Commentary on Judges, Sermon 64
THE SIXTIETH FOVRE SERMON ON THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES.
Verſe 4. And in proceſſe of time the children of Ammon made warre with Iſrael.
5. And when the children of Ammon fought with Iſrael, the Elders of Gilead went to fetch Iphtah out of the land of Tob.
6. And they ſaid vntounto Iphtah, Come and be our Captaine, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
7. Iphtah then anſwered vntounto the Elders of Gilead, Did not yee hate me, and expell me out of my fathers houſe? How then come yee vntounto me now in the time of your tribulation?
8. Then the Elders of Gilead ſaid vntounto Iphtah, Therfore we turne againe to thee now, that thou maiest goe with vsus, and fight againſt the children of Ammon, and be our Head ouer all the inhabitants of Gilead.
9. And Iphtah ſaid vntounto the Elders of Gilead, If yee bring mee home againe to fight againſt the children of Ammon, if the Lord giuegive them before me, ſhall I bee your head?
10. And the Elders of Gilead ſaid vntounto Iphtah, The Lord be witneſſe betweene vsus, if we doe not according to thy words.
11. Then Iphtah went with the Elders of Gilead, and the people made him Head and Captaine ouer them: And Iphtah rehearſed all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh.
IN theſe eight verſes, we ſee how God brought to paſſe by his prouidence, that the Princes of Gilead, who with Iphtahs The ſumme of theſe verſes.brethren, had vniuſtly expelled him out of the citie, were driuen by their owne law to deſire him home againe, and to fight againſt the Ammonites for them; which that they might the better effect, they goe themſelues in a ſolemne manner to the place of his baniſhment, euen to the land of Tob, and with entreaty in all humbleneſſe, offer him the gouernment, and chiefe command in the battell againſt Ammon. Iphtah at the firſt caſting them in the teeth with their vnkindneſſe before-time, (as it was meet that ſuch diſcourteſie and diſgrace as they had offered him in time paſt ſhould not be altogether buried in ſilence and be vnmentioned) requireth of them good aſſurance of their fidelitie, becauſe it might be doubted, that their preſent neceſſity draue them to make this offer, rather then any louelove towards him. Which being tendered and granted to him accordingly; he yeeldeth to their requeſt, and went home with them, and (the Lord ordering the buſineſſe) there he found the whole congregation readie to confirme the election of the Elders of Gilead, as alſo, afterward, the Lord himſelfe did: and ſo Iphtah was made their Captaine, and proceeded to the worke whereto God had appointed him.
Generally this teacheth how ſtrangely God turneth the times and ſtate Doct. ver. 4. 5.of things by his wiſdome, whereby he ruleth and diſpoſeth them: and this he doth for the triall and comfort of his, and contrary to and againſt the expectation and deſire of their enemies, as here he did to Iphtahs comfort, and to the croſſing of them of Gilead, raiſe this warre. To teach vsus all that are fit to learne, to depend vponupon him alone, and to hauehave his word for our direction, that ſo we need not be aſhamed whatſoeuer come to paſſe.
Whereas if we hauehave followed our owne humor, either in croſſing, and wronging any, as they here did Iphtah, we may be driuen to ſtand in need of them, and to ſeeke helpe at their hands, as they did at his, which will not a little croſſe vsus; or if we hauehave reproched ourſelues, by bragging and boaſting, we may receiue the foile at their hands, whom we hauehave ſo abuſed, and ſo we may with ſhame bee made to eate our word; or if we hauehave proudly ſet vp our ſaile, or doe depend vponupon vncertaine hope of future commodities, and momentany preferment, wee may bee diſapointed to our iuſt reproch, and that eaſily; the Lord ſo altering and changing things as he doth. And herein his daily fruſtrating of many mens hope, who depend vponupon blind fortune, promiſing to themſelues, that all ſhall be, as they wiſh, vtterly ſhutting God out from their attempt, might make vsus wiſe.
