Commentary on Judges, Sermon 43
THE FORTIE THREE SERMON ON THE SIXTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES.
Verſ. 33. Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites, and they of the Eaſt, gathered together, and pitched in the valley of Izreel.
34. But the ſpirit of the Lord came vponupon Gedeon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abiezer was ioyned with him.
35. And he ſent meſſengers through all Manaſſeh, which alſo was ioyned with him: and he ſent meſſengers to Aſher, and to Zabulon, and to Naphtali, and they came vp to meete him.
NOw followeth the laſt point of the foure in this fourth part of The ſumme of theſe 3. verſes.Chapter, as was noted in the 11. verſe. In which is ſhewed, how Gedeon (after that the Midianites gathered themſelues together) prepared for warre againſt them; he hauing before deſtroyed Idolatrie, and ſet vp the true worſhip of God: that thus all the people might ſee, when it was done, how ill it might hauehave been vndone againe, and how profitable it was for them, which Gedeon had done ſo: though we may remember what troubles and ſtirres were raiſed againſt him, before he could bring it to paſſe. But oh, what a merciemercy of God was this to them, that the Midianites were held in all this while? who bound their hands and feete till Gedeon had brought ſo worthie a worke to paſſe, but euen he whom none were able to reſiſt, euen the Lord omnipotent? The ſumme of theſe three verſes is this: That the Lord gaue occaſion to Gedeon, by bringing the Midianites, and other aſſiſtants to them, into the land, to preuaile againſt, and get victorie ouer them. For he truſting to the word of God, by which he had been, and that lately, ſo well ſtrengthened; prepared to goe againſt them: and the Lord armed him, and he drew helpe together out of the tribes that were neere vntounto him, as is to be ſeene in the text, ſo that Iſrael was againe reſtored in great multitudes.
Thus after all the trouble that Gedeon had, both otherwiſe, and by feare of Doct. verſ. 33.the Midianites now prouoking the Iſraelites to battell, and the many hurts that they did thē before, yet God would (we ſee) hauehave his true worſhip ſet vp, & Idolatrie caſt down firſt, as we hauehave heard; which the wiſe men of the world though they had allowed, would yet hauehave deferred till after the victorie. And note we hereby, that it much pleaſeth him, yt we ſhould not poſt off the great and waighty cōmandements of his worſhip & ſeruice, for our earthly affaires & bodily buſineſſe, though waighty, if there be time enough to diſcharge them; no nor lay aſide the exerciſes of praier, hearing, reading, and the like, for our owne pleaſure. And we our ſelues may ſee, that it is very meete and expedient that it ſhould be ſo: and how cheerefully we may goe about the one, when wee hauehave well diſcharged the other: whereas by deferring, we leaue them vndone altogether ſometimes, and our appetite is much quailed when we returne to them. As therfore we reade, that as great neede as there was to make all poſſible ſpeede to reſcue the Church in the great diſtreſſe it was in at that time, yet that Heſter ſought the Lord by faſting Heſter 4. 16.and prayer, before ſhe went to the King, and went after that with great courage to him for helpe, and preuailed. But it is otherwiſe with vsus; for we, for the moſt part, firſt ſerue our ſelues (what though in doing things that are lawfull?) and ſeeke our owne profit and pleaſure, which is our great ſinne: and yet that is not all, but hauing ſo done, we are alſo by the leaſt occaſion eaſily brought to omit the Lords due altogether many times (as I hauehave ſaid) or at leaſt to performe it ſlackly, coldly, and by halues, ſo that it were as good vndone.
