Works of Joseph Hall, Part 17
Ziklag ſpoyled and reuenged.
HAd not the King of the Philiſtims ſent Dauid away early, his Wiues, and his people and ſubſtance, which hee left at Ziklag, had beene vtterly loſt; Now Achiſh did not more pleaſure Dauid in his entertainment, than in his diſmiſſion. Saul was not Dauids enemy more in the perſecution of his perſon, than in the forbearance of Gods enemies; Behold, thus late doth Dauid feele the ſmart of Sauls ſinne, in ſparing the Amalekites; who, if Gods ſentence had beene duly executed, had not now ſuruiued, to annoy this parcell of Iſrael.
As in ſpirituall reſpects our ſinnes are alwayes hurtfull to our ſelues, ſo in temporall, oft-times preiudiciall to poſteritie; A wicked man deſerues ill of thoſe, hee neuer liued to ſee.
I cannot maruell at the Amalekites aſſault made vponupon the Iſraelites of Ziklag; I cannot but maruell at their clemencie; how iuſt it was, that while Dauid would giuegive aid to the enemies of the Church, againſt Iſrael, the enemies of the Church ſhould riſe againſt Dauid, in his peculiar charge of Iſrael: But whilſt Dauid rouing againſt the Amalekites, not many dayes before, left neither man nor woman aliue, how ſtrange is it, that the Amalekites inuading and ſurprizing Ziklag (in reuenge) kill neither man nor woman? Shall wee ſay that mercy is fled from the breſts of Iſraelites, and reſts in Heathens? Or ſhall wee rather aſcribe this to the gracious reſtraint of God, who hauing deſigned Amalek to the ſlaughter of Iſrael, and not Iſrael to the ſlaughter of Amalek, moued the hand of Iſrael, and held the hands of Amalek; This was that alone, that made the Heathens take vp with an vn-bloudy reuenge; burning only the w…es, and leading away the perſons. Iſrael croſſed the reuealed will of God inſparing Amalek; Amalek fulfils the ſecret will of God in ſparing Iſrael.
It was ſtill the lot of Amalek, to take Iſrael at all aduantages; vponupon their firſt comming out of Egypt, when they were weary, weake, and vnarmed, then did Amalek aſſault them: And now, when one part of Iſrael was in the field againſt the Philiſtians, another was gone with the Philiſtims againſt Iſrael; the Amalekites ſet vponupon the Coaſts of both; and goes away laded with the ſpoile: No other is to bee exſpected of our ſpirituall Aduerſaries, who are euer readieſt to aſſayle, when wee are the vnreadieſt to defend.
It was a wofull ſpectacle for Dauid and his Souldiers vponupon their returne to find mines and aſhes in ſtood of houſes, and in ſteed of their Families, ſolitude; Their Citie was vaniſhed into ſmoke, their houſholds into captiuitie; neither could they know whom to accuſe, or where to enquire for redreſſe; whiles they made account that their home ſhould recompence their tedious iourney with comfort, the miſerable deſolation of their home doubles the diſcomfort of their iourney; what remained there but teares and lamentations? They lifted vp their voyces, and wept, till they could weepe no more. Heere was plentie of nothing but miſery and ſorrow. The heart of eueryevery Iſraelite was brim full of griefe; Dauids ranne ouer; for beſides that his croſſe was the ſame with theirs, all theirs was his alone; each man looke on his fellow as a partner of affliction, but eueryevery one lookt vponupon Dauid as the cauſe of all their affliction; and (as common diſpleaſure is neuer but fruitfull of reuenge) they all agree to ſtone him as the Author of their vndoing, whom they followed all this while, as the hopefull meanes of their aduacements.
Now Dauids loſſe is his leaſt griefe; neither (as if eueryevery thing had conſpired to torment him) can hee looke beſides the aggrauation of his ſorrow and danger; Saul and his Souldiers had hunted him out of Iſrael; the Philiſtim Courtiers, had hunted him from the fauour of Achiſh; the Amalekites ſpoyled him in Ziklag; yet all theſe are eaſie aduerſaries in compariſon of his owne; his owne followers are ſo far from pittying his participation of the loſſe, that they are ready to kill him, becauſe they are miſerable with him. Oh the many and grieuous perplexities of the man after Gods owne heart! If all his traine had ioyned their beſt helpes for the mitigation of his griefe, their Cordials had beene too weake, but now the vexation that ariſes from their fury and malice, drowneth the ſence of their loſſe, and were enough to diſtract the moſt reſolute heart; why ſhould it bee ſtrange to vsus, that wee meete with hard tryalls, when wee ſee the deare Annoynted of God thus plunged into euils?
