The Shield of Righteousness, Part 12
VER. 13. Thou ſhalt tread vponupon the Lyon and the Aſpe, &c.
DAuid (in this ſecond ſpeciall propoſition of Gods deliuerance by the Angels) ſpeaketh of a further benefit, by them, to the righteous, then he had ſpoken of: before he ſaid, that they keepe them from harmes: Heere he faith, that they doe not onelyonly keepe them from harmes, but make them able to ſoyle all thoſe that would harme them; be it the Lion of the wilderneſſe, or the roaring Lion of hell, be it Man or Beaſt. And this hee ſpeaketh by his owne experience, who, by diuine aſſiſtance, ſlew firſt a Lion, and then a Beare, 1. Sam. 17.36. neither preuailed onelyonly againſt theſe, but ſubdued, in battell, all his ſtrong enemies: and vanquiſhed all powers againſt him, on earth, and in hell. Hauing this experience himſelfe, he aſſureth all that walke in the way of the good Angels by a good and wel-ordered life, that they ſhall walke in no dangerous wayes, but (eueryevery ſtep) in the protection of God, and ſo, as no creature (though otherwiſe, cruell and venemous) ſhall bee ſo to them, but gentle and without offence: Or, if they will needs thruſt forth their venome, and (in their fierce kinde, ſet vponupon them, they ſhall be ſubdued to them by the Angels, that keepe them. And this, (ſpeaking of the Lion, the Adder, the yong Lion, and the Dragon) hee ſetteth downe in a phraſe of ſuperiotitie, ſaying; They ſhall tread vponupon them, or inſult ouer them as conquerors. Some Writers reſtraine theſe words (cōparatiuely) to the Plague of Peſtilence; meaning that the godly ſhall preuaile againſt it, though (in the nature of it) it deuoure like a Lion, and bite deadly, as an Aſpe or Adder: yea though it bee fierce, and rage fiercely like a young Lion, and kill by a kind of tearing as Dragons doe. But I take the Prophets drift to bee here, in an hyperbole or ſuperlatiue ſpeech, to ſhew, that the righteous are not onelyonly ſecured from all harmes which may come by the Peſtilence whereof this Pſalme doth ſpecially intreat) or any other cuil, be it open (meant by the Lion, and yong Lion;) or ſecret reſembled by the Dragon and Aſpe:) but that they ſhall tread downe to confuſion by the Angels, that is, by their miniſteries, eueryevery power and enmitie that is againſt them, whether of Satan, or Satans members. None of them ſhal hurt or deſtroy in all the mountaine of Gods holineſſe, Iſai. 11.9. and they that ſeeke the deſtruction of the righteous ſhall (themſelues) goe into deſtruction.
The Doctrine from hence is: Doct. All hurtfull things and creatures are by God in the hand of his Angels, made ſubiect to the faithfull, and put vnderunder their feet, be they Men, wilde Beaſts or diuels. Chriſt hath broken the head of Satan, Gen. 3.15. that is, hath quite deſtroied his power, and ſpoiled him in that part where his life was. And now he is but as a vanquiſhed enemy to all true Chriſtians, who in their head, hauehave and ſhall daily trample him vnderunder feet, Rom. 16.20. A young Lion roared at Sampſon, and he rent him as one would hauehave rent a Kidde, hauing nothing in his hand, ludg. 14.6. The Text ſayth, that the ſpirit came vponupon him: that is, that by it he did it, in the miniſtery of the Angels that made his hands to doe it. This did Sampſon a figure of Chriſt; and they ſhall do more then this, that are in Chriſt. For, as the Seuenty returning with ioy, ſayd to Chriſt, euen the Diuels are ſubiect to vsus, through thy name, Luc. 10.17. So the godly through that name, hauehave (euen) the Diuels in ſubiection to them; which is more then to hauehave power ouer one Lion, or all the Lions of the wildernes. This was prophecied of by Hoſea, Hoſ. 2.18. and promiſed by Chriſt. Marc. 16.17, 18. and Ezechiel ſpeaking of the protection of the godly from wild beaſts, ſayth: they ſhall dwell ſafely in the wilderneſſe, and ſleepe in the woods, Eze. 34.25. that is, when others are toſſed, as vponupon an vnquiet Sea, their Soule ſhall dwell at eaſe, Pſal. 25.13. And Daniel was without hurt among the Lions; when they that loued not God, and hated him, had not one bone whole, nor member vn-torne, after the Lions once had caught them, Dan. 6.22, 23, 24. How did Eliſha, being but one weake and vnarmed Man, lead a whole weapned-band of Aramites, blinde to Samaria? 2. King. 6.18, 19. They could not reſiſt him, or the Angels that were with him. And ſo, one godly man had power ouer a whole hoſte of ſinners. The reaſons.
