An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…

Secondly, Not only cannot the Lord be defeated, but he cannot be endamaged; he never lost (as we say) so much as a hair of his head, nor did he ever suffer so much as the scratch of a Pin. The Romans obtained some Victories with such extreme loss and hazard, that it hath been said, Two or three more such Victories, would utterly undo them; they who were never defeated or foiled, have yet been greatly endamaged in Battle; and their clearest gains have not bin without some loss: but the Almighty never lost the worth of a thread, or drop of blood, in all those innumerable Victories which he hath gained.

Secondly, Not onely cannot the Lord be defeated, but he cannot be endammaged; he never lost (as we say) so much as a haire of his head, nor did he ever suffer so much as the scratch of a Pin. The Romans obtained some Victories with such extreame losse and hazzard, that it hath been sayd, Two or three more such Victories, would utterly undoe them; they who were never defeated or foyled, have yet been greatly endammaged in Battel; and their clearest gains have not bin without some losse: but the Almighty never lost the worth of a thread, or drop of blood, in all those innumerable Victories which he hath gained.

Thirdly, Man cannot so much as hinder or retard the designs of God. He transcends all the impediments, and throws open all the Barricadoes that are set in his way. He will work and who shall let him? (Isa. 43.13.) There is no putting of a bar in his way; and therefore if any should answer the question, ⟨p. 139⟩Who shall let it? Yes, there are some will let it, the great men, the Nobles of the Earth, say no; they will let it. But they shall not, saith God, in the next Verse (Vers. 14.) For your sake (speaking to his people in Captivity) I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their Nobles. The Original word for Nobles, signifies also Bars, the Bars of a door, or Castle gate, as we put in the Margin of our Bibles; to note, that Nobles and great men should be the strength of a People, and a stop to the entrance of any evil among them: but if in stead of that, they prove like Bars, only to hinder the good of a People, and to lye cross in all public proceedings; then the Lord, the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, brings them down, and breaks them all to pieces. I will work, and who shall let it? The Nobles, the Bars shall not, though Bars of Iron, to Gates of Brass.