A Complete and Compendious Church History, Chapter 8
The Eighth Plot againſt the CHURCH: Defeated by GOD.
CHAP. VIII.
THe 8th. Plot is as a Rope of the Devils making, wherewith he Deſigns to draw back the Church not onelyonly from Canaan, (when they were come to the very South-point of it, Numb. 21. 1.) but alſo farther off into the Wilderneſs, yea (if poſſible) into Aegypt again: And in Order hereunto, [whereas the Scripture ſaith, A 3-fold Cord is not eaſily broken, Eccl. 4. 12.] To make it ſtronger, Satan Twiſts his Rope (here) of 4 Cords to make it a 4-fold one, that it might make a ſtronger Hale without breaking: to wit, 2 Internal Cords, or 2 Murmurings within the Camp: and 2 External Cords, or 2 Aſſaults and Onſetts upon the Camp by King Arad and by King Sihon: yet God broke this 4-fold Cord more eaſily than Samſon did his, when Philiſtims were upon him, Judg. 15. 14. and 16.12.
As 1ſt. Internally: And 1ſt. A Murmuring within the Camp for Water at Meribah, Numb. 20. 2. They wanted Water the firſt Year of their comming into the Wilderneſs, and now the like want befalls them in this 40th. Year of their Wilderneſs-Wandring: In the 1ſt. Year-want, God Tryed the Fathers, Exod. 17. 1, 2. &c. and God gave them Water out of the Rock Horeb, v. 6. which followed them all along, till they came near Canaan, 1 Cor. 10. 4. In this laſt Year-want God tryed the Children, and they Murmur like their Fathers, and [Patrizando] do want Patience as well as Water: The former at Rephidim, Exod. 17. and this at Kadeſh do Harmonize in many Particulars; ſave that Satan was more ſucceſsful in this Plot than in that, for here he Tranſports meek Moſes (1.) to an Immoderate Anger, to Speak unadviſedly with his Lips, Pſal. 106. 32. (2.) To a Speaking (paſſionately) to the People, when he ſhould have ſpoken (believingly) to the Rock, v. 8. (3.) To his Smiting it, and that Twice as in a pang of Paſſion, when he ſhould have onelyonly Spoken to it with the Rod in his Hand ſtretched towards it, v. 10. 'Tis true, while Moſes Spoke to thoſe Rebels, he ſpoke to a Rock, even to their rocky hearts. Here Moſes is at a ſtand, and his Faith ſtaggers, (as knowing a Flinty rock was more likely to have Fire fetch'd out of it than Water, by ſtriking: He is not bidden Here to ſmite the Rock, as Elſewhere, Exod. 17. 6. And becauſe he did it Unbidden, (not believing in the Lord, nor Sanctifying him before the People, v. 12.) both he and Aaron his Brother (for the ſame fault) were Excluded Canaan; but Satan could not get either of them Excluded Heaven. However, God pardons their Murmurings, (the Belly hath no Ears) and ſatisfies their Thirſt by a Miracle: Waters came out abundantly by a Work of Omnipotency, v. 11. and ſo the Church is Preſerved.
2dly. A Murmuring within the Camp at the Tediouſneſs of the way in compaſſing the Land of Edom, when that Unkind Couſin would not ſuffer Iſrael to paſs thorough his Land, Numb. 20. 14, 17, 18. and 21. 4. which had been the far neareſt way: This turning about Mount-Seir, turns them again into their Old (Paroxyſms, or) Fits of Murmuring againſt God, (that forbad them the way thorough Seir or Edom, Deut. 2. 5.) and of Loathing Manna, as their Fathers had done, Numb. 11. 5, 6. as if it were not ſo Solid and Subſtantial as that Food they had in Aegypt; Though it maintain'd the Body in an equal Temperature of Strength and Vigorous Health (without offending the Organs, or oppreſſing with Fullneſs) for many Years, as it did Moſes, Deut. 34. 7. and Caleb, Joſh. 14. 11. For this Contempt God ſent [Seraphim Nehaſhim] Fiery Serpents to Sting them, that thoſe Ungrateful ones (who had cauſeleſly Cryed) might now have ſome Cauſe to cry. 'Tis a Wonder, that ſeeing the Wilderneſs (through which they went) did Abound with thoſe and other Serpents, Deut. 8. 15. That the Old Serpent the Devil) had not (before this) Moleſted the Church with theſe Biteing and killing-Serpents, but the Great God (who was their Conduct and Covering) over-rul'd the Devil or Serpent, and kept all thoſe Serpents from hurting his People, till now (by their Sin) he gave them a Commiſſion, as Amos 9. 3. I will command the Serpent, and he ſhall bite thee: 'Tis the Church's Mercy that the Serpent cannot Hurt nor Deſtroy upon Gods Holy Mountain, but when God permits, Iſa. 65. 25. And though God (here for their Sin) doth permit this grievous Malady, yet Provides he a moſt gracious Remedy at the Pray'rs of his people, v. 7, 8. to wit, The Brazen-Serpent upon a Pole (a Figure of Chriſt, Joh. 3. 14, 15.) to which whoever looks (tho' with a weak Eye) are healed, Iſa. 17. 7. and 45. 23. and Joh. 12. 32.
