A compleat and compendious church-history shewing how it hath been from the beginning of the world to this present day : being an historical-narrative how the power and providence of God, according to his promise, hath hitherto confounded all the damnable plots of the Devil : to which is annexed a Scripture-prophecy fore-shewing how it shall be hence to the end of the world : to whole containing the quintessence of sacred, civil and ecclesiastick-writers, and serving as a short comment upon all the books in the Bible, both historical and prophetical / published for publick good by Christopher Ness ...

The Fourth Plot against the Church, in AEGYPT: Defeated by GOD.

CHAP. IIII.

NO sooner was the Church (in Noah) safely Landed, and God had Smelt a sweet Savour (instead of the stench of the Old World) from Noah's Sacrifice, Gen. 8. 11. but Satan hath a 4th. Plot to Pro∣mote and Pursue: God will not War with a Weaponless Devil, but out of his Unsearcha∣ble Wisdom ever allows him Suitable Instru∣ments to work withal in the World for the Glory of his own Grace: The Enmity betwixt the Two Seeds never dyes (as before) so long as the World Lives, and Cain will be Murder∣ing Abel (by Propagation) to the end of the World: Yea, and the Older he grows, the more Savage and Bloody will he be; The last Bite of the Beast will be the most deadly Bite.

As the Serpent had crept into Paradise to Plot against our first Parents, the First Foun∣dation of the Church, so Satan creeps into the Ark to Plot against the Superstructure there∣of:

He wants not his (Cham) even in the Ark, (a Type of the Church) a fit Instrument for him to Work with. 'Tis thought this Cham had concealed his wickedness from Men, (which he could not from God,) and soon after Degenerated: However this bad Son had a Temporal Favour for the sake of his good Father, which he badly Requited after∣wards: This Cursed Cham or Ham the De∣vil makes Use of. 1st. In his Person. 2dly. In his Posterity against the Church of God. 1st. In his Person: The Occasion was this. As Satan had made Adam Transgress in Eating; so he made Noah to Transgress in Drinking, Gen. 9. 21. He that had Escaped the Drowning of the World by Water, (because Just and Ʋp∣right) was now (perhaps not knowing the strength of the Grape) himself Drown'd in Wine, and was Shamefully Ʋncovered. Though this Act was but once, (he was Ebrius, not Ebriosus, Drunk, not a Drunkard, Denomina∣tio non sit a particulari,) yet this wicked Cham saw it both with Delight to himself, and with Derision to his Father: and therefore Noah (for whose sake he had been Saved in the Ark) did Doom him accursed, and his other Two Sons he Blessed. 2dly. In his Posterity. The Aegyptians (from whom the Church suffered hard things in their House of Bondage) are frequently call'd the Children of Ham, and Aegypt the Land of Ham, Psal. 78. 51.

and 105. 23, 27. and 106. 22. 'Tis True, there be some Hundreds of Years betwixt those Two Actions (of Hams Person, and of his Posterity) against the Church, which some may judge over-large a Leap, as if the Devil had been Idle all that Interspace of Time: No doubt but it may be safely said, There is some time wherein God Chains up the Devil, as Rev. 20. 2. And wherein the Church hath her lucid Intervals, as Act. 9. 31. Yea, and this may be said also, That all those Games the De∣vil play'd, and all the Plots he Plotted betwixt these Two, were the lower Games, the lesser Plots of a Daring Devil: compared with this of the Church, and (of Israels) being in Aegypts Bondage. No doubt, but the Devil was gra∣tifi'd in the Building of the Tower of Babel, whereby the Holy Tongue was lost to all the World, (save to One Family) and so the Do∣ctrine of Salvation, which was Preached in that Tongue onely. This began Satans King∣dom in Heathenism through the Confusion of Tongues at Babel, which was Blessedly Recover'd by the Gift of Tongues at Sion, Act. 2. 4. 13. The Devil was also well-pleased to have Lots Righteous Soul vexed with the Wicked Sodo∣mites, To have Isaac (that Heir of the Pro∣mise) Scoffed at by Ishmael, Yea, Persecuted also by him, Gal. 4. 29. To have likewise Pro∣phane Esau so Bloodily bent against plain Ja∣cob; To have Godly Joseph Abused both by

