Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Containing the Coherence, Expoſition, and Diviſion of the Word…; with the Deduction of a Doctrine inſiſted on, as the Foundation of the whole Diſcourſe.
WHich Words contain a Queſtion,The Cohaerence. and an Anſwer. The Perſon propounding the Queſtion, is, Amaziah King of Judah: The Perſon returning the Anſwer, is, A Man of God. i. e. a Prophet Inſpir'd by God; and ſent on a great and weighty Errand to the King, as afterwards will appear.
It will be worth our while, Firſt, to make inquiry concerning Amaziah, and then concerning the Man of God, both mentioned in the Text, that ſo my Paſſage may be made more clear.
Firſt, for Amaziah, we Read how he was Deſcribed, verſ. 1. and what his Converſation was, verſ. 2. compare this with 2 King. 14. 3. and one Text will2 King. 14. 3. give more Light to the other; There it's ſaid of Amaziah, that He did that which was Right in the Sight of the Lord, yet not like David his Father: he did according to all things, as Joaſh his Father did. Joaſh began well, and afterwards Apoſtatized: So did Amaziah Tread in his Fathers Steps; and to Evidence, what Amaziah did, was not Sincere; it's ſaid, verſ. 2. He did that which was Right in the Sight of the Lord, (i. e.) What for the Subſtance or Matter of the Action was approved of God: But not with a perfect Heart. This But, makes a wide difference between a Hollow, Formal, Hypocritical, and a Sincere Profeſſor.
Amaziah was defective in his Walkings, and a Back-ſlider like his Father:foreign As his Father was, ſo was he; Good at firſt, Nought at laſt. Grotius gives an Obſervation on 2 King. 15. 3.—Egregiam Grotius in 2 Kin. 15. 3.laudem fine turpi macularet.—It's true, that Amaziah reſtored the True Worſhip of God, much decayed in his Fathers time, after the Death of Jehojada; yet what Amaziah did, was but a Partial, not a Total Reformation: All he did, was but to halves; and how could it be otherwiſe, as long as there was a naughty Principle, a rotten Core, and Heart rotten at the bottom? Theforeign. 70. in v. 2. Verſion of the Seventy Runs, Not with a full Heart: He went not thorough with his Work, but to Halves only. For 2 King. 14. 4. It's there ſaid, |Quod etſi dictum ſit etiam antea de aliis tamen iterum atque iterum repetitur, nimirum ut quanta quamque peſtifera S… perſtitionis vis ſit, obſervemus Haec enim ubi in animis hominum radices al…ius egerit, agre velles poteſt. W…lphius in loc.Howbeit the High Places were not taken away; as yet, the People did Sacrifice, and Burnt Incenſe on the High Places. Thoſe High Places, What were they, but deviſed Wayes, humane inventions, ſuperſtitions, no better than additional Will-Worſhips, and ſuch are |Hominum inventa in Dei cultu impurae ſunt corruptelae, Calv. Inſtit. L. 4. c. 10.Corruptions of Worſhip. People would not be tyed to one place of Gods Appointment; but according to their own Fancies and Humours; they would add, and ſet up others of their own Diviſing: Againſt which, there is an expreſs Prohibition, Deut. 12. 4, 5. 6. And further to ſet forth the inſincerity, and rotten heartedneſs of Amaziah, the 14. verſ. of this Chapter gives a full Evidence. For it's ſaid, Now it came to paſs, after that Amaziahver. 14. was come from the Slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the Gods of the Children of Seir, and ſet them up to be his Gods, & bowed down himſelf before them, and burned Incenſe unto them. And ſuch curſed Fruit, doth a rotten heart Bear. A Heart that's Deceitful and Hypocritical, marrs all our Services, Quod cor non Facit, non fit. All's as undone, and quite loſt; if the Heart be not the Doer thereof. If the Heart be Good, all's Good; if the Heart be Nought, all's Nought. The Prieſt under the Law, in all Sacrifices, chiefly lookt at the Heart of the Beaſt, that was to be Offered, Amongſt the Heathen Augurs, there was ſpecial Notice took of the Heart of the Sacrifice. If the Heart was Tainted and Corrupted, that Beaſt was rejected, and not to be made a Sacrifice. Now that, which God principally required (i. e. a perfect Heart) was wanting in Amaziah. An imperfect, partial, hollow Heart, was odious and abominable unto God; and for a full determination let's have recourſe to the Judgment of Solomon, Prov. 10. 20. The Tongue of the Prov. 10. 20. 15. 8.Juſt, is as choice Silver; the Heart of the Wicked is little worth: and Prov. 15. 8. The Sacrifice of the Wicked, is an abomination to the Lord; but the Prayer of the Upright is His Delight. Theſe Scriptures gives a full and evident Satisfaction.
