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 pes- tilence and burning diseases to their assistance. What
* Exod. k. 15. Lev. xxvi. 25. 2 Sara. xxiv. 13. Ezek. xiv. 19. Matt.^fxiv. 7. L. XV. I
114 A MEMORIAL OF THE DELIVERANCE.
creature hath not this mighty God used against his ene- mies? An angel destroys Senacherib's host, Isa. xxxvii. 36. ?ind smites Herod with worms; Acts xii. 23. Heaven above sends down a hell of fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah ; 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 Egyptians ; Psal. Ixxviii. 49. Fire consumes persecuting Ahaziah's companies ; 2 Kings i. 10, 11. The water drowns Pharaoh and his chariots; Exod. xiv. 28. Earth sv/allows 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. 9, 10. Locusts are his mighty army to punish Israel; Joel ii. 25. Hailstones destroy the Canaanites ; Josh. x. 11. Stones of the wall slay the Syrians ; 1 Kings xx. 30. Pesti- lence and burning diseases are his ordinary messengers. In a word, all creatures serve his providence, and wait his com- mands 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. Who can stand before him, ' qui tot imperat legioni- bus?' 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 standing before his armies, for they are all things, and him- self to make them eftectual. 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 him; or went into the house and leaned upon a wall, and a serpent bit him;' Amos v. 18, 19. No flying, no hiding, no contending. Worms kill Herod ; a fly choked Adrian, 8tc.
Use 2. To be a bottom of confidence and dependance in
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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. 17. All things wait their master's beck, to do him service, 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 millions, many thousands of angels, Psal. Ixviii. 17. one whereof can de- stroy so many thousands of men in a night. Isa. xxxvii. 36. He can choose (when few others will appear with him against the mighty, as in our late troubles) * foolish things to con- found the wise, and weak things to confound the strong.' Senacherib's angel is yet alive, and the destroyer of Sodom is not dead : and ail 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 independ- ents 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.
Ver. 6. ' He stood and measured the earth, he beheld and drove asunder the nations, and the everlasting moun- tains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow ; his ways are everlasting.'
Two things are here considerable :
1. The Lord's exact forevievv of the promised land; * He stood and measured the earth, and beheld the nations.'
2. His operation at that time : * He drove asunder the nations,' &c.
1. ' He stood and measured.' The prophet here represent* eth the Lord on the frontier of Canaan, as one taking view of