There are two famous places for this, Josh. 11.19, 20. speaking there of the Nations, the Text saith; 1There was not a Nation that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Gibeonites, why? For it was of the Lord, to harden their hearts, that they might go against Israel in Battle, that they might be destroyed, and find no mercy. God suffered them to gather together, that so they might be destroyed together, and save Israel a labour in pursuing and slaughtering them in too many places. There is a prophecy of the like Providence in the fourth of Micah 11, 12, 13. verses where you shall find God using the same Stratagem; It shall come to pass, that many Nations shall gather together against Zion, (one poor little Zion) that in all natural probability, was not able to have raised strength enough to have waged war with one Nation; behold many Nations associate against her, armed with fury; as well as with power; For so you hear them insulting and threatening: 2Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. Let her be defiled, or lapidetur, let her be stoned; which was the proper punishment of Adulteresses, and so some read it; She is an adulteress, or unclean, defiled, and therefore let her be stoned, put to death; so they palliate their cruelty with the garment of Justice, as if they ⟨p. 16⟩came but to execute Gods Commission, so Rabsheka, Isa. 36.10. Am I now come up without the Lord, against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, go up against this land and destroy it. They pretend Justice I say, but they betray malice and hatred in the very next words; Let our eye look upon Zion; (i. e.) let us delight and sport our selves in the desolation of Zion; they promise to satisfy both their lust and cruelty at once upon Zion: and what should hinder them? God seems to be asleep all this while, and there is but one Zion to many Nations; one would surely give Zion for lost, that should see her beset with such multitudes of Armies, and her God stand by and say nothing all this while. Oh but saith the Prophet, let them alone, fear them not, let them come when they will; They know not the thoughts of the Lord, they know what they mean, they know not what God means. They little know what a design God hath upon them:
There are two famous places for this, Josh. 11.19, 20. speaking there of the Nations, the Text saith; 1There was not a Nation that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Gibeonites, why? For it was of the Lord, to harden their hearts, that they might go against Isracl in Battell, that they might bee destroyed, and finde no mercy. God suffered them to gather together, that so they might be destroyed together, and save Israel a labour in pursuing and slaughtering them in too many places. There is a prophesie of the like Providence in the fourth of Micha 11, 12, 13. verses where you shall finde God using the same Stratagem; It shall come to passe, that many Nations shall gather together against Sion, (one poor little Sion) that in all naturall probability, was not able to have raised strength enough to have waged war with one Nation; behold many Nations associate against her, armed with fury; as well as with power; For so you hear them insulting and threatning: 2Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Sion. Let her be defiled, or lapidetur, let her be stoned; which was the proper punishment of Adulteresses, and so some read it; She is an adulteresse, or unclean, defiled, and therefore let her bee stoned, put to death; so they palliat their cruelty with the garment of Justice, as if they ⟨p. 16⟩came but to execute Gods Commission, so Rabsheka, Isa. 36.10. Am I now come up without the Lord, against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, go up against this land and destroy it. They pretend Justice I say, but they betray malice and hatred in the very next words; Let our eye look upon Sion; (i. e.) let us delight and sport our selves in the desolation of Sion; they promise to satisfie both their lust and cruelty at once upon Sion: and what should hinder them? God seems to be asleep all this while, and there is but one Sion to many Nations; one would surely give Sion for lost, that should see her beset with such multitudes of Armies, and her God stand by and say nothing all this while. Oh but saith the Prophet, let them alone, fear them not, let them come when they will; They know not the thoughts of the Lord, they know what they mean, they know not what God meanes. They little know what a designe God hath upon them:
- 1Josh. 11 19, 20.Iosh. 11 19, 20.
- 2[Greek or Hebrew] Insultabimus, or per metathesin, [Greek or Hebrew] adultera est, punietur.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Insultabimus, or per metathesin, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 adultera est, punietur.
