A Complete and Compendious Church History, Chapter 12
The Twelfth Plot againſt the CHURCH, in Canaan: Defeated by GOD.
CHAP. XII.
IN the Devils 12th. Deſign and Plot againſt the Church, (which continued 450 Y. in its Ʋps and Downs, Act. 13. 20) Take a Diſtinct View, 1. of the Churches Danger, 2ly of the Churches Deliverance: 1st. of her Danger. 'Twas Twofold. 1ſt. by her Sin the Devil ſeduced her into, and 2ly. By her Puniſhment the Devil procured upon her for her Sin: 1ſt. Her Sin was Twofold; 1ſt. She ſinned againſt the 1ſt Table of the Law in her Worſhip. 2ly. againſt the 2d. Table thereof in her Manners: Thus the Devil Debauch'd the Church both in her Holineſs to God, and in her Righteouſneſs to Man, and he made her Degenerate into a moſt dangerous Apoſtacy, Ʋntil this be done, the Devil well knows, none of his Plots can ever be proſperous, Numb. 23. 21, 23. The Churches 1ſt. Sin againſt God in her Worſhip, was Idolatry, that God-provoking, and Land-deſtroying Sin: Idolatry (after the Death of Joſhua, and of the Elders, who had ſeen the Wonderous Works of God, and Upheld the purity of Divine Worſhip in her, Judg. 2. 7.) was begun in Iſrael by a Woman, to wit, Micah's Mother, Judg. 17. 1, 2, 3. &c. (which Story muſt Undonbtedly follow after, Judg. 2. 10. in order of time and place) and that in Ephraim alſo, where afterwards Jeroboam Eſtabliſh'd it by a Law: The Devil began his Kingdom of Sin in the World by a Woman, to wit, Eve, 1 Tim. 2. 16. And he carries it on here by a Woman, to wit, Micah's Mother, of the weaker Sex, yea, an Old Woman (who had not onelyonly a Son in a Marryed Eſtate, but alſo a Grand-Son grown up and Conſecrated to the Prieſts Office, Judg. 17. 5.) The Tempter knew well, that weak and old Wood was moſt Apt to take Fire, even the Fire of Hell: yea, ſhe was not onelyonly a Woman, an Old Woman, but alſo a very Superſtitious Woman, poſſibly ſhe might (though then very young) Learn her Superſtition from the mix'd Multitude, Exod. 12. 38. Numb. 11. 4. And though God had been Ayring Iſrael full 40 Y. in the Wilderneſs, (where many ſweet Gales of Grace did blow upon them) yet Micah's Mother did Smell of Aegypt, in her Devoting Eleven Hundred Shekels of Silver to the making of an Idol, for the loſs of which ſhe moſt grievouſly Curſed, Curſing Perſons are moſtly Curſed Perſons; a wicked Heart wants not a wicked Mouth, that is full of Curſing and Bitterneſs, Rom. 3. 14. Yea, and out of the ſame Mouth proceedeth Bleſſing (of the Thief, her Son, without reprooving him for his Sin) as well as Curſing, Jam. 3. 10. Judg. 17. 2. And partus Sequitur Ventrem, The Birth follows the Belly, Morrally as well as Civilly, ſo did Micah his Mother, foreign of an Evil Bird comes an Evil Egg, like Mother, like Son; they Two conſent together to lay out Nine Hundred of the Shekels for Materials, and the other two Hundred for Workman-ſhip of the Idol. Micah ſets it up in his own Houſe, for his own uſe, and the uſe of the Neighbourhood round about him. Now he who had been hitherto called (in the Hebrew Text) Micaiahu (with a part of Johovah affixed to his Name) is from v. 5. Cut ſhorter in his Name, and ever after is called Micah, as having loſt his part in the Name Jehovah by his Idol he ſets up and Worſhips for Jehovah, and Conſecrates one of his Sons for his Prieſt, though neither of Levi's Tribe, nor of Aaron's Lineage.
