Gods three arrovves plague, famine, svvord, in three treatises. I. A plaister for the plague. II. Dearths death. III. The Churches conquest over the sword. By William Gouge Doctor in Divinity, and preacher of Gods Word in Black-Friers, London.

§. 7. Of Amaleks inhumanity.

IIII. THe place where the assault is here said to be, was Rephidim. This was the name of one of the places where the Lord was pleased that Israel should make a station in the wildernes. It was in number the a 1.1 tenth from their comming out of Egypt: but the seventh from their passage thorow the Red Sea. For they had made three sta∣tions before that passage thorow the Sea. All these journies were made within the space of two moneths. For * 1.2 in the beginning of the third moneth after their escape out of Egypt, they went from Rephidim to b 1.3 Sinai.

The name of the place is here expressed,

1. In generall, to verifie the truth of the history. For, circumstances of Persons, Times, Places, and such like, make much to the confirmation of the truth of an history.

2. In particular, to aggravate the malice of the Amala∣kites, who set upon them so soone after their comming out

of bondage, before they had time well to settle themselves. For having travelled ten severall journies (whereof one was c 1.4 three daies long, others might be as long, if not longer) in the space of two moneths, at the most, they could not be long setled. Besides, in their journies they were oft brought to great straits: as at the Red Sea, where d 1.5 Pharaoh pursued them furiously, and had almost over-taken them: and when e 1.6 after three daies journey they found no water: and f 1.7 the first water that they met with, was so bitter, as they could not drink of it. And at another station they g 1.8 wanted bread, and meat, having nothing at all to eat. And after that againe they came to this h 1.9 Rephidim, a drie and barren wildernesse, where were no rivers, springs, wells, ponds, or any other or∣dinary means to afford them water to drinke.

Questionlesse the Amalakites dogged the Israelites after they were come thorow the Red Sea; and thereupon knew how weary they must needs be, and to what straits they were brought, and in particular, how destitute of water this Rephidim (the place where they set upon them) was. For, the Holy Ghost to aggravate their malice, thus sets it out, i 1.10 A∣malek laid wait for Israel in the way when he came up from Egypt. k 1.11 He smote the hindmost of them, even all that were feeble behind them, when they were faint and weary. The im∣mediate connexion of this history with the former, thus, And Amalek came, (or, as our English Translatours for more perspicuity, turne it, Then came Amalek) importeth * 1.12 as much: For it is as if he had said, Israel had now beene wearied with much travell, and disquieted with many di∣stresses and wants, and was now in a place destitute of all ordinary provision, And in this case Amalek comes and fights against him. An evident demonstration of much inhu∣manity, and more then savage cruelty.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Num. 33. 15.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in novil••••io.
• b 1.3

  Exo. 19. 1.
• c 1.4

  Exo. 15. 22, Num. 33. 8.
• d 1.5

  Exo. 14. 9.
• e 1.6

  —15 22.
• f 1.7

  —23.
• g 1.8

  —16. 3.
• h 1.9

  —17. 1.
• i 1.10

  1 Sam. 15. 2.
• k 1.11

  Deut. 25. 18.
• * 1.12

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