his own Brethren, and by his Wanton Mistris, Psal. 105. 18. Oh how would Satan have Re∣joyced to see Lot and his Family Burn'd in So∣dom, Isaac Sacrific'd by his own Father Abra∣ham, Jacob Murdered by his own Brother E∣sau, (as Abel had been by Cain at his Instigati∣on,) Yea, and Joseph Perished in the Pit (his) Brethren cast him into: or in the Prison where his wicked Mistris Lodged him. Yet God baf∣fled the Devil (who will Play at small Games rather than sit Idle) in all these Plots. But now when the 70 Souls (that went down into Ae∣gypt, that Land of Ham) were Increased to a great People, so as to fill the Countrey of Goshen, Exod. 1. 7. this Enraged him, so that he puts out his utmost Power and Policy to Suppress them. In the first Age before the Flood, the Church of God was Shut up some time in One Person, as in Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, &c. And though Adam Falls, Abel is Slain, Seth Dyes, and Enoch is Translated, &c. Yea, and the Devil doth his worst to Extirpate it out of the World, (as above;) yet the Great God hath so Secur'd his Church, (both by) Promise and Providence, that his Mount Sion can never be Removed: Insomuch that in the 2d. Age af∣ter the Flood, the Devil Loses, and the Church Wins Ground, and Spreads her self from the Narrow Compass of Persons, to Families, as in Noahs, Abrahams, Lots, and the Patriarchs Families: and yet more, when the Time of the

Promise drew nigh, Act. 7. 17. Through the Special Blessing of God, the Church Spreads forth her Tents, (as she is bidden) Isa. 54. 2, 3.) from the Narrow Compass of Families, and became a Nation Great Mighty and Populous, Deut. 26. 5. and all this, out of One, as Good as Dead, Hebr. 11. 12. Satan meddles not with his Match, when he Meddles with God, who of very Stones can Raise up Children unto Abraham, Matth. 3. 9. To behold the Church Increase as Stars in the Heaven, and as Sands on the Sea-shore, This makes the Devil more mad then ever; So he falls upon his 4th. grand Plot, to Cutt her short by the Children of Ham the Father of Mitzraim, (which is the Hebrew Word for Aegypt) Gen. 10. 6.

The 1st. part of his Plot, was to make God their Enemy by their Sinning fowly against him. In Order hereunto, he Tempts them to Commit Idolatry, (a God-provoking Sin,) Josh. 24. 14. Ezek. 20. 8. and 23. 3, 8.

(2.) To forego Circumcision, (the Covenant of their God) which was the Reproach of Ae∣gypt. Josh. 5. 9.

3. To joyn in Marriage with the Egyptians, Levit. 24. 20. and Exod. 12. 38. Hereby the Sun (of Religion) goes down upon them, as God told Abraham, Gen. 15. 12. Then God was Angry, and he Turn'd the Hearts of the Chil∣dren of Ham to hate his own (God-provoking) People, Psal. 105. 25. as after the Death of

Methusalem. (which in Hebrew signifies, He Dy∣eth, and the Dart commeth.) The Deluge came; so after the death of the Godly Patriarks their Bondage began; They were cast into a Furnace of Iron, Deut. 4. 20. to see them there must needs be the Devils Delight, whose Design Undoubtedly was to Burn up the Church as Dross therein; but Gods Design (which is always to countermine his Mines, and to coun∣terplot his Plots) was, when he had Tryed them, to bring them out as Gold, Job 23. 10. as he did his Servant Job from Satans Furnace of Af∣fliction. The 2d. part of his Plot, was, To stir up a new King that knew not Joseph, Exod. 1. 8. Well knowing, that such Kings as know not Joseph or Jesus (our Brother) are his sittest Tools for Oppressing the Church: This King (the 8th. from Ham, and Supposed to be Bu∣siris, a Savage Tyrant in Heathen History) was the first that Oppressed Israel, whom his Predecessors had Entertained as Guests, and Enjoyed as Friends and Benefactors: He (I say) deals both Craftily and Cruelly with them, and (both) to Prevent their further Increase, (which he saw, v. 7.) Exod. 1. 10, 11. Ach. 7. 19. Psa. 105. 25. and all this was to prove God a Lyar in his Promise to Jacob, Gen. 46. 3. 4. Yet his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sept. & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Gre. Dealing Subtilly, his Setting Severe Task-Masters over them, as making them to make Brick, Yea, such a Tale and no Straw given:

