Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 1 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. Verſe 2. That theſe made War.]
VVAr is the ſlaughter-houſe of mankinde, and the hell of this preſent world. It hews it ſelf a way through a wood of men, and layes heaps upon heaps, (as Sampſon did, Judg. 15.16.) not with a jaw-bone of an Aſs, and one after another, but in a minute of time, and by the mouth of a murdering peece. Alphonſus D. of Ferrara, Peachams Vally of varieties.had two of theſe Cannons of a wonderful bigneſs; the one whereof he called Archidiabalo, the other, the Earthquake. Revel. 9 17. Fire, ſmoke and brimſtone ſeem to note out the Turks Guns and Ordnance. For the drawing of that Gun that Mahomet uſed in beſi…ging Conſtantinople, ſeventy yokes of Oxen, and two thouſand men were employed. Deut. 2 20.The Turks battered the Walls of the Rhodes, with twelve Baſilisks, ſo aptly named of the Serpent Baſiliſcus, who (as Pliny writeth) killeth man or beaſt, with his very ſight. But before theſe bloody inſtruments of death were heard of in the world, men could finde means to ſlaughter one another in war; witneſs theſe five Kings, that came with Chedarlaomer, and ſmote the Rephaims or Gyants, the Zuzims, or Zamzummims, and the Emims or terrible ones, as their name importeth. Theſe they ſlew by the way, beſides what they did in the vale of Siddim, where they joyned battle with the five Kings, and cut off many. If we may judg of one battle by another, hear what was done in a bloody fight between Amurath the third, King of Turks, and Lazarus Despot of Servia. Many thouſands fell on both ſides; the brightneſs of the Armor and Weapons was, as it had been the Lightning; the multitude of Launces and other Horſemens Staves, ſhadow the light of the Sun. Arrows and Darts fell ſo faſt, that a man would have thought, Turk biſt. fol. 200.they had poured down from Heaven. The noyſe of the inſtruments of War, with the neighing of horſes, and out cryes of men, was ſo terrible and great, That the wilde Beaſts in the Mountains, ſtood aſtonied therewith; and the Turkiſh Hiſtories, to expreſs the terror of the day, vainly ſay, That the Angels in Heaven, amazed with that hideous noyſe, for that time, forgot the heavenly Hymnes, wherewith they always glorifie God. In concluſion, Lazarus was ſlain, and Amurath had the victory, but a very bloody one, and ſuch as he had no great joy of. For he loſt abundance of his Turks; as did likewiſe Adrian the Emperor of his Romans, when he fought againſt the Jews, and had the better: but with ſuch a loſs of his own men, that when he wrote of his victory to the Senate, Dio in Adriano.he forbore to uſe that common exordium, that the Emperors in like eaſe were wont to uſe, Si vos, liberique veſtri valeatis, bene eſt: Ego quidem & exercitus valemus. There was no ſuch thing, beleeve it, nor but ſeldom is there. But as the Dragon ſucks out the blood of the Elephant; Plin.and the waight of the falling Elephant oppreſſeth the Dragon, and both uſually periſh together; ſo doth it many times fall out with thoſe, that undertake war. Theſe four Kings beat the five; but ere they gat home, became a prey to Abraham and his confederates. The Low-Countrey-men are ſaid to grow rich, Heyl. Geog. pag. 253.(whereas all other Nations grow poor) with war. But they may thank a good Queen, under …od (Queen Eliſabeth, I mean) who firſt undertook their protection againſt the Spaniard. An…o 1585. Camdens Eliſab.For the which act of hers, all Princes admired her fortitude: and the King of Sweden ſaid, That ſhe had now taken the Diadem from her head, and ſet it upon the doubtful chance of War. Dulia ſanè eſt Martis alea, ne… rarò utrique parti noxia, ſaith Bucholcerus. And I cannot but (as the caſe ſtands with us, Bucholc. Chro…. p. 583.eſpecially at this preſent, by reaſon of theſe unnatural, uncivil Wars ſtirred up amongſt us,) go on, and give my vote with him. Ideo pons aureus (ut vulgato proverbio