Yet afterwards, he bethought himſelf to Amend that Fault by Chuſing a Novice, one Jonathan, Moſes Grand-Child, a Degenerate Plant, the 1ſt. Idolatrous Prieſt, who would Murder Souls for a morſel of bread, Ezek. 13. 19. which was the worſe in him, becauſe he (Deſcending from Moſes the Man of God) ſhould have been Better. This young Levite Micah Hires for a ſlender Sallary to Officiate before his Idol: He, who had Eleven Hundred Shekels to beſtow upon his Image, thinks Ten Shekels Wages enough for Prieſtly Work, onelyonly he will make up that Defect by a parcel of cheap Complements, (calling the Young-Man a Father) and if that were not enough, he would give him a Summer and a Winter Suit: This Jonathan being forced by the Iniquity of thoſe times, (while yet there was no Judge or Supream Magiſtrate to Suppreſs it, v. 6.) to ſhift and ſeek Subſiſtence any where, (as thoſe did after Neh. 13. 10, 11.) and being Hunger-bit, he ſnaps at any thing, even at this ſordid Work and Wages, not having Grace to Reſtrain him, v. 7. 8, 9, 10. Micah Conſecrates him as he had done his own Son, (which none might Lawfully do, but the High-Prieſt, Exod. 29. 22, 23, 24.) and as Jeroboam did (after) the baſeſt of the People, 1 Kin. 13. 33. All this Micah did as a Groſs Idolater, expreſly contrary to the Law of God, yet doth he Bleſs himſelf in all this his Blind Devotion, (Entertaining this Levite as a Son, in reſpect of his Youth, yet as a Prieſt and a Father in reſpect of his Office) v. 11, 12, 13. he promiſes himſelf much Proſperity (as the Papiſts do in their Popes Pardons, and Prieſts Abſolution) in his Idolatrous way of Worſhip: but his groſs Idolatry brought a groſs Diſappointment, the contrary came to paſs, it indeed Expos'd him to God's Wrath and Vengeance, as appeareth, Judg. 18. 18, 19, 22, 24. When he had like to have loſt his life for purſuing the Plunderers of his Gods, Goodly Gods they were that could not ſecure themſelves from Plundring-Men: yet he Accounts them his All, (though of his own making, ſo could have made more) Reckoning the reſt of his Goods as nothing without his Gods, and therefore Arms himſelf and his Neighbourhood (who had Haunted his Houſe of Gods) for a Reſcue, but all in vain, v. 26. he returns without his Gods, yet took no Notice that God Puniſh'd his Idolatry by this (to him ſuch a Lamentable) Injury. However, the Devil (whom Syneſius calls foreign a Great Promoter of Idolatry) Notably promoted his Notorious Deſign of ſpreading this Sin of Idolatry from an Houſe to a Tribe, even to the Tribe of Dan. (1ſt.) The Devil gives the Danites his Equivocating Oracle and Doubtful Anſwer to their Queſtion by the Teraphim, (as Ezek. 21. 21. Zach. 10. 2. Hoſ. 2. 4.) in bidding them, [Go in Peace, before the Lord is your way] Judg. 18. 5, 6. wherein the wary Devil is [foreign] Ambiguous, that however the matter prov'd, he might ſtill ſave his Credit (as in all his Oracles both in Sacred and Civil Hiſtory, 1 Kin. 22. 12, &c) for his Anſwer Imports, either, God ſeeth what you are going about, or, he will alſo See to your Safety and Succeſs: and yet his Anſwer might be the more peremptory, inaſmuch as he well knew the Men of Laiſh (whom they were going to Invade) were throughly Ripe (at that time) for their own Ruine: However, it was ſo Accomodated to the Danites Humour, that the Devil (having given them this Sweet Bit for a Foretaſt in Micah's Houſe) makes them (2ly.) long to take the Idol along with them, (as moſt Uſeful in their Unſettled-Eſtate) and to ſet it up publickly in their own Tribe after; for which cauſe ('tis ſuppoſed) the Tribe of Dan is not Named among the Sealed of the Lord, Rev. 7. becauſe, The firſt publick Idolatry began among them; The fore-ſight of which (and the Miſery attending it) made the Dying Patriark ſigh, Gen. 49. 10:
This Idolatry the Church or Iſrael doth tolerate, never Entering their Proteſts either againſt that in Private, (which was in Micah's Temple of Idols, Judg. 17. 5. or againſt that in Publick, which was ſet up in the Tribe of Dan, Judg. 18. 30. This over-ſoft Toleration became the Nurſe and Mother of all Sorts of Impiety, inſomuch as Gibeah, a City of Iſrael, becommeth as Abominable as Sodom, Judg. 19. 22. thoſe Men of Belial, or (as the Word ſignifies) Yokeleſs-Ones, Differing onelyonly from Beaſts, [Non Ratione, ſed Oratione] Not in Reaſon, but in Speech, had taken their Luſt by Turns upon the Levites Concubine, until they had turn'd her out of the World, and turn'd her Soul out of her Body, which they had ſo Villaniouſly Abuſed, v. 25. Thus a Whoriſh Woman, Judg. 19. 2. is kill'd with Whoredom, and ſo fill'd with the Evil of her own ways, Prov. 14. 