CHAPTER VIII.
OF THE SHIELDS AND TARGETS THAT WERE IN THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON.
As this house of the forest of Lebanon prefigured, in general, the state of the church in the wilderness, it was accoutered with military materials suited to that condition, that is, shields and targets, and other warlike things. 'And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold, six hundred shekels of gold went to one target, and he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; [three pound] or three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 10:16,17; 2 Chron 9:15,16).
This suggests that the enemy would attack the house of the forest of Lebanon. And there was good reason for this supposition, since it was built to defend the worship set up in the church. Hence it is said that, when the enemy came with his chariots and horsemen against them, they 'did look in that day to the armor of the house of the forest' (Isa 22:7,8). That was, to see how they were prepared at Lebanon to resist their foes, and to secure themselves and their religion from the destruction the enemy designed to bring upon both. And thus again, or in this thing, the house of the forest of Lebanon shows that it was a figure of the church of the wilderness; for she also is furnished with such weapons as were counted by the wisdom of God necessary for the security of the soul, and Christian religion, to wit, 'the weapons of our warfare,' 'the whole armor of God' (2 Cor 10:4).
Though this house of the forest of Lebanon was a place of defense, her armor is described and directed too, both in matter and measure. It was armor made of gold, such armor, and so much of it. And it was made by direction of Solomon, who was a type of Christ, by the power of whose grace and working our armor is also provided for us, as in the texts afore-mentioned may appear. By this description, therefore, of the armor of the house of the forest of Lebanon, we are confined, being a type of the armor of God, and an antitype thereto, for the defense of the Christian religion. We then may make use of none but the armor of God for defense of our souls, and the worship of God; this alone is the golden armor provided by our Solomon, and put in the house of the forest of Lebanon, or rather in the church in the wilderness, for her to resist the enemy withal.
Two hundred targets. There is but little mention made of targets in the Bible, nor at all expressly how they were used, but once; and that was when Goliah came to defy Israel, he came, as with other warlike furniture, so 'with a target of brass between his shoulders' (1 Sam 17:6). A target, that is, saith the margin, a gorget. A gorget is a thing worn about the neck, and it serveth in that place instead of a shield. Wherefore in some of your old Bibles, that which in one place is called a target, in another is called a shield. A shield for that part. This piece of armor, I suppose, was worn in old time by them that used spears, and it was to guard the upper part of the back and shoulders from the arrows of their enemies, that were shot into the air, to the intent they might fall upon the upper part of the body.
The shields were for those who drew bows, and they were to catch or beat off the arrows the enemy leveled at them. 'Asa had' at one time 'an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin that bare shields, and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand' (2 Chron 14:8).
I cannot tell what the target should signify here, unless it was to show that those in the type were weaker and fainter-hearted than those in the antitype: for this gorget was prepared for the back part of the body, and it supposed the wearers were subject to run away, to flee. But in the description of the Christian armor, we have no provision for the back; so our men in the church in the wilderness are supposed to be more stout. Their faces are made strong against the faces of their enemies, and their foreheads strong against their foreheads (Eze 3:8,9). The shield was a type of the Christian faith, and so the apostle applies it. The which he also counteth a principal piece of our Christian armor when he saith, 'Above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked' (Eph 6:16). These targets and shields were made of gold, to show the excellent worth of this armour of God; to wit, that it is not carnal but spiritual, not human but divine; nor common or mean, but of an infinite value. Wherefore James, alluding to this, saith, 'Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith,' (hath he not given them this golden shield) and made them 'heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?' (James 2:5).
Faith! Peter saith, faith, in the very trial of it, is much more precious than is gold that perisheth. If so, then what worth or value is in the grace itself? (1 Peter 1:7). This is also what Christ intends when he says, 'buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich' (Rev 3:18).
And methinks the apostles and the Lord Jesus Christ do in all these places allude to the shields, the shields of gold, that Solomon made, and put in the house of the forest of Lebanon; which house, as I have showed, was that which indeed prefigured the state of the church in the wilderness; and these shields a type of faith.
