Chap. 3.4 where he interprets this Text shall abide many dayes without a King and without Princes and without a sacrifice and without an image and without an Ephod and without Teraphim that is without any forme of civil Government and without any exercise of true yea or of false religion What a comfort was it to good David in his banishment and after the slaughter of the Priests by Saul even fourscore and five persons that did wear a linnen Ephod 1 Sam. 22.18 that Abiathar the son of Abimelech came down to him to Keilah with an Ephod in his hand and that thereby he could enquire of God what to do as he did 1 Sam. 23.6 1 Sam. 30.7 And what a grief and misery to Saul that God had forsaken him in those visible pledges of his favour and would not be found of him Hence he lay all open and naked to his enemies who now might do what they would to him and none to hinder them This also was the case and condition of the people when Aaron by making the golden Calf at their command had made the people naked unto their shame amongst their enemies Exod. 32.25 that is destitute of Gods powerfull protection and deprived of their former priviledges A people or a person may sin away their happinesse and forfeit the favours they formerly enjoyed An hypocrite may lose his gifts and common graces as that idle and evil servant did his talent his light may be put out in obscure darknesse See Ezech. 43.11 17. with the Note and set her as in the day that she was born Not onely nudam tanquam ex matre Naked as ever she was born The Albigenses in France those old Protestants were turned out stark-naked both men and women at the taking of Carcasson by the command of the Popish Bishop and so were thousands of good Christians by the bloody Rebels in Ireland now alate but as she was born of the Amorite and Hittite her navel was not cut her birth-blot was not washed in water nay shee was cast out into the open field and no eye pitied her as the Princesse did Moses and as the shepherdesse did Romulus and Remus See all this and more most elegantly set out Ezek. 16. together with what high honour and sumptuous ornaments God did put upon her verse 11 12. What this people were in the day of their nativity Ioshuah telleth them in part Chap. 24.2 Your father 's dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time even Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor and served other gods And I took your father Abraham out of Vr of the Chaldees as a brand out of that fire c. and gave him Isaacâ— And I gave unto Isaac Iacob who together with his children went down into Egypt where they fell to the worshipping of Idols Ezek. 16.26 And although they were there held under miserable servitude yet they continued exceeding wicked and abominable The fire of their afflictions seemed to harden their hearts as much as the fire of the furnace did the bricks they made Hence as they hardened their hearts God hardened his hand and had hastened their destruction had it not been that he had seared the wrath of the enemy lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely Deut. 32 27. and lest they should say our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this Psal 107.8 The Psalmist was sensible of all this therefore saith Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies but provoked him at the sea even at the Red sea Neverthelesse he saved them for his Names sake c. And what was it else but the respect to his own great Name and the remembrance of his holy covenant that moved the Lord to premonish this perverse people of their present danger and not to suffer his whole wrath to arise against them and to rush in upon them without a Ne forte Am. 4.12 lest I set her as in the day c. The esoâ—e thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God with intreaties of peace lest your house be left unto you desolate Luc. 21. least wraâ—h seise upon you and that without remedy And make her as a wilderness after that â— have brought her out of a wildernesse and set her in a land that floweth with milk and hony God can quickly curse our blessings and destroy us after that he hath done us good See this excellency set forth Isay 5.5 and Jer. 17.5.6 Psal 107.34 Zech. 7.14 with the Note there and take heed lest living in gods good land but not by Gods good lawes we forfeit all into his hand and he take the forfeiture For he had rather that wild beasts should devour the good of a land yea that Satyres and devils should dance there then that wicked and stubborn sinners should enjoy it If Philip of Spain could say he had rather have no subjects then Lutheran subjects And if the Councell