92 A MEMORIAL OF THE DELIVERANCE
ground ; yet man is bom to trouble, as the sons of the burning coal lift up in flying/' Job v. 6, 7. When God intends the total destruc- tion of a people, he commonly weakens them by some previous judgments. Let the truth of this be found upon them that hate us, and the interpretation thereof be to the enemies of this nation ; but the Lord knows all our hearts may well tremble at what will be the issue of the visitations of the last year,
IX. Observation. God never wants instruments to execute his anger, and ruin his enemies.
His treasury of judgments can never be exhausted. If Israel be too weak for the Amorites, he will call in the pestilence and burning diseases to their assistance. What creature hath not this mighty God used against his enemies ? An angel destroys Sennacherib's host, Isa. xxxvii. 36, and smites Herod with woiTns, Acts xii. 23. Heaven above sends down a hell of fire and brimstone on Sodom and Go- morrah, Gen. xix. 24. The stars in their courses fought against Sisera, Judg. v. 20. Devils do his will herein; he sent evil angels among the Egyj^tians, Ps. Ixxviii. 49. Fire consumes persecuting Ahaziah's companies, 2 Kings i. 10, 11. The water drowns Pharaoh and his chariots, Exod. xiv. 28. Earth swallows up Korah, with his fellow-rebels. Numb. xvi. 32. Bears rend the children that mocked Elisha, 2 Kings ii. 24. Lions destroy the strange nations in Samaria, 2 Kings xvii. 25. Frogs, lice, boils, hail, rain, thunder, lightning, destroy the land of Egypt, Exod. viii., ix., x. Locusts are his mighty army to punish Israel, Joel ii. 25. Hailstones destroy the Canaan- ites. Josh. X. 11. Stones of the wall sloy the Syi'ians, 1 Kings xx. So. Pestilence and burning diseases are his ordinary messengers. In a word, all creatures serve his providence, and wait his commands for the execution of his righteous judgments. Neither the beasts of the field nor the stones of the earth will be any longer quiet than he causeth them to hold a league with the sons of men.
Use 1. To teach us all to tremble before this mighty God. AVho can stand before him, — "qui tot imperat legionibus ? ' If he will strike, he wants no weapons ; • if he will fight, he wants no armies. All things serve his will. He saith to one. Come, and it cometh ; to another, Go, and it goeth; to a third. Do this, and it doth it. He can make use of ourselves, our friends, our enemies, heaven, earth, fire, water, any thing, for what end he pleaseth. There is no stand- ing before his armies, for they are all things, and himself to make them effectual. There is no flying from his armies, for they are every where, and himself with them. Who would not fear this King of nations ? He that contends with him shall find it " as if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met liim; or Avent into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpcut bit him," Amos v. 19.
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No flying, no hiding, no contending. Worms kill Herod ; a fly choked Adrian, &c.
Use 2. To be a bottom of confidence and dependence in an evil day. He that hath God on his side, hath also all things that are seen, and that are not seen. The mountain is full of fiery chariots for Elisha's defence, when outwardly there was no appearance, 2 Kings vi. 1 7. All things wait their Master's beck, to do him ser- vice,— as for the destruction of enemies, so for the deliverance of his. What though we had no army in the time of war ? God hath mil- lions, many thousands of angels, Ps. Ixviii. 17, — one whereof can destroy so many thousands of men in a night, Isa. xxxvii. 86. He can choose (when few others will appear with him against the mighty, as in our late troubles) " foolish things to confound the wise, and weak things to confound the strong." Sennacherib's angel is yet alive, and the destroyer of Sodom is not dead: and all those things are at our command, if their help may be for our good. " Judah ruleth with God," Hos. xi. 12, — hath a rule by faithful supplications over all those mighty hosts. Make God our friend, and. we are not only of the best, but also the strongest side. You that would be on the safest side, be sure to choose that which God is on. Had not this mighty, all-commanding God, been with us, where had we been in the late tumults ? So many thousands in Kent, so many in Wales, so many in the north, so many in Essex, — shall they not speed ? shall .they not divide the prey ? is not the day of those factious Indepen- dents come ? was the language of our very neighbours. The snare is broken, and we are delivered.
The Lord having sent messengers before him into Canaan, stands himself as it were upon the borders, and takes a view of the land.
Verse 6. "He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow : his ways are everlasting."