be humbled under the mighty hand of God If we know not what God hath done he can quickly doe enough to make himself known They who will not see the hand of God when it is lifted up that they may be humbled shall see it and be ashamed Isa 26.11 if the removing and shaking of our mountains doe not awaken us the overturning of them shall That 's the next act of divine power in this noble description And overturneth them in his anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vertit subvertit significat versionem vel in nibilum vel in formam aut qualitatem aliam vel in locū alium The word signifies to over-turn a thing so as to change the form and fashion of it yea to bring it to nothing not only to remove a thing out of its place but to take away the very being of it and to remove it out of the world He not only turns mountains into mole-hils but into plains yea into pits they shall not be mountains any longer nor any thing like a mountain It is much to remove a mountain and set it in another place but more to crumble it in a moment all to dust that you shall not finde a piece or a clod of it The Prophet threatens the obstinate Jews in such a language Isa 30.13 14. Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high wall whose breaking commeth suddenly at an instant and he shall break it as the breaking of the Potters vessel c. So that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sheard to take fire from the hearth or to take water withall out of the pit He overturneth them in his anger Anger in man is a mixt affection made up chiefly of these two ingredients sorrow and revenge Some call anger the boiling of the bloud about the heart or the boiling of the heart in bloud The fumes whereof rise so fast into the brain Ira suror brevis that anger sometimes dislodges reason and is therefore called by others a short madnesse The word in the text signifies the Nostrils and the Scripture frequently applies that to anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ira inde transfertur a l nasum qui est instrumentum trae in quo ira precipuè apparet Fames morabilèm in nasum conciunt Plaut because anger is seen and made visible in the nostrils Quick breathing is a sign of anger God is without parts and passions he is not angry as man but is said to be angry when he doth like man in his anger The Lord is not moved or stirred by anger but he is angry when he makes motions and stirrings in the creature he lets out the effects of anger but himself hath not the affection much lesse the perturbation of anger Hence observe That the troubles and confusions which are in the creature are tokens and effects of the anger of God As the setling and establishment of the creature is an effect or sign of his goodnesse or as these tell us that God is pleased So when the Lord hurls the creature this way and that way when he tosses it up and down as if he cared not how this is an argument of his anger when Moses came down from the Mount and saw what the people of Israel had done how they had made a golden calf and polluted themselves with idols such a passion of anger came upon him that he threw the Tables of the Law out of his hand and brake them So when the Lord would signifie his displeasure he throws the creature out of his hand and breaks man against man Nation against Nation as a Potters vessell one against another The comfort and well-being of the creature consist in this that God holds it in his hand if he doe but let it goe out of his hand it perishes much more when he casts it with violence out of his hand The Prophet Hab. 3.8 describing the great confusions which God made in the world questions thus Was thine anger against the rivers Was thy wrath against the sea that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation God being angry with the enemies of his people made strange work amongst them Rather then his people shall not be delivered the world shall be confounded Was the Lord angry with the sea when he compelled the rivers to change their courses and discover the bottome of their chanels as in the passage of his Israel thorow the red sea No God was not angry with the sea but with Pharaoh and his host with the oppressours and troublers of his Israel and when he was thus angry he check'd the course of nature and turned things up-side-down When David was in a distresse and his enemies encompast him round about what then Then the earth strook and trembled Tanta extiti◠divinae irae vis pro Davide contra hostes defendendo ut videbatur orbē invertere omnia miscere c. Pined the foundations of the hils were moved and were shaken because he was wrath Psal 18.7 That God might rescue David out of the hand of trouble he troubled the foundations of the earth he made the world shake and Kingdoms tremble that his David might be setled upon his throne The Lord threatneth Hag. 2.6 that he will shake the heaven and the earth and the sea and the dry land he will move all creatures why so He shakes them for the setling of his Zion vers 7. I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hostes When the Lord comes against the superstition and idolatry and profanenesse and wickednesses of the world in anger no wonder if Kingdoms shake yea he therefore shakes Kingdoms that he may establish Jerusalem a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken Isa 33.20 We are waiting when God will shake Babylon and in his anger overturn the seven mountains thereof Babylon is built upon mountains upon seven mountains to note the strength and power of it yet the Lord will remove Babylon out of her place and overturn those mountains in the fiercenesse of his anger and in jealousie poured out Then every Island shall flee away and the mountains shall not be found Revel 16.20 That is the remotest and strongest places which owned and maintained Babylon shall either be converted or confounded they shall appear no more under that spirituall notion though in a naturall and civill they doe remain That which is not as it was is spoken of as if it were not A great change in our condition is called a change of our very being The anger of God overturns things as if it did annihilate them Job goes on Verse 6. Which shakes the earth out of her place
