A Complete and Compendious Church History, Chapter 6
The Sixth Plot againſt the Church, in the Wilderneſs: Defeated by GOD.
CHAP. VI.
'TIs ſaid, Luk. 4. 13. That Satan Departed from Chriſt onelyonly for a Seaſon; no more doth he depart from his Church, he will have his Returns to do her all the ill turns he can: Thus doth he here to the Church in the Wilderneſs, that almoſt as cloſe did he Dogg her behind, as the Pillar of Glory did Conduct her before, and though Christ (whom ſhe Tempted there, 1 Cor. 10. 9.) ſuffered her thus to be Proved and Tryed, yet it was always to do her Good at the latter end, Deut. 8. 16.
The 6th. Plot againſt the Church, (which was the 2d. in her Wilderneſs-State) was the Tempter tempting Iſrael to Set up the Golden-Calf, Exod. 32. 1. which, the Devil knew well, would make God diſown Diſcard, and Diſcovenant his People. This is one of Satans Grand Wiles, that when he cannot play his Game upon the open Stage of the World by an Extrinſick Adverſary, as by Amalek, then he trys his Skill by an Imrinſick-Engine, Screwing himſelf into the Minds of Iſrael, (this piece of Ingenuity he taught the Jeſuits,) and being foreign a Lover of Idol-Worſhip, (as being Devil-Worſhip, 1 Cor. 10. 20, 21.) he puts them upon making an Idol, to make God caſt them off and deſtroy them for ſuch a God-provoking Sin, v. 22. as provoked God to Jealouſie: The Advantage Satan took for promoting this his Project, was Moſes Abſence, (Non-Reſidents do little conſider this,) though Moſes had Warrant for his Abſence both from God and his People, for 1ſt. God call'd him up into the Mount, Exod. 24. 12. and 2d. The People conſented that he ſhould be as an Ambaſſadour and Mediator 'twixt them and God, Exod. 20. 19. Moſes (the 40 Days faſter) ſtaid longer with God in the Mount than the People expected, though all the while he was Negotiating their Weal in bringing the Two Tables of the Decalogue, (both of Gods Writing and Workman-ſhip, Exod. 31. 18. and 32. 16.) The Heavenly Pattern of the Tabernacle with all the Ordinances concerning Legal Worſhip, to them: They grew Impatient of Moſes delay: The Devil (no doubt) did ſuggeſt to the Worſer ſort, That he was torn of Wild Beaſts, and to the Better ſort, That (as Enoch was) he was Tranſlated into Heaven, as Joſephus ſaith: Or, That he had deſerted his Charge and mocked them, as ſome, Or that he was Aſhamed to Return, becauſe he could not make good his Promiſe of Conducting them into the Land of Promiſe, as others ſay: Hereupon this Stiff-necked People (ſo call'd, Exod. 32.9.) will ſtay no longer; Joſhuah could wait for Moſes (all alone all the time) on the out-ſide of the Cloud, Exod. 24. 13. and 33. 17. yet the People could not (with Company) in their Tents. Thus Deluded by the Devil, would have a Worſhip of their own, ſuch as they had Retail'd in their trading with the Merchants of Aegypt, Act. 7. 39. 40. Though they wanted Moſes, yet they wanted not the Pillar, Deut. 9. 15. But becauſe this Pillar of Glory ſtood ſtill during Moſes Abſence, they would have a ſtirring God to lead them at their will when and whither they pleaſed: Hence they ſay, [Ʋp, make us Gods, to go before us:] Oh! How had the Devil Deluded them (even to a Stupefaction) to make them prefer a Stirring Calf (that could not ſtir, but as they ſtirr'd it, having Feet, but walked not, &c. Pſal. 115. 4. 5, 6, 7, 8.) before a Standing-Pillar, that did Support their Union and Communion with God, Yea, a Pillar of Glory, which had Divided the Red-Sea, and Deſtroyed both Aegypt and Amalek for them; And Oh how had Satan Intoxicated Iſrael ſo, as to make them See double for though they had but one Calf, yet they cry, [Theſe be thy Gods which brought thee out of Aegypt, v. 4.] even to this ſingle as well as ſenceleſs Idol. No doubt but the Grand Plotter had now a fair Proſpect of his preſent project, and could not but think, he might win the Game. And ſo indeed he bid fair for it, having gain'd this Notable Point, inaſmuch as Iſrael had twice promiſed To do all that God had Commanded, Exod. 19. 8. and 24. 