The Prophecy of Obadiah Opened and Applied, Sermon 4
VERSE 7.
7 All thy confederates hauehave driven thee to the borders: the men that were at peace with thee hauehave deceived thee, & prevailed against thee; they that eate thy bread hauehave laid a wound vnderunder thee: there is no vnderstanding in him.
THE Prophet hitherto set downe first the certainety of the destruction of the Idumeans, and then laid before them the grievousnes of the same: commeth nowe to this point, which insueth, which implyeth both the former: shew ing that all their confederates and friends, such as were nearest vntounto them should ioine togither vtterly to destroy them. Which circūstance as it argueth, that they should certainely come to ruine, and that no hope remained, that they should be delivered from it seeing such as they hoped, shoulde helpe them from it, should be prepared to bring them to it▪ so doth it amplifie the bitternes of it. David cō plaineth grievously that his familiar friend, who went with him into the house of God, whom hee trusted, and Psal. 55. 15. Psal. 41. 10.who did eate of his bread, that such a one … … his heele against him. If an enemy ha… do… … that … shonor, he saith he could hauehave borne it. Caesar contain…d …. 55 13.himselfe when the rest of the Senate stro…ke him wi…h their p…nkniues: but when Br…us …ote him hee …d. …t tu quo… … fil…! Even so is the … of this … … X… …x di … … … … … … … …ction herein declared, that it shoulde bee wrough… … their friends and confederates. All thy confederat…s …. The same thing also in effect is repeated & … … vers waies to lay it deeper in their hearts, and to put them the better in minde thereof. For they that were in league with them, are called their confederates The mē that were at pea…e with them, they that eate their bread; & their ruine signified, when it is said, hauehave driven thee to the borders, hauehave deceived thee, …revailed against thee, laid a wound vnderunder thee. All which is set out after the Prophets manner, when he saith, hauehave drivē ▪ hauehave deceived, &c. when he meaneth that they shoulde, for that it should so surely come to passe, as though it were done already. The meanes is said to be by fraud & gu…le, whē it is said, they shall deceiue thee, &c: wherev…to is also added, to make vp the mischiefe, that this treacherous dealing should be so crafty, that they shoulde not espie, much lesse prevent it: When it is said, there is no vnderstanding in him. Wherof he also speaketh more at large in the next verse saying, shall not I… that day saith the Lord, even …estroy the wise men cut of Edom?
The point, which I would here commende to your cōsiderations is, that the Lord will … … … of Edom by his friends, which is meant in these wor… ▪ Thy confederates hauehave driven thee. The Iudgement of the Lord executed by his law, vponupon enticers to Idolatry, disobedient to magistrates, vnthankefull children, &c: is in sundry places of Deutronomy, knit vp with this sentēce, Deut 4. 10. & 13. 11. & 17. 13So shall all Israel heare and feare. Whereby is declared the end of punishments appointed by GOD, and executed in iustice vponupon offenders, namely that the rest might heare, and feare, and learne not to offende in like māner, lest they incurre the like vengeance. The point then that we hauehave to learne is, to vnderstand by the ex ample of the Iustice of GOD executed vponupon the Idumeans, that all their confederates should driue them to the borders, &c: that if any hauehave such hatred against the servants of GOD, as Edom had against Israel, then that this Iudgement is denounced against them. For the Lord hath determined, that who oppresseth his friends, must be deceived and plagued by their friends, and such as they reposed greatest confidence in. The Madianites, as it is in the history of the Iudges oppressed Israel very sore, so that for feare of them, the Israelites Chap 6.made them dens in the moūtains & caues: when Israel had sowen, they came vp and destroied the fruit of the earth, and left no food for Israel. Against thē the Lorde sent Gedeon; and to overthrow them he vsed not the hands of the Israelites: but after that Gedeon & the cō pany, that were with them had blowne their trumpets and broken their pitchers the Lord set every mans sword against his neighbour. Senacherib the king of Ashur came Chap 7. 2 King. 19.against Ierusalem and Ezechiah the king thereof with a mighty army, thinking to make thrall to him all the people, and Rabsakeh with most arrogant & presumptuous words, defied the Lord, who (he said) could not deliver them. But the Lord first confounded his armie and by an Angel destroyed them, so that he was faine, with shame to flee home, where hee armed his two sonnes, Adramelech and Shareser against him, who, whē hee worshipped his God in the temple, slew him with the sword.
