Chap. 13. AnExpofation upon the Book of Joe. Verf. 25. 5z To fee a ftrongman fight with a childe, or conquera woman, is it any honour to the man ? The Poet of old faid, Is it ¿églory to Ged to layfnaresfor man ? God is fo much above man, that he ria cannot honour himfelf in opyoíngman. The ftrongeft men,Ingdiaslbornini compared with God, are fo weak, that when he wouldget him-Juppofuiie- feif honour in oppofing them , he ufually gives them moreoewn 3' ftrength, that foil's ftrengthmay be fomewhat glorified in over- coming them. God fers the creature on high,. that his highnefs may'appear in pulling them down. Strength fabduing the ftrong, and wifdom befooling the wife, get a name in the world. Thus he faith of Pharaoh, Evenfor thisfamecauf have I rat' fed thee rap, that Imight ¡hew my power an thee, and that my Namemay be de- clared inall the world (Rom. 9. 17.) jobgave us a particular of Gods powerful aas ( chap. x2. ) and he fhews all along-that God ailedhis power upon men of greateil power, He loofah the bandsof Kings, andgardeth their loans withagirdle; He leadeth Princes away fpoled, and overthroweth the mighty: he had not todo with underlings; Kings, Princes, and Counfellours, the combined ftrength ofwhole kingdoms and nations, are nomatch forGod, but thefe carry the faireft appearancesof a match, and therefore he delights to deal with them. He fuffers Babylon to arrive at a great height, to be foundedupon (even hill, to be counfelled by fevenheads,. to be defended by ten horns: Now when Babylon fits upon feven hils, and becomes a beathaving feven heads and'te.ì horns, that is, abundance of wifdom and policy, flore of power and outward force, even the civil power of ten kingderns to back her, here is wifdom and ftrength for thewife and ftrong God to glorifie himfelf upon; and therefore whenBabylon fals, the Name of God is cried up (Rev, x9, t. ) After thefe things (that is, after the tragical downffl of Baby- lon) .Iheard agreat voiceofmuch people inheaven,faying,4lleluaa, falúation,. and honour, andglory, andpower unta theLord our God. Godneeds not break a leaf, or purfue the ftubblet to chew his power, for the talleït and belt rotted tree is beforehim but as a leaf, and the hardeft metals but as the dry ftubble. The vifion in Daniel tell us (chap: 2. 25; ) °_that not only the clay, but the irotyPthe brat's, - the Elver and the. gold (that is, the mightieft Monarchs and Monarchies of the earth) were broken to pieces ,taether, and became like the chaff of thefummer threfhingfloors, rabd' the wind curried them away. And when at any time God X x x breaks
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