may well be supposed that Joash might threaten with Punishments from God as well as from himself telling them in Defence of his Son That God had appear'd to his Son and had commanded him to do all that he had done and that it was their Worshiping of Baal for which God had punished them by Midian's Tyranny seven years and that if they persisted therein still God will punish us seven times more c. It is usual in Scripture to give only some short hints of those things that were more largely discoursed But his Third Argument is From the Office of Baal himself by an Ironical Concession saying If Baal be a God let him plead for himself as the God of Israel hath done often times when any Indignity or Injury hath been done to him as when Nadab and Abihu offer'd strange fire Levit. 10.1 2. and in the case of Corah and his Accomplices Numb 16.31 35 c. The sense of his saying thus was this If Baal have such a Divine Power as you imagine then is he able to maintain his own Honour to right himself and to revenge the Wrongs offered to him so needs none of you to plead his Cause but if he be only an idle Idol and Image then is he not worthy to be Worship'd and defended by you who is unable to defend either you or himself such as dare any farther to plead for so silly a God as could not protect himself deserveth to die for their own Folly and Impiety The Tenth and last Remark in this Chapter is Gideon's undertaking to deliver Israel from the Tyranny of Midian from ver 33. to the end No sooner had Joash thus prudently stop'd the rapid Torrent of the Rabble's Fury with those Three forcible Arguments afore-mentioned but he Knights as it were his Son with an honourable Title calling him Jerub Baal that is let Baal plead against him that hath broke down his Altar this Name of Honour was given to Gideon by his Father as a Memorial of his Sons Noble Exploit and to Stigmatize Baal with this black brand of Infamy a fair caution for those foul Successors that would needs Worship Baal in after Ages Gideon's undertaking Israel's Deliverance is described First By the occasion of it the Midianites and their Confederates made a new Invasion as far as Jezreel ver 33. where the Kings of Israel afterward had a Royal Palace 1 Kings 21.1 and not far from Ophrah where Gideon dwelt therefore well might he fear their sudden coming upon him to surprize him but this proved the unhappiest time to the Enemy now to invade Israel when Gideon had begun a Reformation in the Land ver 25. c. N.B. He began at the right end first to abolish false Worship and then to set up the true Worship seeing there can be no Concord betwixt Christ and Belial betwixt the Temple of God and the Temple of Idols 2 Cor. 6.15 16. and if we will serve God the Service of Baal must first be rejected 1 Kings 18.21 Gideon's suppression of that Superstition and Idolatry which caused God to give Israel up to Midian's Tyranny and his begun Reformation of the true Religion must needs make him more couragious and consident of Victory for hereby a door of hope was opened in order thereunto A good Cause a good Call and a good Conscience could not but breed a good Courage in him all these are needful in Civil Sacred yea and in Military Undertakings more especially because they carry their Lives in their Hands and by these they die in peace though they die in War as many good Men do The Second part of the Description is by the efficient Cause namely the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and cloathed him as the word signifies with extraordinary Wisdom Zeal and Magnanimity ver 34. this was a rich addition to that Courage he had from the goodness of his Cause Call and Conscience and hereby the Qualifications of a Judge of Israel did so shine forth that even the Men of Abiezer those of his Father's Houshold ver 27. who were so corrupted with the Idolatry of the times and so zealous then for Baal that he feared to acquaint them with his design of destroying Baal's Altar yet now they are so convinced that God had called Gideon to this great Work both of Vindicating God's Glory and his Countries Liberty that they are the first Voluntiers that will follow him as the person whom God had not only protected in that dangerous attempt of destroying Baal but had also pick'd him out of all the Tribes and pitched upon him by whose hands the Lord would work Israel's Deliverance from Midian Thirdly This Expedition is described by its Instruments whereof Gideon's own Family were a part Joash is call'd an Abiezrite ver 11. the first Soldiers that offered themselves willingly to be as Instruments in God's Hand for this undertaking were the Abiezrites when Gideon an Abiezrite also blew his Trumpet and when he sent Messengers to the other Tribes ver 35. they freely Muster and march up to meet him even the Tribe of Asher it self which was justly blamed by Deborah for their backwardness to fight against Sisera Judg. 