An example hereof in the King of Aram, as in many other, is to be ſeene: who oft appointed his armies ſecretly againſt the King of Iſrael; but he was 2. King. 6. 10. 11diſapointed by God of his expectation, till he raged and fretted at it. Herevpon S. Iames reprooueth his reſolution of man, that hee will himſelfe, and Iames 4. 13. 14.of himſelfe ſay of theſe changeable things; to morrow we will goe to ſuch a citie and gaine, &c. when yet Salomon telleth vsus, we cannot tell what one Prou. 27. 1.day may bring foorth. And yet men ceaſe not to determine what they will doe, and how they will thriue, reuenge, take their pleaſure and paſſe the time: and ſo we reckon of, and deale about ſeaſons, that although all know the weather altereth the price of things, yet wee will ſell and buy our commodities Note.before hand, when wee know not how to make good, and performe couenants to other, or how other will to vsus, no, neither are willing, if prices alter, to ſtand to our word: which yet God doth bring to paſſe ofttimes, to the ioynting not of ſuch common doings onelyonly in ſmaller matters, but alſo of the richeſt in their greateſt affaires, and that a thouſand waies according to his good pleaſure. And therfore it were our wiſdome to ſubmit our ſelues to his prouidence in all things, and not to ſtand ſtiffely vponupon our owne will, ſeeing he will breake our ſtomackes in ſpight of our hearts, by diſappointing of vsus, and except we doe ſo, we ſhall neuer be quiet.
But to returne againe, we ſee that God brought this about principally for the good of his ſeruant Iphtah, and to worke his enlargement, though to the ſhame and conuiction of his aduerſaries. Iphtah neither himſelfe made any meanes, by meſſengers, writing, or ſuite of friends, for his returne out of baniſhment: neither would the Lord permit him to doe ſo, but prouided better for him, that he ſhould hauehave a calling to it: for if he had returned blindly home, as a priuate exile, what great matter had it been, or how could Gods worke hauehave been ſeene in it, as now it was? But behold, the Lord will rather hauehave Iphtah abide ſometime in diſtreſſe and baſeneſſe, that hee may bee fetcht home with publike conſent of his nation, as Ioſeph was out of priſon; and that they did not ſo much to the gratifying of him, as themſelues: the greateſt perſons of Gilead requeſting it at his hand, and profeſſing themſelues highly beholding vntounto him, if hee would grace them by returning, who had diſgraced him before, by caſting him off. Nay, and he muſt not Note.be ſent for, but come for, not by friends, but by his ranckeſt enemies, not to his former eſtate of a ſubiect, but to be a Lord and Gouernor. A carnal man hearing of this, Oh how his teeth water and his fingers itch at the ſucceſſe of Iphtah, and how doth he wiſh he might hauehave his deſire vponupon his enemies, and triumph ouer them as he did? But oh foole! this is no prerogatiue for thee to claime, it is the glorie of innocencie, the fruite of faith, of patient waiting vponupon God, and committing a mans waies to him in wel-doing. Such another example (leſt wee ſhould ſay this is alone) is Mordecai. The Lord might hauehave put it into the Kings mind to peruſe the Chronicles and recognize Mordecaies well deſeruing long before he did: but alas, that had been an obſcure fauour in compariſon. God meant his worthy ſeruant farre better then ſo: he would hauehave this breake out when it was moſt ſeaſonable: and the ſeaſon was, when his prouidence might be moſt manifeſted therby. Therefore when great Haman was working his ouerthrow, and al the Churches; then is the opportunitie to bring forth the record: that ſo (all vnderunder one) the aduerſary may be defeated with ſhame, the Church notably deliuered from danger, and Mordecai not reſcued onelyonly, but brought forth out of trouble, with the higheſt honor that his rankeſt enemie could be forced to giuegive him. Come forth (ye diſciples of Machiauel) and ſet your braines on worke in the politiqueſt manner ye can, and ſee if ye can teach your nouices ſuch a way as this, ſo famouſly to ſupplant your oppoſites, and ſet vp themſelues in their roome! ye cannot doubtleſſe, or if ye could, yet ye teach them but diueliſh policie to contriue it, whereby you and they hauehave more cauſe of ſhame and repentance, then boaſting and inſulting. Therefore (not to digreſſe) now Iphtah is buſie about Gods matters (neuer thinking of a reuenge of his owne priuate wrongs) and loe, the Lord is as buſie about Iphtahs affaires, and contriuing how he may bring him foorth out of his trouble. Is not this enough to perſwade vsus to make God our Factor and Aduocate Doct. 2.to pleade for vsus, and bring about our matters? yea to tie our owne hands behind vsus, from putting them forth vnlawfully in our owne defence? May we not ſay now, there is a truth in thoſe words, Roll thy waies, or caſt Pſalm. 37. 5.thy care vponupon Iehouah, and he will giuegive thee thy hearts deſire? Did he not ſo to Iphtah? Euen that iſſue which he would hauehave deſired and ſought by reuenge, or euill meanes (if he had been a bad perſon) I meane to hauehave his enemies to be his pages to conduct him home as their Commander; that I ſay obtained Iphtah, not by vſing euill meanes, but without vſing any at all. Was not this as a man would hauehave it? What needed here any ſhifting, any ſtirring, any plotting? Did not God effect it without theſe? So when Ioſeph in priſon was forgotten by Pharaohs Butler to be ſet free, how did the Lord remember him, to bring him foorth with farre greater honour. Thus hee dealt with his, where they relye on him. And if hee did this for Iphtah, a poore ſouldier, a baſtard, and baniſhed, and for Mordecai a deſpiſed ſtranger, and for Ioſeph a poore priſoner, as wee hauehave heard; will he not doe the like to vsus, if we would cleaue vntounto him as our alſufficient God, and honour him by putting ouer all to him, to deale wholly for vsus, while wee ſit ſtill, and goe about his ſeruice? And what leſſe can we doe then truſt him with our matters, and wholly giuegive vp our ſelues to be doers of his work, when as our Maſter profeſſeth himſelfe to be wholly ours, and to bring our matters to paſſe, which our ſelues (with much labour and more ſinne) ſhould neuer be able to compaſſe?