of Tholouse out of a like blind zeale for propagating Popery did decree that the very house should be pâ—lled down in qua fuerit inventus baereticus wherein an heretick as they then called Gods true servants waâ— found How much more shall the King of heaven the righteous judg root out and pluck up a rabble of rebels that refuse to be ruled by him Idolatry is a Land-desolating sin and brings in the devouring sword Judg 5.8 1. Joh. 5.21 Psal 78.58.59.62 Jer. 22.7.8.9 Cavete ab Idolis And slay them with thirst Surgit hic oratio surgit afflictio To be slame with thirst is a grievous judgment Lysimachus parted with his kingdome for a draught of water in a dry land and made himself of a great King a miserable Captive to the King of Getes Darius slying from his enemies Plut. was glad to drink of a dirty puddle that had carrion lying in it professing that it was the sweetest draught that ever he drank in his life Dives would have given all that ever he was worth for a drop of cold water The members infeebled for want of due moisture seek to the veynes for relief the veines to the liver the Liver to the Entrals the Entials to the ventricle â—he ventricle to the orifice But these being not abâ—e to impart what they cannot receive One he cryes Father Abraham But hospitable Abraham hath it not to him Rab. Samuel fire and brimstone storme and tempest is now the portion of his cup extream thirst is a piece of Hels pains Act. Mon. fol. 1547. and one of the greatest of earths miseries A dear servant of God in Queen Maries dayes kept and pined in prison would faine have drunk his own water but for want of nour shmâ—nt could make none Inward refreshings he had even those divine consolations of the maâ—tyâ—s he drank of the
long with mens evil manners yet he beareth them as a burden whereof he desireth to be eased Esay 1.24 as a servitude whereof he desireth to be freed Esay 43.24 as a pain not inferiour to that of a travelling woman and albeit he bite in his pains as it were for a time yet hear him what he saith Esay 42.14 I have long time holden my peace I have been still and refrained my self now will I cry like a travailing woman I will destroy and devour at once and the people shall be gathered against them God can bring in his armies at his pleasure for all creatures are at his beck and check If he do but look out at the windows of heaven and cry Who is on my side who all creatures in heaven and earth will presently present their service he never need want a weapon to chastise his rebels Câ— Pempei If he but stamp with his foot as that proud Roman said he can have men enough How ready are the Assyrians here to be the rod in his hand When they shall bind themselves in their two furrowes i. e. I will bring their enemies upon them and they shall yoke them like oxen that are yoked to plow yea they shall bring them into such servitude that they shall make them do double work plow in their two furrows be they never so weary of doing one The enemies shall not be moved to pity the poor Israelites when tired with hard labour but shall make them plow like beasts giving them no rest till they have even wearied and worn them out This is Polanus his interpretation who further admonisheth us as oft as we behold or think upon the yoking of oxen for the plow Polan in loc that wee likewise bethink us of the miserable condition of such poor Christians as are slaves to Turks and Tartats and other enemies who binde them indeed in their two furrows It is not so long since here amongst us diverse of Gods dear servants were driven from Ciceter and other places taken by the enemy naked and barefoot as the Egyptians were by the Assyrians Esay 20.4 thorow thick and thin to Oxford-Gaole c. where by the cruelty of their keepers many of them lost their precious lives to the incredible grief of their dear relations Neither can I here passe by Tillies cruelty at Magdeburgh in Germany where after twenty thousand persons at least put to the sword and the Town burned down his souldiers committed all manner of ravages Mr. Clark in the life of the K. of Swed all the countrey over Ladies Gentlewomen and others like beasts they yoaked and coupled together leading them into the woods to ravish them and such as resisted they stripped naked whipt them cropt their ears and so sent them home again The Irish cruelties unnameable might here be instanced O quam duram O quam tristem serviunt illi servitutem See Mr. Clarks relation The words may be read They shall binde them together Verse 11. And Ephraim is an heifer that is taught sc With the Ox-goad which hath its name from teaching Judg. 3.31 because