A Complete and Compendious Church History, Chapter 11
The Eleventh Plot againſt the CHURCH, in Canaan: Defeated by GOD.
CHAP. XI.
NOw though the Church had loſt Moſes, and at his Death the Cloudy Pillar too which then Departed, yet The Righteouſneſs of the Lord brought Her from Shittim to Gilgal, Micah 6. 5. that is, The Faithfulneſs and Goodneſs of God in keeping Promiſe with his People, notwithſtanding all their provocations, and in Deſpite of the Devil that (all the way in the Wilderneſs) made many Deſperate Diſturbances: Still the Church had a Joſhua to ſtand for her in Moſes ſtead, and though the loſs of the Cloudy Pillar was Undoubtedly a very great and moſt Diſcouraging loſs, eſpecially ſhe having Jordan (yea, and at that time, over-flowing all his banks, Joſh. 3. 15.) betwixt her and Canaan, for the Devil had block'd up all other ways to it, having ſtirr'd up Moab, Midian, Ammon, Amalek, and the Amorites to obſtruct her paſſage thither.
Yet God comes to Comfort her at that time, Hoſ. 2. 14. ſaying as it were, Be not Deſcouraged, I have taken from you my Cloudy Pillar, to Teach you that the Umbrages or Cloudy Shaddows of the Law of Moſes cannot Conduct you into Canaan, (though it hath through the Wilderneſs:) yet now ſhall you have The Ark of the Covenant (which typiſies the Angel of the Covenant Jeſus Christ) to go before you, Joſh. 3. 3, 11. and that ſhall Divide Jordan for you, as the Cloudy Pillar had Divided the Red-Sea for your Fathers. Hereupon the Order and Courſe of carrying the Ark of God's Preſence was changed, for while the Pillar went before the Camp, the Ark abode in the midſt of it, Numb. 2. 17. (to betoken, Gods preſence in the midſt of his people, Pſa. 46. 5.) Now the Ark muſt go before (when the Pillar was gone) and Iſrael muſt follow it to Shew, that as there was no other way of Entrance into the Earthly Canaan but by following the Ark, ſo there is no other way of Entrance into the Heavenly Canaan, than onelyonly by following Chriſt, (whereof the Ark was the Type) Joh. 14. 6. then did the Lord Magnifie Joſhua, Joſh. 14. 14. by making him Equal with Moſes, (who had divided the Red-Sea for them at their coming out of Aegypt under the Conduct of the Pillar;) now Joſhua divides Jordan under the Conduct of the Ark, and gives them paſſage to and Poſſeſſion of Canaan in deſpight of the Devil and all his Inſtruments (the Nations aforenamed) that Obſtructed them.
Joſhua (through the Righteouſneſs and Goodneſs of the Lord) brings them from Shittim to Gilgal, Micah 6. 5. He removes them from Shittim, Joſh. 3. 1. This Shittim was the laſt Stage of all the 42 Stations or Manſions Iſrael had in the Wilderneſs, Numb. 33. 49. and it was that Unhappy place where Balaam (Satans Spelman) made the Midianites out-wit Iſrael by ſetting fair Faces (his ſtumbling-block, Rev. 2. 14.) before them, who ſoon Drew them into thoſe Two Siſter-Sins. Adultery and Idolatry, for it was upon thoſe Terms, That if they would Worſhip their Idols, they ſhould have the Free uſe of their Bodies: ſome Derive Shittim from Sethim, Spinae, as it was a place of Thorns, ſure I am, here Gods Flock of Sheep, Pſa. 77. 20. were ſo caught among Thorns, (to wit, with that Smoaking and Flaming Sin) as they were not cleans'd from it until after the Conqueſt of the Land, Joſh. 22. 17. it left (as the Plague of Frogs Exod. 8. 14.) a long laſting Stench behind it, by that Sin of Baal-peor. Iſrael brought themſelves under the Wrath and Curſe of God, which Balaam (with all his Spells) could not otherwiſe bring them under, and this place is call'd Abel-Shittim, Numb. 13. 