This appeareth to be too true in the common courſes of men and many of their dealings, and of theirs who are not the worſt. And namely in this one: when we hauehave ſet an order for praying in our houſes, we will not perhaps, as ſome doe, omit it altogether afterwards: but yet we then, for the moſt part, meete to performe this dutie to God, when we hauehave ſerued our ſelues, and filled our bellies firſt, in which caſe wee be commonly oppreſſed Note.with drowſineſſe and ſleepe, which are (a man would think) vtterly vnmeet to accompanie Gods ſeruice, and therfore little pleaſing to him, that it were farre better to diſpoſe of a fitter time for that buſineſſe, and yet other things not to bee left vndone. And wee muſt take heed both in this which I now ſpeake of, and all the like that we take in hand, leſt we giuegive iuſt ſuſpition that we thinke any thing is good enough for the Lord.
In the publike worſhip of God, the Church hath giuen a better example, that we doe our duties to God before we refreſh ourſelues. Abrahams ſeruant hauing but a meſſage of his maſters to doe, did ſo diligently follow the doing and executing of it, that hee would not take his owne neceſſarie repaſt, Gen 24. 33.in his hunger and wearineſſe, till he had faithfully diſcharged that buſineſſe. And Iehoſaphat being neerely driuen by the Moabits and Ammonits, did firſt ſeeke the Lord by faſting and prayer, before he would take weapon in hand. And let all marke what he loſt thereby, or whether hee could poſſibly hauehave found the like helpe and ſo preſent as he did, by all ſpeedie following his buſineſſe, by all policie and power that hee could hauehave made. And yet I adde this, becauſe I would lay no burthen needleſly on the conſcience of any man, that in neceſſitie, which cannot be auoided, a man may omit the greater dutie for the leſſe, if it could not elſe be done at all, and ſo as opportunitie be watched and taken to doe it afterwards. To conclude about this matter, let this practiſe of Gedeon teach vsus this rule, to wit, to giuegive the precedencie alway to thoſe duties which are of beſt price, and withall of greateſt neceſſitie. Now I call that neceſſitie, which not only is commanded, but abſolutly and alwaies, ſo that it is ſinne to neglect and omit it; as to watch, beleeue, repent, &c. they may not be left of, and laid aſide for any cauſe. So to heare the word in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, is commanded, as alſo to doe our earthly buſineſſe on the ſixe daies: yet to omit both, at ſome time is no ſin, becauſe they be commanded but for ſome time to be done, & may in ſome caſes and at other times be diſpenſed with & omitted but the other are euer neceſſarie; as to be humbled for ſin, to beleeue in God, alſo to louelove and feare God, and to be patient, & ſome other, with the like duties of the firſt Commandements. Now theſe are abſolute duties, and charged vponupon vsus generally and alwaies: no buſineſſe may be preferred before theſe whatſoeuer: no delay is to be admitted, no though it be vnderunder colour of moſt ſerious returning thereto afterward: For where we take libertie to our ſelues in theſe caſes, God curſeth vsus, Satan gets ground of vsus, and the worke for the which we lay them aſide, is commonly naught worth, when it is done in the beſt manner. And therefore wee ſee that Felix pretending that he would heare Paul againe at leiſure of thoſe things, which his terrified conſcience durſt heare no longer for that preſent; neuer had leiſure to heare him againe at all, ſeeing he did it not both when he ought and might. For the ſecond ſort of duties: as prayer in familie, priuatly by our ſelues, with the like, although they are not duties of ſo ſimple neceſſitie, that no other actions may euer hinder them; yet let them who hauehave ſolemnely couenanted with the Lord to vſe them, and ſeene great cauſe thereof, and fruite thereby, beware how they winde out themſelues of this courſe, vponupon vnwarranted occaſions: for ſo they ſhall neuer want ſome one or other ſhift to ſalue the matter, till the breach be growne ſo great, that a ſlender patch will not mend it, nay griefe and ſlight repentance ſcarcely will repaire it: as wee ſee a cloſe and ſmooth lid of a frame, if it warpe once, is not eaſily brought to his leuelnes againe. God ſhall teach wiſedome in the caſes of lawfull omiſſion, to ſuch as leane not ſo much and ſo long, to their owne, till they hauehave laid themſelues vnderfoote. But that the chiefeſt duties, when all things are rightly conſidered, ought to be (as I hauehave ſaid) preferred before other, the words of our Sauiour in that patterne of prayer, Matth. 6. do clearely ſhew; where before he mentioneth Matth. 6. 9. 10.any petitions tending to the good of ſoule or body, hee commands vsus to aske the things which concerne the glory of God, which ſtands in the comming of his kingdome, and doing of his will. So that if it were poſſible, that a good might aske the pardon of ſinne, deliuerance from euill, or neceſſaries to this life, without reſpect had to this, that God might bee honoured in all theſe, it were his great ſinne ſo to doe. For the very ſaluation of a mans ſoule is to be hazzarded and neglected, (if it might bee) rather then that it ſhould ſtand in compariſon with this, as by Moſes and Pauls requeſt for the peoples forgiuenes and conuerſion may appeare.
