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…

Either first (as the flame before) for his anger, which is often expressed by puffing the breath.

Secondly, It may be taken for the decree, or determination of God.

Both these ways a wicked man goes away by the breath of God; first, by the anger of God, if God do but breath angerly upon him, he is blasted and gone, His glory and greatness languish before the least puff of Divine displeasure: God needs not make great preparations of Armies, or Forces, to contend with wicked men, he needs not raise Mounts and Batteries, to overthrow their best Fortifications of Riches and Honour. The Channels of waters were seen (saith David, Psal. 18.15.) and the foundations of the World were discovered, at thy rebuke O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. The Prophet tells ⟨p. 165⟩those, who neglected to build the House of the Lord (Hag. 1.9.) Ye looked for much, but lo it came to little, and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it: God did but blow upon it, and by the breath of his mouth all their expected increase went away. When Pharaoh pursued the Israelites in the height of pride and presumption, the Text saith, It came to pass in the morning watch, the Lord looked upon the Host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire, and of the cloud, and troubled the Egyptians, and took off their Chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily (Exod. 14.24, 25.) God confounded them by a look; how easily can the Lord rise up and destroy all the power that riseth up against his people? He can do it with a breath from his mouth, With a cast of his eye. When Christ was apprehended by the Officers armed with Staves and Swords; he said, Whom seek you? They answered, Jesus of Nazareth: He saith, I am he. (Christ was not afraid to confess himself) As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground (Joh 18.6.) What a strange power was here, that Christ could cast them down with a word, and that not an angry word, not a word of conviction but confession; he did not chide them, and say, Ye wretches, how dare you lay your hands upon me, who am an innocent person; how dare you carry me to judgement, who shall one day be your Judge; Christ spake no such terrible language, but only said, I am he, and down they fell. If these words of submission had such a force in them, as overthrew those Officers to the ground, how shall his Enemies stand before the thunder of his severest increpations, and final sentence?