History of the Old Testament Volume 5, Part 5
Ziglag ſpoyled and reuenged.
HAD not the King of the Philiſtims ſent Dauid away earely, his wiues, & his people and ſubſtance, which he left at Ziglag had beene vtterly loſt; Now Achiſh did not more pleaſure Dauid in his intertainment, then in his diſmiſſion. Saul was not Dauids enemy more in the perſecution of his perſon, then in the forbearance of God enemies; Behold, thus late doth Dauid feele the ſmart of Sauls ſin, in ſparing the Amalekites; who, if Gods ſentence had beene duely executed, had not now ſuruiued, to annoy this parcell of Iſrael.
As in ſpirituall reſpects, our ſins are alwayes hurtfull to our ſelues, ſo in temporall, oft-times preiudiciall to poſterity; A wicked man deſerues ill of thoſe, he neuer liued to ſee.
I cannot maruell at the Amalekites aſſault made vponupon the Iſraelites of Ziglag; I cannot but maruell at their clemency; how juſt it was, that while Dauid would giuegive ayd to the enemies of the Church, againſt Ifrael; the enemies of the Church ſhould riſe againſt Dauid, in his peculiar charge of Iſrael: But whilſt Dauid, rouing againſt the Amalekites, not many dayes before, left neither man nor woman aliue, how ſtrange is it, that the Amalekites inuading and ſurprizing Ziglag (in reuenge) kill neither man nor woman? Shal we ſay that mercy is fled from the breſts of Iſraelites, and reſts in heathens? Or ſhall wee rather aſcribe this to the gracious reſtraint of God, who hauing deſigned Amalek to the ſlaughter of Iſrael, and not Iſrael to the ſlaughter of Amalek, moued the hand of Iſrael, and held the hands of Amalek; This was that alone, that made the heathens take vp with an vn-bloody reuenge; burning only the walls, and leading away the perſons. Iſrael croſſed the reuealed will of God, in ſparing Amalek; Amalek fulfills the ſecret will of God in ſparing Iſrael.
It was ſtill the lot of Amalek, to take Iſrael at all aduantages; vponupon their firſt cōming out of Aegypt, when they were weary, weake, and vnarmed, then did Amalek aſſault them: And now, when one part of Iſrael was in the field againſt the Philiſtims, another was gone with the Philiſtims againſt Iſrael; the Amalakites ſet vponupon the coaſts of both; and goes away laded with the ſpoyle: No other is to be exſpected of our ſpirituall aduerſaries, who are euer readieſt to aſſayle, when we are the vnreadieſt to defend.
It was a wofull ſpectacle for Dauid and his Souldiers, vponupon their returne to finde ruines and aſhes in ſteed of houſes, and in ſteed of their families, ſolitude; Their citie was vaniſhed into ſmoake, their houſholds into captiuity; neither could they know whom to accuſe, or where to enquire for redreſſe; whiles they made account that their home ſhould recompence their tedious journey with comfort, the miſerable deſolation of their home doubles the diſcomfort of their journey; what remained there but teares and lamentations? They lifted vp their voices, and wept, till they could weepe no more▪ Heere was plenty of nothing but miſery and ſorow. The heart of eueryevery Iſraelite was brim-full of griefe; Dauids ran ouer; for beſides that his croſſe was the ſame with theirs, all theirs was his alone; each man lookt on his fellow as a partner of affliction, but eueryevery one lookt vponupon Dauid as the cauſe of all their affliction; and (as common diſpleaſure is neuer but fruitfull of reuenge) they all agree to ſtone him as the auther of their vndoing, whom they followed all this while, as the hopefull meanes of their aduancements.
Now Dauids loſſe is his leaſt griefe; neither (as if eueryevery thing had conſpired to torment him) can he looke beſides the aggrauation of his ſorrow and danger; Saul and his ſouldiers had hunted him out of Iſrael; the Philiſtim Courtiers had hunted him from the fauour of Achiſh; the Amalekites ſpoyled him in Ziglag; yet all theſe are eaſie aduerſaries in compariſon of his owne; his owne followers are ſo farre from pittying his participation of the loſſe, that they are ready to kill him, becauſe they are miſerable with him. Oh the many and grieuous perplexities of the man after Gods owne heart; If all his traine had ioyned their beſt helpes for the mitigation of his griefe, their cordials had beene too weake, but now the vexation that ariſes from their fury, and malice, drowneth the ſenſe of their loſſe, and were enough to diſtract the moſt reſolute heart; why ſhould it be ſtrange to vsus, that we meete with hard tryals, when wee ſee the deare anoynted of God thus plunged into euils?