exalt our thrones above the stars of God We will ascend above the heights of the clouds we will be like the most high yet how are ye brought down to hell to the sides of the pit All that look upon you say Are these the men that made the earth to tremble that did shake Kingdoms Thus the Lord hath taken away the thrones of Princes and none could hinder he hath also removed the Candlesticks of Churches and none could hinder Christ threatned the seven Churches in Asia that he would come and take away their Candlesticks which of these hindered him Both Crowns and Candlesticks must down if he speak the word It is said when David kept his fathers Sheep there came a Lion and a Bear and took a Lamb and a Sheep out of the flock but he arose and went out after them and rescued both Lamb and Sheep taking the prey out of their teeth When the Lord Christ the Lion of the Tribe of Judah will come and tear and take away no David can rescue out of his hand The five Kings that came against Sodome took away Lot Abraham went with his army and made them restore made them bring back again it is ordinary with man when one hath robbed another for a stronger to make him restore and vomit up the sweet morsels which he hath swallowed It is not thus with God First Power cannot doe it though the instruments which he useth to take away from us be weak yet the strong shall not be able to make the weak restore A weak Nation may destroy a strong Nation and the stronger shall not be able to make the weaker restore if the Lord send them When the Babylonians encamped about Jerusalem he warns them by his Prophet doe not thinke you shall deliver your selves by your great strength I have sent them to take your City and your State And though they were all wounded meâ— yet they shall rise up and take your City Isa 43.13 I will work saith the Lord and who shall let it Who shall let it Why they might say We will have some that shall let it No saith the Lord none shall let it Behold I have sent to Babylon and destroyed all their Princes those that fought to hinder me in my work by their power and counsell are broken though they seemed as strong as iron bars so the word is These bars of iron cannot keep me from entring I will break all opposition raised against my work Secondly As power cannot hinder him so policy cannot no counsell shall stop him They Isa 7.6 took counsell and resolved strongly We will go up against Judah and destroy it and set a King in the middest of it even the sonne of Tabeal The Lord answereth in the next words It shall not stand neither shall it come to passe You resolve to doe it you make it out in your counsels how to hinder mine but it shall not be it shall not come to passe As no counsell against us shall stand if the Lord be with us Isa 8.10 So no counsell for us shall stand if the Lord be against us Thirdly When the Lord is resolved to take away the peace and glory of a Nation or of a Church he will doe it and no spirituall means shall hinder him praier it self shall not hinder him If any thing in the world can move the Lord to restore when he taketh away the peace of a people it is praier and the cry of his people Praier hath often met the Lord as Abigail did David 1 Sam. 25. and prevailed with him to put up his sword which was ready to destroy At the voice of praier the Lord hath restored that which he took away and hath staied from doing that which he seemed fully resolved to doe Psal 106.23 The Lord would have destroyed them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach Did Moses out-power the Lord did he out-wit or out-policy the Lord No but Moses praied and praied so strongly that the Lord was hindered that is he as if he had been hindered did not effect the thing he restored their comforts again when he had arested but some of them and seemed to come armed with resolution to take all away Yet sometimes we finde the Lord will come and take away and praier it self praier and fasting cries and tears shall not hinder God will trample upon all these God was resolved to take away the glory of Israel and to assure them that he would he takes away that wherein their chief assurance lay that he would not Jer. 15.1 Thus saith the Lord Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my minde could not be toward this people c. As if he had said Ye think to hinder me now ye will stop me ye will send out praier your old friend which hath helped you heretofore at many a dead lift And if you cannot pray enough your selves you will procure praiers and pray in the aid of praier from all the favourites that I have in the world ye will get Moseses and Samuels such as they to pray for you ye may doe so if ye will but it shall not profit you they and ye shall lose your labour even these labours will not quit cost or be worth the while to the end ye aim at for Though Moses and Samuel stood before me and intreated for this people yet my minde could not be toward them cast them out of my sight and let them goe forth such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for death to death and such as are for captivity to captivity Thus I say sometimes the Lord is so resolved to take away life riches glory peace the all both of persons and Nations that nothing shall help us or hinder him no not the praiers and cries not the supplications and tears of his own people which are the strongest stops of all in the way of provoked justice If praier cannot stay destruction and obtain a reprieve from death if the praiers of a Moses and a Samuel cannot nothing can it is as if God had said The best means shall fail you therefore all means shall fail you if when praier cannot hinder God we resort to other meanes it is as if we should thinke to fasten an Anchor with a twined threed which hath broken a cable or to conquer an enemy with a pot-gun and a bull-rush whom we could not with sword and Cannon And as God will not sometimes be entreated so he ought not at any time time to be questioned which is the next point Who shall say unto him What doest thou That 's further considerable man is not only not able to stop the Lord from what he would do Supremus ju lex est a quo non potest esse provocatio but he hath no right to put in a plea against what he hath done no nor to ask him what he hath been doing or why he did it