5.17 God never starves his Work for want of Instruments but always stirs up those that he will employ therein and where Men are not at hand an Oxe's-Goad in Shamgar's Hand or the Jaw-bone of an Ass in Samson's Hand shall be enough The Fourth part of the Description is the Motive that bore up the Spirit of Gideon in this great Enterprize namely the confirmation of his Faith by a double Sign of the Dew and the Fleece of Wooll ver 36. to the end These Signs he beg'd of God not out of Infidelity but in all Humility not only for the corroborating of his own Courage and Confidence but also for the Encouragement of his Army now gathered together at their Rendezvous in Ophrah that they might more faithfully follow him in this Heroick and Hazardous Attempt we do not read that the Lord answered his Prayer by any words spoke to him but by Deeds he did in this double Sign which was by a wet and by a dry Fleece A proper Representation of Israel which was wet with the Dew of Divine Doctrine when all the World besides was dry and now dry when all the World besides was wet namely with the Dew of Peace answerable to the Prophet's Vision wherein he saw all the Earth sitting still and at rest but Jerusalem only under grievous Indignation Zech. 1 11 12 13. We must suppose their Floors then were not under a cover as ours are now but placed in the open Air as this floor was upon which the Fleece was laid so that nothing interposed to receive the falling Dew N.B. This Fleece was Israel which properly belonged to the great Shepherd of the Sheep Psal 23.1 the God of Israel but now alas how was Israel fleeced and sheared of their Corn and Cattel by the
many profess'd Christians who so rudely rush into Gods Worship without any true preparedness so Offer up only a Sacrifice of Fools Eccles 5.1 and compass God with a lye Hos 11.12 who dare come to the King with dirty Shoes and defiled Hands NB. 'T is very remarkable that Jacob's due preparation brought him a double Blessing The First is Gods Terror was upon his Enemies v. 5. securing his Servants from their Hostile assaults and puting forth his great power over their Hearts as well as Hands making them Timorous where they might have been Insolent in regard of Jacob's impotency for his own defence The Hebrews say they pursued Jacob and were beaten back by him which made Jacob say Gen. 48.22 he took that Country out of the Hand of the Amorites with his Sword and with his Bow If so then God took their Courage from them who had most cause to have confidence and on the contrary God gave most courage to Jacob who had most cause to be discouraged Jacob's Second Blessing thereby is Gods comfort was upon himself v. 6 7 9 10 11 14. for he coming thus prepared to Bethel or Luz Gen. 28.19 thirty miles from Shechem a long Journey for so large and lame a Family yet there he saw the Face of God Psal 84.6 7. who came there to comfort him Jacob had heard from God all the way both in his going out and coming home now God must hear from Jacob in the end he comes to Bethel pays his Promise in erecting an Altar which he had Vowed to do as he went to Laban and which he now though at long last makes his performance at his return Home again compare Gen. 28.22 with Gen. 35.7.14 and upon this Altar he Offers up his Sacrifice of Praise to the God of all his Mercies and marvellous Deliverances This teacheth us the Seed of Jacob that our Prayers and our Praises should be like the double motion of our Lungs the same Air that is sucked in by Prayers should be breathed out again by Praises Alas we learn not to tread in our Father Jacob's steps unless it be in his neglects and failures we are all good at receiving but bad at returning Then and there Jacob hears from God again reviving and renewing his former Promises to him with fresh supplies of comfort upon the Heart of this his Faithful Servant that his Faith might be the better fortified against all his future calamities which follow'd fast and did fall foul upon him as this third afore-named the Death of his Dear and Best-beloved Rachel whereof the Death of Deborah that grave Matron and of great use in his House was an unhappy Forerunner Gen. 35.8 16. Now Gods coming thus to comfort Jacob at Bethel was a sweet allay for the loss of his prudent Nurse who had been such an Assistant in the Government of his Family and such a Peace-maker betwixt his Emulous Wives and their Handmaids and a Soveraign Preparative for the loss of his most precious Wife who had been the desire of his Eyes and the delight of his Heart for above twenty years Notwithstanding this late comfortable and comforting appearance of God to him yet must he have something more still to humble him lest he should be now exalted above measure with this Heavenly Vision also as Paul was 2 Cor. 12.7 8. and just as God dealt with Ezekiel from whom he took the desire of his Eyes his Wife dearly Beloved and greatly delighted in