dicitur) hoſti fugienti extruendus eſt, & magno precio, precibus, patientia ac prudentia, alma pax redimenda, ne infoelicitatis portas, pacis tempore clauſas, Dulce bellum inexpertis.infauſtum bellum aperiat. War is ſweet, they ſay, to them that never made tryal of it. But I cannot ſufficiently wonder at Pyrrhus King of Epirus, Nulli ma orem ex imperio quàm Pyrrho ex bello voluptatem fuiſſe. Tit. 1.12.of whom Justin witneſſeth, That he took as much pleaſure in War, as others do in Supream Government. He might have learned better of his own Prophets (ſo Saint Paul calleth their Poets.) Homer (the Prince of them) ever brings in Mars, as moſt hated of Jupiter, above any other god, as born for a common miſcheif, and being right of his mother Juno's diſpoſition, which was fierce, vaſt, contumacious, and malignant. We that are Chriſtians, as we cannot but, with the Prophet Iſaiah, count and call War a ſingular evil: So we muſt acknowledg with him, M…lum per foreign ut b…llum quia minim… b…ll…m per autiphraſin.that it is an evil of Gods own creating, Iſaiah Chap. 45. verſ. 7. I make peac…, and create evil, that is, War. I, is emphatical and excluſive, as who ſhould ſay, I and I alone. Whence-ſoever the Sword comes, it is bathed in Heaven, Iſaiah Chapter 34. verſe 5. God is pleaſed for this, to ſtile himſelf A man of war, Exodus 15.3. The Chaldee expreſſeth it thus, The Lord and Victor of wars, Gen. 17.1. Eundem vict… rem & vaſtatorem eſſe oportet.Geneſis 17.1. God elſewhere calleth himſelf, El Shaddai. Aben-Ezra interpreteth Shaddai a Conqueror. And indeed the Hebrew word Shadad ſignifieth to diſſipate and deſtroy: both which, he muſt needs do that becomes a Conqueror. Gods ſeems to glory much in his workings, about warlike affairs. Hence Pſalm 24.8. Who is the King of glory? Pſal. 24.8.The Lord ſtrong and mighty; the Lord mighty in battle. He is in Scripture ſaid to ſend the Sword, Ezekiel 14.17. To muſter the men, Iſaiah 13.4. To order the Ammunition, Jeremiah 50.25. To bring up both van and rear, Iſaiah 52.12. To give wiſdom, valor, and victory, Pſalm 144.1. Ezekiel 30.24. Eccleſiaſtes 9.11. The whole battle is his, 1 Samuel 17.47. And he oft thereby revengeth the quarrel of his Covenant. Levit. 26.So he hath done already upon the Jews and Germans: ſo he is now doing, alaſs, upon Ireland and England. And here I cannot but inſert that which I finde obſerved by a prime Preacher of our Kingdom. The late battle at Edge-hill, was fought in a place called, The Vale of the Red Horſe; as if God had ſaid, I have now ſent you the Red Horſe, to avenge the quarrel of the White, Revel. 6.2, 4. The blood ſpilt at Edge-hill the ſame day of the monethmonth, in which, the Rebellion brake out in Ireland, the yeer before, October 23. Yea, and upon the ſelf-ſame day (if our Intelligence be true) in which, that bloody battle was fought neer Leipſick in Germany: This Conjuncture is a ſad Preſage, That England is to drink deep in Germany's and Irelands Cup. Father, if it be thy will, let this Cup paſs from us. A Cup of trembling it is, ſurely, to my ſelf, among many others; ſuch as maketh my Pen almoſt to fall out of my fingers, whiles I write theſe things: and affecteth me no otherwiſe (when I conſider of the many fearful convulſions of our Kingdom, tending doubtleſs to a deadly conſumption,) then the ſiege of Rome did Saint Jerome. For hearing that that City was beſieged, Hieron. Conn. in Ezekiel. Pr…oem.at ſuch time as he was writing a Commentary upon Ezekiel, and that many of his godly acquaintance there were ſlain; he was ſo aſtoniſhed at the news, That for many nights and days, he could think of nothing. When I think of what ſhould move the Lord to make this breach upon us, and notwithſtanding that he hath been ſo earneſtly beſought; yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, Haec ſ…ri…ſi cord…cit…s do o…s Auguſt. 21. 