therewith Oxen are taught to plow Malmad saith R. David Ephraim was a bullock unaccustomed to the yoak Jer. 31.18 but God brought her to it and taught her though at first a backsliding heifer chap. 4.16 see the the Note there taught her as Gedeon taught the men of Succoth with briers and thorns of the wildernesse so that they paid dear for their learning Judg. 8.16 But Ephraim though taught it loveth not plowing work because hard and hungry She loveth rather to tread out the corn where she may dance and frisk in the loft straw without either yoak or muzzle Deut. 25.4 As we thresh so it was their manner to tread out their hard corn with the feet of beasts or by them to draw Wains over it and so get it out of the husk Now this was fair and free work and Ephraim delighted in it the rather because she might feed all the while at pleasure whereas those heifers that plowed wrought hard all day and in all weathers without any refreshment It is an ill signe when men must pick and choose their work this they will do for God but not that A dispensatory conscience is a naughty conscience neither doth he Gods will but his own that doth no more or no other then himself will Such holy-day-servants such retainers God careth not for Every one can swim in a warm Bath and every bird will sing in a summers day Iudas will bear the crosse so he may bear the bag And those carnall Capernaites follow Christ whiles he feeds them as children will say their prayers so they may have their breakfast But Abraham will forsake all to follow God though he knew not whither yea though God seemed to go crosse-wayes as when he promised him a land slowing wich milk and honey and yet as soon as he came there he found famine Gen. 12.1 10. So when he promised him seed as the stars yet kept him without child for twenty years after and after that hee must kill him too Gen. 22. So Iob will trust in a killing God Ionah calls upon him out of the deep David keeps his statutes when God had in some degree forsaken him Psal 119.8 and behaved himself wisely in a perfect way though God was not yet come unto him Psal 101.2 This is the triall of a Christian to do difficult duties upon little or no incouragement to wrestle as Jacob did in the night and alone and when God was leaving him and upon one leg c. This is work-man-like The staff-rings were to continue upon the Ark the Kohathites shoulders felt wherefore and so long God helped them to carry it But when they once fell to carting it for their own ease 1 Chro. 15.26 as the Philistines had done 1 Sam. 6. God made a dismall breach upon them 2 Sam. 6. and David was very sensible of it when he came up the second time to fetch the Ark 1 Chron. 15.12 13. but I passed over upon her fair neck God will make her both bear and draw though she were grown delicate and tender with long prosperity her good and fair and fat neck not galled or brawned with the yoak which now she made dainty of yet He would bring her to it though he were by her untractablenesse forced to sit upon her neck and make her more towardly to the yoak as the manner of plowmen was in that case I will make Ephraim to ride Or as the Vulgar hath it I will ride him and rule him though he kick and lay about him never so much though he champ upon the bridle and stamp with his feet c. I le master him and make him more serviceable or at least lesse insolent See this fulfilled Jer. 31.18 19. where Ephraim is brought in seeing his need of mercy in the sense of misery Iudah shall plow and Iacob
lurking-holes as he did Adam out of the thicket 2 Chro. 33.11 Manasseh from among the thornes Jonah from the sides of the ship the Duke of Buckingham in Rich. the thirds time c. Be sure saith Moses your sinne will finde you out Speed Num. 32.23 and Gods hand will hale you to punishment Though they climb up to heaven That is by an hyperbole to high and strong places as the Babel-builders the Benjamites that fled to the Rock Rimmon and there abode four moneths Judg. 20 47. the gibing Jebusites that were so confident of their strong-hold of Zion that they flouted David and his forces 2 Sam. 5.8 the proud Prince of Tyre and others thence will I bring them down From their loftiest tops of Pride and creature-confidence which God loves to confute and defeat as I might instance in Nebuchadnezzars Xerxes Haman Sejanus Bajaezet that terrour of the world and as he thought superior to fortune yet in an instant with his state in one battle overthrown into the bottome of misery and despaire Turk hist 287. and that in the middest of his great strength The same end awaits the Pope and his hierarchy ruet alto à culmine Roma that Jupiter