49. becauſe of the ſad Lamentation (as Abel ſignifies) which was made for the Death of the 1000 that Dyed (as Ring-leaders) by the Hand of Juſtice, and the 23000 (that followed thoſe Ring-leaders) by the Hand of God in the Plague, Numb. 25. 4, 9. 1 Cor. 10. 8. yet the Lord's Goodneſs over-comes all Iſraels Badneſs, and not onelyonly ſtirs up Phinehas to ſtand in the Gap to ſtop the Plague, Pſal. 106. 29, 30. but alſo Joſhua, to bring them off from Shittim, where they might all have periſhed, been cut off and caſt away from being a People before him; yea, and to bring them through Jordan even to Gilgal, where he firſt pitched his Tent, and ſo did take Poſſeſſion of the Land of Promiſe, wherein Gilgal ſtood, Joſh. 4. 19, 20. Nonne hic Refulſit Admirabilis Dei Gratia, ſaith Calvin, Behold here a Miracle of Divine Mercy, eſpecially in Six Reſpects. (1.) The Devil was Infatuated by God in not ſtirring up the Canaanites to Guard their Coaſts, (as is uſual for people to Man their Frontiers in Danger of Invaſion) All the Hoſt of Iſrael paſſed over and quietly Landed without any Aſſault or Oppoſition, Joſh. 3. 17. and (2ly.) That the Lord ſhould Magnifie his Mercy to his Church (notwithſtanding all her Demerit by Sin) in bringing Iſrael into Canaan (the Land of their Enemies, yet the Land of his Promiſe to them) in the very time of Harveſt, when it was beſt furniſhed with all manner of Proviſions both for that preſent time and for the following Year, Joſh. 3. 15. 3ly. Another manifeſtation of God's Mercy to his Church was this, That God Roul'd away (as the Word Gilgal ſignifies, and therefore the place is ſo call'd) the Reproach of Aegypt, to wit, the Uncircumciſion of their Fleſh, Joſh. 5.9. Reſtoring to them that Seal of the Covenant, to wit, Circumciſion, (to Teach, none but the Circumciz'd in Heart muſt Enter the Heavenly Canaan, as none but the Circumciſed in the Fleſh muſt enter the Earthly one:) Yea, (4ly.) behold a marvellous Mercy of God to Iſrael in this, that the Devil did not ſtir up the Curſed Canaanites to Fall upon Iſrael when they were (all) ſore in their Circumciſion, (as Sinicon and Levi did upon the Sichemites, Gen. 34. 25, 26. and ſlew them,) then Iſrael abode in the Camp till they were whole, Joſh. 5.8. Conſiding in God's Promiſe, Providence and Protection for Securing them from their Enemies; Undoubtedly the Terror of the Lord was upon their Adverſaries all the time, (as in Jacob (their Fathers) Caſe, Gen. 35. 5. with 34.30.) that they Aſſaulted them not upon this Advantage: Yet further, (5ly.) God manifeſted his mercy to his Church in giving them the other Seal of his Covenant, to wit, the Paſſeover, and that within Three Days of their Circumciſion, Joſh. 5. 8, 10. which ſhews, not onelyonly their ſpeedy and miraculous Healing, otherwiſe they could not have (Four Days after) kept the Paſſeover with joy; but alſo God's Speedy applying both the Seals to his Bond of Promiſe, to Aſſure them, that though they had wanted them both in their Wilderneſs-Wandrings, yet now their former Sins were all pardoned, and their perſons now received as a peculiar People into the Bonds of the Covenant, he would be a God to them, and they ſhould be a People to him: Moreover (6ly.) Chriſt (himſelf) comes to be their Generaliſſimo with a Sword drawn in his Hand, v. 13, 14. which Sword he will never put up, or lay down, till the Wars of the Lord be ended, the Curſed Canaanites were all Conquered by this Captain as the 1ſt. Fruits, ſo ſhall all the Curſed Foes of the Church be by his Wiſdom and Power, Hebr. 2. 