1643.but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill: that of Cajetan comes before me; who then Commenting upon Matthew, when the French Souldiers having broken into Rome, offered all maner of abuſe, and violence to the Clergy, inſerts this paſſage into his N…s on Matth. 5.13. Te are the ſalt of the earth, as my former Author alleadgeth, and rendereth him. We the Prelates of Rome, Mr. Arrowſmith. ub… ſuprà. …p.do now finde the truth of this by woful experience, being become a ſcorn, and a prey, not to Infidels, but Chriſtians, by the moſt righteous judgment of God, becauſe we, who by our places, ſhould have been the Salt of the Earth, had loſt our ſavor, and were good for little elſe, but looking after the rites and revenues of the Church. Evanuimu…, a… ad nibilum utiles, niſi ad extern… caeremonias, externaque bona, &c. Heyl. Geog.Hence it is, that together with us, this City comes to be trodden under foot, this ſixth of May, 1527. That City, till it became idolatrous, was ever victorious: But ſince it hath been the neſt of Antichriſt, it was never beſieged, but it was taken and ſacked. The God of Heaven purge out of our Church, daily more and more, that Landdeſolating ſin of Idolatry, Zach. 14.11.and maſſe good his promiſe, That there ſhall be no more the Can…ite in the houſe of the Lord of h…ſtes, no evil ſpirit left in the Land. Fiat, Fiat. For of England we may now well ſay, Tacit. biſt. lib. 1. cap. 1.as he once did of Rome: Nunquam magis juſtis judiciis approbatum eſt, non eſſe curae De… ſecuritatem noſtram, eſſe vindict….
Verſ. 8 And there went out the King of Sodom, &c.] Theſe five neighboring Kings, were combined againſt the four Kings that invaded them. It was not then a civile Diſſenſion (that worſt of Wars) ſuch as was that of France, (and is now, alaſs, Hiſt. of Coun…. of Tre…t. 647.of England,) wherein the ſons fought againſt their Fathers, and Brothers againſt Brothers; and even women took Arms on both ſides for defence of their Religion. That was not more monſtrous, Heyl. Geog. pag. 289.That the Snevi… women threw their young children at the Romans, their enemies, inſtead of darts, then that other was pitio…s, between the Romans themſelves, thoſe that were for Vitellius, and the other for Vespaſian; That when the women brought the Vitellians victuals by night, into the Camp, they not onelyonly refreſhed themſelves, but their adverſaries alſo, with meat and drink. Each man called to his adverſary by name, Dio in vit… visellii.and ſaid, Accipe, micommillto, ede: Non enim tibi gladium praebeo, ſed panem. Accipe rurſ…m & bibe: Non euim tibi ſcutum, ſed poculum trado: ut ſive tu me interficias, ſive ego t…, moriamur facilius: atque ut ne me, enervatâ atque imbecillâ manu occidas, aut ego te. Hae noſtrae ſunt exequi…, nohis adhuc viventibus. Thus they greeted over night, foreign. Dio.and the next day diſpatcht one another; they gave wounds and took wounds; they ſlew, and were ſlain, as the ſame Author hath it. Which as oft as I think on, I cannot but highly commend that Speech of Oth… the Emperor to his Souldiers, a little afore he took his end: I hate civil wars, though I were ſure to overcome. foreign. Dio. In vita Othonis. Daniels Chr…n. continued by Yruſſel. fol. 249. Om…e bellum ſumitur facilè, caeterum aegerrimè deſinit. Non enim in ejuſdem poteſtate est initium belli, ejuſque finis. Saluſt, …n Jugu….I know not why any Engliſhman ſhould love it; that ſhall call to minde, that in the civil Diſſentions between the Houſes of York and Lancaſter, there were ſlain (…re the quarrel ended) fourſcore Princes of the Blood Royal, and twice as many Natives of England, as were loſt in the two Conqueſts of France. War is eaſily taken up (ſaith the Wiſe Hiſtorian) but not ſo eaſily laid down again: Neither is the beginning and the end of a War, in any one mans power. If the Scots ſhould come in on the one ſide, and the French or Iriſh on the other, What an Acheldam… ſhould we ſoon become; what an Ire-land, a ſeat of Wrath, becauſe a ſeat of War? It is never to be forgotten by us, That the