7. Yet here he makes them to break the very 1ſt of the Ten, [in having other Gods,] and the 2d alſo, [in Making and Worſhipping a Calf-Idol,] as if he had deſign'd to drive them thorough gradually in the Breach of all the Ten, one after another: However he had already drawn them ſo far out of Gods Favour, as to make them Naked, Exod. 32. 25. to wit, Deſtitute of Divine Protection, (which had hitherto been their Armor of Proof) and Expos'd to be devoured of their Adverſaries, Gen. 3. 10. Rev. 3. 18. and 16. 15. God bids Moſes Get thee down, (before the 40 Days were Expir'd) for thy People have Corrupted themſelves, v. 7. God will own them no longer, they are thine, rather than mine, ſeeing they have turned aſide ſo quickly (when thy back was but newly turn'd of them) let me alone that I may deſtroy them, v. 10. Now the Devils Game was at the Faireſt, yet he wins not, but loſ…th it: God ſaith to Moſes, Go down quickly, Deut. 9. 12. but he return'd not till he had firſt Prayed, and alſo had Prevailed, Ezek. 32. 11, 12, 13, 14. God (as it were) beſpeaks his own Freedom, v. 10. Moſes by the great power of his Prayer doth (after a ſort) tye Gods Hands from Puniſhing this Rebellious People; as if Moſes's Devotion had been ſtronger than Gods Indignation, not by the prevailing of Humane Power above Divine Omnipotence, but by Condeſcending of Divine Grace to Humane Prayer; eſpecially this of Moſes, who preferr'd Gods Glory before his own Preferment, which God offer'd him, v. 10. God grants a preſent Reprieve from Utter Deſtruction, yet not a Liberate from future Plagues, v. 35. Upon New Provocation God Reckons for the New and the Old: There is (ſaith the Rabbys) an Ounce of this Calf in all the Plagues upon them to this day: Though Satan had got by this Calf, the Breaking of the Two Tables, (hewn out of the Saphir of the Throne of God, Exod. 24. 10. as the Thargum ſaith) by his Tranſporting Moſes to do unadviſedly with his hands, v. 19. (as well as to Speak Ʋnadviſedly with his Lips, Pſa. 106. 33.) Judging Iſrael unworthy of ſuch a Jewel now Forfeited: They had broke the Two firſt of the Ten, and for this, he breaks them all at once, becauſe Gods Bride had plaid the Whore at the Threſhold of the Marriage-Bed-Chamber, ſo had loſt her Title to her Dowry and Jewels, neither the Tables to be Reſtored, nor Tabernacle to be Erected, nor the Creating Angel (Chriſt) Exod. 23. 20, 21. to go along with them, but they ſhall be turn'd over to a Created Angel, Exod. 33. 23. This Degraded their Dignity. Notwithſtanding all this, the Craſty Devil carries it not, but his Plot is Laugh'd to nothing, for Moſes broke the Golden Calf, as well as the Two Rich Jewel-Tables, Executed Divine Juſtice upon the Chief in the Tranſgreſſion, (about 3000 of the Ring-Leaders) Exod. 32. 20, 27, 28. Then Return'd he up again unto God (as Angry as he was) to Intercede for thoſe Calviſh-Idolaters the 2d. time, v. 30. and (though Return'd back the ſame day with a ſad Anſwer, whereupon Iſrael is Humbled, Exod. 33. 3, 4.) The Mourners (as good cauſe they had to mourn for the loſs of Gods preſence, Hoſ. 9. 12.) looked after Moſes, Exod. 33.7, 8. to ſee what acceſs to God, and what Succeſs from God he could Obtain; by this Addreſs he gains ſome Hope of Reconciliation, then the 3d. time he goes up again, v. 14, 17. and Faſts other 40 Days, and by hard tugging in Prayer and Faſting, he at laſt prevails in the whole: (This kind of Devils (the Devil of Idolatry) would not be Caſt out but by Faſting and Prayer;) Then comes he down with Glad Tydings, That all is well betwixt God and Iſrael: The Cloudy Pillar Returns, the Two Tables are Reſtor'd, and a Commiſſion given to Build a Tabernacle; Iſrael ſets about it, and not onelyonly does, but over-does in their Offerings, Exod. 36. 7. (like a Stumbling Horſe, gains Ground by his Stumbling,) The Tabernacle is Finiſhed, and Fill'd with Gods Glory, Exod. 40. Thus the Devil is Diſappointed, and his Deſign is Defeated, and the Church in the Wilderneſs [al Deſpito de grand Diabolo,] Marches forward towards the Land of Promiſe.