All this would not do, for God Catches this Fox in his own Net of Craft and Cruelty, 1 Cor. 3, 19. and the more the Church was Molest∣ed, the more they Multiplyed. 'Tis true, This Rigour and Fierceness (from Pherec the Hebr. Word) in Imposing Intollerable hard Labour upon them, was a probable Plot (in the Ordi∣nary Course of Nature) to Prohibit Procrea∣tion of Children; yet this King was, as every Oppressor is, a Fool, Prov. 28. 16. For, besides 'tis usually seen, That Labouring Men have the most and the Lustiest Children. Here was an Extraordinary Path of Providence to over-rule this Project: which David Celebrates, [God Increased his People greatly, and made them stronger than their Enemies,] Psa. 105.24. This Camomile, the more it is troden, the fast∣er it groweth: This Walnut-Tree, the more it is beaten, the more it bears. This Grieved their Grievers, Exod. 1. 12. So the Egyptians griev∣ing at Israels Growth, it became both their Crime and their Curse: When this Design was Defeated, this Dragon (lying in the midst of the Waters, Ezek. 29. 3.) falls upon his 2d. Plot, to Destroy all the Males of Israel as soon as Born, not unlike the great Red Dragon who stood ready to Devour the Man-Child as soon as the Woman (the Church) had brought it forth, Rev. 12. 3. 4. This Pharaoh Treads in that Fiends steps, and Commands the Mid-Wives to Strangle (with a privy-Pinch) All the Born

Males: Hoping that the Lyons (or Dragons) Skin might Patch up the Fox that had fail'd in worrying up Isruel: But God Baffll'd this Plot too, for Shiphrah and Puah (the 2 Principal Mid-Wives) Feared God, and durst not Obey the Kings Inhumane and Unnatural Command, v. 17. That which is Inferior and Subordi∣nate, may not Controul and Contradict that which is Superior. Thus Peter Explains his two Sociable Duties, [Fear God, Honour the King, 1 Pet. 2. 17. Compar'd with Act. 5. 29. and 4. 19. Here the Mid-Wives stick, (they cannot do the Devils Drudgery,) and here the Plot sticks. Pharaoh Frowns upon them for this, but God Smiles on them, and Blesses them, v. 18. 19, 20, 21. They would not pull down Gods House, (his Church) and God Builds up theirs. Pharaoh (thus disappointed) falls on ••is 4th. Plot, in Publishing a Bloody Edict to all his People (among whom some Savage Slaugh∣ter-Men he might probably not miss, and pos∣sibly not without a Penalty to Neglecters,) To Drown those Males openly which the Mid-Wives would not Strangle Privately, v. 22. Not∣withstanding this Edict, and the strict Executi∣on of it, Exod. 2. 3. Moses is Preserved by Pha∣raohs Daughter, who becomes the Ruine of Pharaohs Kingdom: Thus no Counsel, nor Might, nor Wisdom [neither Craft nor Cru∣elty] can prevail against the Lord, Prov. 21.30. This (Miraculously Preserved) Moses brings

10 Plagues on Egypt; The 1st. whereof was, The Waters wherein the Childrens Blood had been shed, were turned into Blood. And in the last were Slain all Egypts first-Born, for their slaying Israel, Gods first-Born, Exod. 4, 22. Then did Israel go out of the Furnace, being loaded with Spoils, and Egypt was glad that they were gone, though gone with their Jewels, Psal. 105. 36, 37, 38. Exod. 12. 33, 35, 36. Hath the Devil now done, and his Instrument Pharaoh? Oh no! he hath yet another (his 5th. and last Plot,) which endeth (as all other Plots against the Church do) in his own Destruction.

Israel Marches 3 Days directly to Horeb, (as they had Requested, Exod. 3. 18. and 5.3.) then turning towards the Red-Sea, Pharaoh's Spys gave Intelligence, That they were Run a∣way, and would not Return, and that they were Intangl'd in the Mountains, Exod. 14. 3. This hardens his Heart, (at which Gods Mighty Hammer had given 10 Mighty Stroaks in the 10 Plagues, yet could find no Entrance) and Resolves to pursue them; Yea, and his People also, (who Repented of their Well-doing, but not of their Ill) saying, Why have we let them go, v. 5. all pursues, and overtakes to Recover their Jewels, and to bring them back to Bon∣dage, thinking they had caught them in a Pound, they had no way to escape, unless they could Climb up to Heaven, which because they could not do, Heaven comes down to them,

Divides the Sea, Israel walks 'twixt Two Mountains of Waters, which made a fair Lane for them, Exod. 14. 22. Psal. 105. 8. 9. Isai. 63. 12, 14. The Aegyptians follow them in∣to the Sea, the Angel of Gods Presence (who had led them thither) remov'd from the Van to the Rear, to be betwixt them and their E∣nemies, they who had drowned Israels first-Born were all drown'd; but Israel (the Church) passes over dry-shod, and when safely Landed, Sang that Song of Praise to the God of Israel, Exod. 15. Psal. 77. 18. and 18. 11.) for this great Deliverance.