Diſſenſion between England and Scotland conſumed more Chriſtian blood, wrought more ſpoil and deſtruction, and continued longer then ever quarrel we read of did, between any two people of the World. Our Edward the firſt, adjured his Son and Nobles, That if he dyed in his journey into Scotland, they ſhould carry his Corps about Scotland, and not ſuffer it to be interred, till they had abſolutely ſubdued the Countrey. A deſire more Martial then Chriſtian; a deſigne of revenge beyond his life: Such ſpirits are raiſed in men that delight in war, Pſalm 68.30. O pray for the peace of Jeruſalem. So ſaith David, Pſalm 122.6. And ſo doth David in the next verſe, Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy pallaces. The Athenians, when they had gotten the better at Sea of the Lacedemonians, were ſo overjoyed, Tum primùm arae Paci publicae ſunt factae, eique Deae pulvina… inſt…tutum. Cornel. Nepos. Pſal. 85.9, 10. Luke 1.74.That they then firſt ſ…t up Altars to the Publike Peace; and appointed a Cuſhion to be laid thereon, for that godeſs to reſt upon. Oh would the Lord, but once more grant us, that Righteouſneſs and Peace might kiſs each other, and Mercy and Truth meet in our Land; How happy ſhould we hold our ſelves; how infinitely oblieged to ſing Servati ſumus, ut ſerviamus! How ſhould we prize our reſtored Peace, and improve it as Abraham did here, to the paying of Tithes, in token of thankfulneſs; yea, to the ſeting up of Altars (not to Publike Peace, as thoſe Heathens,) but to the God of peace, as Abraham after this did, when he had concluded a peace with King Abimelech, and his General Phicol? Gen. 21.32, 33.
Verſ. 10. And the vale of Siddim was full of ſlime-pits.] Choſen therefore on purpoſe by the five Kings, who fled and fell there; or (as ſome underſtand the Text) made haſte to fall down there; Celeritèr ſe dejecerunt. Piſcat. Eo co…ſilio ut hoſtes ignari locorum, &c. Idem.ſculking and ſcouting, till their enemies ſhould purſue them, and ſo periſh in thoſe Pits. But their cunning failed them: For as they had travelled with iniquity, and conceived-miſchief, ſo they brought forth a lye. They made a Pit and digged it, but fell into the ditch, that themſelves had made, Pſal. 7.15, 16. The way of this world (ſaith One) is like the vale of Siddim, ſlimy and ſlippery, full of Lime-pits, and Pit-falls, Springs, and Stumblingblocks, laid by Satan to maim or miſchieve us, to procure our ruine or ruth. To defeat him therefore (as theſe four Kings did the five,) Let us tread gingerly, ſt…p warily, lift not up one foot, till we finde ſure footing for the other: Let us look ere we le…p. Alioqui ſaliens antequam videat, Bern. de bon. deſer.caſurus eſt antequam debeat, as Saint Bernard hath it.
Verſ. 11. And all their victuals.] Ezek. 16.49. Amos 4.Fulneſs of bread was a part of their ſin; and now cleanneſs of teeth is made a piece of their puniſhment, in Gods juſt judgment.
Per quod quis peccat, per idem punitur & ipſe.
Verſ. 12. And they took Lot] God paſſeth not by the ſins of his deareſt Saints, without a ſenſible check. Lot for his affecting the firſt choyce, had ſoon enough of it. Strong affections bring ſtrong afflictions, as hard knots require hard wedges. Earthly things court us, that they may cut our throats: Theſe Hoaſts welcom us into our Inne with ſmiling countenance, that they may diſpatch us in our Beds. Beware of the worlds cut throat kindneſſes; conſort not with Sodomites, leſt ye partake of their plagues. Hamath lyes nigh to Damaſcus in place, and fares the worſe for its neighborhood, Zach. 9.2. Lot loſeth his goods and liberty, 2 Chro. 18.31. & 19.2.Jehoſaphat had well-nigh loſt his life, for loving thoſe that hated God.
Verſ. 13. And there came one that had eſcaped] A Sodomite likely, but a ſervant to Gods good providence, 2 Pet. 2.9. Eph. 4. Pſal. 126 4.for Lots reſcue. The Lord knoweth how to deliver his, &c. He that led captivity captive, can turn our captivity as the ſtreams in the South.