Capitolinus shall be one day unroosted by him who casteth the wicked down to the ground Psal 147.6 Verse 3. And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel In densis sylvis inter spelaea ferarum Lawfull enough it is in some cases to hides David did oft and Elias and Christ and Paul 2 Cor. 11.32 and Athanasius and diverse other Saints Tertullian was too rigid in condemning all kind of hiding in evill times Lib. de suga on persecution But to hide from God who searcheth Jerusalem with lights and to whom the darknesse and the light are both alike Psal 139.12 to whom obscura clarent muta respondent silentium confitetur this is base and bootlesse Carmel shall not cover them nor any other starting-hole secure them from divine justice The poore Jewes were pulled by the Romanes out of privyes and other under-ground places where they had hid themselvss as Josephus writeth and so were those Samaritans served by the Assyrians who ferreted them out and slaughtered them and though they be hid from my sight as they think but that cannot be for He like the Optick vertue in the eye sees all and is seen of none in the bottome of the sea which how deep and troublesome soever is to God a Sea of glasse like unto Chrystal corpus diaphanum a pervious clear Rev. 4. transparent body such as he sees thorow and hath the sole command of thence will I command the serpent For there is that crooked serpent Leviathan there are also creeping things innumerable Esay 27.1 Psal 104.26 to arrest wicked men as rebels and traitors to the highest Majestie and to drag them down to the bottom of hell All elements and creatures shall draw upon them as servants will do upon such as assault their Lord. Rebellisque facta est quia homo numini creatura homini as Austin truely and trimly avoucheth Verse 4 And though they goe into captivity c. And so may hope the worst is over Surely the bitternesse of death is past yet it shall prove otherwise The hypocrites hope is as the giving up the ghost saith Iob and that 's but cold comfort 1 Sam. 15.32 Or as the spiders web spun out of her own bowels and when the beesome comes swept to the muck-hill before their enemies whose custome was to drrive their captives before them Lam. 1.5 young and old naked and barefoot even with their buttocks uncovered Esay 20.4 Or before their enemies that is before they are taken captive by the enemies by a voluntary yeeldance in hope of quarter for their lives The Jewes indeed had a promise from the Prophet Jeremy chap. 21.9 That if they went out and fell to the Chaldeans that besieged them they should have their lives for a prey but the ten tribes had no such promise made them They were strangers from the covenants Ephes 2.12 and therefore could look for no mercy Loammi and therefore Lo-ruhamah Hos 1. the Ark and the Mercy-seat were never sundred thence will I command the sword See Esay 13.15 16. Jer. 9.10 and 43.11 Ezek. 14.17 and I will set mine eyes upon them Emphaticoteâ—on est qâ—am si dixiâ—set Oculos pluraliter Mercer Heb. eye viz. the eye of my providence that oculus irretortus whereby I will look them to death and take course that nothing shall go well with them see a little below vers 8. Jer. 21.10 Psal 34.16 In Tamerlanes eyes sat such a Majesty as a man could hardly endure to behold and many in talking with him became dumb He held the East in such awe as that he was commonly called Turk hist 211.236 The wrath of God and terrour of the world Augustus Cesar frowned to death Cornelius Gallus and so did Queen Elizabeth Sir Christopher Hatton Lord Chancellour Gods enemies are sure to perish at the rebuke of his countenance Psal 80.16 and if he but set his eyes upon them for evil and not for good all occurrences shall certainly work together for the worst unto them Verse 5. And the Lord God of Hosts is he c. Here the Prophet proveth what he had said in the foregoing verses by an argument drawn from the wonderfull power of God which profane persons are apt to question that they may harden their hearts against his fear Consider saith He first that He is the Lord God of Hosts and as the Rabbines well observe he hath the upper and lower troops ready prest as his horse and foot to march against his enemies Next that he toucheth the land as it were with his little finger and it shall melt like the fat of lambs before the fire it shall crumble to crattle moulder away and be moved because he is wroth Psal 18.7 and shall men be unmoved shall they bee more insensible then the senselesse earth The people of Antioch though many of them gave their hands for Chrysostoms banishment yet terrified by an earthquake which