10. Rom. 8. 31. All that the Devil could do (in this 11th. Plot) further againſt the Church under the Conduct of her Captain-General (who was preſent with her, Joſh. 5. 13. and 6. 2. not wrapped up in a Cloud as in the Wilderneſs, but as a Man of War, Exo. 15. 3. Mighty in Battel, Pſal. 24. 8. in Canaan, as a praelude to his Incarnation) ſave onelyonly Two poor Spirts, or ſmall Skirmages, the one in the beginning, and the other in the end of the Conqueſt: The 1ſt. petty-Plot, was that of Achan, who Interrupted their Progreſs, and Troubled their Hoſt for a time, Joſh. 7. 25. The Occaſion was this; The Man Chriſt Jeſus (who appeared to Joſhua) Ordains and Orders the means of the Downfall of Jericho, even ſuch as the World would judge Deſpicable and Ridiculous, not the Silver Trumpets of the Sanctuary, (which might have both Graced the Enterprize, and given Confidence of Succeſs) but Contemptible Rams-Horns fitter to be Laugh'd at by a Carnal Eye. God loves to go a way by himſelf, Joſh. 6. 3, 4. Joſhua paſſes on before the Lord, v. 8. Uſes the means Appointed. The Ark of Chriſt's Preſence compaſſes Jericho and Down it falls, (ſo ſure ſhall Myſtical Jericho or Babylon Fall by the powerful preſence of Chriſt, though the means be Deſpiſed.) The whole City (as the 1ſt. Fruits) is Devoted to Deſtruction, v. 17. and the People are Commanded to Keep from the Accurſed thing, v. 18. This was fair Warning to that foul Sinner Achan, who Sacrilegiouſly ſeiz'd on a Wedg of Gold, and a Babyloniſh-Garment, Joſh. 7.21. The Devil knew his covetous Temper by feeling his Pulſe, ſo fitted him with an Object, a fit Penny-worth, or Prize, he ſets before him, Achan Covets them, (as he confeſſes) Robs God of his Right, God is Diſpleaſed with all the Body for the Contagion of this One Sinner, [Who Deſtroy'd much Good. Joſh. 7. 1. Eccleſ. 9. 18. This one Sin (of one Member of their Body) betrays them into the Hands of Divine Juſtice, (for looking no better, not onelyonly to the Obſerving, but to the Preſerving of God's Law, on which Account every Man ſhould be His Brothers Keeper;) Iſrael Fled before the Men of Ai, Joſh. 7.4. Joſhua Faſts and Prays to find out the Sin and Sinner; God Directs to both, both are Remov'd, and God's Favour Recovered, than the Church goes on (with Chriſt) Conquering and to Conquer for Seven Years, till the Land (Lett to her by God's Sealed Leaſe) was Subdued before Her. The Devil being ſoon Baffled of this 1ſt. Plot in Canaan, was Chained up to the End of its Conqueſt: 'Tis True, he put a Cheat upon the Church by the Gibeonites, pleading Antiquity to Her, (as the Romaniſts would do with Us now with their Old Sacks and Moulded Bread. See my Antidote againſt Popery, in the Chapter of Novelty; But he had like to have made them Sheath their Conquering Swords in one anothers ſides, (which was his 2d. Plot) when Reuben, Gad, and the half Tribe of Manaſſeth were Diſmiſſed, and Built an Altar of Remembrance on the other ſide of Jordan, Joſh. 22. 11, 12, 16, 18. No Doubt but the Devil made the Smoak, while an Holy Fire ſo Bleſſedly Blows up Iſrael into ſo Inconſiderate Zeal and Uncharitable Cenſures: but Phinehas (their Ambaſſadour) being rightly Informed by the Reubenites, takes up the Controverſie, v. 22. 30, 31. So Satan loſt this Deſign alſo, and this might rebuke the Reubenites that chooſe to Live ſo far from the Tabernacle (as they were on the other ſide Jordan) ſo far off from the place of God's Worſhip.