Works of Joseph Hall, Part 50
AHAB and BENHADAD.
THere is nothing more dangerous for any ſtate, then to call in forraigne powers, for the ſuppreſſion of an homebred enemie; the remedy hath oft in this caſe, proued worſe then the diſeaſe. Aſa King of Iudah implores the ayde of Benhadad, the Syrian, againſt Baaſha King of Iſrael. That ſtranger hath good colour to ſet his foot in ſome out-skirt-townes of Iſrael; and now theſe ſerue him but for the handſell of more; Such ſweetneſſe doth that Edomite find in the ſoile of Iſrael, that his ambition will not take vp with leſſe then all; He that entred as a Friend, will proceed as a Conqueror; and now aimes at no leſſe then Samaria it ſelfe, the heart, the head of the ten Tribes: There was no cauſe to hope for better ſucceſſe of ſo perfidious a League with an Infidell: Who can looke for other then warre when he ſees Ahab and Iezebel in the Throne, Iſrael in the groues and temples of Baalim? The ambition of Benhadad was not ſo much guilty of this warre, as the Idolatry of that wicked nation; How can they expect peace from earth, who doe wilfully fight againſt heauen? Rather will the God of Hoſts arme the brute, the ſenſeleſſe creatures againſt Iſrael, then he will ſuffer their defiance vnreuenged. Ahab and Benhadad are well matched, an Idolatrous Iſraelite, with a paganiſh Idumaean; well may God plague each with other, who meanes vengeance to them both. Ahab finds himſelfe hard preſſed with the ſiege; and therefore is glad to enter into treaties of peace; Benhadad knowes his owne ſtrength; and offers inſolent conditions, Thy ſiluer and thy gold is mine, thy wiues alſo and thy children, euen the goodlieſt are mine. It is a fearefull thing to be in the mercy of an enemy; In caſe of hoſtility might will carue for it ſelfe: Ahab now after the diuſion of Iudah, was but halfe a King; Benhadad had two and thirthy Kings to attend him; What equality was in this oppoſition? Wiſely doth Ahab therefore, as a reed in a tempeſt, ſtoop to this violent charge of ſo potent an enemy: My Lord, O King, according to thy ſaying, I am thine, and all that I hauehave: It is not for the ouer-powred to capitulate; Weakneſſe may not argue, but yeeld. Tyranny is but drawne on by ſubmiſſion; and where it finds feare, and deiection, inſulteth. Benhadad not content with the ſoueraigntie of Ahabs goods cals for the poſſeſſion; Ahab had offred the Dominion, with reſeruation of his ſubordinate intereſt: he will be a tributary, ſo he may be an owner: Benhadad imperiouſly beſides the command, cals for the propriety; and ſuffers not the King of Iſrael to enioy thoſe things at all, which he would inioy but vnderunder the fauour of that predominancie. Ouer-ſtrained ſubiection turnes deſperate; if conditions bee impoſed worſe then death, there needes no long diſputation of the remedy; The Elders of Iſrael (whoſe ſhare was proportionably in this danger) hearten Ahab to a deniall: which yet comes out ſo fearefully, as that it appeares rather extorted by the peremptory indignation of the people, then proceeding out of any generoſity of his Spirit: Neither doth he ſay, I will not, but, I may not. The proud Syrian (who would hauehave taken it in foule ſcorne to bee denied, though he had ſent for all the heads of Iſrael) ſnuffes vp the wind like a wilde Aſſe in the Wilderneſſe, and brags, and threats, and ſweares, The gods doe ſo to me and more alſo, if the duſt of Samaria ſhall ſuffice for handfulls for all the people that follow me: Not the men, not the goods onelyonly of Samaria ſhall bee caried away captiue, but the very earth whereon it ſtands; and this, with how much eaſe? No Souldier ſhall need to bee charged with more then an handfull, to make a valley where the mother City of Iſrael once ſtood: Oh vaine boaſter! In whom I know not whether pride or folly be more eminent: Victorie is to bee atchieued, not to bee ſworne; future euents are no matter of an oath; Thy gods (if they had beene) might hauehave beene called as witneſſes of thy intentions, not of that ſucceſſe, whereof thou wouldſt be the Author without them: Thy gods can doe nothing to thee, nothing for thee, nothing for themſelues; all thine Aramites ſhall not cary away one corne of ſand out of Iſrael, except it bee vponupon the ſoles of their feet, in their ſhamefull flight; It is well, if they can cary backe thoſe skins that they brought thither: Let not him that girdeth on his harneſſe boaſt himſelfe as hee that putteth it off: There is no cauſe to feare that man that truſts in himſelfe: Man may caſt the dice of war, but the diſpoſition of them is of the Lord.