But the cruelty of Nero against the Christians farre exceeded that of the Madianites, and Senacherib: in so much that he sowed them in the aSulp. Severus …. 2 & Tacit. lib. 15. cap. 10.skins of wilde beasts, & so cast them to dogges to be devoured: tying them also to stakes to bSul…it, & Tacit … supra, & … …nal. Sa…. 1. ver. 155.burne in the night for lights. But the Lorde raised against him his councell, his friends, captaines, subiects, &c: so that he found not that favour, which Senacherib did, for he could neither hauehave cSu…. … Neron. cap. 47 Sulpit. lib 2. Eu…op. lib. 8.friend nor foe to do so much as kill him.
Yea if men woulde not conspire against these enimies of GODS people, rather then they should lacke friends to destroy them, the wormes out of their owne bowels should devour them, as befell to dAct 12 23.Herod & eMi…h. Gly…s in fi…e part. 2. annal.Antiochus.
Wherefore, whosoever hauehave followed the cruelty of the Edon…tes against the Israel of GOD, let them remember for their instruction, that they shalbe parta kers of the same punishment with the Edomites. And let vsus consider, that if the wicked draw his bow to shoote at the poore and needy, though they whet the sword to slay the innocent, yet their sworde shall enter into their owne heart, and their bow shalbe broken, which the Prophet threatneth not without exception, namely if the Psal 7 12. 13. 14. 15, 16.wicked turne not, then the Lord will whe… his sword, &c. And whereas he trav…led to bring forth a lie, his mischiefe shall light on his owne head and the wrong which he imagined against others, shall fall downe on his owne …lpe.
But the godly are at league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the earth: but such as are not at Iob 5 2…. … 2 …. … …. …3. 2 … …. 25 Rev 22 11.peace with the Lord, a stone shall fall on their head, as on Abimelechs, or Lyons shall fall on thē, as on the Samaritans. Wherefore such as are godly, let them yet be more godly, and let the wicked remember, that all their confederates shall drive them to the borders, &c.
Yet must we take heed, that we imagine not, that all such, against whom their confederates deale, are in nature and condition like the Idumeans. For as other chastisements are common to the godly, with the wicked, though the effect fall not out alike in them both: so also in this, to be deceiued by friends, and principally by those wee bee at peace with, doe often happen vntounto them. For wee read of David, that his familiar friend had laid a snare for him, and such as were neere vntounto him as A…tophel, and his owne sonne Absolon.2 Sam. cap. 15 … 1….
That which befell to David, happened also to Iesus Christ, of whom David was a figure, as is plainely declared in …e … of Iohn, where as the very words of … are applied to Christ, to teach vsus the dealing of … … … 41. 9.…. He that eateth bread with …, hath lift vp the heele against me. Now we knowe, that it is the chiefest blessing Rom. 8 …7.of Christians, to bee made like to the image of Christ. No marvaile then, if they hauehave beene so dealt withall, and that such as hauehave eate their bread, hauehave lift vp their heele against them.
The example of the noble Admirall of France traiterously Vid. part. 4 Cō ment. de sta…u Relig & Reip. in Gall…, sub Carole 9 A… 1572.murthered in Paris, now 12. yeares since, in this case is so pregnant, that we need not goe further. With whom there were so many thousandes murthered, by such as professed themselues their friendes. Whereby wee may perceiue, that this is no certaine signe of Idumeans, but that it is apparant, that even in the Church of God, there is falsehood in fellowship, & in trust treason.
The difference therefore in this point betwixt the wicked, and the godly, is 1 in the cause, 2 in the comfort.
1 In respect of the cause; the wicked & vngodly are worthily so served, making their confederacie in world ly respects: but the godly vnworthily; so that David iustly protesteth, If this wickednesse bee in my hand, &c. yea, if I hauehave not deliuered him, that without any cause was mine enemie, &c.
2 In respect of comfort; for that the wicked, when they be so intreated of their friends, hauehave no manner of succour, or ease, which they can betake themselues vntounto: whereas the godly in this case fly to the Lord, whom they finde to bee a sure rocke, and certaine defence, when the helpe of man fayleth, and is set against them, as David being persecuted by Absolō, cryeth out how are my adversaries encreased? how many rise vp a Psal. 3.gainst me but thou Lord art a buckler for me, my glory, and the lifter vp of my head. Wherefore trusting in the assured confidence, & invinciblenes of the Almightie, he feareth not, though ten thousand had set thēselues against him. This therefore bringeth a terrour to the wicked, when they be forsaken of their friends, & hauehave nothing to trust in, but their wickednesse: but a notable comfort is it to the godly, when continuing in their goodnesse, they hauehave the Lord alwaies to bee at their side. So the wicked dare look for no helpe of the Lord, but the godly are full of the consolation of the holy spirit. So that the wicked may say, if our friends be against vsus, who shall be with vsus? but the godly may say, Rom. 8. 31.If God be with vsus, wh… shall be against vsus?