Secondly, in this that the Midianites banded themſelues againſt Iſrael, very Doct. 2.like to hauehave ſpoiled them both of their liues & goods, as they had almoſt done before, we ſhould conſider to what changes in our eſtate we be ſubiect; and that is, euen vntounto the looſing of all the good things that God hath inriched vsus with, to make our liues comfortable. Oh, when we are in health, peace, abundance, and well married, with the feare of God accompanying them, it is (doubtleſſe) a little paradiſe that wee liue in, as here on earth wee Note.may looke for, and in compariſon of that we may ſee the moſt to enioy that we liue among) and they are wiſe who can acknowledge it, to giuegive God the praiſe by bringing foorth much fruit. And yet God can affoord vsus this and more too, if we could vſe it well, and do good with it. But ſeeing men neſtle Iohn 15. 9.themſelues vponupon theſe vncertaine things, (which is little wiſdome in them to doe ſo, but a bold tempting of God;) we ſee what ſtrange alterations fall out in their liues, that their eſtate changeth from that it was, I ſay not as other mens, by age, ſickneſſes, diſeaſes onelyonly, (for to them we are all ſubiect) but from towardneſſe, hope and likelihood of goodneſſe, which they had ſometime, and therefore they ſhould hauehave been rooted, and growne forward therein: and ſuch as neuer had any, waxe much worſe and worſe, and by their afflictions they be much diſguized.
For by that time that cruell enemies, domeſticall or forraigne, (I meane in the world) hauehave oppreſſed them, as both may eaſily bee: or ſuites, debt, Note.ſuretiſhip, or priſon hauehave moleſted them (which commonly fall out to be) or the vnrulineſſe and diſobedience in children, the vnfaithfulneſſe and leaudneſſe of ſeruants, and the vnpeaceableneſſe and vnappeaſableneſſe in neighbours and landlords, with great iniuries offered by them, ſhall vexe them; together with ſickneſſe and other calamities which meet with them; I ſay, when ſome of theſe, as mothes in a garment, hauehave eaten into them, the beautie of their eſtate is decaied, and conſumed: in theſe caſes, I ſay, they are altered and changed, as if they had neuer been the perſons. So that as Elimelech by famine was conſtrained to change his dwelling, and good Dauid by his owne ſonne was almoſt driuen from his kingdome; euen ſo, and much more, when ſundry of the forementioned waies ſhall afflict bad men, doe they not ſhew the vncertaine hold that they hauehave (and yet they hauehave no hold of any better) of the things which are in greateſt price heere among men, together with the reproches and diſgraces that befall them? that I ſay nothing of ſundry kinds of death to cut them off from all: and are ſufficient proofes of that which I ſay. So that we hauehave good cauſe to beare a low ſaile, Note.euen when we be at the higheſt, and to thinke we hauehave little, when we hauehave the moſt. And to looke for our change in our proſperitie, and to make heauen our habitation againſt we go hence, and the earth with the pompe and beautie of it, but as ſmall and vncertaine riches. Indeed all the glory of theſe things muſt hauehave his end: yet commonly where God is not prouoked much, there is no vnſeaſonable change of mens proſperitie into miſery: but a kindly inioying it with Gods good liking: though ſometime God afflict thus for other ends, as Iob, &c. And becauſe many of Gods deare ones prouoke him to turne their bleſſings and delight temporall, as in wife, children, goods, beautie, ſtrength, &c. into ſorrowes, and puniſhments, which muſt be ſo, or elſe it would bee worſe with them: let them alſo beware that they breake not out further againſt him, leaſt by any ſinne wilfully committed and not repented of ſpeedily, they cauſe and procure this to themſelues, that they be roughly handled of him, more then commonly, euen like other men, and that particularly by the groſſe abuſe of theſe outward things themſelues, where to they are ſubiect, they bee not deformed and diſguized by ſtrange and rare afflictions. God hath all good things in ſtore for his, but he can alſo ſoone ſtrip them thereof, as Ieremie ſaith, in the perſon of the Iewes, Lam. 1. 12.euen as hee withholdeth them altogether from ſome other. And this I thought good to ſay, though ſomewhat of this argument hath been ſaid before.
