Gods Three Arrows, Section 8
§. 8. Of the baſe advantages which malicious enemies take.
MAlicious enemies are ready to take all the baſe advantages that they can. If the particulars *§. 7.noted of Amalek be well obſerved, in him we ſhall find the doctrine verified. The like is noted of the poſterity of theſe Amalakites, a1 Sam. 30. 1, 2while David and his men were out of Ziklag, the Amalakites ſurprize it, ſmite it, burne it with fire, and carie the women away captive. More baſely dealt the Egyptians with the Iſraelites, when they had them faſt in their own land. For firſt bExo. 1. 11, 13.they afflicted them with burdens, and made them ſerve with rigour, and made their lives bitter with hard bondage. Then they c—16.tooke order with the midwives to kill all their male children in the birth. Yea, becauſe the midwives obeyed not ſo cruell a charge, d—22.the King commanded all the people to caſt all the male children of the Iſraelites into the river. It was a moſt inhumane, baſe, and barbarous advantage which the Edomites tooke againſt the Iſraelites when the Babilonians had overcome them, and cauſed them to fly hither and thither for their lives, eObad. 14.to ſtand in the croſſe waies to cut off them that did eſcape, and to deliver up thoſe that did remaine in the day of diſtreſſe. The baſe advantages which Saul ſought againſt David, and the Prieſts, Scribes, Phariſies, and other Iewes againſt Chriſt and his Apostles, and other enemies, heretiques, and idolaters againſt the profeſſours of the Goſpell, eſpecially Papiſts againſt Proteſtants, do further give abundant proofe of the foreſaid propoſition. But, not to inſiſt on particulars, the Pſalmiſt doth indefinitely thus ſet out the diſpoſition of the wicked againſt the righteous, He ſitteth in lurking places of the villages: in the ſecret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily ſet againſt the poore: he lieth in wait ſecretly as a Lyon in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poore: he doth catch the poore when he draweth him into his net. He croucheth and humbleth himſelfe that the poore may fall by his ſtrong ones, Pſ. 10. 8, 9, 10 Herein they ſhew themſelves like to the moſt hatefull creatures. Fraudulenta vulpes ſoveis ſe latibulis que demergens, noune indicio eſt infructaosū eſſe animal odio que dig…ū. Amb Hexaem l 6 c 3. Stratagems in warre.The deceitfull Foxe hiding himſelfe in ditches and ſecret places, is he not thereby manifeſted to be a hurtfull and hatefull creature.
Quest. What may be thought of ſtratagems uſed in warre, ſuch as gGen. 14 15.Abrahams ſetting upon his enemies by night: hIoſ. 8 3, &c.Ioſhuaes ſending men by night to lie in wait against Ai, and when the men of warre were drawne out of it, to ſet the city on fire: iIudg 1. 24.The houſe of Ioſephs inticing of a man of Luz to ſhew them the way into the city where he dwelt, whereby they had opportunity to ſmire the city: k—3 21. Cum juſtum bellum ſuſciperit, utrum apertâ pugnâ, utrum in ſidijs vincat, ni hil ad juſtitiam intereſt. Aug. Quaeſt. ſuper Ioſ. l. 6. c. 10. Prudenti…, & fortitudinis eſt vel decipere vel ſupe rare adverſarium u…cun que potueris. Hier. Comment. l. 5. in Ezech. c. 17Ehuds ſudden and ſecret thruſting of his dagger into Eglons belly: and other like warlike wiles: what may be thought of theſe, are they to be reckoned in the number of baſe advantages?
Anſw. No, if they have any ſpeciall direction from God, or inward motion of his Spirit, (as Ioſhua and Ehud had) or if at leaſt the warre be juſt, and no falſhood, envy, malice, cruelty, or inhumanity be mixed with the wiles that are uſed. For theſe are the things that make advantages to be baſe. The mind of him that takes ſuch advantages is a baſe mind: he hath no reſpect to points of honour and honeſty, as was before noted. (§. 4.) aNemo qui fortitudinis gloriam conſecutus eſt, inſidijs & maliciâ laudē eſt adeptus Cic. Offic. l 1.No man, no not among the Heathen, that got the glory of valour, got praiſe by treacheries and malice. They hated treacherie, and all baſe advantages. If any of the adverſe part, offered to act a perfidious part, ſuch was the true valorous mind of ſome of them, as they would returne the perfidious perſon to his owne Lord and Maſter, of him to receive condigne puniſhment. Among others, memorable is the patterne of Curius in this point. bDux Romano rum cum ad cum adverſarij regis medicus adveniſſet, pollicens daturum ſe regi venenum, vinctū cū ad ho ſtē remiſit. Amb. Offic. l. 3. c. 14.That Romane Captaine, when the Phyſitian of the adverſe King came to him, and promiſed to poyſon his Lord, he ſent him bound back again to the enemy. As memorable is the practice of the whole Senate of Rome in that kind. For when Camillus the Conſul encamped againſt the Falciſci, a traiterous Schoole maſter, who had moſt of the Noble-mens children committed to his tuition, under pretence of carying them forth to walke, brought them into the enemies Flor, Hiſtor. Rom, l. 1. c. 12.tents, that his countrimen might thereupon bee drawne to yeeld to the enemy. But the Senate of Rome ſo deteſted that treachery, as they ſtripped the treacherous pedant naked, gave rods to the boyes, that they might whip him backe againe to the city which he would have betrayed.
Many other like inſtances might be given, whereby generous Generals have ſhewed, that undertaking a triall of Qui virtutis certamen ſuſceperat, nollet fraude vincere. Non enim in victoriâ honeſtatem ponebat: ſed ipſam, niſi honeſtate quaeſitam, victoriam turpem pronunciabat. Amb loc. citat.vertue and valour, they would not get the victory by fraud. For they did not place honour and honeſty ſimply in victory, but accounted victory baſe, unleſſe it were obtained by honeſty.
This miſchievous mind of malicious enemies, gives juſt occaſion to thoſe that have ſuch enemies (as all true Profeſſors of the true Religion have) to be the more prudent & circumſpect in keeping themſelves from their ſnares and ginnes. On this ground doth Chriſt give this expreſſe charge, Be wiſe as ſerpents, Mat. 10. 16. Many of Salomons proverbs tend to this purpoſe. We have worthy patternes hereof in David, 1 Sam. 20, &c. who wiſely avoided Sauls ſnares; and in the Iewes, Ezr. 4. 3. that returned from the captivity in Zerubbabels time, and in p Nehemiahs, Neh. 4. 9, &c. and ſundry other true ſervants of God. Now becauſe by all the wiſdome that we have, we cannot avoid all their wilie and ſubtill plots, we muſt ever depend upon the Lord, and call on him as David did, to turne their counſell into fooliſhneſſe, 2 Sam. 15. 31. And to Keepe us from the ſnares that they lay for us, and from the grins of the workers of iniquity, Pſal. 141. 9. Or, if we be over-taken, then to pull us out of the net that they have laid for us. Pſal. 31. 4. Thus if we make God our refuge and hiding place, we may be ſure to be ſafe. For they are ſafe whom the Lord doth keepe.