The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of the punishment that seised upon Pharaoh King of Aegypt, for resisting God, and transgressing the first commandement of the Law.
WEe have sufficiently declared in the premisses, that the mightiest potentates of this world are bound to range themselves under the obedience of Gods law: it remaineth now that we produce examples of those punishments that have fallen upon the heads of the transgressours of the same, according to the manner of their transgression, of what sort soever: which that we may the better describe, it behooveth us to follow the order of the Commandements, as the examples wee bring may be fitly referred to any of them. And first we are to understand, that when God said, Thou shalt have none other Gods before me, hee condemneth under these words the vanity of men that have forged to themselves a multitude of gods: hee forbiddeth all false Religion, and declareth, That hee would be acknowledged to be the sole and true God; and that we should serve, worship, love, feare, and obey him in and above all things; and whosoever it be that doth otherwise, either by hindring his worship, or afflicting those that worship him, the same man provoketh his heavy wrath to bee throwne upon him, to his utter ruine and destruction. This is the indignation that lighted upon Pharaoh King of Aegypt, as wee read in the booke of God: who being one of the most puissant Kings of the earth in his age, God chose him for an object to shew his wonderfull power, by the means of horrible plagues and scourges which hee cast upon him, and by destroying him with all his armies at the length, as his rebellion well deserved: For he like a cruell Tyrant continuing to oppresse the children of Israel, without giving them any release or breathing time from their misery, or liberty to serve God, although by Moses in the name and authority of God (who made himselfe well enough knowne unto him, without the help of any written law) hee was many times instantly urged and requested thereunto: so many judgements and punishments assayled him one in the necke of another, in such sort, that at length he was overtaken and ensnared therewith. First of all, the very waters of Aegypt being converted into bloud, proclaimed warre against him: then the frogges which covered the face of the earth, climbed up even to his chamber and bed, and filling every corner of his land, sounded him an alarme: next a muster of lice and gnats, and such other troublesome and stinking creatures, summoned him to combate: an handfull of embers seattered in the aire by Moses, were unto him as the strokes of a stone or a shaft, which did wonderfully disfigure their bodies with boyles and most noysome scabbes: afterward the grashoppers were put in battell array against him, together with the hailestones, horrible thunders and lightenings, wasting and spoyling, and running up and downe grievously through his whole land. After all these bitter blowes, the Tyrant being cut short, and being so besieged on every side with hideous and palpable darknesse, that he could not tell which wayes to turne himselfe, yet would hee not be brought to any reason, but continued obstinate and hardened against God, though all the elements, with heaven and earth, had taken armour together, and conspired his destruction. Therefore while hee remained in this wretched state, Gods Angell punished him in the person of his eldest sonne, which died suddenly in one night, together with all the first borne of Aegypt; wherewithall both hee and all his people being greatly moved and grieved, at length gave the Israelites not onelyonly leave, but also hasted them to depart: but anon, as he saw them going, like a man bestraught he ranne after them againe, and pursued them with a mighty army, untill God in the meane while opening a passage for his children overthwart the deep Red sea, attended him in the mid way, where hee surprised and ensnared him, overthrew and violently overturned the wheeles of his chariots, and put his whole army to a burly burly; and that he might utterly destroy him, caused the sea from each side to returne to his channell, which drowned and devoured him and all his army. And this is one of the noblest and fearfullest judgements of God that can be mentioned, and therefore is very often recounted in many places of the Scripture, as a thing most memorable above others. Neither ought wee to marvell, if so notable a History as this is not set downe among the writings of prophane authors: for that besides their Histories doe not ordinarily stretch so farre, as to record such antient acts, there is also no doubt but the successors of that Tyrant, and all the Aegyptians, sought all means possible to cancell and blot out the memory of their so great and horrible ruine. And if by chance any Historiographer make mention of the departure of the Israelites out of Aegypt, it is done in such sort, that the truth is not onelyonly disguised, but wholly perverted by them, and in place thereof nothing but lies and falshood foisted in.
