A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors, Book 2 · Part 1 · Subpart 17 – Subpart 18
The Arm of God.
Deut. 33.27.
And underneath are the Everlasting Arms.
Isa. 33.2.
Be thou their Arm every Morning.
SOmetimes by an Anthropopathy, an Arm is attributed to God, by which we are to denote his Strength and Power, because the Strength of a Man is known by the Strength of his Arm, whether it be in Labour, Fight, &c. Exod. 15.16. Job 40.4. Psal. 77.16. & 79.11. & 89.11, 14. Isa. 30.30. & 51.9. &c. Sometimes a stretched out Arm is ascribed to him; as Psal. 136.11, 12. Jer. 32.17. But here God is by a Metaphor said to be an Arm; upon which we will produce the following Parallel.
Metaphor.
I. THe Arm is an essential and noble Part of Man.
II. The Arm is a very useful Limb or Member of the Body; what can the Body do for it self, or others, that hath no Arms?
III. The Arm guards, protects, defends, and saves the Body, from many Blows, and other imminent Dangers.
IV. The Arm is a very useful and ready thing to take hold of, and to bear such up that are weak and feeble. We commonly say, to such especially whom we dearly love, Take hold, and lean upon my Arm.
V. The Body hath, and needs two Arms, and cannot by any means spare either of them.
VI. The Arm is not only ready for Defence, but also to offend those Enemies, that would destroy and ruine the Body.
VII. With our Arms we embrace our Friends, and those we dearly love.Gen. 29.13 Thus L…ban embraced Jacob, and Jacob his Sons, before he died. 'Tis a Sign our Wrath is pacified to those that have offended us;Gen. 48.10. thus Esau embraced Jacob at their Meeting.Gen 33.4.
VIII. The Arms of a mighty Man are said to be very strong. Sampson broke the two Cords wherewith he was bound,Judg. 15.13, 14, 16. the Cords that were upon his Arms became as Flax; and by the Strength of his Arm, with the Jaw-bone of an Ass, he slew a thousand Men;Judg. 16.30. and afterwards overthrew the House where the Lords of the Philistins were.
IX. In our Arms we carry our weak and young Children, if they cannot go; we that way shew our Care, and Bowels of Compassion towards them.
X. The Arm or Hand is the Instrument of Action and Administration, 'tis that by which all our Works are performed; without Arms we can do nothing. There is a necessity of Arms, to get our Bread, and afterwards to feed our Mouths, &c.
XI. A Man usually stretches out his Arms, when he calls a Child to him that hath been rebellious, whom he is willing to pardon.
Parallel.
I. POwer is an Essential of the Divine Being, or one of the glorious Attributes of God.
II. The Power of God is very useful and profitable unto the Saints; of the same use that the Arm is to the Body, is God to Believers.
III. God guards, protects, defends, and saves the Church,Isa. 4.5. Psal. 20.1. Psal. 5.11. Isa. 31.5. which is his mystical Body, from those cursed Assaults and Blows of Satan, and other Dangers they are exposed to in this World.
IV. God's Power is useful and ready, to bear up and support all sincere, tho weak and feeble Saints; nay,Psal. 37.23 there is none can go alone, walk and not stumble, unless God takes hold of them.Isa. 63.12. He led them ('tis said) by the right Hand of Moses, with his glorious Arm.
V. We read not only of the Arm, but Arms of God:Deut. 33.27. Ʋnderneath are the everlasting Arms. There is the Arm of his Mercy, as well as the Arm of his Power; and the Church can by no means spare either of these Arms of God.
VI. The Arm of the Most-High is not only for Defence and Protection to the Church, but also to offend and destroy their implacable Enemies:Deut. 33.27. He shall thrust out his Enemies from before thee, and shall say, Destroy them. Psal. 3.7.Thou hast smitten all mine Enemies on the Cheek-bone, and hast broken the Teeth of the Ʋngodly.