What ſhould the diſtreſſed ſonne of Iſhai now doe? Whither ſhould hee thinke to turne him? to goe backe to Iſrael hee durſt not; to goe to Achiſh hee might not; to abide amonſt thoſe waſte heapes hee could not; or if there might hauehave beene harbor in thoſe burnt wals, yet there could bee no ſafety to remayne with thoſe mutinous ſpirits. (But Dauid comforted himſelfe in the Lord his God;) oh happie and ſure refuge of a faithfull ſoule! The earth yeelded him nothing, but matter of diſconſolation, and heauineſſe; hee lifts his eyes aboue the hils, whence commeth his ſaluation; It is no maruell that God remembreth Dauid in all his troubles, ſince Dauid in all his troubles did thus remember his God; hee knew that though no mortall eye of reaſon, or ſence could diſcerne any euaſion from theſe intricate euils, yet that the eye of diuine Prouidence had diſcryed it long before; and that though no humane power could make way for his ſafetie, yet that the ouer-ruling hand of his God, could doe it with eaſe; His experience had aſſured him of the fidelity of his Guardian in Heauen; and therefore he comforted himſelfe in the Lord his God.
In vaine is comfort expected from God, if we conſult not with him. Abieth…r the Prieſt is called for; Dauid was not in the Court of Achiſh, without the Prieſt by his ſide; nor the Prieſt without the Ephod; Had theſe beene left behind in Ziklag, they had beene miſcaried with the reſt, and Dauid had now beene hopeleſſe. How well it ſucceeds to the Great, when they take God with them in his Miniſters, in his Ordinances? As contrarily, when theſe are laid by, as ſuperfluous, there can bee nothing but vncertainety of ſucceſſe, or certainety of miſcheife. The preſence of the Prieſt and Ephod, would hauehave little auailed him without their vſe; by them hee askes counſell of the Lord in theſe ſtraits. The mouth and eares of God, which were ſhut vntounto Saul, are open vntounto Dauid; no ſooner can hee aske, than hee receiues anſwere; and the anſwere that hee receiues is full of courage and comfort: (Follow, for thou ſhalt ſurely ouertake them, and recouer all.) That God of truth, neuer diſappointed any mans truſt. Dauid now finds, that the eye which waited vponupon God was not ſent away weeping.
Dauid therefore, and his men, are now vponupon their march after the Amalekites: It is no lingring, when God bids vsus goe; They which had promiſed reſt to their weary limbes, after their returne from Achiſh, in their harbour of Zi…lag, are glad to forget their hopes, and to put their ſtiffe ioynts vntounto a new taske of motion; It is no maruell, if two hundred of them were ſo ouer-tired with their former toile, that they were not able to paſſe ouer the Riuer Beſor. Dauid was a true Type of Chriſt. We follow him in theſe holy Warres, againſt the ſpirituall Amalekites; All of vsus are not of an equall ſtrength; Some are carryed by the vigour of their faith, through all difficulties; Others, after long preſſure, are ready to languiſh in the way; Our Leader is not more ſtrong than pittifull; neither doth hee ſcornfully caſheere thoſe, whoſe deſires are heartie, whiles their abilities are vnanſwerable; How much more ſhould our charitie pardon the Infirmities of our brethren; and allow them to fit by the ſtuffe, who cannot endure the march?
The ſame Prouidence, which appointed Dauid to follow the Amalekites; had alſo ordered an Egyptian to bee caſt behind them. This caſt Seruant, whome his cruell Maſter had left to faintneſſe and famine, ſhall bee vſed as the meanes of the recouery of the Iſraelites loſſe, and of the reuenge of the Amalekites. Had not his Maſter neglected him, all theſe Rouers of Amalek, had gone away with their life and booty; It is not ſafe to diſpiſe the meaneſt vaſſall vponupon earth. There is a mercy and care due to the moſt deſpicable peece of all humanity; wherein wee cannot bee wanting without the offence, without the puniſhment of God.