God ſayth it ſhall be ſo, and therefore it is: for what he ſayth, is done, though (yet) to doe: or hath he ſayd, and ſhall he not do it? Nam. 23.19.
Secondly, all the creatures before the fall (all ſaue the good Angels) were vnderunder the dominion of man, and became hurtfull by ſinne. But the ſinnes of the Faithfull are all pardoned in merciemercy andaHeb 1.3. purged in Chriſt: thebHoſ. 2.18 couenant is renued with them; the ſoueraignty they loſt reſtored to them; and man reconciled to God in Chriſt, is as hee was when hee was firſt made good holy, and righteous. Then, he is adopted by God, and becommeth the heire and lawfull Lord of all the creatures. For his renuing of the couenant with vsus, is a renuing of the Couenant betweene the creatures and vsus: and when they are in couenant with vsus, what hurt can they doe vsus? and when wee are in couenant with God, what ſeruice can they deny vsus?
Vſe 3 Thirdly, they are (all) ſubiect to Chriſt, and (therefore) in ſubiection to all that are Chriſts, Heb. 2.8.1. Cor. 3.22, 23.
Vſe 1 An inſtruction how to reconcile the hurt which is in the creatures, and to recouer the dominion which we loſt of the creatures. The way is, to turne from our ſins, and to be reconciled to God, to labour to hauehave the Couenant renued to vsus, and to get againe in Chriſt, what we loſt in Adam. For, till the Lord renue the writing which wee hauehave blotted by our ſinnes, and hewe out (as it were) two other tables, Exod. 34.1. for thoſe that wee hauehave broken, Exod. 32.19. All the creatures are our enemies, ready (when God will giuegive them leaue) to reuenge his diſhonour vponupon vsus; the fire by burning, the water by drowning, the earth by burying vsus aliue, as it did thoſe wicked men who gathered themſelues together at the dore of the Tabernacle againſt Moſes, and againſt Aaron whom God ſent, Num. 16.3.22. If warre be threatned, though it be a good thing to prepare our men; yet it is a better thing, and more ſafe (firſt) to prepare for peace, by our peace with God. For, then, either we ſhall hauehave peace, or a proſperous war; either no enemies, or none to hurt vsus: and they that riſe vp againſt vsus ſhall fall downe before vsus. If wee would auoide the ſpoiles and loſſes that may come by fire or water, by hurtfull ſerpents, and vnſeaſonable yeares, by ouer-much raine, or by want thereof; we muſt deale faithfully with their Lord and ours, ſubmit to him, and they will take vp with vsus, ſerue him and they will not hurt vsus. If wee would tread downe that roaring Lion that goeth about, ſeeking whom hee may deuoure, 1. Pet. 5.8. or, walke vponupon him and go ouer him, as men doe ouer the graues of the dead; wee muſt, by the new man in Chriſt, get our part, as in his temptations, ſo in his ouer-commings; or, we muſt be followers of Chriſt in his patience, if wee will be followers of him to his victories, and vanquiſh the diuell. Hee that will raigne with Chriſt muſt liue like a Chriſtian, and warre as he did, that meanes to triumph as he doth. Further, wouldſt thou hauehave dominion cuer the creatures, ſpecially ouer thoſe that may do hurt? Labour to riſe by ſound repentance, from that firſt fall, by which they hauehave gotten aboue thee, and hold thee vnderunder, ſo they that now ſubdue thee, ſhall be ſubdued vntounto thee.
This is the Priuiledge of the Faithfull, a priuiledge proper to true Chriſtians, though encloſed from them by ſome Popes, to whom it no way belongeth: and namely, by Alexander the third of that name, who treading on the Emperour his Maſter,Anuo 1174. Frederick Barbaroſſa, and ſpurning at him, blaſphemouſly alleadged this very Scripture for his wretched deed.
A reproofe of thoſe Chriſtians, who feare too much, as ſome Vſe 2 do too little at the approach of euils; and who in the controuerſie that is betweene their conſcience and the enemie, turne backe or giuegive ouer for a little. A Chriſtian muſt ſtriue, by the Scriptures, againſt all carnall feares and diſtruſts, and not giuegive way to them, by cowardly yeeldings. But ſome know nothing in the Word: Such muſt endeuour to learne, or, looke to be confounded in the cuill day: and ſome, if they cannot preſently ſee the drift of their affliction in a trifle, take on as if a Lion were without, Prou. 22.13. and they ſhould dye no other death.