VII. God in his Arms of Grace and Mer…y, embraces all those that submit themselves unto him in an humble and sincere manner; and by this shews that his Wrath is appeased. And Christ is said to embrace the Spouse: His left Hand is under my Head, Cant. 2.6.and his right Hand doth embrace me. As the Heart signifieth inward Love; so the Arm of Christ signifieth the Manifestation of that Love, saith a Reverend Author.Ainsworth
VIII. God is mighty in Power. Who hath an Arm like the Arm of God?Job 40.9. Psal. 90.11 Eph. 3.19. Who knoweth the Power of his Anger, or who can shew the Strength of his Love? There is nothing too hard for the Arm of God to do; nay, nothing is hard to him. With his Arms he will deliver his People: My own Arm brought Salvation. Isa. 63.5.With the Strength of his Arm he will dash the Wicked in pieces, and overthrow the Strong-Holds of Babylon: Ezek. 36.36.I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.
IX. The Lord manifesteth his Bowels of Compassion and tender Care over his poor, young, and weak Children, by carrying them in his Arms:Isa 40.11. He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd; he shall gather the Lambs with his Arms, and carry them in his Bosom.
X. Without God we can do nothing;John 15.5. he it is that works and labours for the Good of his Church: Lord, Isa. 26.12.thou hast ordained Peace for us; for thou also hast wrought all our Works in us. He provides us Bread, and then feeds us also:Psal. 81.10 Open thy Mouth wide, and I will fill it.
XI. God is said to stretch forth his Arms,Isa. 65.2. when he calls upon rebellious Sinners, shewing how willing he is, upon their Repentance, to pardon and forgive them.
Metaphor.
I. THe Arm of a Man is an Arm of Flesh, and consequently may decay, grow weak, or be withered.
II. The Arm of Man is short, and cannot help at a distance; such as is a Man, such is his Arm▪ and Power.
III. The Arm of Man is weak, and may be beaten down by a greater Force; cannot engage or encounter with the Powers of Hell.
IV. The Arm of a Man may be broke, or cut off, and so become useless.
V. The Arm of Man helps but for a time; he lives not always, and so cannot help always.
Disparity.
I. THe Arm of God is a spiritual Arm, and so cannot decay; all the Attributes of God abide, and change not.
II. God's Arm is not short; he can help and save afar off, as well as near; and Ten Thousands at once, tho they live in so many Nations:Isa. 55.1. The Lord's Arm is not shortned, that he cannot save.
III. God's Arm is very strong, too strong for the Mighty of the Earth;Psal. 89.10, 13. Job 40.9. what is the Arm of Man to the Arm of God? Alas! what can they do? He is able with his little Finger to crush and break them to pieces; nay he is able to destroy all the Powers of Hell and Devils in a Moment.
IV. God's Arm cannot be broke, nor cut off.
V. The Arms of God can help at all Times, and in every Condition; hence called the everlasting Arms.Deut. 33.27.
Application.
1. IF God hath such a strong Arm, let Sinners take heed how they provoke him against them; it is a dreadful thing (you may perceive from hence) to fall into the Hands of the Living God.1 Cor. 10.22. Do ye provoke the Lord to Anger? Are ye stronger than he?
2. If God hath such an Arm, Wo to the Enemies of the Church; this may make Babylon tremble:Rev. 18.8. Her Plagues shall come upon her in one Day, Death, and Mourning, and Famine, and she shall be utterly burnt with Fire; for strong is the Lord that judgeth her.
3. If the Church of God hath such Arms as you have heard, doubtless her Enemies shall never prevail against her; it shews forth the Security and Safety of God's People; God is able to save and deliver his Church when he pleases.
4. Why should Saints be afraid of Man, and tremble at the Arm of Flesh, who have an Arm of God to help them? Have Men an Arm like him?Job 40.9. Alas! their Power is weak and vain. There is no King saved by the Multitude of an Host; a mighty Man is not delivered by much Strength. As 'tis a great Sin to trust in an Arm of Flesh, Cursed is the Man that trusteth in Man: So 'tis a great Evil and Folly to fear what they can do. What hurt can the Arm of Man do us? They can but kill the Body, that's the most; and so far they are not able to go neither, unless God gives them Commission.