So 2dly. Externally. (1.) Satan ſtirred up the Canaanites to Oppoſe this Wilderneſs-Church in her Paſſage to Canaan: now when they were come ſo nigh to it, even to the South-point of the Land, Numb. 21. 1. and 33. 40. Theſe under King Arad fought againſt Iſrael, and took ſome of them Priſoners. Undoubtedly thoſe Canaanites had heard of the over-throw which was given to Iſrael 38 Y. before this, when they preſumptiouſly went up againſt an Expreſs Prohibition, Numb. 14.41, 44, 45. and of the Hand of God againſt them in Detaining them ſo long in the Wilderneſs: Hereby the Devil hardned and encouraged them to Encounter Iſrael, comming ſo neer them again, which was done accordingly with ſome Succeſs, yet from differing Thoughts of God and the Devil; for 1ſt the Devil did this to diſcourage Iſrael, that as their Fathers through Unbelief entred not into the Promiſed Land, but their Carcaſſes fell in the Wilderneſs, Deut. 1. 27, 32, 35. Hebr. 3. 11, 18. So their Children alſo might be deprived: (2.) but God Suffer'd this Succeſs for a Chaſtizement of their Sins, and for a Tryal of their Faith, and that his People might know, that they ſhould not Conquer the Land by their own Strength, or for their own Merit, Pſal. 44. 3. Deut. 9.4. This Succeſs of the Canaanites prevailing and taking ſome Priſoners, gave Satan a fair Proſpect of his Plot and Project; yet behold how the Lord baffles him, and Laughs it to Nothing, for it was onelyonly ſome Priſoners, not all: the Church (as the Old Romans) may loſe a Battel, but never a War: This Loſs was ſo Sanctify'd, as made them take the right way to prevail with God, (as Jacob the Father of Vows had found it, Gen. 28. 20.) Upon this Occaſion Iſrael (Jacob's Off-ſpring) Vowed a Vow, Numb. 21. 2. Invocating Gods Aſſiſtance, and promiſing a Devotement of their Conqueſt to God: The Lord accepts of this Religious Vow or Promiſe, performs his Part of Helping them to a Victory, v. 3. King Arad (Satans Inſtrument) being Drunk with his former Succeſs, comes again into the Field like Thunder and Lightning, but goes out like Smoak, and a Snuff; as 'tis ſaid of the French, [Prior Impetus est plus quàm Virorum poſterior minùs quám Foeminarum,] More than a Man at firſt, leſs than a Woman at laſt. God Delivered him into Iſraels hands, and his Cities they Deſtroyed, which they Devoted to God, as the firſt Fruits of the Land of Promiſe; And that they might keep their Vow the better to the end of their Conqueſts, the place of this firſt Victory was call'd Hormah, to wit, Devotement, for a Standing Memorial both of Gods Mercy, and Iſraels Duty, in after Ages, v. 3. And when the Devil ſaw that he had loſt this Game, and that Iſraels Sighing for their firſt Defeat, was Turned into Singing for their laſt Victory, (as well as for their Deliverance from the fiery Serpents, and for their Sanedrims (or 70 Elders) cauſing Wells to ſpring up in the Dry Wilderneſs by the ſtroke of their Staves, as Moſes had done with the ſtroke of his Rod, v. 8. 9, 17.) This Enraged him again (2.) to Stir up Sihon King of the Amorites againſt Iſrael, v. 21.23. Deut. 2. 30. Judg. 11. 20. But behold the Iſſue, Sihon comes forth at the Devils Inſtigation, and it was to fetch his own Deſtruction, (as King Arad and others had done) Gods Judgments need not go to find Wicked Men, they do come out to meet it the better half way: Jehovah (the God of Iſrael) Smote him and his Complices, Numb. 21.24. Deut. 2.33. Though their Height was like the height of Cedars, and they as ſtrong as Oaks, Amos 2. 9. Pſal. 135. 10, 11. with 136. 17, 18, 19. The Glory of this Victory in Defeating the Devil and his Imps, is Attributed to the God of Iſrael: And mark a Marvellous good Providence towards Iſrael; who was forbidden of God to meddle with Moabs Land, Deut. 2. 9. Yet Sihon had taken this part from Moab, Numb. 21.26. God takes it from him, (making him a Proverb, or By-word, v. 27. Deut. 28. 17.) and Gives it to Iſrael: Thus they Loſt not, but Gain'd by it herein.