It followeth how God furniſhed Gedeon with gifts of the ſpirit, both wiſdome and courage, whereby, according to that which hee had ſaid to him before [Goe in this thy power, and thou ſhalt ſaue Iſrael out of the hands of Midian] he was new fitted for it. Which teacheth, that when God appointeth his ſeruants to any charge or buſineſſe of his, hee inableth them to goe through it, and miniſtreth helpe to them accordingly. So Paul ſaith in a farre greater 1. Tim. 1. 12.worke then this of Gedeons, that God counted him faithfull, and put him in his ſeruice, after he had appointed him thereunto. So Saul when he was choſen King, had gifts giuen him to gouerne, God making him thereby, as the text ſaith, another man. So the Lord dealeth with thoſe whom hee maketh Miniſters of the Goſpell, that they ſhall doe his meſſage to the people faithfully and diligently, and plainely and powerfully; to the iuſt challenging of them, who boldly take vponupon them ſo waightie a calling as doth concerne the ſauing or deſtroying the ſoules of men, hauing no furniture of preaching the Goſpell ſoundly and clearely, neither any care to looke that way, nor other grace beſtowed vponupon them. Now Gods worke is not onelyonly ſome great ſeruice, as Gedeons to fight, and Pauls to preach, and Moſes to deliuer Iſrael from Egypt: but euen to liue in the married eſtate, to walke in a calling publike or priuate, and much more to profeſſe the name of Chriſt, in what condition ſoeuer. And when we ſpeake of Gods calling a man to this worke, (I meane not any ſenſible calling by voice,) as here Gedeon extraordinarilie was: but when a man entreth into theſe eſtates, functions, or actions by direction and warrant of the lawfulneſſe or neceſſitie thereof, from the word and ordination of the Church. Vſing alſo the holieſt and beſt meanes to obtaine faith, knowledge, wiſdome and conſcience to diſcharge them well: to ſuch I ſay, God will not be wanting, although they may thinke that their caſe is not as Gedeons, (and yet they had need bee no weaker in faith, nor lower brought then he was) and that they are but ſeely priuate perſons; yes, God will ſo bleſſe them, and proſper their lawfull enterpriſes, yea though they deeme themſelues vnfit to vndertake ſuch workes, or vnable to goe through them: that ſo as they ſhall hauehave cauſe to bleſſe the Lord, and wonder at his louelove and faithfulneſſe to them, when they who goe about the ſame, to obſerue how he aſſiſteth and bleſſeth them, and on the other ſide, how they who relie vponupon their own head and pollicie, ſhall wanze, come to nothing, and be reſiſted by him; as we reade of ſuch as being commanded to goe againſt the Canaanites See and reade Num. 14. from verſ. 40. to 45.refuſed; but, would needs goe fight againſt them being forbidden, and therefore they were ſore diſcomfited. But of this I hauehave ſpoken before.
