2. God will have it so, that the greater may be his glory in the powerful protection and defence of his own, with the destruction, disappointment, and nun of their enemies. If his enemies were all sottish, weak, foolish, childish, until he makes them so, where would be the praise of his great name? when would there be "Nodus. Deo vindice dignus," — work worthy of the appearance of the Most High ? But when there is a great mountain before Zerubbabel (Zech. iv. 7), — a high, haughty, oppressing empire, — to level that to a plain is glo- rious. When God will get himself a name, he raises up, not a poor, effeminate Sardanapalus, — a poor, sensual, hypocritical wretch, as some have been ; the Lord will not make an open contest by such a one, such as some of our sore oppressors have been: but he will raise up a Pharaoh, a crooked leviathan, a stout-hearted, cunning-headed, strong-handed oppressor; and he tells him (such a one as he), "For this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power ; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth," Exod. ix. 16. " Thou art a fit subject," saith he, " for me to exalt my glory in thy ruin." The beast is to make war with the Lamb; and he shall not do it alone: God will give him in assistance. And who shall these be? — women^ and children, and weak ones? No; he will put it into the heart of the kings of the earth " to give their power and strength to the beast," Rev. xvii. 17, to break them in pieces. This will be glory indeed. All the opposers which formerly have risen, or at least most of them, have had the power to that height, as they have been exceedingly above all outwardly appearing means of being resisted. The breaking of the old monarchies and of papal power is a work meet for the Lord. And in this shall mainly consist the promised glory of the Church of Christ in after days; whose morning star, I
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doubt not, is now upon us: — the Lord will more immediately and visibly break the high, stout, haughty ones of the earth, for the sake of his people, than in former times. Look upon all the glorious things that are spoken concerning Zion in the latter days, and you shall find them all interwoven with this still, — the shaking of heaven, the cast- ing clown of thrones, and dominions, and mighty ones. I mention this, because indeed I look upon this late mercy as the after-drops of a former refreshing shoAver, — as an appendix of good-will, for the con- firming the former work which God had wrought. " Though," saith he, " ' ye have lien among the pots/ — have been in a poor, defiled condition, a condition of bondage, — ' yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold/ — ye shall be made exceeding glorious." But how or when shall this be? Why, when the Almighty scattereth kings for her sake, then shall she be as white as snow in Salmon, Ps. lxviii. 13, 14. When God by his almighty power takes away so great opposers, then glory and beauty shall arise upon you. And this, in some degree, lies also at the bottom of the late dispensation of Providence, — men's hearts were full of fear of a storm; yea, a storm was necessary, that some evi- dence might be given of the Lord's continuing his presence amongst you, that if hereafter we be forsaken, it may appear that it was for our own unbelief, unthankful ness, and folly, and not for doing the work of the Lord. Now, how was this expected? " Why, this poor people, or that, unacquainted with the things of their peace, will rise and make opposition." " No," saith the Lord, " you shall not have so easy a trial ; you shall have men of stout hearts and strong hands, with many former successes on their shoulders; that, when deliverance is given in, my name may be glorious indeed."
Use 1 . Be not moved at the most formidable enemies that may arise against you in the ways of God. " It was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind," Isa. vii. 2. When strong combinations arise, how apt are we to shake and tremble before them, especially when they have some strangeness as well as strength ! That Syria should come against Judah, is no wonder ; but what, I pray, makes Ephraim too, their brother, and fellow in former afflictions? Besides, Syria and Ephraim were always at a mortal difference among themselves. But they who agree in nothing else usually consent in opposition to the ways of God. Then you shall have Edom, Ammon, Amalek, and Ashur altogether of one mind, Ps. lxxxiii. 6-8. And the kings of the west, that perpetually devour one another, yet have one mind in exalting the beast and opposing the Lamb, Rev. xvii. 1 4 ; — as, in our late troubles, there was a concurrence not only in the main of Syria