We hauehave heard how Iphtah was repaired vntounto by the chiefe of Gilead, The ſumme of verſe 6. 7. 8.and what a free and large offer they made to him if hee would goe with them: thus had the Lord prouided for his ſeruant. Now followeth his anſwere: Iphtah therfore (as he might well) told the Princes of Gilead of their fault, by ſo good occaſion and opportunitie as was offered; and how iniuriouſly they had dealt with him, in driuing him out from among them againſt all right and law: and hereupon hee demanded of them how they could now in their ſtreight ſeeke to him among all other? and indeed they could with no ſound reaſon requeſt fauour of him whom they had hated; and as for him, hauing receiued ſuch meaſure from them, how could hee truſt them? And they could not denie it, which was a ſhame to them to remember: but now they would preferre him (they ſaid) to make him recompence, and the rather to perſwade him thereof, they confeſſed the whole matter vntounto him. But if he had been as wilfull now they ſtood in neede of him, (which he ſaw very well) as they had been cruell and ſpightfull againſt him before; hee would neuer hauehave condeſcended vntounto them, but would hauehave held them on the racke.
We learne here, that God doth oft make vsus ſtand in need of their helpe Doct. verſ. 6.whom we hate and deſpiſe. Firſt to the end wee may ſee our fault in hating them, and take ſhame for it, as there is cauſe. Secondly, to ouercome enuie, which if we had not need one of another, would grow very ſtrong. For this cauſe did the Lord ſo diſpoſe, that the Tribes euer needed one another, (as we ſee through the ſtories of this booke and the bookes of Samuel) that they might hold one with another againſt Idolaters, and might not hate each the other; and in a ſpirituall reſpect, ſo God made the people ſtand in need of the Apoſtles, whom before they had railed vponupon in the ſecond of the Acts 2. 37.Acts. And ſo we, if we weighed it would neuer hate each the other, nor fall out as we doe too eaſily, one with another, conſidering the plunges we may be put to thereby, as when we are driuen to ſtand in need euen of them among all other, and it is in their hand to doe vsus ſome great hurt.
And yet ſome doe ſo reſt in their owne ſufficiencie, through the want of Note.wiſe foreſight of the caſualties which after may befall them, and through the pride of heart in their preſent eſtate, that they would ſtand in neede of none, neither be beholding vntounto any, which is but a nouriſhing of the hardnes of their hearts, and high mindednes, that ſo they may further glorie in themſelues: and therfore ſuch will rather offer violence to themſelues, then they will vſe the helpe of any ſuch as they like not: As Ahab ſpake of Michaiah, when he both ſtood in great need of his help, and was wiſhed to vſe it by godly Iehoſaphat; No, ſaith he, for I hate him, and he doth not prophecie 1. King. …2. ….good for me: but it had been better for him to hauehave been beholding to him.
So that in reſpect of ſuch paſſions, it is ſome reſtraint of nature and bridling of the corrupt heart, in him that can ſeeke to his enemie. And ſeeing God doth make vsus all to ſtand in need one of another, why ſhould wee not make our hearts to bow and bend, eſpecially when it ſhall be alſo for our owne good and benefit? Although I muſt ſay, that this is not ſo commendable in vsus, nor profitable for vsus thus farre to ſeeke to other, when we may feare the better thereby; (for a naturall man will ſtraine himſelfe for aduantage) but when we doe it to croſſe ourſelues, and our euill hearts (which rebell in vsus, and would carrie vsus to the contrarie) and ſo ſtoope to the ouercomming of the poyſon and corruption that is in them, and that alſo for conſcience ſake, that we may pleaſe God therein; this is a grace and worthie thing indeed.