wrought in them an heart-quake as it had done in the Gaoler Acts 16. they immediately sent for him again But thirdly the tremend power of God appears in this that The land shall rise up wholly like a flood and it shall be drowned as by the flood of Egypt God can flote it and flood it at his pleasure See chap. 8.8 Water is naturally above the earth as the garment above the body saith David and would but for the power and providence of God prove as the shirt made for the murdering of Agamemnon where the head had no issue out Let God be seen herein and mens hearts possessed with his holy fear who can so easily pull up the sluces let in the Sea upon them and bury them all in one universall grave of waters Fear ye not me
cause before he proceedes to judgment this deserves admiration and acknowledgement in the highest degree O the depth Verse 4. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt Here God twits them with his former favours which he never doth but in case of brutish unthankfulnesse Now there was brutish and worse To render good for evill is divine good for good is humane evill for evill is brutish but evill for good devilish This makes God contrary to his custome upbraid people with what he hath done for them and angrily call for his love-tokens back againe as Hos 2.9 For their deliverance out of the Egyptian servitude how great a mercy it was see the Note on Hos 11.1 such as they were againe and againe charged never to forget Deut. 6.12 and 5.15 and 26.5 to 12. How much more bound are we to God for our Redemption by Christ for what 's Pharaoh to Satan Egypt to this present evill world Egyptian bondage to fins slavery Seeing then that our God hath given us such deliverance as this should we againe break his commandements c. Well might the hills and mountaines testify against such a monstrous unthankfullnesse and disingenuity and redeemed thee out of the house of servants Gradatim progreditur saith Calvin It was somthing to be brought out of the land of Egypt a most superstitious place where they turned the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man for they defiled their king Osiris and of birds for they worshipped the hawk and Ibis and of foure-footed beasts for they worshipped an ox Rom. 1.23 a dog a cat a swine and of creeping things for they worshipped the Crocodile Ichneumon c. yea they worshipped plants and pot-herbs Hence the Poet Felices gentes Iuven. quibus haec nascuntur in hortis Numina To be brought out therefore from amongst such hatefull Idolaters was no small favour lest they should smell of their superstitions as Mica's mother did after all that ayring sin in the desert Judg. 17.3 and Jeroboam by being there awhile had learned calf-worship hence that strickt charge never to make leagne with them But to be redeemed out of the house of servants was more out of the iron furnace Deut. 4.20 Ier. 11.4 where they wrought night and day in latere luto Exod. 1. in setting up those famous Pyramids and treasure-cities for Pharaoh where they served with rigour Exod. 1.13 their lives were made bitter with hard bondage ver 14. till God withdrew their shoulders from the burden and their hands did leave the pots Psal 81.6 till they saw the God of Israel and there was under his feet as it were a paved-work of a Saphire-stone Exod. 24.10 to shew that God had now changed their condition their bricks made in their bondage to Saphirs Confer Esay 54.11 and consider what God hath done for us by bringing us into the glorious liberty of his own children who were once the devils drudges and dromedaries serving diverse lusts and pleasures Tit. 3.3 which gave lawes to our members Rom. 7. and held us under in a brutish bondage much worse then the Heathens mil-house the Turks gallies Bajazets iron-cage the Indian mines or Egyptian furnace For there if they did their task they escaped stripes but here let men do the devill never such doughty service they are sure of scourges and scorpions after all armies and changes of sorrowes and sufferings terrours and torments without any the least hope of ever either mending or ending This should make us lift up many an humble joyfull and thankfull heart to our most powerfull Redeemer saying with St. Paul Now to the King eternal immortal invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Tim. 1.17 and I sent before thee Moses Aaron and Miriam As three principall guides and Miriam for one who did her part among the women Exod. 15.20 and having a prophetick spirit became a singular instrument in the hand of God who spake by her Num. 12.2 But her weak head was not able to bear such a cup of honour