He breaks men in pieces, so that they are destroyed and brought to dust; When the Prophet declares the breaking of the four Monarchies, it is said (Dan. 2.35.) They shall be as the chaff of the Summer threshing upon the Mountains; if the Lord will destroy the mightiest, they shall certainly be destroyed; as Balak said to Balaam; I wo• that whom thou cursest are cursed; as if he had said, thou canst curse effectually, if thou wilt set thy self to it; 'tis not in the power of all the Balaams in the world to effect a curse, though they pronounce a curse, 'tis only in the power of the Lord to curse effectually; he can bless whom he pleaseth, and they are blessed; he can curse whom he pleaseth, and they are cursed. Thus as Ephraim lamenting his sin and sorrow confessed, (Jer. 31.18.) Lord, thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised; God paid him home (as we speak) if we chastise a child, he is chastised, but) when Ephraim saith, thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised; his meaning is, I was greatly and effectually chastised; that is, first, In a literal sense, I found thy hand heavy upon me, it was a sore affliction that I was under. Secondly, In a spiritual sense; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised; that is, my heart was humbled and broken under thy chastisements; in either notion we see the effectualness of the Lords work; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised. And therefore Ephraim invited the Lord to another work; Turn me, O Lord, ⟨p. 690⟩and I shall be turned; if thou wilt but turn thy Spirit upon this hard heart of mine, it will be effectually turned, it will be not only broken for sin, but from sin: As if he had said, I have received reproofs and counsels from men, and they have not turned me, but Lord, if thou wilt reprove and counsel me, I shall be turned; thus the Lord carrieth his work home to conversion, in his spiritual dealings with some, and to confusion in his temporal punishments upon others. Thus he threatened his own people for their confidence in Egypt, and contempt of his holy word (Isa: 30.13.) This iniquity shall be unto you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. And he shall break it as the breaking of a potters vessel, that is broken in pieces, he shall not spare;
He breaks men in pieces, so that they are destroyed and brought to dust; When the Prophet declares the breaking of the four Monarchies, it is said (Dan. 2.35.) They shall be as the chaffe of the Summer threshing upon the Mountains; if the Lord will destroy the mightiest, they shall certainly be destroyed; as Balak said to Balaam; I wo• that whom thou cursest are cursed; as if he had said, thou canst curse effectually, if thou wilt set thy self to it; 'tis not in the power of all the Balaams in the world to effect a curse, though they pronounce a curse, 'tis only in the power of the Lord to curse effectually; he can bless whom he pleaseth, and they are blessed; he can curse whom he pleaseth, and they are cursed. Thus as Ephraim lamenting his sin and sorrow confessed, (Jer. 31.18.) Lord, thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised; God paid him home (as we speak) if we chastise a childe, he is chastised, but) when Ephraim saith, thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised; his meaning is, I was greatly and effectually chastised; that is, first, In a literal sence, I found thy hand heavie upon me, it was a sore affliction that I was under. Secondly, In a spiritual sence; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised; that is, my heart was humbled and broken under thy chastisements; in either notion we see the effectualness of the Lords work; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised. And therefore Ephraim invited the Lord to another work; Turn me, O Lord, ⟨p. 690⟩and I shall be turned; if thou wilt but turn thy Spirit upon this hard heart of mine, it will be effectually turned, it will be not only broken for sin, but from sin: As if he had said, I have received reproofs and counsels from men, and they have not turned me, but Lord, if thou wilt reprove and counsel me, I shall be turned; thus the Lord carrieth his work home to conversion, in his spiritual dealings with some, and to confusion in his temporal punishments upon others. Thus he threatned his owne people for their confidence in Egypt, and contempt of his holy word (Isa: 30.13.) This iniquity shall be unto you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. And he shall breake it as the breaking of a potters vessel, that is broken in pieces, he shall not spare;