and that with a sudden stroke Ezek. 24.16 18. though a good Woman probably and to the Prophet a great comfort the sweet Companion of his life and miseries yet must he lose her and be called almost an hundred times Son of Man in his Prophecy both which befel him to keep him in a due poize that he might not be transported with his Visions of God which were more in number and more rare in kind than were given out to any other Prophet So God dealt with Jacob here having more excellent Visions as before than any of the fore-going Patriarchs therefore must he have not only much that made for him but also many things that made against him as himself complaineth Gen. 42.36 He must have something that was sour Sauce to abate the Lusciousness of his sweet Bitts God comes here and strikes a Rib out of his Side so his Wife was which he could not but look upon as a very severe stroke No doubt but Jacob wrestled hard here again in Prayer for the Life of his dear Rachel and for her safe Deliverance yet the same God who had been wrestled with by him before and lately had most graciously appeared to him now would not be prevailed with by his most earnest Prayers but disappeared from him Jacob must still walk through the valley of the shadow of death after all his long and painful Pilgrimage and must have the Rod to chastize him as well as the Staff to support him as David had Psal 23.4 and here the shadow of Death did slide near to Jacob when it did climb up into his Bed and struck this Rib out of his Side Rachel must Die and that in the very Borders of Canaan she must not see that good Land the Land of Promise nor carry her Teraphims or Idols which she stole from Laban Gen. 31.19 and which some say Jacob indulged in his over-fond Affection towards her wherewith to defile that Holy Land she must not reach Hebron to solace her Eyes with a sweet sight of old Isaac and of if yet alive dear Rebekah How many with Rachel here fall short of the Heavenly Canaan though they seem to approach near it Jacob must lose his over-loved Rachel We forfeit many favours by over-affecting them We first make the forfeiture to God of our Mercies before God take the forfeiture from us Our jealous God cannot endure that we should Idolize any of his Creature-comforts He will famish the Gods of the Earth or Earthly Idols to us Zeph. 2.11 an Atrophy or Consumption shall carry them off be they Wives or Children whatever hath our Hearts beside and below God is our Idol and God will out of his jealousie make it to fail to us as he did Rachel to Jacob here therefore 't is said 1 Cor. 7.30 Let them that have Wives or any other Mercy they admire be as if they had none So Love as to think of loss they that love over-much shall be sure to grieve over-much strong Affections in them will bring strong Afflictions on them We should let all outward comforts hang loose as our upper Garment that we can throw off at pleasure As Jacob by his fond Affection forfeited Rachel's Life so Rachel for her being sick of the fret and could not live unless Jacob could cure her Gen. 30.1 did also forfeit her own Life She call'd on her Husband for Children with such passionate importunity as if she should die of grief if she had them not and no sooner comes
muzzl'd Mouth was unmuzzel'd and now he not only confesseth his sin saith Calvin but aggravateth it saying I am not only an Hebrew of the Hebrews and so a Member of God's Church and a true Believer as Heber Gen. 10.21 and Abraham Gen. 14.13 were but also I am a Prophet in God's Church a Doctor in Israel yet have I done perversly and dealt perfidiously with the great Jehovah who made this troublesom Sea that now troubleth you so sore and the dry Land likewise which you would so gladly recover and as he created them by his power so he governs them by his providence and will unmake all again rather than his should want help in due season c. Thus like a Prisoner upon the Rack he not only tells all with Aggravations but also thrusts himself into the hand of Justice yet not without Hope of Mercy Mark 5thly When Jonah had told them not that he was of Judah for that was false saith Tarnovius nor of Israel lest they should think him a Worshipper of Jeroboam's Calves but an Hebrew taught from a Child to know the true God yet had now basely Disobliged him relating his Message to Nineveh and his Miscarriage in turning his back c. to them they were sore afraid ver 10. being conscious to themselves of their greater sins than this of Jonah and preceiving saith Calvin that Jonah's God was a just Judge so severely pursuing him with a Storm for his Disobedience how much more might the same God punish them for their greater Rebellions as Idolatry c. Yet whatever they thought concerning themselves and their sins against God saith Daneus they say Why hast thou done this as if he had been the only Misdoer among them all c. Mark 6thly The Sentence passed upon Jonah wherein 