Yet notwithſtanding the great Evil in Amaziah, we may not paſs by in Silence ſomewhat in him, which was both very Remarkable, and highly Commendable; and that was his Execution of Juſtice upon thoſe who were his Fathers Murtherers, ver. 3. How his Father was Murthered, is upon Record, 2 Chron. 24. 25. Although (as they thought) a fair Pretence might be pleaded, as if what they did, was only to Revenge one Murther with another; yet their Treaſon was Abominable, and their Murther Execrable; wherefore the Hand of Juſtice overtook thoſe horrid Regicides: yet Juſtice, and Mercy contend together; this to ſpare the guiltleſs Children, the other Ezek. 18. 20.to ſlay the guilty Father, ver. 3, 4. A Scripture Rule is the Kings Warrant, Deut. 24. 16. The Fathers ſhall not be put to Death for the Children, neither ſhall the Children be put to Death for the Fathers; every Man ſhall be put to Death for his own Sin. To come nearer to my Text, let's conſider Amaziah as a Warrior, and his Military Preparations,ver. 5. 6. ver. 5, 6. Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them Captains over Thouſands, and Captains over Hundreds, according to the Houſes of their Fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and-he Numbred them from Twenty Years Old & above, & found them Three Hundred Thouſand choice Men, able to go forth to War, that could handle Spear and Shield. He hired alſo, an Hundred Thouſand mighty Men of Valour out of Iſrael, for an Hundred Talents of Silver. And thus far of Amaziah.
In the Second place, let's take Notice of the Man of God. What his Name was, and what was his Place, whence he came, are not mentioned. But his Meſſage is Recorded to be a ſtrict Prohibition, ver. 7. There came a Man of An Amos Pater Iſaiae ut ſentiunt Hebraej? Grot.God to him, Saying, O King, Let not the Army of Iſrael go with Thee, for the Lord is not with Iſrael, to wit, with all the Children of Ephraim. By Ephraim, is to be underſtood the Ten Tribes; |Penes familiam illam Principatus Erat. Piſc. Ephraim eſt totum regnum Iſraelis. Plus quam viginti vicibus ita accipitur Tarnor, in Hoſ. 4. 17.Ephraim was the chiefeſt of them. In Jacobs Bleſſing, Ephraim had made over to him the Priviledge of Primogeniture, Gen. 48. 19. So that foreign Ephraim alone paſſeth in the name of all the Tribes of. Iſrael, Iſa. 17. 3. Iſa. 28. 1. Now Ephraim were Apoſtates from God, and incorrigible Idolaters, Hoſ. 4. 17. However, if Amaziah would not hearken to Coun…el, but take that Army with him, he ſhould ſurely fall before the Enemy: It's an Ironical Speech, which vertually contains a vehement Check and Inhibition, ver. 8. But if thou wilt …, do it, be Strong for the Battle; God ſhall make thee fall before the Enemy, for God hath Power to help, and to caſt down.
And having praemiſed thus much as a neceſſary Introduction▪ I ſhall now conſider the Words of the Text, which fall into a Queſtion, and an Anſwer.
Firſt. For the Queſtion (which is fullThe Text divided 1. Queſt. of King Amaziah. of Trouble, Perplexity, Diffidence, and Self-Intereſt.) What ſhall we do for the Hundred Talents, which I have given to the Army of Iſrael? As if I ſhould ſay, It's difficult and no way probable, to get any Reſtitution of an Hundred Talents, from an Army of an Hundred Thouſand Men, whom if we Caſhier, we ſhall ſo enrage them, as there will be no hope at all left of recovering our Money out of their Hands. To attempt this Enterprize, would be as Succeſsleſs, as to venture, to pluck the Prey out of the Mouths of ſo many Lyons. And on the other ſide, if we ſhould ſit down by ſo great a Loſs, as are an Hundred Talents, it would be very ſad and irkſome, not quickly to be recovered, and made up again. Here's a Dilemma, which on either ſide perplexeth the King. He is not willing to run the hazard of Fighting, with thoſe Hundred Thouſand valiant Souldiers, for the Reſtitution of the Money; And no likelihood there was of getting that Money from them without Blows: Neither was he willing to let them go away with the Money. To this Queſtion full of doubts and perplexity, the Prophet Anſwers.