What ſhould the diſtreſſed Son of Iſhai now doe? whether ſhould he thinke to turne him? to goe backe to Iſrael hee durſt not; to goe to Achiſh he might not; to abide amongſt thoſe waſte heapes he could not; or if there might hauehave beene harbor in thoſe burnt walls, yet there could bee no ſafety to remaine with thoſe mutinous ſpirits. (But Dauid comforted himſelfe in the Lord his God;) oh happy and ſure refuge of a faithfull Soule; The earth yeelded him nothing, but matter of diſconſolation, and heauines; he lifts his eyes aboue the hills, whence commeth his ſaluation; It is no meruaile that God remembred Dauid in all his troubles; Since Dauid in all his troubles, did thus remember his God; hee knew that though no mortall eye of reaſon; or ſenſe could diſcerne any euaſiſion from theſe intricate euils, yet that the eye of diuine prouidence had deſcryed it long before; and that though no humane power could make way for his ſafety, yet that the ouerruling hand of his God, could doe it with eaſe; His experience had aſſured him of the fidelity of his Guardian in heauen; and therfore he comforted himſelfe in the Lord his God.
In uaine is comfort expected from God, if wee conſult not with him. Abiathar the Prieſt is called for; Dauid was not in the court of Achiſh, without the Prieſt by his ſide; nor the Prieſt without the Ephod; Had theſe beene left behinde in Ziglag, they had beene miſcarried with the reſt, and Dauid had now beene hopeleſſe. How well it ſucceedes to the great, when they take God with them in his Miniſters, in his ordinances? As contrarily, when theſe are layd by, as ſuperfluous, there can be nothing but vncertainty of ſucceſſe, or certainty of miſcheefe. The preſence of the Prieſt and Ephod, would hauehave little auailed him without their vſe; by them he askes counſell of the Lord in theſe ſtraits. The mouth and eares of God, which were ſhut vntounto Saul, are open vntounto Saul, are open vntounto Dauid; no ſooner can he aske, then hee receiues anſwer; and the anſwer that he receiues is full of courage and comfort. (Follow, for thou ſhalt ſurely ouertake them, and recouer all) That God of truth, neuer diſappoynted any mans truſt. Dauid now findes, that the eye which waited vponupon God, was not ſent away weeping.
Dauid therfore, and his men, are now vponupon their march after the Amalekite: It is no lingring, when God bids vsus goe; They which had promiſed reſt to their weary limbs, after their returne from Achiſh, in their harbour of Ziglag, are glad to forget their hopes, and to put their ſtiffe joynts vntounto a new taske of motion; It is no maruell, if two hundred of them were ſo ouertyred, with their former toyle, that they were not able to paſſe ouer the riuer Beſor. Dauid was a true type of Chriſt. We follow him in theſe holy wars, againſt the ſpirituall Amalekites. All of vsus are not of an equall ſtrength; Some are carried by the vigour of their faith, through all difficulties; Others, after long preſſure, are ready to languiſh in the way; Our Leader is not more ſtrong then pittifull; neither doth hee ſcornfully caſhier thoſe, whoſe deſires are hearty, whiles their abilities are vnanſwerable; How much more ſhould our charity pardon the infirmities of our brethen; and allow them to ſit by the ſtuffe, who cannot endure the march?
The ſame Prouidence, which appoynted Dauid to follow the Amalekites; had alſo ordered an Aegyptian to be caſt behinde them. This caſt ſeruant, whom his cruell Maſter, had left to faintneſſe and famine, ſhall bee vſed as the meanes of the recouery of the Iſraelites loſſe; and of the reuenge of the Amalekites. Had not his Maſter neglected him, all theſe rouers of Amalek, had gone away with their life and booty; It is not ſafe to deſpiſe the meaneſt vaſſal vponupon earth. There is a mercy and care due to the moſt deſpicable peice of all humanity; wherein wee cannot bee wanting without the offence, without the puniſhment of God.