Verſ. 14. He armed his trained ſervants] Or, catechiſed, ſuch as he had painfully principled both in Religion, and Military Diſcipline, tractable, and truſty, ready preſt for any ſuch purpoſe. It is recorded to the commendation of Queen Eliſabeth that ſhe provided for war, even when ſhe had moſt perfect peace with all men. Camdens Eliſ. fol. 164.Darts foreſeen are dintleſs.
Verſ. 15. Smote them, and purſued them] Abram came upon them as they were, ſecure, ſleepy, and drunken, as Joſephus writeth. So did David upon the Amalekites, 1 Sam. 30.16. and Ahab the Syrians, 1 King. 20.16. The diviſion of his company, and taking benefit of the night, wacheth the uſe of godly policies and ſtratagems.
Verſ. 16. And he brought back all the goods] The five Kings were deprived of the whole victory, becauſe they ſpared not a man whom they ſhould have ſpared. One act of injuſtice, oft loſeth much that was juſtly gotten. Beware (ſaith a Reverend Writer hereupon) of ſwallowing ill gotten wealth; Mr. Whatelyes Archetypes.it hath a poyſonfull operation: and like ſome evill ſimple in the ſtomack, will bring up the good food together with the evill humours. [And alſo brought again his brother Lot] Many a crooked nature would have thought of the old jar, and let Lot taſte of the fruits of his departure. In a friends diſtreſs, let former faults be forgotten, and all poſſible helps afforded. [And the women alſo, and the people] The hope of this might haply move that officious meſſenger to addreſs himſelf to the old Hebrew, verſ. 13. little ſet by, till now that they were in diſtreſs. Generall Vere told the King of Denmarke, Spec belliſacri. 253.that Kings cared not for ſouldiers (no more did the King of Sodome for Abraham, and his Reformado…s) untill ſuch time, as the Crowns hang on the one ſide of their heads.
Verſ. 18. Melchizedek King of Salem] Who this Melchiſedek was, is much controverted, Some would have him to be the holy Ghoſt. Others, the Lord Chriſt in the habit of a King and Prieſt. The Jeruſalem Targum ſaith, Hu Shem Rabba. This was Shem the Great; and of the ſame opinion are not a few of the Hebrew Doctours, and others. But what ſhould Shem do in Canaan; which Country fell not to him, but to his brother Ham? To this they anſwer; That by the inſtinct of the Holy Ghoſt, he left his own poſterity now fallen away, for moſt part, to Idolatry, and came to the land of Canaan, a type of Heaven, and the place from whence peace and ſalvation ſhould be preached to all people. If this were ſo, it might very well be, that Amraphel, who was of Shems lineage, Dr. Prideaux L…t, de Melchiſ. p 95.and his fellow-ſouldiers, moved with reverence of this their great Grand-father Shem, might forbear to moleſt him at Salem, or invade his territories, when they waſted and ſmote all the neighbour-nations. But then, on the other ſide, if Melchiſedek were Shem; why doth not Moſes calf him ſo▪ but change his name? 2. Why did not Abram, dwelling ſo near, viſit him all this while, that was ſo near allyed to him, and ſo highly reſpected by him, as it was meet? 3. Why did Melchiſedek the Grand-father, take tithes of his Nephew, to whom he ſhould rather have given gifts and legacies? 2 Cor. 12.14. Moſt likely, Melchiſedek was a Canaanite of the Canaanites; yet a moſt righteous King and Prieſt of the moſt High God, and ſo a pledge and firſt-fruits of the calling of the Gentiles to the knowledge and obedience of Jeſus Chriſt, of whom he was a lively type, Heb. 7.2. [Brought forth brend and wine] This he did as a King; as a Prieſt he bleſſed Abraham; which latter therefore the Apoſtle pitcheth upon, Heb. 7.1. as being to treat of Chriſts Prieſthood. The Papiſts think to finde footing here for their unbloody ſacrifice in the Maſſe. Melchiſedee, ſay they, as a Prieſt offered bread and wine to God; for he was a Prieſt of the living God. So they render it, Tert. de Praeſcrip. adverſ. haeret.or rather wreſt this text, to make it ſpeak what it never meant. Caedem Scriptuarum faciunt ad materiam ſuam, they murther the Scriptures to ſerve their own purpoſes, ſaith Tertullian. Where can they ſhew us in all the Book of God, that the Hebrew word Hotſi here uſed, ſignifieth to offer? But any thing ſerves turn, that hath but a ſhew of what they alleadge it for. A Sorbonist, finding it written at the end of St. Pauls Epiſtles, Miſſa eſt, Bee-hive of Rom. Church, chap. 3. fol. 93. Nelancthon orat. de encom. eloquentiae. Pref. to his book of the Sacraments.&c. brag'd he had found the Maſſe in his Bible. So another reading, Joh. 1.41. Invenimus Meſſiam, made the ſame concluſion. A third, no whit wiſer then the two former, ſpeaking of theſe words I now write upon, Rex Salem panem & vinum protulit, fell into a large diſcourſe of the nature of Salt. Agreable whereunto Dr. Poynes writes, that it was foretold in the Old Teſtament, that the Proteſtants were a Malignant Church, alleadging 2 Chron. 24.19. Mit…batque prophetas, ut r…v…rterentur ad Dominum, quos …roteſtantes illi audire nolebant.