You have in the Second place, the2 The Man of God's Anſwer. Man of God's Anſwer abundantly ſatiſfactory, and every ways ſufficient to quiet, content, and ſatisfy the King. And the Man of God Anſwered. The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. As if he ſhould ſay, God hath much more to give thee, and what Loſſes thou Suſtaineſt, He can abundantly make up unto thee: If thou truſteſt and dependeſt on God, thou need'ſt not fear Supplies from Him. God is both able, and willing to ſupply, ſuſtain, and provide for all thoſe who Truſt and Rely upon Him. The Seventy render the Words, foreign And Junius renders them accordingly, Eſt Jehovae dare tibi amplius eo (i. e.) It is in the power of God to give thee much more. The Vulgar Latin renders it, Habet Dominus unde dare poſſit tibi multo his plura (i. e.) God hath enough to ſupply thee, and give thee much more than thou haſt Loſt. |Eſt in poteſtate Jehovae dare tibi vatab.Vatablus renders them according to the ſame Senſe. Hugo Grotius obſerves from hence, Satis dives eſt qui Dei cauſâ, pauperatur. He is Rich enough, who is made Hugo Grotius in loc.Poor for the Cauſe of God. This holy Prophet was couragious in the Cauſe of God, and delivered his Meſſage with all courage and fidelity: And a convincing Argument he preſſeth from God's All-Sufficiency. The Lord (ſaith he to the King) is able to give thee much more than this. And this Anſwer obtains that ſucceſs which was deſired, ver. 10. Then Amaziah ſeparated them, to wit, the Army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to go Home again: Wherefore, their Anger was greatly kindled againſt Judah, and they returned Home in great Anger. But obſerve what might be ſoon feared came to paſs, from the incenſed eaſhiered Soldiers, ver. 13. But the Soldiers of the Army which Amaziah ſent back, that they ſhould not go with him to Battle; fell upon the Cities of Judah from Samaria, even unto Beth-horon, and ſmote Three Thouſand of them, and took much Spoile. However ſuch miſchievous Conſequen…es might eaſily be foreſeen; yet Amaziah Diſputes no farther, makes no more Queſtions nor Demurrs, but obeys the Command of God, from the Mouth of His Prophet.
The Anſwer of the Man of God, isProv. 25. 11. a Word fitly Spoken, which is (in Solomons Eſtimation) Like Apples of Gold, in Pictures of Silver.
The Text, is a Word of ſingular Support and Incouragement: It's Tabula poſt naufragium; An Anchor of Hope, A ſtrong Prop to uphold a tottering Building, A high Rock, ſtrong and impregnable, When Troubles come thick and threefold, and Loſſes, Croſſes, Impriſonments, Perſecutions, and Exile follow one upon another: here's Matter of Support, and Ground of Incouragement, to be drawn from God's All-Sufficiency.
This is a ſhadow from the Heat, and a Iſa. 25. 4.ſhelter from the Storm, when the blaſt of the Terrible one, is as a Storm againſt the Wall. Here's the Rock, Fortreſs, Buckler, Pſal. 18. 2.Deliverer, Horn of Salvation, and high-Tower, &c. If amidſt our greateſtHis variis Ephithetis oſtendit David Deum non uno Modo ſervare ſuos ſed ſicut ſunt varia genera periculorum & difficultatum quibus obijciuntur ita Deum variâ virtute preditum eſſe ad ſalvandum ſuos. Molleri. in loc. Rom. 12. 2. Preſſures, Sufferings, Straits, and Exigencies; we can ſtay, acquieſce, and quietly rely upon God's All-Sufficiency, and caſt our ſelves upon his Wiſdom, and wait for his Salvation. O! What ſweet and comfortable Lives ſhould we lead! If amidſt all Loſſes, we could believe aſſuredly this great Truth; That the Lord is able to give as much more than this; we ſhould be Gainers by our Loſſes, and Rejoyce in our Tribulations, and in every thing, ſubmiſſively, and patiently reſign our wills, to the Will of God, which is a good, acceptable, and perfect will.
From the Words thus Expounded, I ſhall Collect one Fundamental point of Doctrine, or choice Leſſon, for our Inſtruction, viz.
That the ſerious, and deliberate conſideration of God's All-Sufficiency, ſhould Doct. ingage us ſilently, contentedly, and quietly to ſubmit unto God, to ſtay and depend upon His All-Sufficiency, even then, when the greateſt Loſſes, and Afflictions are incomben…on us.