Charitie diſtinguiſheth an Iſraelite from an Amalekite. Dauids followers are ſtrangers to this Egyptian; an Amalekite was his Maſter; His Maſter leaues him to dye (in the field) of ſickneſſe and hunger, theſe ſtrangers releeued him: and ere they know, whether they might by him receiue any light in their purſuit, they refreſh his dying ſpirits with Bread and Water; with Figges and Raiſins; Neither can the haſt of their way bee any hinderance to their compaſſion; Hee hath no Iſraelitiſh bloud in him, that is vtterly mercileſſe; Perhaps, yet Dauids followers might alſo, in the hope of ſome intelligence, ſhew kindneſſe to this forlorne Egyptian. Worldly wiſdome teacheth vsus, to ſowe ſmall courteſies, where wee may reape large Harueſts of recompence: No ſooner are his ſpirits recalled, than hee requites his food with information. I cannot blame the Egyptian, that hee was ſo eaſily induced to diſcry theſe vnkinde Amalekites, to mercifull Iſraelites; thoſe that gaue him ouer vntounto death, to the reſtorers of his life; much leſſe, that ere hee would deſcry them; he requires an oath of ſecurity, from ſo bad a Maſter; Well doth he match death with ſuch a ſeruitude; Wonderfull is the prouidence of God, euen ouer thoſe, which are not in the neereſt bonds, his owne; Three dayes, and three nights, had this poore Egyptian Slaue lyen ſicke and hunger-ſtarued in the fields, and lookes for nothing but death, when God ſends him ſuccour from the hands of thoſe Iſraelites, whom hee had helped to ſpoyle, though not ſo much for his ſake, as for Iſraels, is this heatheniſh Straglet …
It pleaſes God, to extend his common fauours to all his creatures; but in miraculous preſeruations, hee hath ſtill wont to hauehave reſpect to his owne. By this meanes therefore, are the Iſraelites brought to the ſight of their late ſpoylers; whom they find ſcattered abroad, vponupon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing in triumph, for the great prey they had taken.
It was three dayes at leaſt, ſince this gainfull forraging of Amalek; and now, ſeeing no feare of any purſuer, and promiſing themſelues ſafetie, in ſo great and vp…aded a diſtance, they make themſelues merry with ſo rich and eaſie a victory; and now ſuddenly, when they began to thinke of enioying the beautie and wealth they had gotten; the ſword of Dauid was vponupon their throates. Deſtruction is neuer neerer, than when ſecuritie hath chaſed away feare. With how ſad faces and hearts, had the Wiues of Dauid, and the other Captiues of Iſrael, looked vponupon the triumphall Reuels of Amalek; and what a change, doe wee thinke, appeared in them, when they ſaw their happie and valiant Reſcuers, flying in vponupon their inſolent Victors, and making the death of the Amalekites, the ranſome of their captiuitie; They mourned euen now at the dances of Amalek; now in the ſhriekes and death of Amalek, they ſhout and reioyce; The mercy of our God forgets not to enterchange our ſorrowes with ioy, and the ioy of the wicked with ſorrow.
The Amalekites hauehave paid a deare lone for the goods of Iſrael, which they now reſtore with their owne liues; and now their ſpoyle hath made Dauid richer than hee expected: that booty which they had ſwept from al other parts accrewed to him.
Thoſe Iſraelites that could not goe on to fight for their ſhare, are comne to meet their brethren with gratulation. How partiall are wee wont to bee vntounto our owne cauſes? Euen very Iſraelites will bee ready to fall out for matter of profit: where ſelfe-louelove hath bred a quarrell, eueryevery man is ſubiect to flatter his owne caſe. It ſeemed plauſible, and but iuſt to the actors in this reſcue, that thoſe which had taken no part in the paine, and hazard of the iourney, ſhould receiue no part of the commoditie. It was fauour enough for them to recouer their wiues and children, though they ſhared not in the goods. Wiſe and holy Dauid (whoſe prayſe was no leſſe, to ouercome his owne in time of peace, than his enemies in warre) cals his contending followers from Law to equitie, and ſo orders the matter, that ſince the Plaintifes were detained not by will, but by neceſſity; and ſince their forced ſtay was vſe-full in garding the ſtuffe, they ſhould partake equally of the prey with there fellowes. A ſentence wel-beſeeming the Iuſtice of Gods Annoynted. Thoſe that repreſent God vponupon earth, ſhould reſemble him in their proceeding. It is the iuſt merciemercy of our God, to meaſure vsus by our wils, not by our abilities; to recompence vsus graciouſly, according to the truth of our deſires, and endeauours; and to account that performed by vsus, which hee only letteth vsus from performing. It were wide with vsus, if ſometimes purpoſe did not ſupply actions. Whiles our heart faulteth not, wee that through ſpirituall ſickneſſe are faine to abide by the ſtuffe, ſhall ſhare both in grace and glorie with the Victors.