Gods Three Arrows, Section 78 – Section 79
§. 78. Of the mind and method of the ſixteenth Verſe.
EXOD. XVII. XVI.
For he ſaid, Becauſe the Lord hath ſworne that the Lord will have warre with Amalek from generation to generation.
THis verſe may be taken as a reaſon of that which went before, as the cauſall particle, FOR, prefixed before it by our Engliſh and ſundry other Tranſlators, ſheweth. The reaſon is taken from Gods implacable wrath againſt Amalek. Becauſe God was inalterably reſolved utterly to deſtroy Amalek, therefore was there a memoriall of this firſt beginning to ſubdue them: that by this memoriall ſucceeding ages might be encouraged to war againſt Amalek, as occaſion ſhould be offered, in aſſurance of victory. The Hebrew hath an ordinary copulative particle aforeignAND, and he ſaid; But that copulative is oft uſed for a cauſall conjunction. Beſides, there is a proper cauſall conjunction in the beginning of the next clauſe, bforeignBECAVSE. This muſt needs have reference to that which goeth before; as if he had ſaid, A memoriall of this victory is made, becauſe the Lord is reſolved to destroy Amalek.
The phraſe whereby Gods reſolution is expreſſed, word for word is this, The hand upon the throne of the Lord. Or, foreign Manus ſuper ſolium Domini. Or, Manum ſuper ſolium Dominus.The Lords hand upon the throne. This is a forme, or a rite of ſwearing. As among us, for ordinary perſons to lay their hand upon a booke: for noble men, to lay their hand upon their breaſt; for a King, to lay his hand upon his Throne. Sometimes the lifting up of the hand implieth an oath, as where Abraham ſaith, I have lift up my hand to the Lord. Gen. 14. 22.Thus the Lord expreſſeth his oath, eDeut. 32. 40.I have lift up my hand to heaven: and here, as ſpoken of a King it is ſaid, The Lords hand upon the throne. The word tranſlated fforeignVPONUPON, doth oft ſignifie AGAINST (as where it is ſaid, gPſal. 2. 2. foreign foreignThey tooke counſell together againſt the Lord, and againſt his annointed) Hereupon hQuia manus Hamaleki fuit contra ſol…um Iah, bellum Iehovae in Hamalekum, &c. Iun.ſome apply this phraſe to Amalek, as if the name Amalek being ſupplied, it were thus read, Becauſe the hand of Amalek is against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will have warre with Amalek, &c. Thus they make the former part of this verſe a reaſon of the latter. This is a good congruous ſenſe, and true in the ſubſtance of it: but not altogether ſo agreeable to the Hebrew words as the other, of Gods oath.
Ob. The name of the Lord is twice expreſſed thus, The Lord hath ſworne that the Lord, &c.
Anſw. That is an Hebrew phraſe oft uſed, and that to ſet forth the diſtinction of perſons: as where it is ſaid, The Si quis illud, Pluit Dominus à Domino, non de Patre & Filio accipit ſed cundem à ſcipſo depluiſſe dicit. anathema ſit. Socrat. Hiſt. Eccleſ l. 2. c. 3.Lord rained from the Lord, (Gen. 19. 24) that is, God the Sonne rained from God the Father. The primitive Church was ſo confident in this expoſition of that text, as they pronounced anathema againſt ſuch as tooke it otherwiſe. Among other anathemaes annexed to the Nicene Creed, this is one; If any doth not take this, THE LORD rained FROM THE LORD, of the Father and the Sonne, but ſaith that the ſame rained from himſelfe, let him be anathema.
The matter or thing ſworne is thus expreſſed, kforeignWar ſhall be to the Lordwith Amalek. The ſenſe whereof is well given in this Engliſh phraſe, The Lord ſhall have warre with Amalek. The Lord is ſaid to do that which by his appointment and direction his people did. The warre here mentioned was an effect of an irreconciliable enmity, and a meanes of that which was before mentioned, an utter putting out of the Verſ 14.remembrance of Amalek: which, becauſe it was not at once done, but by degrees, time after time, he addeth this phraſe, mforeignfrom generation to generation, even till they ſhould be utterly deſtroyed.
