[There was] a little city, and few men within
it
Which some take to be a piece of history, a real matter of fact;
that as the city of Abel, when besieged by Joab, was delivered by
the counsel of a wise woman, ( 2
Samuel 20:15-22 ) ; so there was a city, which Solomon had
knowledge of, which was delivered from the siege of a powerful
king, by the wise counsel of a poor wise man: though others think
it is only a fiction, fable, or parable; the moral of which is,
that political wisdom, even in a poor mean person, is sometimes
very useful and serviceable, though it does not meet with its
proper merit. Many of the Jewish writers understand the whole
allegorically and figuratively; so the Targum, by "the little
city", understands the body of man; by "few men in it", the
little righteousness there is in the heart of man; though,
according to the Midrash, Jarchi, and Alshech, they are the
members of the body; by "the great king", the evil imagination,
or corruption of nature, which is great to oppress, and besieges
the heart to cause it to err; and by "the poor wise man", the
good imagination or affection, which prevails over the other, and
subdues it, and delivers the body from hell, and yet not
remembered; and so the Midrash, and the ancient Jews in Aben
Ezra, though he himself understands it according to its literal
sense. Some Christian interpreters explain it to better purpose,
concerning the church attacked by Satan, and delivered by Christ,
who, notwithstanding, is unkindly and ungratefully used: the
church is often compared to a city, it is the city of God, and of
which saints are fellow citizens; it is but a "little" one in
comparison of the world, and, in some periods and ages of the
world, lesser than in others; it is little and contemptible in
the eyes of the world, and the inhabitants of it are mean and low
in their own eyes; they are a little flock, ( Luke 12:32 ) ; and "few"
in number that are "within it": some are only of it, but not in
it, or are external members only, which sometimes are many; or
outward, not inward, court worshippers; they are few,
comparatively, that belong to the invisible church, that are
chosen, redeemed, called, and saved, ( Matthew
20:16 ) ( Matthew 7:13
Matthew
7:14 ) ( Revelation
3:4 ) ( Luke 13:23 ) ; there are
but few able men, especially such as are capable of defending the
church against its enemies. and there came a great king
against it;
Satan, the prince of devils and of the posse of them in the air,
the god and prince of the world of the ungodly, who works in
their hearts, and leads them captive at his will who may be said
to be "great" with respect to the numbers under him, legions of
devils, and the whole world that lies in wickedness, or "in" or
"under" the wicked one: and on account of the power he exercises,
by divine permission, over the bodies and minds of men; and in
comparison of the little city, and few men in it, being stronger
than they, ( Matthew
12:24 ) ( John 12:31 ) ( Jeremiah
31:11 ) ; he comes from the region of the air, where his
posse are; or from going to and fro in the earth; or from hell,
into which he is cast down: he comes by divine permission; in the
manner evil spirits do, by temptation; in a hostile way, against
the church and people of God, to destroy and devour them, if
possible; and besieged it;
surrounded it on all sides, as the Gog and Magog army trader him
will encompass the camp of the saints, and the beloved city, (
Revelation 20:9 ) ;
and built great bulwarks against it;
such as are called strong holds, ( 2
Corinthians 10:4 ) . Satan's first attack was upon the elect
of God, in Adam; when he brought them, through sin, under a
sentence of condemnation and death, though then they were
preserved in Christ; and ever since he has been attacking the
church by persecution, in order to take it by storm; and by
spreading errors and heresies, such as tend to raze the
foundation, and to pull down the superstructure of grace; and by
promoting schisms, and laying such large principles of church
communion, as tend to take away ordinances and discipline, the
fence of the city; and by throwing in hand grenades of strife and
contention, to raise a civil war among the citizens themselves;
and, by various temptations to sin, to gain deserters: these are
some of his bulwarks, batteries, and engines.