5. How soon can God, if he hath such an Arm, break the Arm of the Mighty? God can deal with the strongest Arm of Flesh. Son of Man, saith the Lord,Ezek. 30.21. I have broken the Arm of Pharaoh King of Aegypt, and lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a Roller to bind it, to make strong to hold a Sword. When God breaks the Arm of an haughty King, 'tis beyond the Skill of his Chirurgeons to set the Bones, and make it whole again.Jer. 48.25. The Horn of Moab is cut off, and his Arm is broke. A savage Beast (saith one) cannot hurt us, when his Horn is broke; no more can a cruel Tyrant, when his Arm of Power is burst asunder.
6. If this be so, let us engage the Arm of God for us: If we can but get the Almighty to be on our side, wee'l not fear what Hell or Rome can do unto us. Let us humble our selves before him, and depart from Iniquity; let us trust in God alone, and offend him (as we have done) no more.
7. If God have such a mighty Arm, then let us all labour to trust in him. We cannot (saith a godly Minister) trust Creatures too little (as to Success) nor can we trust God too much; let us trust in God alone, and in no other Strength but his.
8. This may stir us up to the Duty of Prayer, to cry mightily in our Distresses to God for Help; let us pray in this time of Need, as the Church doth: Awake, awake, put on Strength, O Arm of the Lord, awake as in the Generations of old: Art thou not he that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the Dragon? Lord, shew forth thy Might; here is another Dragon, a Romish and bloody Dragon, risen up against thy poor Church, and it is in the Power of thy Arm only to deal with him.
9. Seeing God hath such an Arm, let weak Christians pray, that he would lead them, yea, carry them in his Bosom; and let us all daily be in the Consideration and Meditation of the Strength and Power of his Arm. We little consider and fear what God can do.
God compared to a Travailing VVoman.
Isa. 42.14.
Now will I cry like a travailing Woman, &c.
THis is a kind of Metaphor called an Anthropopathy, as all Places are that attribute any thing humane to God. In this Text we are to note, that his Lenity, Patience, and long Forbearance, are changed into a severe Vengeance: Because a travailing Woman, tho in great Pain, yet patiently endures it, to the utmost Extremity of her Throws; and then, being overcome by the Violence of her Pangs, breaks out into Cries and Vociferation: Which most elegantly expresses the Patience and long Forbearance of God, and the Extremity of his Wrath, when provoked, Psal. 78.65, 66. Rom. 2.45.
Simile.
I. A Travailing Woman is in Pain, great Pain: When Pangs come upon thee like the Pain of a Woman in Travail.
II. A Woman in Travail cries out; her Pains are so great she cannot refrain; her Pangs make her cry bitterly.
III. A Woman in Travail strives to bring forth.
IV. 'Tis not long, when great Pain and Pangs come upon a travailing Woman, e're she is delivered.
Parallel.
I. GOD is pleased to speak after this manner, as if he was in pain: I will ease me, saith he, of mine Adversaries, I will avenge me of mine Enemies. Isa. 1.24.The Adversaries of God seem to hurt, and put him to pain. In all their Afflictions he was afflicted: When the Foot is afflicted, the Head is afflicted. God is pleased to condescend so low,Isa. 63.9. as to sympathize with his Church; when she is pain'd, he is pain'd.
II. God will visibly demonstrate (to speak after the manner of Men) how his Soul is pained and distressed for his Church and People; hence saith he, I will cry like a travailing Woman.Isa. 42.14.
III. God when he stirs up himself, and begins to cry and roar, 'tis that he may bring forth Deliverance for his Church.
IV. When God begins to roar in his thundring Judgments, pouring forth the Vials of his Wrath upon the Beast, and to cry like a travailing Woman, Deliverance will soon follow the Church.
Vse.
IT shews the great Affection and Love of God to his People, the Truth and Certainty of their Deliverance, and the utter Confusion and Downfall of their Enemies.