Ahab was lewd, but Benhadad was inſolent; If therefore Ahab ſhall be ſcourged with the rod of Benhadads feare; Benhadad ſhall bee ſmitten with the ſword of Ahabs reuenge, Of all things God will not endure a preſumptuous, and ſelfe-confident vaunter; after Elijahs flight and complaint, yet a Prophet is addreſſed to Ahab; Thus ſaith the Lord, Haſt thou ſeene all this great multitude? behold I will deliuer it into thine hand, this day, and thou ſhalt know that I am the Lord: Who can wonder enough at this vnweariable mercy of God? After the fire and ruine fetcht miraculouſly from Heauen, Ahab had promiſed much, performed nothing, yet againe will God bleſſe and ſolicit him with victory; One of thoſe Prophets whom hee perſecuted to death, ſhall comfort his deiection with the newes of deliuerance and triumph: Had this great worke beene wrought without premonition; either chance, or Baal, or the golden calues had caried away the thankes: Before hand therefore ſhall Ahab know both the Author and the meanes of his victory; God for the Author, the two hundred thirty two yong men of the Princes for the meanes; What are theſe for the Vant-gard, and ſeuen thouſand Iſraelite for the maine battell, againſt the troupes of three & thirty Kings, and as many centuries of Syrians, as Iſrael had ſingle ſouldiers? An equality of number had taken away the wonder of the euent; but now, the God of hoaſts will be confeſſed in this iſſue, not the valor of men; How indifferent it is with thee, O Lord, to ſaue by many, or by few; to deſtroy many or few? A world is no more to thee then a man; how eaſie is it for thee to enable vsus to be more then Conquerors ouer Principalities and Powers: to ſubdue ſpirituall wickedneſſes to fleſh and blood? Through thee we can doe great things, yea we can doe all things through thee that ſtrengthneſt vsus; Let not vsus want faith, we are ſure there can bee no want in thy power or mercy.
There was nothing in Benhadads pauilions but drink, and ſurfet, and iollity; as if wine ſhould make way for blood; Security is the certain vſher of deſtruction: we neuer hauehave to much cauſe to feare as when we feare nothing. This handful of Iſrael dares look out (vponupon the Prophets aſſurance) to the vaſt hoſt of Benhadad: It is enough for that proud Pagan to ſit ſtill, and command amongſt his cups: To defile their fingers with the blood of ſo few, ſeemed no maſtery; that act would bee inglorious on the part of the Victors: More eaſily might they bring in three heads of dead enemies then one aliue: Imperiouſly enough therefore doth this boaſter out of his chaire of ſtate and eaſe, command, Whether they be come out for peace, take them aliue; or whether they be come out for warre, take them aliue; There needs no more, but, Take them; this field is won with a word; Oh the vaine and ignorant preſumptions of wretched men that will be reckoning without, againſt their Maker.
EueryEvery Iſraelite kils his man; the Syrians flee, and cannot runne away from death: Benhadad and his Kings, are more beholden to their horſes then to their gods, or themſelues for life and ſafety, elſe they had been either taken, or ſlaine, by thoſe whom they commanded to be taken.