1. They make Jonah to be his own Judge saying What shall we do unto thee ver 11. meaning saith Mercerus thou art a Prophet of the Lord and knowest best how he may be pacified seeing also thou art the Party whom he pursueth They feared to execute Jonah looking now upon him as a Saint of God and as a Prophet and so durst not offend Jonah's God And in this great grief they appeal to him that they might not perish with him Hereupon 2. Jonah denounceth his own Doom against himself Cast me forth into the Sea c. ver 12. wherein we have as before his real Repentance so here his famous Faith triumphing over Death offering himself to it with great Courage and his illustrious Love likewise in chusing rather to die as a piacular person than to cause so many Men die for his Crime N. B. 1. Man is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Life-loving Animal David asks What man is he that desireth life and loveth long days c. Psalm 34.12 and Austin answers There is no Man but would be Master of such a Felicity Therefore Jonah did not rashly offer himself to Death his natural Reason would oppose it but he did it by a supernatural Revelation as a Prophet whereby he prophesy'd of the Calm that would ensue when the raging Sea had got its prey He only did freely submit to the mind of God that had mark'd him out by the Lot to Punishment N. B. 2. Jonah was a Type of Christ in this saith Mercerus that Christ offer'd himself to Death without which the Tempest upon the World could never have been becalm'd and quieted and who without Murmuring took the Sins of the World upon himself as Jonah did of the Ships-Crew here and in that much more of his being in the Whale's Belly three days and nights as will appear afterwards in its proper place Remark the Ninth The Execution of that Sentence which Judge Jonah being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self condemn'd Tit. 3.11 denounced against himself Mark 1. Its Antecedents which are Two First Their fear of executing the Innocent made the Mariners row hard ver 13. to save Jonah's life if possible N.B. The Trinity consulted to make Man in God's Image Gen. 1.26 therefore Magistrates may not rashly marr it but rather maintain it if it may stand with Justice they must shew Mercy as the Mariners did here however they should sweat to save their Souls Man is like a Glass once broken cannot be made up again Secondly When they saw all their cordial Compassion and utmost Endeavours as the Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies with all their might to bring the Ship to shore for saving Jonah but could not striving only against the Stream and the irresistible Will of God Voluntas Dei est necessitas Rei Then they betake themselves to Praying when Rowing could not prevail Ora labora is the Rule And 1. the Object of their Prayer was not Aeolus or Neptune those Pagan God's of Wind and Sea but Jehovah whom they name thrice ver 14. Thus much they had learn'd from Jonah to invocate the true Jehovah and not their false Gods as they did ver 5. before this 2. The subject of their Prayer was deprecating both that they might not perish for Jonah's sake and also that innocent Blood might not be imputed to them for he had done them no harm 3. Their Submission in it was an acquiescing in God's good pleasure saying Our Rowing in vain against a tempestuous Sea that still continues so is God's revealing his Will 't is thy Will and Law that thou hast appointed him to be executed tho' full sore against our Wills c. Mark 2. Its Concomitants ver 15. where 1. They took up Jonah not against his will for his own Sentence against himself had given his Consent to it so that he in a sort offer'd his Carcass unto condign Punishment Herein Jonah's Charity is very exemplary who yielded to perish alone rather than to have others perish with him and for him 2. They cast him into the Sea this was their last Refuge being forced to do it in their utmost Extremity The Mariners had tried all means to save him Now they saw 't was God's Will which no man can resist Rom. 9.19 that they must either drown and destroy him or be drown'd and destroy'd with him then they cast him over-board N. B. 1. Thus dealeth God with his Servant Jonah formerly faithful and able in his Office and therefore sent to Nineveh All his foregoing Acts of Obedience could not preponderate this one Act of his Disobedience in refusing to go thither when God commanded him N. B. 2. Our good Deeds are so far from outweighing our bad Deeds that a lesser fault laying unrepented of may do us more mischief than all our well-doing can possibly claw off as may easily be instanced in Moses Miriam David c. yet all this proceeds from displeased love of God Mark 3dly The Consequents thereof which are twofold First Respecting the Mariners who were not only deliver'd from the danger of the Tempest the Sea ceased from its raging when it got its prey ver 15. Nec