A Complete and Compendious Church History, Chapter 5
The Fifth Plot againſt the Church, in the Wilderneſs: Defeated by GOD.
CHAP. V.
NO ſooner was Iſrael got ſafe out of the Red-Sea, and into the Barren Wilderneſs, but preſently the Devil Projects a 5th. Plot, and plays a New-Game againſt the Church in the Wilderneſs, (ſo called) Act. 7. 38.) In not onelyonly making the Multitude to murmur againſt Moſes no leſs than four times about their Meat, (in the Cauſe and Quarrel of the Belly, as the Wilderneſs wanted proviſion, ſo they wanted patience to keep peace with their governors) But alſo in ſtirring up Amalek (Eſau's Grand-Child, Gen. 36. 15, 16. and the Heir of his Hatred againſt Iſrael, for beguiling him of his Bleſſing as well as Birth-right) to War againſt him, Exod. 17.8. Theſe Amalekites being a Warlike People, and now fearing that the Bleſſing (conferr'd upon Jacob by Iſaac) would be confirm'd, and [not having the fear of God before their Eyes, Deut. 25. 18.] This Seed of the Serpent Way-lays the Seed of the Woman in their paſſage to the Land of Promiſe, which was the Bleſſing promiſed: Amalek meets them by the way, not with Broad and Water, as he ſhould have done to his afflicted Kindred, Obad. v. 10. 11, 12, 13. but with Fire and Sword, and cuts off the hindmoſt of them, Deut. 25. 18. Yea, and he exercis'd the Devils Craft as well as his Cruelty, in ſmiting all that were faint and feeble, that came behind the Hoſt, not unlike the Serpent (that Acted him) in his bruiſing the Heel of Iſrael. This (Joſephus ſaith) was done by common conſent and Council of all the Nations adjacent in their Embaſſadours, pitching Unanimouſly upon this People of Amalek, (as being of the moſt Martial and Military Spirit and Courage) to cut off Iſrael, whoſe Renown now had ſo exceedingly Alarum'd them. Iſrael (or the Church in the Wilderneſs) was at this time under great Diſadvantages, (neither expecting any Acts of Hoſtility, nor being provided of due Arms and Ammunition) was much diſmayed at the danger of being Aſſaulted by a puiſſant and well-armed Adverſary. Now the grand Plotter (Satan) had a fair Proſpect of his 5th. Plot as to its ſucceſs, but ſtill the miſchief of it was, he Reckon'd without his Hoſt, even the Lord of Hoſts, (that Man of War, Exod. 15. 3.) who giveth Victory (not as the Devil, but) as himſelf pleaſeth: For though the Lord permitteth Amalek to oppoſe Iſrael, for the Chaſtizement of their Murmurings, yet had he other Deſigns then onelyonly to Chaſtize his Church whom he had allur'd into the Wilderneſs; He muſt alſo Speak Comfortably to her Heart, Hoſ. 2. 14. Amalek muſt Fall (and therein the Devils Project) before the People of his Promiſe, and they muſt not onelyonly be Encouraged by their Victory over the Amalekites, (as they had been with that over the Aegyptians) but alſo Enriched with their Spoils, and Furniſhed with their Arms and Ammunition. God hath (in his Deſign) not onelyonly the want of Innocency in his People to Chaſtize with Rods, but alſo the Guilt of Inſolency in his Enemies to Scourge with Scorpions.
Amalek (indeed) comes forth to meet Iſrael, but it was to meet his own ruine, and to fetch in his own deſtruction, which Moſes [Precando] by Praying, and Joſhua [Praeliando] by Fighting brought upon him: Moſes in the Mount lifts up the Rod to God, as a Standard againſt Amalek; and Joſhua in the Valley Engages them: and Moſes Prayers gave moſt-effectual Puſhes as well as Joſhua's Pikes againſt the Enemy. Moſes Orat & Vincit, Ceſſat & Vincitur, v. 12. While Moſes Devotion goes down, Amaleks Courage gets up and prevaileth; but when it goes up and keeps up, being ſuſtained upon Chriſt, the Stone of Iſrael, then Amalek is diſcomfitted, v. 13. And being the firſt Nation that Warr'd againſt the Church after her deliverance from Aegypt, Gods Hand is upon his Throne, Swearing, That he will have a perpetual War with Amalek, and wipe out the Remembrance of them from under Heaven, v. 14, 16. Amaleks Hand had been lifted up againſt Gods Throne, (his Church, ſo call'd, Jerem. 14. 21. Now Gods Hand is lifted up upon his own Throne, in taking this Solemn Oath, That he would wage War againſt Amalek for ever: This preſent Diſcomſiture was but a [praelibamen] or Pledge of this perpetual War. As a laſting Monument of Gods great Mercy to Iſrael in this firſt Victory. Moſes Builds an Altar, and calls it [Jehovah Niſſi,] that is, The Lord is my Banner, under whoſe Standard he had got the Victory: And as a laſting Memorial of Gods great Wrath againſt Amalek in this firſt Oppoſition, Moſes muſt Record this of them, (either in the Book of the Wars of the Lord, Numb. 21. 14. which is latent, or in the Pentatuch which he was then Writing, and now Extant,) That they ſhould utterly be deſtroyed. This Saul ſhould have done, 1 Sam. 15.7. &c. deſtroying onelyonly ſome, David deſtroyed more, 2 Sam. 8. 12. Such as eſcaped thoſe Deſtructions, were deſtroyed by the Simeonites in Hezekiah's time, 1 Chron. 4. 41, 42, 43. Laſtly, Haman and his Ten Sons were ſlips of this curſed Stock, and Hanging was their end, and the end of that Race of Rebels (being the laſt that we read of) to be Rooted out. Oh how dangerous it is to Anger the Antient of Days his Forbearance (for many Hundred Years) is no Forgiveneſs: 'Twas 400 Y. after when God gave Command to deſtroy them utterly, 1 Sam. 15. 2. and long after that, God made a War againſt them, and at laſt did Root them out, [Root and Branch] thus Amalek, Hebrew ſignifying [Populus Ling…us] a Licking People, that had licked up the Hindmoſt of Iſrael, the Wrath of God licked them all up as Fire doth Stubble, who can ſtand before Everlaſting burnings, Iſa. 33. 14. The Church's Proteſta… is Conſuming fire to them, Hebr. 12. laſt, who not onelyonly Laughs but Burns, not onelyonly their Plots but their Perſons, to nothing. A Man had better Anger all the Witches in the World, Yea, all the Devils in Hell; as Anger this One Jealous God, the Heat of whoſe Wrath laſts longer, and Burns deeper than the Coals of Juniper, Pſal. 120. 4. His Judgements are ſevere and durable, never Rots in the Sky: 'Twas this Divine Wrath that waged War againſt Amalek from one Generation to another, until it came at laſt to an utter Extirpation; Haman (the Agagite) of the Blood-Royal of Amalek, deſcending from Agag their King whom Saul ſpared) is Hanged, no more of that Rebellious Race (that Warr'd againſt Iſrael without Cauſe or Provocation) do we Read of, the Wicked are forgotten, Eccleſ. 8. 10. Yea, the Devil (that ſet them on work) is Chain'd and Defeated: The Church (by her Champions help) abides for ever.