Like as Pharaoh by his unjust and outragious persecuting of the children of God, made himselfe so guilty of Gods wrath, that he deserved to be utterly destroyed, with the greatest part of his people: so also after their miraculous deliverance, whosoever laboured either to hurt, hinder, or resist them, did no lesse incurre Gods displeasure and fierce wrath against them, wherewith they were consumed: whereof the overthrow and discomfiture of Amalech is a plaine example; who, admit all the great wonders which God had done for the Israelites in Exod. 17.Aegypt and in the red sea (whereof the brute being blowne into all corners of the earth, hee could not be ignorant;) yet was he so malitious and foolish hardy, as to take up armour against them, and to meet them to bid them battell; but he and his wicked complices were by Ioshuah and his poore people (though unwarliking and unacquainted with such actions, lately crept out of bondage, wherein they had been only exercised to make mortar and bricke, and not to handle weapons) discomfited and overthrowne: for the Lord of Hosts (who is the divider of victories to whom he pleaseth) at the servent prayers of his servant Moses, fought for them, to the confusion of Amalech and all his traine; and therefore he commanded Moses to put this deed of his in writing, as a thing worthy to be remembred; who also erected an Altar in the same place, for a perpetuall monument of so noble a victory.
As Amalech, and for the like sinne, were Arad a King of the Num 2. 1.Canaanites, Sehon King of Amorites, and Og King of Basan, with their people and cities, destroyed and rased downe; so the Madianites enterprising to withstand the foresaid Israelites, by the wicked and pernicious counsell of Balaam, were subdued and put to the Num. 31.sword, even five Kings of them together, not one escaping save the young Virgins which had never committed fornication with man.
After that the Children of Israel had continued a season peaceably in the Land of Canaan which the Lord had bestowed upon them, then did Eglon King of Moab rise up, and subdued them by warre, and tyrannized over them eighteene yeares. And although it was Gods Iudg. 3.will that they should be thus chastised, because of their corruption, and iniquity, neverthelesse this Moabite (his Rod) hee caused (in regard of his love to his people) to be slaine by Ahud an Israelite, as hee was taking his case in his chamber. In like manner was his wrath stirred up against Iabin King of Asor, who had oppressed Israel twenty yeares: whose army, though it was great and well appointed, was notwithstanding by Baraks handfull of men, under the conduct and rule of Deborah the Prophetesse, wondrously discomfited; in such sort, that of all the multitude there remained not one that felt not the edge of the sword, except Sisera their Captaine; who escaping from the battell by betaking him to his heeles, turned in by chance into the house of a woman called Iahel; who hating him, as he slept, with a hammer fastened a naile into his temples; and thus escaping from those whom he feared, he was murthered by her whom he trusted. And so this valiant warriour, as he was overcome in battell by the conduct of a woman, so was he put to death by the hand of a woman.
That which happened to the Madianites in the time of Gideon, is admirable and very strange; who being furnished with a mighty army of souldiers, with the Amalekites and other their Allyes, to destroy Israel, were so Iudg. 7.scarred and scattered at the sound of the trumpets, and brightnesse of torches of three hundred men at the most that were with Gideon, that through the marvellous astonishment they were in, they turned their blades into their owne bosomes, and murthered one another, till the greatest part of them were destroyed; and the residue being put to flight, and pursued by the men of Ephraim, two of their Kings, Oreb and Zeb, were taken and slaine.
A while after it came to passe, that the Princes of the Philistims, who Iudg 16.had oppressed the people of God by the space of forty yeares, being assembled together with all their people in the Temple of Dagon their god even then when after their sacrifices, they thought to make themselves most sport and pastime with poore Sampson, whose eyes in mockery & contempt they had put out, were altogether massacred by the fall of the house which Sampson by his strength pulled upon their heads: which was the greatest overthrow that before times by his means they had received.
In the raigne of Saul King of Israel, Agag King of Amalech, the posterity 1 Sam 15.of those that laid wait for Israel in the desart, as they came out of Aegypt, were by Saul (following the commandement of the Lord) set upon; who running upon him and his people, made a great slaughter and butchery of them, not sparing man, woman, nor childe, but the King onelyonly, whom he tooke to mercy, and led captive, which he ought not to have done. This Captaine being thus spared by one that was but little better than himself, could not so escape; for the Prophet, Samuel became the executioner of Gods vengeance upon him, since Saul refused it, and with his own hand flew him, even then when he thought he should live.
A little while after, Goliah a gyant of the Philistims, who as well through 1 Sam. 17.the hugenesse of his stature, and strength of body, as through the horrible cruelty which appeared in him, seemed in mans eyes invincible, proudly and presumptuously defied the army of the living God, offering and daring any one man of Israel to enter combate with him: This proud fellow was, notwithstanding all his brags, by young and unarmed David, save a little sticke and a few stones which he had in his hands; vanquished and trod under foot; for he gave this great beast such a knocke with one of his stones on the forehead, that at the first blow he tumbled him groveling on the earth, and quickly leaping upon him, caught hold of his huge sword, and therwithall cut off his monstrous head: which the Philistims perceiving, turned their backes and fled, and were pursued and slaine by the Israelites.