But, muſt we walke vponupon a Lyon; and may we feare our deſtruction by a Mouſe? Muſt we trample vponupon a Dragon, and ſhall we feare a ſimple flie? That which is full of poiſon ſhall not hurt, and can that hurt that hath none? Muſt we keepe the field againſt Diuels, and ſhall we looſe it againſt men? or, hauehave Chriſtians entred into maine battaile with Satan in moſt grieuous temptations: and ſhall we proue ſuch weake Chriſtians, as not to endure a light skirmiſh with him in a few ſhort encounters? This concerneth not thoſe pitifull ſoules, which (being greatly caſt downe in griefe of ſpirit, and hauing many breakings vponupon them) doe ſometimes go aſide, and (ſometimes) become fretting and tumultuous within for the very anguiſh and paine that ſo greatly preſſeth them. For, ſuch impatience was in Dauid the man of God; and ſuch diuerſitie of affections hath been found in the beſt, during the preſent great affliction. At one time they hauehave thought themſelues verie ſtrong in God, and at another, ſo weake and ſo caſt downe, that they could not poſſibly riſe; but in all this they had a ſmacke of Man in them, and their fleſh was weake: yet their ſpirit was ready; and waited on God, not making haſte, but poſſeſſing their ſoules till hee deliuered them. It is not ſo with theſe vnſetled Daſtards, and run-awayes, who are ready to caſt off all: if Satan nibble but a little at their heele, Gen. 3.15. If the Goſpel of the Croſſe begin to lay ſome reſtraint vponupon them, they will be zealous no longer: and when a great man looks ſtrangely or awry vponupon them, for their good wayes, it is as if a Lyon met them; therefore they preſently turne out of thoſe wayes to walke in a way that ſhall leſſe offend. Theſe are the fearfull and vnbeleeuers that this Scripture cenſures; who for eueryevery little wrinch or foile, goe lame of all courage in good things; where the godly reſiſt vntounto blood, neuer forſaking their weapons, till death driue them out of the field, imperious death that cannot be reſiſted.
Vſe 3 A comfort to the faithfull: for all things are conquered before them that would doe them any hurt. Though the Peſtilence (when God ſendeth it) prey vponupon one and other without reſpect, like a roaring Lion; and bring the ſtrongeſt as ſoone as the weakeſt to the earth, like a mighty Lyon: though it bite like an Aſpe, making no great wound, but procuring ſtrange effects: and though alſo, as a fierce Dragon, it cruſh & ſhiuer in pieces the fleſh, and very bones of men of ſtrongeſt conſtitution; yet the crueltie of it is conquered to the godly by their prayer of faith, which quencheth the violence of it in towne and Countrey. If enemies threaten our coaſt; by it, they may ſtand in the hole and gappe, where Gods hand hath made the breach, and doe as much as all the Charets and Horſemen in a Kingdome, Pſal. 106.23. If Satan himſelfe rage and be vnquiet in neuer ſo many terrible and threatning obiections to the ſoule and conſcience of a deiected ſinner; yet is Satan but as a Drone-Bee to him, humming-without a ſting: that is without power to doe hurt, in all his malice and deadly euill will.
Obiect. Obiect. But you will ſay Satan is ſtill a Lyon of great force in his walkes among men of all conditions.
An. To which I anſwer that for the Godly, it ſeemeth ſo: Anſw. and for the wicked, it is ſo; for he liueth ſeemingly in the Godly, and liuely in reprobats. He hath but a kind of vanquiſhed life in Gods children, in whom, as in his priſon, hee is kept in chaines, not able to execute any thing; and tormented that he cannot. In the wicked hee liueth as at home, or as in hell, his owne place. And ſo all life is not gone out of him; which is, to teach the Righteous to prouide againſt him, and not to be careleſſe, neither (wilfully) ignorant of his enterpriſes: for, he ſhall ſtill bruiſe their heele; not only by mouing them to commit ſinne, but by caſting (out of his mouth) waters of trouble, like a flood after them, when they begin to follow Chriſt, Apoc. 12.15.
And (here) let no child of God looke for any long quietneſſe; for, if hee ſeeke Gods face in righteouſneſſe; Satans malice to God, and enuy to the ſaluation of man, will keepe him doing. Beſides, there is a perpetuall lawe of hatred betweene the hell of Satan and the heauen of Gods Saints, betweene the ſeed of the woman, and the diuels ſeede and progenie: and, who hauing a Serpents head vnderunder his feet, can hope to be quiet and without trouble? For, will he not (though his head be faſt) fling about with his tayle? So what peace, ſo long, and while we hauehave vnderunder our feet, in Chriſt, that compaſſing and winding Serpent, the Diuell? Will he not be ſtill nibling at our heele, and twyning about vsus in one temptation or another? Yet all this is but to exerciſe the Righteous; not to hurt them, which he cannot doe. And (therefore) let no godly man, for this, be diſcouraged to proceed in the way and courſe of ſanctified life: for, the Lord will either command the earth to drinke vp his afflictions, Apoc. 12, 16. or, healing his plague, cauſe his face to ſhine, and glory to appeare in the darkeſt ſhadow of aduerſitie. So much for the firſt ſpeaker, the Prophet; the ſecond and next ſpeaker followeth, which is God: who by immediate voice confirmeth the former propoſition of his fauour to the faithfull.