How eaſie is it for him that made the heart, to fill it with terror, and conſternation, euen where no feare is? Thoſe whom God hath deſtin'd to ſlaughter, he will ſmite, neither needs he any other enemy or executioner, then what he findes in their owne boſome: We are not the maſters of our owne courage, or feares; both are put into vsus by that ouer-ruling power that created vsus: Stay now, O ſtay, thou great King of Syria, and take with thee thoſe forgotten handfuls of the duſt of Iſrael; Thy gods will doe ſo to thee, and more alſo, if thy followers returne without their vowed burden; Learne now of the deſpiſed King of Iſrael, from henceforth not to ſound the triumph before the battell, not to boaſt thy ſelfe in the girding on of thine harneſſe, as in the putting off.
I heare not of either the publike thankſgiuing, or amendment of Ahab. Neither danger nor victory can change him from himſelfe: Benhadad and he, though enemies, agree in vnrepentance; the one is no more moued with mercy, then the other with iudgement: Neither is God any changeling in his proceedings towards both; his iudgement ſhall ſtill follow the Syrian, his mercy Iſrael: Mercy both in fore-warning, and redeliuering Ahab; Iudgement in ouerthrowing Benhadad. The Prophet of God comes againe, and both foretels the intended re-encounter of the Syrian, and aduiſes the care, and preparation of Iſrael: Goe ſtrengthen thy ſelfe, and marke, and ſee what thou doeſt; for, at the returne of the yeare, the King of Syria will come vp againſt thee: God purpoſeth the deliuerance of Iſrael, yet may not they neglect their fortifications; The mercifull intentions of God towards them may not make them careleſſe; The induſtry and courage of the Iſraelites fall within the decree of their victory; Security is the bane of good ſucceſſe; It is no contemning of a foyled enemie; the ſhame of a former diſgrace and miſcariage, whets his valor, and ſharpens it to reuenge: No power is ſo dreadfull, as that which is recollected from an ouerthrow.
The hoſtility againſt the Iſrael of God may ſleepe, but will hardly die. If the Aramites ſit ſtill, it is but till they be fully ready for an aſſault; Time will ſhew that their ceſſation was onelyonly for their aduantage; neither is it otherwiſe with our ſpirituall aduerſaries: ſometimes their onſets are intermitted; they tempt not alwaies, they alwaies hate vsus: their forbearance is not out of fauour, but attendance of opportunitie; happy are wee, if out of a ſuſpicion of their ſilence, we can as buſily prepare for their reſiſtance, as they doe for our impugnation.
As it is a ſhame to bee beaten, ſo yet the ſhame is leſſe, by how much the victor is greater; to mitigate the griefe, and indignation of Benhadads foile, his paraſites aſcribe it to gods, not to men; an humane power could no more hauehave vanquiſh't him then a diuine power could by him be reſiſted; Their gods are gods of the hils; Ignorant Syrians, that name gods, and confine them; varying their deities according to ſituations; They ſaw that Samaria (whence they were repelled) ſtood vponupon the hill of Shemer: They ſaw the Temple of Ieruſalem ſtood vponupon mount Sion; they knew it vſuall with the Iſraelites to ſacrifice in their high places, and perhaps they had heard of Elijahs altar, vponupon mount Carmel; and now they ſottiſhly meaſure the effects of the power, by the place of the worſhip; as if he that was omnipotent on the hill, were impotent in the Valley; What doltiſh conceits doth blinde Paganiſme frame to it ſelfe of a God-head? As they hauehave many gods, ſo finite; eueryevery region, eueryevery hill, eueryevery dale, eueryevery ſtreame hath their ſeuerall gods, and each ſo knowes his owne bounds, that he dares not offer to incroach vponupon the other; or, if he doe, abuyes it with loſſe: Who would thinke that ſo groſſe blockiſhneſſe ſhould finde harbour in a reaſonable ſoule? A man doth not alter with his ſtation; He that wreſtled ſtrongly vponupon the hill, loſeth not his force in the plaine; all places finde him alike actiue, alike valorous; yet theſe barbarous Aramites ſhame not to imagine that of God, which they would bluſh to affirme of their owne champions. Superſtition infatuates the heart out of meaſure; neither is there any fancy ſo abſurd or monſtrous, which credulous infidelity is not ready to entertaine with applauſe.