Obj. But here nothing is mentioned but shields and targets.
Answ. True, and perhaps to show us that the war the church makes with Antichrist is more defensive than offensive. Shields and targets are defensive weapons, provided for self-preservation, not to hurt others. A Christian also, if he can but defend his soul in the sincere profession of the true religion, doth what by duty, as to this, he is bound. Wherefore, though the New Testament admits him to put on the whole armor of God, the whole and every part thereof is spiritual and only defensive. True, there is mention of the sword, but that sword 'is the Word of God' (Eph 6:17). A weapon that hurteth none but the devil, sin, and those that love it. Indeed, it was made for Christians to defend themselves, and their religion, against hell and the angels of darkness. These two pieces of armor that Solomon the king put into the house of the forest of Lebanon were types of the spiritual armor the church in the wilderness should use. And as we read of no more that was put there, at least to be typical, so we read of, and must use no more than we are bid to put on by the apostle, for the defense of true religion.
Obj. But he that shall use none other than this, must look to come off a loser.
Answ. In the judgment of the world, this is true; but not in the judgment of those who have skill and a heart to use it. For this armor is not Saul's, which David refused, but God's, by which the lives of all who put it on and handled it well have been secured. You read of some of David's mighty men of valor, that their 'faces were like the faces of lions, and' that they 'were as swift' of foot 'as the roes upon the mountains' (1 Chron 12:8). Being expert in handling spear and shield.
Why, God's armor makes a man's face look thus; also, it makes him that useth it more lively and active than before. God's armor is no burden to the body, nor a clog to the mind, but rather a natural, not artificial, fortification.
But this armor comes not from any man, but from the king's hand; Solomon put these targets and shields into the house of the forest of Lebanon. So Christ distributeth his armour to his church. Hence it is said it is given to his to suffer for him. It is given to his by himself, and on his behalf (Phil 1:29).
That is, that they might with it fight those battles which he shall manage against Antichrist. Hence they are called the armies in heaven, and are said to follow their Lord 'upon white horses clothed in fine linen, white and clean.' But, as I said, still their war was but defensive. For a little further do but observe, and you shall find the beast fall upon him. 'And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together, to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army' (Rev 19:14,19). They fall on it; they pick the quarrel and give the onset. Besides, the armor, as I said, is only spiritual; wherefore the slaughter must needs be spiritual also. Hence, as it is said here that the Lamb did slay his enemies by the sword, spirit, or breath of his mouth, so his army also slays them by the fire that proceedeth out of his mouth (Rev 1:16, 19:21).
Therefore, no man's person is in danger by this war. And I say again, so far as any man's person is in danger, it is because of the wrong management of this war. True, the persons of the Christians are in danger, but that is because of the bloody disposition of an antichristian enemy. But we speak now of the Lamb and the army that follows him; and as to them, no man's person is in danger simply as such. Wherefore, it is not men but sin; not men, but the man of sin, that wicked one, that the Son of God makes war against, in and by his church (2 Thess 2:8; Heb 12:4).
Let us therefore state the matter right; no man needs be afraid to let Jesus Christ be chief in the world, he envies nobody, he designs the hurt of none: his kingdom is not of this world, nor doth he covet temporal matters; let but his wife, his church alone, enjoy her purchased privileges, and all shall be well. These privileges of hers, since they are soul concerns, infringe on no man's liberties. Let but faith and holiness walk the streets without control, and you may be as happy as the world can make you. I now speak to those who contend with him.
But if seasonable counsel will not go down, if hardness of heart and blindness of mind, and so perishing from the way, shall overtake you, it is but what you of old have been cautioned of. 'Be wise now therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him (Psa 2:10-12).
Now let this also, which has been said upon this head, be another argument to prove that the house of the forest of Lebanon was a type of the church in the wilderness.
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