Chap. 36. e/1n e pofttton upon the Book of J o s. Verf. 18. 301 ing and hewing (aswe fay) all day long one firoke of his will do it. He toek away Herod at one Broke (AEh 12. 23.) He took away Ananiar and Sapbira at one flroke (AIls 5. 5.) `,i\r,,,a- dab and Abihu were taken away with one lroke ( Lev. to.r. ) All there perished, and fo have thoufands more, as with a flroke, fo fuddenly, at one firoke. TheLord can ftrike home ; as Abc- íkai Paid to David in the cafeof Saul, when he found him in the Trench, Let meftrike himat once, and I will not 'bike him a fe- cand time. The Lord threatned ( Nah. I. 9.) tob inn clef-11.u- ¿lion upon there at once, when he told them Afi-Ilion fhould not rife afecond time ; as if he had laid, I will not f rake another blow at them, l'le hit them home, and do my wok with one blow. We neednot fear how many, or howmighty his enemies are, he can rid himfelf of them with one firoke. TheLord lirikes fome to take away their tin ; thus he firikes hisown people : others he firikes to take away their perfons ; thus he linkes the wicked, efpecially thofe who enemy-like, de(ignedly tirike at Him, his Name, his Truth, his Glory. Elibre doth not fay, Beware leafs heftrike thee, but leafs he take thee away with a ftrof e. The Lord often (bikes his own faithful fervanrs, they receive many a flroke, many a lath, many a blow, many a clia lifetnent at his hands, but heBoth not take them awaywith a flroke, as he doth the wicked. The Lord ['tikes his le.rvanrs to take away their fins, and he fir ikes wicked men to take away theirlives, to defiroy themutterly. Secondly, As the word figniEteth taking away with clapping of the hands or with derifion, Note ; Godwill even laugh at the ruineof wicked men, He will clap his hands at their fall. We read (Prov., i . 26, 27.) howWifdome called and cried, and none would anfwer, all let her calls and counfels at naught ; what followed ? I ( faid Wifdome, that is, Chrill) will laugh at their calamity, andmocha whentheirfear coneeth ; as much as is faid in the Texr,I will rake them away with a firoke, or with clapping my hands, with a kind of deridingplaudite at their going off, or rather at their being thruui off the Stageof this world. They are in the moli fad con- dition, whomGod not onlydellroys, but derides ; they have . moil caufe to mourn in their affii6tion, at whole of íiEtion God laughs.
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