In Summe, this verſe ſetteth out Gods irreconciliable enmity against malicious enemies of his Church.
Herenote
1. The inference. For ſaid he, becauſe.
2. The Subſtance.
In the Subſtance we have,
1. The Perſons betwixt whom the enmity is
The Lord.
Amalek.
2. The Manner of
Expreſſing
Executing
that enmity.
It is expreſſed by a forme of oath, The Lord hath ſworne.
In the execution thereof is ſet downe
1. The inſtrumentall means thereof, warre.
2. The continuance therein, from generation to generation.
The particulars afford ſix uſefull inſtructions.
I. What God reveales to be inviolably determined muſt by man be heedfully remembred. Becauſe God had ſworne to extirpate 1. The Inference.Amalek, Moſes makes a memoriall thereof.
II. Mans wickedneſſe forceth God to ſweare vengeance. 2. The manner of expreſſing Gods enmity.For, ſo much doth this metaphor of Gods laying his hand upon his Throne import.
III. God undertakes his Churches quarrell. For it is ſaid, The LORD will have warre.3 One of the parties betwixt whom the enmity is.
IIII. They are malicious and implacable enemies againſt whom Gods wrath is implacable. Such were they, who are compriſed under this word Amalek.4. The other party.
V. Warre is a means of utter ruine. For, to put out the remembrance of Amalek, warre is here threatned.5. The means of executing vengeance.
VI. Divine vengeance may continue age after age. For, here warre is threatned to continue from generation to generation.6. The continuance.
§. 79. Of remembring Gods unalterable reſolution.
I. *See §. 76.VVHat God reveales to be inviolably determined muſt by man be heedfully remembred. The Lord having cauſed his ſervant Iohn to reveale things which aRev. 1. 1, 3.muſt in future times come to paſſe, to ſhew that men ought to be carefull in remembring them, he pronounceth him bleſſed that readeth and heareth that propheſie.
The Lord that determineth all things to fall out according to the counſell of his owne will, determineth alſo means for accompliſhing the ſame. Now, by a heedfull remembrance of the things determined being by God revealed, as in time we obſerve meanes for executing that which we know to be determined, we may be inſtruments in accompliſhing the good pleaſure of the Lord: which we can not ſo well do, if the thing it ſelfe be out of mind and memory. For this very end were there memorials of this purpoſe of God againſt Amalek, that by remembrance of that purpoſe, as occaſions in time to come were offered, they might do what in them lay to root out Amalek.
It behooveth us on this ground well to obſerve what parts of Gods irreverſible counſell are now under the Goſpell revealed: and to keepe them well in memory. To inſtance this in ſome particulars, theſe following are as inviolably ſet downe, as this of Amalek.
1. b2 Theſſ. 2. 8.The deſtruction of that great adverſary of the Chriſtian Church, Antichriſt, whom the Lord ſhall conſume. And cRev. 17. 26, 27there are certaine Kings into whoſe heart God hath put to fulfill his will, which is, to hate the whore, to make her deſolate and naked, and to eat her fleſh, and to burne her with fire.
2. The calling of the Iewes. For, beſide the many propheſies of thoſe ancient Prophets that were before Chriſt, dRom. 11. 25. 26Saint Paul expreſly revealeth the determined counſell of God concerning this point, whereof he would not have Chriſtians to be ignorant.
3. A bringing in of eRom. 11. 25.A fulneſſe of the Gentiles: at which time the many differences which are now betwixt Chriſtian Churches, ſhalbe taken away: and a farre better union betwixt nations even in matters of religion eſtabliſhed.
Among other meanes of remembring theſe, whereof f§. 66.before, we ought oft to call upon God for the accompliſhment of them, and that becauſe they are abſolutely promiſed.