Which consideration of the state of the godly, that such as professe themselues their friends, hauehave set thē selues against them, may teach vsus, how to answer that obiection of the Papists, who because many hauehave revoulted from vsus to them, yea of our Ministers, would perswade the ignorant that our doctrine is naught. A worthy matter, no doubt! if some for 30 peeces of silver to be paid in their Seminaries, hauehave gone thither that they may betray Christ Iesus. And what say they herein against vsus, which the Iewes might not hauehave said against our Saviour, that one of his Disciples, yea of his chiefe Disciples was set so against him, that he had betrayed him. Another reason they hauehave like vntounto this, though not in all circumstances, yet in the maine ground; which iss the dissention amongst vsus, and such as are of other Churches beyond the sea, concerning certaine ceremonies, wherein we differ from them. But seeing that the Lord knowes how to turne it to the profiting of his Church, and when it pleaseth him, can reveale these things to vsus: why should any make an argument hereof, against the truth of our doctrine? seeing we find, that God hath turned the like to his greater glory, as that dissention of Paul and Barnabas, & Paule and Peter.
But as I shewed by cōparison of other points, that Act 15. 39, Gal. 2 11.the Papists do most liuely represent the Idumeans: so also falleth it out, that they should bee betraied by their owne confederates and friends, as were the Idumeans: as by Albertus Pigh…s in iustification by faith only: by Arias Controv. 2 § Q… … … P… …9 qu… … reprehen… R… ardus T… tom 2 d… ficat pag. 32.Mōtanus in the sufficiency of the Scriptures; by And. Masius in Reliques, by Alphonsus de Castro, Espencaeus, Caretanus, &c: & the schoolemē in the rest of the points of superstition. And Luther, Calvin, Bucer, Occolampadius, Zanchius, Beza, &c: the most worthy warriours in the Lords battels, we know were sometimes of their friends, some being Friers, other Priests and Canons, & they who were least nursed vp in Popery. So truly is the saying verified of them also; Thy confederates hauehave driven thee to the borders, &c. Whose godly example I wish may moue them, if there be any here of their cō federates, to deceiue them, and helpe to driue them to their borders by the example of Saul, who being made a Paul, revolted from the Pharisees, and destroyed that which before he had builded.
Iosephus reporteth, that Cyrus, who caused the Iews L… 11. cap. 1. A… Iudai. I… 45. 1.to build the temple, & gaue thē backe the vessels thereof, was moved to doe it, by reading the prophecie of Isaiah, who 200. yeares before had named him, who should do it. I beseech GOD, that these men also reading this prophecy, that the friends of the Idumeans shal destroy them, may bee encouraged to doe it; that this may prevaile so much with them, as that did with Cyrus. For though they be your confederates, friends, brethren, parents, children, yet must you not bee affraid to wound them spiritually, for the wounds of a friend are sweet. We must destroy not their persons but their errors, and to be cruell herein is piety. And such cruelty as this is commanded by GOD; Cursed be he, that withholdeth his hand from this bloud.Ier. 48. 10.
When Aaron had entised the Israelites to Idolatrie, and provoked them to the offending of GOD, by worshipping the golden calfe: Moses proclaimeth, who so pertaineth to the Lord, let him come to me, and all the Exod. 32. 26.sonnes of Levi gathered themselues—So they went from gate to gate through the host & slew every man his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neigh bour: and so they consecrated their hands vntounto the Lord and drew a blessing vponupon them. But alas! how farre are we from doing this same in the warfare of Christ, against our friends, kinsfolkes, and neighbours! Would to GOD many of vsus were not caried away with that foolish pitie of Achab. When Benhadad had come vp 1 King 20 31, 32. &c.to fight against Israel, but was discomfited, & was faine to flee into a secret chamber to saue his life: It was told him, that the kings of Israel were mercifull kings. Wherfore he sent to him certaine men, who said, thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee let me liue. To whom Achab said, is he yet aliue? he is my brother. Yea, said they thy brother Benhadad, &c: and so was hee content to make a covenant with him, and Achab confederated himselfe with Benhadad. But there was sent a man of God to Achab, who told him, for as much as he had let a man scape out of his hands, whom the Lord woulde hauehave slaine, his life, should be for his, & his people for his. There bee this day too many Achabs, who can aske, whether their brother Benhadad be aliue, and willinglie spare him, hoping, that he will one day remember them with the like curtesie; so long as he is aliue hee is their brother Benhadad, yea their brother Benhadad: but because they let them scape, whom the Lorde woulde hauehave to be slaine, their life shalbe in steed of theirs, and their people insteede of theirs. Yet O Lord spare thy people, and powre out thy wrath on them, that know thee not, and on such as hauehave not called vpō thy name: yea O Lord powre thy wrath vponupon. Benhadad and let him not escape thine hand, &c.