Verſ. 19. And he bleſſed him] Lo here an inſtance of the communion of Saints: Melchiſedek doth all good offices to Abraham (a beleever, though a ſtranger) not of curteſie onelyonly and humanity, but of charity and piety.
Verſ. 20. And he gave him tithe of all] Not of the Sodomites goods, which he reſtored wholly, ver. 23. but of the other lawfull ſpoyle he had taken from the foure conquered Kings; in teſtimony of his thankfulneſs to God the giver of all victory.
Verſ. 21. And the King of Sodome ſaid] He, that a few dayes ſince, faced the heavens, and cared not for foure Kings, can now become ſuppliant to a forlorn forreigner. Affliction will tame and take down the proudeſt ſpirits; they buckle in adverſity, that bore their heads on high in proſperity. In their monethmonth you may finde theſe wild-aſſes. [Give me the perſons] Abram did ſo, Jer. 2.24.and yet they were no whit amended by their late captivity, or former ſervitude; from both which now they are freed by Abraham, but ſtill held captive by the Devill, who owes them yet a further ſpite, as we ſhall ſee Chapt. 19.
Verſ. 22. I have lifted up my hand] A ſwearing geſture, Dan. 12.7. Rev. 10.5.6. Neither doth he this raſhly, but for very good reaſon; Firſt, that by this oath, as by a buckler, he might fence himſelf againſt all covetous deſires of the ſpoyle. Secondly, to ſhew that he did ſeriouſly remit of that which was his right, and went not to war for wages. Thirdly, hereby to profeſs his faith and Religion, in oppoſition to their ſuperſtitious vanities, &c [The poſſeſſour of heaven and earth] The true and rightfull proprietary, whoſe tenants at pleaſure we all are, Philo.as Philo from this text well obſerveth. And here take notice how Melchiſedek and Abraham concut in the very termes of profeſſing their faith, The moſt high God poſſeſſour of heaven and earth. Whereunto Abram addes Jehovah, by which name Melchiſedek happily knew not God as yet; like as Apollos was ignorant of many needfull truths, till better inſtructed by Aquila and Priſcilla, Act. 18.26.
Verſ. 23. That I will not take from a threed] Melchiſedek from God had made Abram heir of all things; for ſaith he, I am the Prieſt of the moſt High God, poſſeſſour of heaven and earth, who hath ſent me with this bread and wine, as by turfe and twig, as by an earneſt, and a little for the whole, to give thee poſſeſſion of both. Now therefore when the King of Sodome, preſently after offers him the goods he had taken, Abraham would none; he was grown too great to accept of ſuch an offer; God was his exceeding great reward, Chap. 15.1. Aquila non captat muſcas. [Leſt thou ſhouldſt ſay, I have made Abram rich] Occaſion muſt not be given to any to ſpeak the leaſt evill of us, leſt Chriſt be diſhonoured: For every Chriſtian quartereth arms with Chriſt. And if Abram do any thing unbeſeeming himſelf, Abrahams God ſhall be blaſphemed at Sodome.
Verſ. 24. Let them take their portion] In things indifferent, we may abridge our ſelves, we may not preſcribe to others, as if they muſt needs be juſt of our make. My brethren be not many maſters, Jam. 3.1. as Magiſtri noſtri pariſienſes. See 1 Cor. 9.14, 15.