Gedeon being thus furniſhed, was in couraged to go againſt Gods enemies, Verſe 34 35.and ſo much the more, ſeeing he had ſuch ſucceſſe before by the promiſe of the Angell. Where note, how well things proſper with vsus, and goe forward, when we are certaine, that we be ſet a worke by the Lord: and more particularly, when we are furniſhed with faith in his promiſes for the preſent, and time to come, and heartned by the experience of Gods helpe in the time paſt. For it was not for nothing, that the Lord meaning to ſet him a worke about a greater ſeruice, gaue him good proofe firſt, as of his owne weakenes, ſo of his aſſiſtance in the leſſer, I meane in the deſtroying of Baal; of which point more hereafter, if God will. Now both theſe did worke vponupon him mightily, and ſo wee then eſpecially, when with both, our conſciences can witneſſe to vsus, that we hauehave caſt off, and purged out ſuch ſinnes wherein we liued before, oh then, I ſay, we goe on roundly and readily in the duties wee take in hand. And ſo on the contrary, if we doe but crop them off by a preſent and ſlight diſlike of them, we ſhall ſenſibly and eaſily feele how awkelie and vntowardly wee goe to worke, as the Iſraelites againſt the Beniamites. Iudg. 20.Cap. 20. But of this point often by occaſion before.
In blowing the trumpet, to draw and call together the companie that Doct. 2.ſhould aſſiſt him, marke who were ſaid to follow him to the battell: euen Abiezer, meaning the people in his tribe, and of the familie that he was of, that had been ſo furiouſly bent and ſet againſt him for the ouerthrowing of Baal: who alſo would hauehave had him put to death for the ſame; which may bee maruelled at to ſee them ſo turned vntounto him. But the Lord (no doubt) changed their hearts; and againe, they ſaw no hurt fell out to Gedeon by Baal, as the Barbarians to Paul by the viper, which they verily looked for. Acts. 28. 5.For many doe iudge of the profeſſors of Gods worſhip, according to the outward bleſſing and ſucceſſe, and eſpecially beginners: who yet in time Note.grow to ſee into the matter better, as they did, Ioh. 4. who told the woman, Ioh. 4 42.that though they were drawne by her to heare, yet they beleeued then vponupon a better ground, as their owne knowledge. But to returne againe; If men that runne after vaine idols, and all other that ſerue God amiſſe, and not after his word, would conſider, what they get thereby, euen leſſe then nothing; and how they are deceiued in that wherein they put their truſt; they would ſeeke further, and ſerue the Lord onelyonly, and him alſo according to his word, with an vpright heart, as knowing him to be a bountiful rewarder and Heb. 11. 6.pay maſter. Yea and the godly would take more hart to themſelues in Gods buſineſſe, if they conſidered how the Lord cauſeth many reſiſters and enemies of them and their goodneſſe, to turne to their practiſe, and cleaue vntounto Reuel. 3. 9.their profeſſion, to worſhip at their feete, and to ſerue God with them. A worthie fruit of their innocency, though it procured them but onelyonly a good report, and ſome generall allowance: but when it draweth others to the heartie intertainment of the truth with them, in the louelove thereof, it is much more. But I noted ſomewhat of this point in Ioaſh, vponupon the entrance into the ſtorie, or elſe where.
The reſt of the Tribes about him, as Zebulon, Aſher and Naphtali, followed Verſ. 35.him. For though the Lord called Gedeon onelyonly, yet he could not alone fight againſt the enemies. For our faith in God doth not exclude the helpe of men, nor the ſecond meanes which may lawfully and conueniently bee inioyed. For Gods ſeruants are not led by faith to tempt God, but to ſerue his prouidence, as in wiſdome they learne to doe. And this is one eſpeciall cauſe why God will furniſh him whom hee calleth, becauſe hee giueth him grace to ſeeke aſſiſtance from him in all his enterpriſes, and to ſerue his prouidence. And ſo is one bound to helpe another, where need requireth, as the Tribes here did Gedeon. Reade more of this Chap. 2. verſ. 3.