14. The Levite Appeals to All the Tribes for Juſtice againſt Gibeah, four Hundred Thouſand Marches againſt it, and that by Command and Commiſſion from God: forty Thouſand of them are Slain by that Wicked and Wretched Town, and by that Tribe who patroniz'd it in this wicked Lewdneſs. Whereby God Avenged his own Cauſe againſt Iſrael, becauſe Iſrael would not Avenge God's Cauſe againſt Idolatry: They were enough Senſible of the Injury done to the Lord's Levite in Gibeah, but were not at all Senſible of the Injury done to the Lord Himſelf in Micah's and Dan's Idolatry. Yet the Rod after this Chaſtizement is Burnt at laſt. When God hath thus uſed Benjamin to Correct Iſrael for their not Puniſhing Idolatry, He then uſeth Iſrael to Scourge Benjamin for Protecting Gibeah from Juſtice: No doubt but it greatly gratified the Devil to ſee the Tribes of Iſrael Deſtroy one another, and to have one Tribe (well nigh) Cut off, which God Ordered as a Juſt Judgement upon them for their Iniquity in one Tribe, and their Idolatry in another; yet hath not the Devil done here, but he after all this, cauſeth this Curſed Leaven of Idolatry (which had hitherto ſpread onelyonly over one Tribe, the Tribe of Dan, juſt at their Settling in the Promiſed Land,) to Spread over All the Tribes, and ſo to Leaven the whole Lump of Iſrael, Judg. 2. 11. (before which All thoſe Stories in Chap. 17. 18, 19, 20, 21. ought to be Underſtood, as all Tranſacted ſoon after Joſhuah's Death, and before they had any Judges.) 'Tis not now ſaid the Children of Dan onelyonly, or the Children of Benjamin onelyonly, But, The Children of (All) Iſrael did Evil in the ſight of the Lord, and Served Baalim and Ahtaroth, v. 11, 12. Judg. 10. 6. That is, He-Gods and She-Gods. Idols of all ſorts, as the Papiſts do Adore their He-Saints, and She-Saints, at this Day: This Corruption of Worſhip brought in (2ly.) Corruption of Manners. (1.) In Neglecting God's Command of Driving out the Canaanites, who became Thorns in their ſides, Judg. 2. 2, 3. in their Converſing and Commercing with them, they did draw Iſrael to Participate both of their Sins and of their Plagues. (2.) In Contracting Marriages with thoſe Canaanites, (they thus ſpared againſt God's Command, Joſh. 23. 13.) Judg. 3. 4, 6. expreſly contrary to God's Law, Exod. 34. 16. Deut. 7. 3. Thoſe Interchangeable Matches marr'd their Manners, and produced many Enormities, as (3.) that Prodigious Sodomy and Villany in Gibeah aforeſaid. Yea (4.) Obſtinacy in their Impieties, Judg. 2. 19. They would Perſiſt and Perſevere in their Stubborn way, and would not Repent either (1) at the Rebuke of the Angel, Chriſt, who had offer'd Himſelf to be Captain of the Lord's Hoſt, Joſh. 5. 13, 14. and had led the Field in all the Wars of Joſhua, yea, and of Judah too, till he ſpared the Canaanites, Judg. 1. 18. 19. for this (and other Sins) the Angel of the Covenant did Reproove them, Judg. 2. 1, 2 and for this, Departs from them. Hereupon the People fall a Weeping (as they had good cauſe) for the loſs of ſuch a Captain-General as Chriſt, and call'd the place Bochim, that is Weeping, v. 4, 5. yet this bleſſed and Hart-bleeding Frame was ſoon loſt, for they Forſook the Lord, v. 12. and Corrupted themſelves, v. 19. and Stubbornly Walked in their own Wicked Ways. Neither would they Repent (2) at the Reproof of the Prophet, whom Chriſt (though Himſelf was gone) ſent with a Meſſage, Judg. 10. 11, 12, 13, 14. Thus Iſrael having broke both the Tables of the Law. The 2d. thing, to wit, Puniſhment muſt follow, as the Thread follows the Needle; God is Angry (though Satan is pleas'd) and God's Anger brings Revenge, God ſold his People into the Hands of their Enemies, Judg. 2. 14. and 3. 8. and 4. 2, &c. that is, he Renounc'd his Right in them, writing Lo-Ammi on them, he gave them over as the Seller doth the Matter Sold into the Hands of the Buyer, (yet, without that Complement, I wiſh you good of it,) or as the Turk ſells his Slaves, and the Conquerour his Captives; And this is Aggravated in Two Circumſtances. 1. God made not his Beſt of them, but took his firſt Chap-man, (as the Pope gave England, upon the Aboliſhing of Abbies, primo occupaturo, to the firſt that could Conquer it, which, he thought, might eaſily be done, and won, when he withdrew his Protecting Papal Benediction from it, and put his charming Curſe upon it,) God Sold his People for nought, and did not encreaſe his Wealth by their Price, Pſal. 44. 12, 13. he plainly gave them away gratis, for whom he was wont to give great Nations, Iſa. 43. 3. They had ſold themſelves as Ahab did, 1 Kin. 21, 20. to work Wickedneſs, Iſa. 50. 1. and now they are ſold by the Lord alſo: And as they had ſold themſelves for nought, Iſa. 52.3. ſo they are ſold by God for nought, he had not ſo much as Thanks from the Enemy, and as little from the Devil that ſet them on: 2ly. They were ſold, as to the firſt, ſo to the worſt Chapmen, not to their Brethren, who would have ſhown ſome pitty, as the Iſraelites did to Benjamin, Judg. 21. 2, 3, 6, 7, 15, 16, 17, 22. nor to Strangers comming in as Conquerors, for then common Humanity would have taught them ſome Mercy: but unto ſuch Neighbouring Enemies, as they had highly Incenſed in their former Wars, and therefore breath'd forth nothing but the worſt of Rage and Revenge againſt them, Judg. 7. 3.
