HE now answers to the former interrogation, and would not that the faithful should any way doubt of the event thereof, but rather that they should stand astonied at such admirable works of God. For the interrogation served to awaken up their minde• to the greater attention. It is as much then as if he should have said; It came not to pass by chance, or by any blind passion of fortune, that you were not still oppressed under a continual bondage, but you are wholly to attribute it to the providence of God, who brake so sore a yoke of servitude from off your necks. Now the wicked are at their wits end when they §1see such works, and stand amazed because they see not the reason of them: but the faithful §2know that this ought to be attributed unto God. Let us learn then to admire the works of the Lord, and let us be stricken with such an astonishment, that we may acknowledge him to be the author of them: and let us not in any wise pass lightly over the least of them;1 but especially then when he manifests his power in the redemption of his Church; when by his admirable strength, he redeems any one of us: from under the servitude of the devil, the tyranny of Antichrist, and from eternal death. For these are no common works; and therefore we may not in any sort attribute the same to the power of man, or to any other causes whatsoever. He joins the sceptre of the rulers, to the staff of the wicked; showing by this repetition, that an unjust tyranny cannot be established by a power imperial in any sort whatsoever. Then by and by after, he more clearly shows, that the Monarchy of the Babylonians shall be abolished, because it was unjust and tyrannical; and saith, that the people were smitten with an incurable wound, and extremely afflicted, because they overflowed in all excessive dissolutions. By this we are admonished, that howsoever God may seem to wink at the tyranny of the wicked for a time, yet that he will spare them never the more for all that in the latter end, for they shall be destroyed even as we know Babylon was, because the Lord is just, and continues always like himself.
HE now answers to the former interrogation, and would not that the faithfull should any way doubt of the euent thereof, but rather that they should stand astonied at such admirable workes of God. For the interrogation serued to awaken vp their minde• to the greater attention. It is as much then as if he should haue said; It came not to passe by chance, or by any blinde passion of fortune, that you were not still oppressed vnder a continuall bondage, but you are wholly to attribute it to the prouidence of God, who brake so sore a yoke of seruitude from off your neckes. Now the wicked are at their wits end when they §1see such workes, and stand amazed because they see not the reason of them: but the faithfull §2know that this ought to bee attributed vnto God. Let vs learne then to admire the workes of the Lord, and let vs bee stricken with such an astonishment, that we may acknowledge him to bee the author of them: and let vs not in any wise passe lightly ouer the least of them;1 but especially then when he manif•sts his power in the redemption of his Chu•ch; when by his admirable strength, he redeemes any one of vs: from vnder the seruitude of the diuell, the tyranny of Antichrist, and from eternall death. For these are no common workes; and therefore wee may not in any sort attribute the same to the power of man, or to any other causes whatsoeuer. Hee ioynes the scepter of the rulers, to the staffe of the wicked; shewing by this repetition, that an vniust tyranny cannot be established by a power imperial in any sort whatsoeuer. Then by and by after, he more cleerly shewes, that the Monarchy of the Babylonians shall be abolished, because it was vniust and tyrannicall; and saith, that the people were smitten with an incurable wound, and extremely afflicted, because they ouerflowed in all excessiue dissolutions. By this we are admonished, that howsoeuer God may seeme to winke at the tyranny of the wicked for a time, yet that he will spare them neuer the more for all that in the latter end, for they shall be destroyed euen as we know Babylon was, because the Lord is iust, and continues alwayes like himselfe.
- 1Gods wor•• ought diligently to be observed, but especially in the redemption of his Church.Gods wor•• ought diligently to bee obserued, but especially in the redemption of his Church.