without being intoxicated which caused her father to spit in her face Num. 12.2 14. Her death is recorded in scripture Num 20.1 but not her age as is Sarahs Gen. 23.1 Some have observed that God thought not fit to tell us of the length of the life of any woman in Scripture but Sarah to humble that sex But as soules have no sexes so of some women such as were Miriam Deborah the Virgin Mary Priscilla Blandina the Lady Jane Gray Q. Elizabeth c. it may be said that in them besides their sex there was nothing woman-like or weak as if what Philosophy saith the soules of these noble creatures had followed the temperament of their bodies which consist of a frame of rarer roomes of a more exact composition then mans doth It is possible that Miriam might till that matter of emulation betwixt her and Moses his wife fell out be as helpfull to Moses and Aaron as Nazianzens mother was to his father Non solum adjutricem in pietate sed etiam doctricem gubernatricem Nazian Epitap pat not a help-fellow only but a doctresse and governesse Verse 5. O my people remember now what Balak There must be a Recognition of Gods mercies or else there will neither follow Estimation nor Retribution Else we that should be as temples of his praises shall be as graves of his benefits Our soules are naturally like filthy ponds wherein fish die soon and frogs live long rotten stuff is remembred memorable mercies are forgotten whereas the soul should be as an holy Ark the memory like the pot of Manna preserving holy truths as the Law and speciall blessings as Aarons rod fresh and flourishing This Israel did not and are therefore justly blamed Psal 106.7 13 21. and here againe reminded of one signall mercy among many that they might take notice of the enemies malignity Gods benignity and their own indignity and ingratitude that parching wind that drieth up the fountaine of divine favours Ventus urens exsiccans what Balack king of Moab consulted Joshua saith that he arose and fought against Israel chap. 24.9 that is he had a good mind to have fought but he did not because he durst not So Esth 8.7 Haman is said to have laid his hand upon the Jewes because he intended and attempted such a matter They that is the Sortilegi or Lot-sorcerers with whom Balack-like he consulted cast Pur that is the lot before Haman from day to day and from month to month viz. Esth 3.7 to find out what month or day would be lucky for the accomplishment of his intended massacre of the Iewes but before that black-day came Mordecai was advanced and Haman hanged Now as there by the speciall providence of God over-ruling the superstition of that wicked wreth way was made for the preservation of Gods people So
and at length return them up again to his heavenly Father without losse of any one He is also called the Man by an excellency that matchlesse man the chief of ten thousand as his mother is called hagnalma that famous Virgin whom all generations are bound to call blessed He is Man-God both in one and is therefore also called Gods-fellow or Mate as being Consubstantiall to the Father according to the Godhead and very neer akinne to him according to the Man-hood by reason of the hypostaticall union of both natures into one person the Man Christ Jesus Smite the shepheard that that blessed Fountcin of his Bloud mentioned verse 1. may be opened and the flock of God washed and healed and satiated as the people were when the Rock was smitten and so set abroach and as when God clave a hollow place in the jaw-bone of the Asse so that there came water thereout Sampson drank and was revived And as when the Alabaster-box of ointment was broke all the house was filled with a sweet savour Judg. 15.19 And the sheep shall be scattered scattered and scattered shifting for themselves and leaving Christ to the mercy of his enemies who seized upon him as so many Carrion Kites upon a silly Dove Thomas who once said come let us go dye with him disappeares and is lost Peter followes aloof off but better he had heen farther off John if at least it were he flies away stark naked for hast Iudas comes nearer to him but to betray him with a kisse But is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Christ had indented with the enemie aforehand for their securitie Joh. 18.8 so that they needed not have retreated so disorderly and scattered as they did But the fear of man bringeth a snare Prov. 29.25 Howbeit mans badnesse cannot break off the course of Christs goodnesse For though they thus unworthily forsake him and leave him at the worst as they say yet I will turn my hand saith he upon the little ones i.e. I will recollect my dispersed