An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

The Pharisees after all their confederacies against Christ were forced (without any rack, but that of their own consciences) to make this confession, Joh. 12. 19. Perceive ye how we prevail nothing. At this day, they have many fine devices and Ideas ready framed in their heads, but the hand shakes, They cannot perform their enterprise. They want not counsel, nor craft, nor skill▪ nor will, nor desires, nor endeavours, only they want God with them. ⟨p. 280⟩Hence it is, that though they gather very proper materials, and lay very strong foundations, yet they cannot rear up their building. And in the issue (Luk. 14. 29.) All that behold it shall mock, saying, These men began to build, and were not able to finish; It is the main work of God to stop evil men in their works: what they would do, he saith they shall not, and what they would not do he saith they shall. Pharaoh devised a devise against the children of Israel, but his hands could not perform his enterprise, Haman devised a devise against the Jews, but his hands could not perform his enterprise. Ahithophel gave crafty counsel against David, but his hands could not perform his enterprise. Herod the Fox plotted against Christ, to hinder the course of his Ministry and Mediatorship, but he could not perform his enterprise; 'Tis so all along▪ therefore (Psal. 2. 1.) it is said, Why do the Heathen imagine a vain thing; a vain thing, because a thing successless, their hands could not perform it, It was vain, not only, because there was not true ground of reason, why they should imagine or do such a thing, but vain also, because they laboured in vain, they could not do it. And therefore it follows, v. 4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord hath them in derision. The Lord sees what fools they are, and men (yea themselves) shall see it. The Prophet gives us an elegant description to this purpose (Isa. 59. 9.) They weave the spiders web, but their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works. As if he had said, they have been devising and setting things in a goodly frame to catch flies, they have been spinning a fine thread, out of their brains, as the Spider doth out of her bowels, such is their web; but when they have this web, They cannot cut it out, or make it up into a garment.