Gods Three Arrows, Section 6 – Section 7
§. 6. Of the Churches aſſaults in this world.
GODS true Church is ſubject to aſſaults in this world. Every age from the beginning of the world giveth too evident demonſtration hereof. Thus much was at firſt prefigured by Cains riſing up againſt Abel, and ſlaying him: (Gen. 4. 8.) & the like hath been verified time after time, even Turbabatur mare, fluctuabat navicula. Navicula Eccleſia eſt, Mare ſe…ulum eſt. Aug. Enar. in Pſal. 92.till this our time. Fitly in this reſpect is the world reſembled to the ſea, and the Church to a ſhip therein. As well may a ſhip in the ſea be free from ſtormes, and waves beating upon it, as the Church from aſſaults.
That enmity which is betwixt the ſeed of the ſerpent, and of the woman, (Gen. 3. 15.) is an eſpeciall cauſe hereof. The ſeed of the one is of a contrary diſpoſition to the ſeed of the other: and there is an inbred antipathy betwixt them (as we heard before, §. 3.) This is not ſo much to be underſtood of the viſible ſerpent, as of the ſpirituall ſerpent, to whom it Quod ſi de ſenſi bili ſerpente haec dicta ſunt, multo magis accipienda ſunt haec de ſpirituali ſerpente. Chryſ in Gen. 3. Hom 17.doth much more agree. As well therefore may calves where lions, and lambs where wolves, and hares where hounds, and mice where cats, and birds where buzzards are, thinke to be quiet, ſecure and ſafe, as the Church in this world. The Devill himſelfe as a roaring lyon walketh about ſeeking whom he may devoure, 1 Pet. 5. 8. And he is the God of this world, 2 Cor. 4. 4. As a God he raigneth and ruleth in this world: and the men of this world do ſubject themſelves to him as to their God: wherefore he is alſo ſtiled eIoh. 12. 31.—14. 30.The Prince of this world, and his helliſh brood fEph. 6. 12.worldly governours. By this ſpirit are all the men of this world guided, he gEph 2. 2.worketh in them. He is their father, and hIoh. 8. 44.the lusts of their father they will do. Prince and Subjects therefore will (in what they can) annoy the Church, which is the kingdom of Chriſt
Ob. Is not Chriſt able to maintaine and preſerve his Church againſt all that the enemies thereof can do againſt it?
Anſ. He is able, and will ſo farre preſerve it, as iMat, 16. 18.The gates of hell ſhall never prevaile againſt it. That therefore which is done againſt it, is done by his kSee The whole armour of God Treat. 1. Part. 3 §. 22, 27.permiſſion, and that with reſpect had to lIbid Part. 2. §. 2. & Treat. 2. Part 5 §. 13.his owne glory, and his Churches good. Many reaſons tending to thoſe ends may be gathered from this particular inſtance of ſuffering Iſrael to be aſſaulted by Amalek.
He ſuffered this in regard of his owne glory, to manifeſt
1. His providence in taking care of them, as to provide Gods glory ſet out by attēpts againſt his Church.things needfull, as Manna, and water, which he had done not long before, ſo to protect them from things hurtfull, as the attempt of Amalek was.
2. His power in enabling them who were unacquainted with warres, and deſtitute of warlike preparations, (being lately delivered from a long bondage wherein they and their fathers had lien) to vanquiſh ſo potent, and well prepared an enemie.
3. His truth, in beginning to accompliſh that promiſe which was made to him that was firſt called Iſrael, to him, I ſay, and to his ſeed that ſhould alſo be called Iſrael, Thou ſhalt prevaile with men.
4. His juſtice in revenging ſo malicious an enemy as Amalek Gen 32. 28.was: and cauſing him to fall into the ſnate that he laid for Iſrael.
5. His wiſdome, in turning that to Iſraels advantage, which the enemy intended to his great damage: as is manifeſt by the reaſons following, which ſhew how God herein aimed at Iſraels good. For hereby
1. At their entrance into the wilderneſſe an evidence is Enemies aſſaults prove good to the Church.given of that ſucceſſe they ſhould have when they ſhould come into Canaan: ſo as their faith might thus be much ſtrengthened.
2. A means was affoorded to furniſh them with armour. For Amalek comming prepared againſt Iſrael, by the victory which Iſrael had, was ſpoiled of all his preparation.
3. An occaſion was given of exerciſing them to warre before they entred into Canaan.
4. Ioſhua, their Generalls authority and courage was evidenced before hand.Vſes of the Churches aſſaults. Vltima Eccleſiae nota eſt foelicitas temporalis. Bellarm. controverſ. 2. l. 4. c. 18. de notis Eccleſ, At contrà, Auguſt. de Civit. Dei. l 2. c 23. Ne magni pendamus terrenam foelicitatem, quae malis etiam plerun que conceditur.