In how high ſcorne doth God take it to bee thus baſely vnderunder-valued by rude heathen? This very miſ-opinion concerning the God of Iſrael ſhall coſt the Syrians a ſhamefull, and perfect deſtruction; They may call a Counſell of War, and lay their heads together, and change their Kings into Captaines, and their hills into valleyes, but they ſhall finde more graues in the plaines, then in the mountaines; This very meſ-priſon of God ſhall make Ahab (though he were more lewd) victorious; An hundred thouſand Syrians ſhall fall in one day, by thoſe few hands of Iſrael; And a dead wall in Aphek (to whoſe ſhelter they fled) ſhall reuenge God vponupon the reſt that remained; The ſtones in the wall ſhall rather turne executioners, then a blaſphemous Aramite ſhall eſcape vnreuenged. So much doth the iealous God hate to be robd of his glory, euen by ignorant Pagans, whoſe tongue might ſeeme no ſlander. That proud head of Benhadad, that ſpoke ſuch big words of the duſt of Iſrael, and ſwore by his gods, that hee would kill and conquer, is now glad to hide it ſelfe in a blinde hole of Aphek; and now in ſtead of queſtioning the power of the God of Iſrael, is glad to heare of the mercy of the Kings of Iſrael; Behold, now, wee hauehave heard that the Kings of the houſe of Iſrael are mercifull Kings; Let vsus, I pray thee, put ſack-cloth on our loines, and ropes on our heads, and goe out to the King of Iſrael, peraduenture he will ſaue thy life.
There can bee no more powerfull attractiue of humble ſubmiſſion, then the intimation and conceit of mercy; Wee doe at once feare, and hate the inexorable; This is it, O Lord, that allures vsus to thy throne of grace, the knowledge of the grace of that throne; with thee is mercy and plentious redemption; thine hand is open before our mouthes, before our hearts; If we did not ſee thee ſmile vponupon ſuiters, we durſt not preſſe to thy footſtoole; Behold now we know that the King of heauen, the God of Iſrael, is a mercifull God; Let vsus put ſackcloth vponupon our loynes, and ſtrew aſhes vponupon our heads, and goe meet the Lord God of Iſrael, that he may ſaue our ſoules.
How well doth this habit become inſolent, and blaſphemous Benhadad and his followers? a rope, and ſackcloth? A rope for a Crowne, ſackcloth for a robe; Neither is there leſſe change in the tongue, Thy ſeruant Benhadad ſaith, I pray thee let me liue; Euen now the King of Iſrael ſaid to Benhadad, My Lord O King, I am thine; Tell my Lord the King, all that thou didſt ſend for to thy ſeruant, I will doe: Now Benhadad ſends to the King of Iſrael, Thy ſeruant Benhadad ſaith, I pray thee let me liue: Hee that was erewhile a Lord and King, is now a ſeruant; and he that was a ſeruant to the king of Syria, is now his Lord: he that would blow away all Iſrael in duſt, is now glad to beg for his own life at the doore of a deſpiſed enemy; no courage is ſo haughty, which the God of hoſts cannot eaſily bring vnderunder; what are mē or deuils in thoſe almighty hāds?