What dost thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold he taketh away Rapuit more latronum Significat velocitatem rapinae Rab Mord Raptim auferre Tigur The word signifies to take away by violence and force to take away as a robber takes to steal away As if he had said suppose the Lord come by open violence to take a thing from thee or secretly and as it were by stealth to bereave thee of thy estate or of thy life if he take all from thee and strip thee naked What canst thou doe So the word is used Prov. 23.28 speaking of a wicked woman an harlot She lieth in wait as for a prey the Hebrew is She lieth in wait as a robber to take away the estate yea and the life of those whom she shall entangle Si rapuerit hominem è muâ—do Targ. Si morti tradiderit August Quoâ—ies ipsi visum fuerit ut mihi nunc eve nit â—uempiam vel bonis ipsis spoliare quis illumut raptorem ad restitutionem cogeâ— imo quis illum jure in disquisitionem vocarit voluntas enim ipsius est juâ—tlâ—iae norma Bez 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 è ralice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some understand this more specially of taking away life If he will stop thy breath and deliver thee up to death so Augustine upon the place or as the Chaldee If he take one out of the world who can hinder him As if Job had said The Lord may not only take away so much as he hath taken from me but more without wrong to me He hath taken away my goods and my estate my children and friends he hath fetched away my health and strength my beauty and outward comforts if he come and take away my life also at next bout I cannot hinder him I can neither compell him to restore nor call him to an account I can neither urge him to restitution nor charge him with oppression He plainly intimates the rapine of his goods by the Chaldeans c. Of which he spake positively Chap. 1.21 The Lord hath taken and here by way of generall supposition If he take away Who shall hinder him Mr Broughton translates Who shall make him restore So he carries it in allusion unto men who violently take away the goods and estate of another If a man come with force and take away my goods Vertere aut reducere quis reâ—â— uere eum faciet quis recuperabit aut reduâ—et praedam I may make him restore them again by a greater force but if the Lord take away and ask me no leave I cannot make him restore The word signifies to stop or turn a thing and because in recovering of a prey or in making a man restore we stop and stay his course therefore the word is indifferently applied to both Others understand it in this sense If he taketh away who shall hinder him That is who can turn him from his purpose Who can stop him in the thing he hath a minde to doe Quidam non de praeca sed dâ— ipso Deo intelligunt Quu revocabit eum à proposito Si repentè interroget quis respondebit ei Vulg. Vel quòd respondens convertit se ad ìnterrogaÌ„tem vel quòd responsum regeraâ—ur restituaturque tanquam debitum interroganti The Vulgar translation varies much If he suddenly ask a man a question who shall be able to answer him The Hebrew word which signifies to return signifies to answer answering is the return of a word Prov. 8.13 He that answereth or returneth a word before he heareth a matter But I shall lay that by though the abettours of the Vulgar make great store of it interpreting their meaning thus if the Lord cite a man to judgement and bring him to triall man is not able to answer him or to plead his own cause Man cannot stand before the Lord. Observe hence First That All our comforts are in the power of God If he taketh away supposeth he can take away and he can take all away and doe us no wrong It is no robbery if God rob us his robbery is no wrong why because he comes not as a thief but as a Lord and Master of our estates he may come and take them away as he pleaseth and when he pleaseth Secondly Note this from it He taketh away That which God doth by the hand of the creature is to be reâ—koned as his own act He taketh away when creatures take away It is seldom that God dealeth immediately with us in these outward providences he sends men stirs instruments to do what is done But that which man doth the Lord doth Isa 42.24 Who gave Jacob to the spoilers and Israel to the robbers Did not I the Lord Men spoil'd and robbed them yet it was the Lords act to send those spoilers Did not I the Lord As that which man doth in spirituals is the Lords act when man converteth and saveth it is the Lord that saveth and converteth when man comforteth and refresheth by applying the promises it is the Lord that comforteth and refresheth when man gives resolution in doubts it is the Lord that resolveth doubts mans act is the Lords So here when man robbeth and spoileth us the act is from the Lord though the wickednesse of the act is from the man The Lord suffers men to spoil and undoe us yea the Lord orders them to spoil us it is done not only by his permission but by his commission not only with his leave but by his appointment I will send him against an hypocriticall Nation and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire of the streets Isa 10. Observe thirdly What the Lord will doe either by himself or by instruments no man can stop or prevent If he taketh away who shall hinder him The Lord hath absolute power if he will overthrow men or families or whole Kingdoms none can stay him There have been four great Monarchies in the world and the Lord comming in judgement against them hath taken all away The united strength of all creatures cannot stand before him when he is angry and resolved The Babylonian could not say and perform it I will keep my throne The Persian could not say and do it I will keep my State The Grecian could not say and maintain it I will keep my glory The Roman could not say and make it good I will keep my empire When the Lord had a minde to it he came and fetch away the power and glory the crown and dignity of those Monarchs he threw down their thrones brake their states darkned their glory dissipated their empires no man could hinder him How are ye fallen from heaven O Lucifers sons of the morning how are ye cut down to the ground which did weaken the Nations Though ye said in your hearts We will ascend into heaven we will