Gods three arrows plague, famine, sword, in three treatises. I. A plaster for the…Gods three arrovves plague, famine, svvord, in three treatises. I. A plaister for the…

§. 8. Of the base advantages which malicious enemies take.

Malicious enemies are ready to take all the base advantages that they can. If the particulars ^*noted of Amalek be well observed, in him we shall find the doctrine verified. The like is noted of the posterity of these Amalekites, ^awhile David and his men were out of Ziklag, the Amalekites surprise it, smite it, burn it with fire, and carry the women away captive. More basely dealt the Egyptians with the Israelites, when they had them fast in their own land. For first ^bthey afflicted them with burdens, and made them serve with rigour, and made their lives bitter with hard bondage. Then they ^ctook order with the midwives to kill all their male children in the birth. Yea, because the midwives obeyed not so cruel a charge, ^dthe King commanded all the people to cast all the male children of the Israelites into the river. It was a most inhumane, base, and barbarous advantage which the Edomites took against the Israelites when the Babylonians had overcome them, and caused them to fly hither and thither for their lives, ^eto stand in the cross ways to cut off them that did escape, and to deliver up those that did remain in the day of distress. The base advantages which Saul sought against David, and the Priests, Scribes, Pharisees, and other Jews against Christ and his Apostles, and other enemies, heretics, and idolaters against the professors of the Gospel, especially Papists against Protestants, do further give abundant proof of the foresaid proposition. But, not to insist on particulars, the Psalmist doth indefinitely thus set out the disposition of the wicked against the righteous, He sitteth in lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor: he lieth in wait secretly as a Lyon in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net. He croucheth and humbleth himself that the poor may fall by his strong ones,