5. The power and efficacy of prayer was demonſtrated.
The fore-mentioned condition of the Church, to be ſubject to aſſaults,
1. Diſcovereth the uncertainty of that note which by many is pretended to be a note of the true Church, Temporall felicity. If this were ſo, Iſrael was no true Church, nor they of whom Chriſt ſaid, In the world ye ſhall have affliction, Ioh. 16. 33.
2. It inſtructeth us in the difference betwixt the Militant Church here on earth, and the triumphant in heaven. Nor Satan, nor any other enemies of the Church can enter into heaven to aſſault it there.
3. It putteth us in mind to be alwaies well prepared againſt aſſaults. The greater danger we are ſubject unto, the better furniſhed, and fore-armed we ought to be. This providence See The whole armour of God. Treat. 1. Part 3. §. 2. & Part 4 §. 10.muſt be manifeſted in regard both of corporall, and alſo of ſpirituall dangers whereunto we are ſubject. Yea the Iſrael of God, they who are of the true Church muſt apply this to themſelves. For it was Iſrael againſt whom Amalek fought.
4. It affordeth comfort to ſuch as are aſſaulted, that notwithſtanding God ſuffer Amalek to come and fight againſt them, yet they may be Gods Iſrael.
5. It is a means of making Chriſtian unity more firme Vbicun que à perditis iſta commiſſa ſunt, ibi ferventius at que perfectius unita… Chriſtiana proficit. Aug Bonefac. Epiſt. 50.and perfect; yea, and of cauſing more and more to increaſe. For the more fiercely Chriſtians are aſſaulted, the more cloſely will they cling together.
6. It is a motiue to make us willing to be diſſolved, when it ſhall ſeeme good to the Divine providence, becauſe ſo we ſhalbe tranſlated to the Triumphant Church, where is freedome from all aſſaults.
§. 7. Of Amaleks inhumanity.
IIII. THe place where the aſſault is here ſaid to be, was Rephidim. This was the name of one of the places where the Lord was pleaſed that Iſrael ſhould make a ſtation in the wildernes. It was in number the aNum. 33. 15.tenth from their comming out of Egypt: but the ſeventh from their paſſage thorow the Red Sea. For they had made three ſtations before that paſſage thorow the Sea. All theſe journies were made within the ſpace of two moneths. For *foreign in novil…io.in the beginning of the third monethmonth after their eſcape out of Egypt, they went from Rephidim to bExo. 19. 1.Sinai.
The name of the place is here expreſſed,
1. In generall, to verifie the truth of the hiſtory. For, circumſtances of Perſons, Times, Places, and ſuch like, make much to the confirmation of the truth of an hiſtory.
2. In particular, to aggravate the malice of the Amalakites, who ſet upon them ſo ſoone after their comming out of bondage, before they had time well to ſettle themſelves. For having travelled ten ſeverall journies (whereof one was cExo. 15. 22, Num. 33. 8.three daies long, others might be as long, if not longer) in the ſpace of two moneths, at the moſt, they could not be long ſetled. Beſides, in their journies they were oft brought to great ſtraits: as at the Red Sea, where dExo. 14. 9.Pharaoh purſued them furiouſly, and had almoſt over-taken them: and when e—15 22.after three daies journey they found no water: and f—23.the firſt water that they met with, was ſo bitter, as they could not drink of it. And at another ſtation they g—16. 3.wanted bread, and meat, having nothing at all to eat. And after that againe they came to this h—17. 1.Rephidim, a drie and barren wilderneſſe, where were no rivers, ſprings, wells, ponds, or any other ordinary means to afford them water to drinke.
Queſtionleſſe the Amalakites dogged the Iſraelites after they were come thorow the Red Sea; and thereupon knew how weary they muſt needs be, and to what ſtraits they were brought, and in particular, how deſtitute of water this Rephidim (the place where they ſet upon them) was. For, the Holy Ghoſt to aggravate their malice, thus ſets it out, i1 Sam. 15. 2.Amalek laid wait for Iſrael in the way when he came up from Egypt. kDeut. 25. 18.He ſmote the hindmost of them, even all that were feeble behind them, when they were faint and weary. The immediate connexion of this hiſtory with the former, thus, And Amalek came, (or, as our Engliſh Tranſlatours for more perſpicuity, turne it, Then came Amalek) importeth foreignas much: For it is as if he had ſaid, Iſrael had now beene wearied with much travell, and diſquieted with many diſtreſſes and wants, and was now in a place deſtitute of all ordinary proviſion, And in this caſe Amalek comes and fights againſt him. An evident demonſtration of much inhumanity, and more then ſavage cruelty.