Here the Devils Deſign againſt the Church was promiſing and proſperous, and no doubt, he had a fair Proſpect of this Plot; yet the Lord (notwithſtanding all) Laughs all to Nothing, and Works (which is the 2d. thing) the Church's Deliverance from this Danger; for (1.) though they were ſold as Slaves to their Adverſary, yet even then were they precious as Sons to their God, Iſa. 50. 1, 10. Though the Mother had Divorc'd her ſelf, yet God owns himſelf the Husband, and he owns them to be his Children, yea, Children of light, even then, when they Walked in Darkneſs: And though they had ſold themſelves for nought, he would (accordingly) Redeem them without Money, Iſa. 52. 3. and love them freely, Hoſ. 14.4. (2) Though the Church was then under great Diſtreſs, Judg, 2. 15. and 4. 3. (God Strengthening their Enemies, Iudg. 3. 12. as Ezek. 30. 24. and weakening their Arms and Armies, and God Proſpering that Wickedneſs in their Adverſaries, which he Puniſhed in them, being Profeſſors) yet had ſhe (as oft) great Deliverances, as many Salves as Sores upon their Repentance; God had one Hand to Help them, as well as another to hurt them, pittying his People for his own ſake, he Rais'd them up Iudges, Iudg. 2. 15. 16. as Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gedion, Tola, Jair, Jephtah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Sampſon, all Twelve to ſave his Church, one by an Oxe Goad, as Shamgar, another by the Jaw-Bone of an Aſs, as Samſon; and Gideon was but a Barley-Cake, Judg. 7. 13. God never ſtarves his Church for want either of Inſtruments or of Agents. (3) Though the Church was oft Sighing, yet as oft Singing: God goes in a Circle with her, as oft as ſhe Repented of her Sins, ſo oft God Repented of his Judgements, Judg. 2. 18. and quite through the Book of Iudges. The whole Hiſtory of the Book of Judges for 450 Y. the Church lived all that time (as may be ſaid) at the Sign of the Chequer. God Chequered his Providences towards her with the Black of Miſery, and with the White of Mercy, and all Chequer'd Work is accounted Beautiful Work: God Speckled his Diſpenſations to his Church, as is ſet forth by thoſe ſpeckl'd Horſes among the Myrtle Trees in the bottom, Zech. 1. 8. Croſſes and Comforts are Interwooven while ſhe is in her Militant-ſtate in this Vale of Miſery, and Valley of Tears, Pſal. 84. 6. God hath ſet the one over-againſt the other, Eccleſ. 7. 14. As there is a Viciſſitude of Night and Day, ſo of Adverſity and Proſperity. God turns the Church's Night into Day, and the Ʋpright hath Dominion in the Morning, Pſal. 49. 14. No ſooner doth the Church alter her courſe from Sin, and Return to God by Repentance, but preſently God alters his courſe from Wrath, and returns to Her with his Mercy, Zech. 1. 16. Oh that it were the preſent practice (as it was then the Continual Courſe of God with his Church, and his Church with him) in this our Day; God would ſoon turn our Mourning into Mirth, Heavineſs might endure for the Night, but Joy would come in the Morning, Pſal. 30. 5: No Doubt, but God Wiſhes his Church's Welfare, (as the Loving Bridegroom doth his Beloved Bride's,) otherwiſe He had never Sighed out thoſe ſad Words, [Oh! that my People had Hearkened unto me, &c. I ſhould ſoon have Subdued their Enemies, &c.] Pſal. 81. 13, 14, 15, 16. God, with a bare turn of his Hand can overturn both the Many and the Mighty of them, and Reſcue his Little Ones out of all their Hands, Zech. 13. 7. Iſa. 25. 11. none ſhall Pluck them out of Chriſts and His Fathers Hands, Joh. 10. 28. 29.