Charity diſtinguiſheth an Iſraelite from an Amalekite. Dauids followers are ſtrangers to this Aegyptian; an Amalekite was his Maſter; His Maſter leaues him to dye (in the field) of ſickneſſe and hunger; theſe ſtrangers releeued him: and ere they know, whether they might by him receiue any light in their purſuit, they refreſh his dying ſpirits with bread and water, with figs and raiſins; Neither can the haſte of their way bee any hindrance to their compaſſion; Hee hath no Iſraelitiſh blood in him, that is vtterly mercileſſe; Perhaps, yet Dauids Followers might alſo, in the hope of ſome intelligence, ſhew kindneſſe to this forlorne Aegyptian. Worldly wiſdome teacheth vsus, to ſow ſmall courteſies, where we may reape large harueſts of recompence: No ſooner are his ſpirits recalled, then hee requites his food with information. I cannot blame the Aegyptian, that hee was ſo eaſily induced, to deſcry theſe vnkind Amalekites, to merciful Iſraelites; thoſe that gaue him ouer vntounto death, to the reſtorers of his life; much leſſe, that ere he would deſcry them; hee requires an oath of ſecurity, from ſo bad a Maſter; Well doth hee match death with ſuch a ſeruitude; Wonderfull is the Prouidence of God; euen ouer thoſe, which are not in the neereſt bonds, his owne; Three dayes, and three nights, had this poore Aegyptian Slaue lyen ſicke and hunger-ſtarued in the fields, and lookes for nothing but death, when God ſends him ſuccour from the hands of thoſe Iſraelites, whom hee had helped to ſpoile; though not ſo much for his ſake, as for Iſraels, is this heatheniſh Stragler preſerued.
It pleaſes God, to extend his common fauors to all his creatures; but in miraculous preferuations; he hath ſtill wont to hauehave reſpect to his owne. By this means therfore, are the Iſraelites brought to the ſight of their late ſpoylers, whom they finde ſcattered abroad, vponupon all the earth, eating, and drinking, and dancing in triumph, for the great prey they had taken.
It was three dayes at leaſt, ſince this gainefull forraging of Amalek; and now, ſeeing no feare of any Purſuer, and promiſing themſelues ſafety, in ſo great and vntraced a diſtance, they make themſelues merry with ſo rich and eaſie a victory; and now ſuddenly, when they began to think of enioying the beauty and wealth they had gotten; the ſword of Dauid was vponupon their throats. Deſtruction is neuer neerer, then when ſecurity hath chaſed away feare. With how ſad faces and hearts, had the wiues of Dauid, and the other Captiues of Iſrael, looked vponupon the triumphall reuels of Amalek; and what a change, do we thinke, appeared in them, when they ſaw their happy and ualiant Reſcuers, flying in vponupon their inſolent Victors, and making the death of the Amalekites, the ranſome of their captiuity; They mourned euen now at the dances of Amalek; now in the ſhriekes and death of Amalek, they ſhout and reioyce; The mercy of our God forgets not to enterchange our ſorrowes with ioy, and the ioy oſ the wicked with ſorrow.
The Amalekites hauehave paid a deare lone for the goods of Iſrael, which they now reſtore with their owne liues; and now their ſpoyle hath made Dauid richer then he expected; that booty which they had ſwept from all other parts accrewed to him.
Thoſe Iſralites that could not goe on to fight for their ſhare, are comne to meete their brethren with gratulation. How partiall are wee wont to be vntounto our owne cauſes? Euen very Iſraelites will bee ready to fall out for matter of profit: where ſelfe-louelove hath bred a quarrell, eueryevery man is ſubiect to flatter his owne caſe. It ſeemed plauſible, and but iuſt to the actors in this reſcue, that thoſe which had taken no part in the paine, and hazard of the journey, ſhould receiue no part of the commodity. It was fauour enough for them to recouer their wiues & children, though they ſhared not in the goods. Wiſe and holy Dauid (whoſe praiſe was no leſſe, to ouercome his owne in time of peace, then his enimies in warre) calls his contending followers from law to equity, and ſo orders the matter, that ſince the plaintifes were detained not by will, but by neceſſity; and ſince their forced ſtay, was vſe-full in garding the ſtuffe, they ſhould partake equally of the prey with their fellowes. A ſentence well-beſeeming the juſtice of Gods anoynted. Thoſe that repreſent God vponupon earth, ſhould reſemble him in their proceeding. It is the juſt mercy of our God, to meaſure vsus by our wills not by our abilities; to recompence vsus gratiouſly, according to the truth of our deſires, and endeauors; and to account that performed by vsus, which hee only letteth vsus from performing. It were wide with vsus, if ſomtimes purpoſe did not ſupply actions. Whiles our heart faulteth not, we that through ſpirituall ſickneſſe are faine to abide by the ſtuffe, ſhall ſhare both in grace and glory with the victors.