this world. The Apoſtle therefore having culled out ſundry choice inſtances, maketh this inference upon them, Theſe things were our examples. 1 Cor. 10. 6.—11.And this, Theſe things hapned to them for enſamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore, as other hiſtories of holy Scripture, ſo theſe eſpecially, are to be read and heard, not as meere records of ancient times, but as preſidents wherein we may learne what God expects of us, and what we may expect of him.
Among other particulars, the hiſtory recorded in the latter part of the 17. chapter of Exodus, from the beginning of the 8. verſe, to the end of the chapter, is very remarkable in it ſelfe, and very ſeaſonable for our times, wherin ſo many Amalakites aſſault the Iſrael of God.
The Summe of this hiſtorie is
A Narration of a glorious victorie.
The parts are two
1. A Deſcription of the Battell.
2. A Declaration of the Event.
In ſetting out the Battell, he ſheweth
1. The Aſſault.
2. The Defence.
The Aſſault is
1. Expreſſed in two words
Came.
Fought.
2. Amplified by the
Perſons.
Place.
Verſ. 8. Then came Amalek and fought with Iſrael in Rephidim.The Perſons are
Aſſaulting. Amalek.
Aſſaulted. Iſrael.
The Place was Rephidim.
In the Defence are noted
1. The Meanes.
2. The Succeſſe.
The Meanes are of two ſorts
1. Externall.
2. Internall.
Verſ. 9. And Moſes ſaid unto Ioſhua, Chooſe us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek.The Externall meanes are ſet out by
a charge, verſ. 9.
obedience thereto, verſ. 10.
The Internall by
Promiſe. verſ. 9.
Performance. verſ. 10.
In the Charge are expreſſed the
Perſons.
Matter.
The Perſons Giving The charge, Moſes
The Perſons Receiving The charge, Ioſhua.
The Matter is
1. To prepare for warre. Chooſe us out men.
2. To wage warre
Go out.
Fight with Amalek.
Tomorrow I will ſtand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.The more to encourage Ioſhua hereunto, Moſes addeth his promiſe of uſing internall means. In which promiſe are foure obſervable points.
1. The Action promiſed. I will ſtand.
2. The Time when. Tomorrow.
3. The Place where. On the top of the hill.
4. The Inſtrument with which. With the rod of God in mine hand.
Verſ. 10. So Ioſhua did as Moſes had ſaid unto him, and fought with Amalek. And Moſes, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.Ioſhuahs obedience to the fore-mentioned charge being every way anſwerable thereto, is ſet downe,
1. Generally. So Ioſhua did as Moſes had ſaid unto him.
2. Particularly in the moſt principall branch thereof, And fought againſt Amalek.
Verſ. 11. And it came to paſſe when Moſes held up his hand that Iſrael prevailed. and when he let downe his hand Amalek prevailed.The Performance of the Promiſe is
1. Generally propounded.
2. Particularly exemplified.
In the Generall we have
1. The Perſons.
2. The Preparation.
The Perſons are
Principall. Moſes.
Aſſiſting.
Aaron.
Hur.
The Preparation is by aſcending to a fit place where they might ſee the Armies. They went up to the top of the hill.
Verſ. 12. And Moſes hands were heavy, and they tooke a ſtone and put it under him, and he ſate therein: and Aaron and Hur ſtayed up his hands, the one on the one ſide, and the the other on the other ſide: and his hands were ſteddy unto the going downe of the Sun.Before the particular exemplification of the foreſaid promiſe, The Iſſue thereof is inſerted; which is different according to the occaſionall ſignes. Here therefore are
1. Two differing ſignes.
2. Two differing iſſues.
Both theſe do anſwer each the other.
The firſt ſigne is of a ſteddy faith, Moſes held up his hand.
The ſecond is of a weake faith, He let downe his hand.
1. The iſſue anſwerable to the firſt is that Iſrael prevailed.
2. The iſſue anſwerable to the ſecond, that Amalek prevailed.
In the particular exemplification of the performance of the foreſaid promiſe the actions of two ſorts of perſons are deſcribed.
1. Of the Principall: Moſes.
2. Of the Aſſiſtants
Aaron.
Hur.
The Actions of the Principall are actions of
1. Weaknes.
2. Steddines
His Action of weakneſſe was before expreſſed, verſ. 10. (He let downe his hand) but is here implied,
1. By the cauſe thereof, Moſes hands were heavie.
2. By the meanes he uſed. He ſate on a ſtone.
The Actions of the Aſſistants are of two ſorts. Both which are amplified by the benefit that thereupon followed.
The firſt kind of action was to procure him eaſe, in two phraſes
1. They tooke a ſtone.
2. They put it under him.
The ſecond was, to aſſiſt him themſelves.
In this latter is expreſſed
1. The Matter, what they did. Aaron and Hur ſtaid up his hands.
2. The Manner, how they did it. The one on the one ſide, and the other on the other.
In the benefit that followed thereon, is noted
1. The Steddineſſe of the Principall. His hands were ſteddy.
2. The Continuance thereof. Vntill the going downe of the Sun.
Verſ. 13. And Ioſhua diſcomfited A malek and his people with the edge of the ſword.The Succeſſe was very ſucceſſefull. It was Victory: which is
1. Implied, in this word diſcomfited.
2. Amplified by the
Perſons.
Meanes.
The Perſons are the
Conquerour. Ioſhua.
Conquered
Amalek
His people.
The Means was, with the edge of the ſword.
Verſ 14. And the Lord ſaid unto Moſes, write this for a memorial in a booke, and rehearſe it in the eares of Ioſhua.The Event following upon this Battell, was a Memoriall of it.
The Memoriall was of two kinds.
One enjoyned by God.
The other made by Moſes.
In the former there is
1. A charge.
2. A reaſon thereof.
In the Charge we have
1. The Perſons.
2. The Matter.
1. The Perſon who gave the charge. God.
2. The Perſon to whom it was given. Moſes.
For I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.The Matter conſiſteth of two branches. The former noteth
1. The thing enjoyned.
2. The end thereof.
In the thing enjoyned is noted
1. The action. Write this.
2. The Inſtrument wherin. In a booke. The end is, For a Memoriall.
The latter noteth
1. The action to be done. Rehoarſe it
2. The perſon before whom. In the eares of Ioſhua.
The Reaſon is taken from Gods purpoſe againſt Amalek, which was utterly to root him out.
In ſetting downe hereof are noted the
Perſons
Action.
The Perſons are
1. Deſtroying, God. I will.
2. Deſtroyed. Amalek.
The Action is a ſevere jadgement. Whereof we have
1. The kind. Put out the remembrance.
2. The extent. Vtterly from under heaven.
The Memoriall made by Moſes is
1. Related. verſ. 15.
2. Iuſtified. verſ. 16.
Verſ. 15. And Moſes built an altar, and called the name of it Iehovah-Niſſi.In the Relation is expreſſed
1. The Thing done. Moſes built an altar.
2. The Title given to it. He called the name of it Iehovah-Niſſi.
Verſ. 16. For he ſaid, Becauſe the Lord hath ſworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.The Memoriall which Moſes made is Iuſtified by the Reaſon thereof. Which is 1. Generally implied in theſe words. For he ſaid, Becauſe. 2. Particularly expreſſed, and taken from Gods implacable wrath againſt Amalek. In expreſſing whereof is declared
1. The Ratification of the Doome.
2. The Aggravation of the Doome.
The Ratification is by Gods oath. The Lord hath ſworne.
The Aggravation is
1. By the kinde of judgement. The Lord will have warre with Amalek.
2. By the Continuance of it. From generation to generation.