flock how little soever either for number or respect in the world and bring back my banished So soon doth it repent the good Lord concerning his servants Mich. 7.18 Psal 136 23. He remembreth not iniquity for ever saith the Prophet because mercy pleaseth him and again He remembreth us in our low estates for his mercy endureth for ever He looked back upon Peter when his mouth was now big swoln with oathes and execrations and set him a weeping bitterly He called for Thomas after his resurrection and confirmed his weak faith by a wonderfull condescention He sealed up his love to them all again restoring them to their ministeriall imployment and not so much as once upbraiding them with their base dereliction but only with their unbelief Lyra and others sence the Text thus I will turn my hand upon the little ones that is I will so smite the Shepheard Christ that not only the sheep shall be scattered but the little lambs also even the least and lowest Christians shall have their share of sufferings shall feel the weight of my hand shall pledge the Lord Christ in that cup of afflictions that I have put into his hand shall be conformed to the Image of Gods Son as his co-sufferers that he may be the first born among many brethren Rom. 8.29 And this was fulfilled in the persecutions that followed soon after our Saviours death Ecclesia haeres crucis saith Luther and Persecutio ect Evangelij genius saith Calvin Persecution is the black Angel that dogges the Church the red horse that â—ollows the white at the heels All the comfort is that Gods holy hand hath a speciall stroke in all those afflictions that are laid upon his faithfull people I will turn mine hand c. Verse 8. Two parts therein shall be cut off and die q.d. they shall they shall how strange or incredible soever this sad tidings seem to you it shall be even so take my word for it Behold the severity of God Rom. 11.22 In the Greek it is the Resection or Cutting off as a Chirurgion cutteth off proud and dead flesh The Just Lord is in the middest thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will not do iniquity c. Zeph. 3.5 Fiat justitia ruat coelum may seem to be his Motto In point of justice he stands not upon multitudes Psal 9.17 It is all one to him whether against a Nation or against a man only Job 34.29 National sins bring national plagues heinous sinnes heavy punishments In the universal deluge God swept away all as if he had blotted out that part of his title The Lord the Lord gracious merciful c. and had taken up that of Attilas Orbis flagellum The worlds scourge Sodoms sinnes were multiplyed above measure therefore God took them away as he saw good Ezek. 16.49 50 and hath thrown them out as St. Jude speaketh for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 7. Herodotus a Heathen Historian saith the very same of the destruction of Troy viz. that the ruines and rubbish thereof are set forth for an example of that noted Rule that God greatly punisheth great offences and that hainous sinnes bring hideous plagues Here we have two parts of three cut off in the land of Judea as it fell out at the last destruction thereof by the Romans at which time more then a million of men perished see Matth. 24.21 with the Note And what think we shall become of Babylon the great Her sinnes reach up to heaven whereunto they are even glewed and fastened as the word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 18.5 therefore she shall be brought down to hell with Capernaum for flagitium flagellum sicuâ— acus filum therefore shall her plagues come in one day to confute their fond conceit of an eternal Empire death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly overthrown with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her full able to effect it Rev. 18.18 seem it to Babels brats never so improbable or impossible It was never besieged since it became Papal but it was taken whereas before it was held invincible Sinne that lyeth at the bottom will easily undermine and overturn the walis though never so strong built as the voice from heaven told Phocas the Murtherer The bloud of that innocent Lamb of God lyes heavy upon the whole Nation of the Jews to this day Their last devastation and present dismal dispersion is such as that one of their own Rabines concludes from thence that their Mesliah must needs be come and they must needs suffer so much for killing him but the third shall be left therein A holy remnant kept for a reserve Good husbands cast not all their corn into the oven but keep some for seed Esa 6.13 But yet in it shall be a tenth saith another Prophet Es 17.6 there shall