This being done, we ſhould doe well to help one another, and perſwade each other to turne away to alienate rancour and ſtomacke from their enemies, as Iacob hath commendably gone before vsus herein to Eſau, and Dauid Gen. 32. 18. 2. King. 6. 22.toward Saul, and the Prophet Eliſha did perſwade the King of Iſrael to handle his enemies kindly which fell into his hands. But yet on the other ſide we muſt take heed as well of flattering men in their euill, as hating thē: for wee may not ſinne to obtaine and get mens fauour, but beare our croſſe contentedly, if euer wee be driuen to ſeeke helpe of them whoſe ſinne wee hauehave ſet outſelues againſt; for why wee hauehave done our duties, though wee receiue ill meaſure for our good will, and God will make a way for vsus, that al ſhall be well, and he will (if it be expedient) turne their hearts towards vsus, for all that: but (as was ſaid before) let vsus make none our enemies by needleſſe prouoking of them, but hold peace with all, (if it be poſſible) yea euen with them that are our enemies.
For how would theſe here hauehave done, if Iphtah had vſed them as they did him? Or what had become of Iehoram, 2. King. 3. if Eliſha had perſiſted in his reiecting the motion which he made, becauſe he and his father had ſcorned 2. King. 3. 13.him and his predeceſſor Elija before? Therefore be wee wiſe, for God may ſo order it, that (to reſiſt proud men) euen they whom we hauehave prouoked in our raſhnes, may be in place to doe vsus much hurt, and that none ſaue the very perſons whom we hauehave ſcorned, can helpe vsus in our neede. When Saul was newly created King, there were ſome iuſt of this humour (and therefore they are called ſonnes of Belial) who defied him: Tuſh, ſay they, 1. Sam. 10. 27.what new vpſtart is this? how ſhall ſuch a baſe fellow ſaue vsus? ſo that they would not acknowledge nor take him for their King. But ſhortly after, how ſhould they hauehave done (when Nahaſh came vponupon them) if that deſpiſed fellow (as they accounted of him) had not holpen them? Then there was ſeeking to Saul: and after the victorie it was demaunded by the people, who were theſe that ſpake againſt Saul ſo deſpightfully, ſaying, Shall he raigne ouer vsus? bring them foorth, and let them be ſlaine. Therefore (that we may auoid this ſhame and imputation of folly to be in our extreames, now to abandon a man as nothing worth, and after to ſeeke to him, acknowledging him to be our onelyonly helper) let vsus learne this moderation towards all, as neither to be burdenſome to the greateſt, nor yet beare a ſcornefull minde toward the meaneſt. If the Samaritan, and the man that fell among theeues had knowne each other before, and the one ſcorned to be the better for the other, is it like the one would hauehave looſed and relieued the other in that extremitie? Yet we may well thinke (in ſuch a caſe) hee muſt hauehave been of a rare proud ſtomack, that would hauehave lien ſtill wounded and in paine, rather then be beholding to him that was there to helpe him. And let me giuegive the poore a caueat, concerning this humour (for they that muſt depend vponupon all, yet hauing a proud heart, wiſh that all depended vponupon them, and ſometimes will vtter words to that effect) and I ſay this vntounto them, It ill becommeth the richeſt: and euen they may bee ſure at one time or other to ſmart for their proud ſtomacks: but much worſe it beſeemeth the pooreſt, who rather (as Salomon ſaith) ſhould vſe all entreatie. Let ſuch breake their hearts, and make holy vſe of Gods affliction vponupon them, and ſubmit themſelues to the bearing of their burthen, that ſo the hearts of the wealthier be not iuſtly hardned againſt them.
Alſo we ſee here in their deſiring the helpe of Iphtah, whom they had before Doct. 2. verſ. 6.expelled, that oft times the things which men reiect, God chuſeth to doe great enterprizes by. Which as it was moſt cleerely verified in our Sauour, who being the ſtone which the builders refuſed, was made the chiefe Acts 4. 11.corner ſtone; ſo was it alſo liuely verified in the Apoſtles after, Paul himſelfe ſaying of himſelfe: For all the good he had done, and the reſt, we are al made 1. Cor. 4. 9.a gazing ſtocke to the world, to the Angels, and to men. And ſo at this day, by whom doth the Lord gather his Church together, but by them that are counted the abiects of the world? or whom doth he make members of his Church, but them and thoſe to be deareſt vntounto him, who are not counted meete to liue on the earth? Therefore let no faithfull ſeruant of God be diſmaied for the diſcourteſies and diſcouragements which he ſhall meete with by the vnthankfull world; the Lord ſeeth their workes, and hath them in neuer the leſſe account, but will plentifully reward them: of which point I need not ſay much, hauing ſo often handled it in this booke alreadie.