The greater the deiection was, the ſtronger was the motiue of commiſeration; That haltar pleaded for life; and that plea for but a life, ſtirred the bowels for fauour: How readily did Ahab ſee in Benhadads ſudden miſery the image of the inſtability of all humane things? and relents at the view of ſo deepe and paſſionate a ſubmiſſion. Had not Benhadad ſaid, Thy ſeruant, Ahab had neuer ſaid, My brother; ſeldome euer was there loſſe in humility; How much leſſe can we feare diſparagement, in the annihilating of our ſelues, before that infinite Maieſtie? The drowning man ſnatches at eueryevery twig; It is no maruell if the meſſengers of Benhadad catch haſtilie at that laſt of grace, and hold it faſt, Thy brother Benhadad; Fauours are wont to draw on each other; Kindneſſes breed on themſelues; neither need wee any other perſwaſion to beneficence, then from our owne acts. Ahab cals for the King of Syria; ſets him in his owne Charet; treats with him of an eaſie (yet firme) league, giues him both his life, and his Kingdome. Neither is the Crowne of Syria ſooner loſt, then recouered; OnelyOnly hee that came a free Prince, returnes tributarie: OnelyOnly his traine is clipt too ſhort for his wings; an hundred twentie ſeuen thouſand Syrians are abated of his Guard, homeward. Blaſphemy hath eſcaped too well. Ahab hath at once peace with Benhadad, warre with God; God proclaimes it by his Herald, one of the ſonnes of the Prophets; not yet in his owne forme, but diſguiſed, both in faſhion, and complaint; It was a ſtrange ſuit of a Prophet, Smite me I pray thee; Many a Prophet was ſmitten, and would not; neuer any but this wiſhed to bee ſmitten; The reſt of his fellowes were glad to ſay, Saue mee; this onelyonly ſayes, Smite me; His honeſt neighbour, out of louelove and reuerence, forbeares to ſtrike; There are too many (thinkes hee) that ſmite the Prophets, though I refraine; What wrong haſt thou done that I ſhould repay with blowes? Hadſt thou ſued for a fauour, I could not hauehave denyed thee, now thou ſueſt for thine hurt, the deniall is a fauour; Thus he thought; but Charitie cannot excuſe diſobedience; Had the man of God called for blowes, (vponupon his owne head) the refuſall had beene iuſt and thanke-worthy; but now that he ſayes, In the Word of the Lord, Smite me, this kindneſſe is deadly: Becauſe thou haſt not obeyed the voyce of the Lord, behold, aſſoone as thou art departed from me a Lyon ſhall ſlay thee; It is not for vsus to examine the charges of the Almighty; Be they neuer ſo harſh, or improbable, (if they bee once knowne for his) there is no way but obedience, or death. Not to ſmite a Prophet, when God commands, is no leſſe ſinne, then to ſmite a Prophet, when God forbids; It is the diuine precept or prohibition, that either makes or aggrauates an euill; And if the Iſraelite bee thus reuenged, that ſmote not a Prophet, what ſhall become of Ahab that ſmote not Benhadad? EueryEvery man is not thus indulgent; an eaſie requeſt will gaine blowes to a Prophet from the next hand; yea, and a wound in ſmiting. I know not whether it were an harder taske for the Prophet to require a wound, then for a well-meaning Iſraelite to giuegive it; Both muſt bee done; The Prophet hath what hee would, what hee muſt will, a ſight of his owne blood; and now diſguiſed herewith, and with aſhes vponupon his face, hee way-layes the King of Iſrael, and ſadly complaines of himſelfe in a reall parable, for diſmiſſing a Syrian priſoner deliuered to his hands, vponupon no leſſe charge then his life; and ſoone receiues ſentence of death, from his owne mouth; Well was that wound beſtowed that ſtrucke Ahabs ſoule through the fleſh of the Prophet; The diſguiſe is remoued; The King ſees not a ſouldier, but a Seer; and now finds that he hath vnawares paſſed ſentence vponupon himſelfe. There needs no other doome then from the lips of the offender: Thus ſaith the Lord, Becauſe thou haſt let goe out of thy hand, a man whom I appointed to vtter deſtruction, therefore thy life ſhall go for his life, and thy people for his people: Had not Ahab knowne the will of God concerning Benhadad, that had beene mercy to an enemy, which was now cruelty to himſelfe, to Iſrael: His eares had heard of the blaſphemies of that wicked tongue: His eyes had ſeene God goe before him, in the example of that reuenge; No Prince can ſtrike ſo deepe into his ſtate, as in not ſtriking; In priuate fauour there may bee publike vnmercifulneſſe.