LIB. XXI. Nehemiah building, &c. A fcorofully opplythemfdves to thefe defpifedJewes, and thin~ to fcoffe them ouroftheir worke .: Tbe favourableft perfecution of any good caufe is the lalh oflewd tongues; whether by bitt<r taunts or by fcurrilous invetlives: which itis as impoflibk to avoid,as necdfaryro contemne. The barking ofthefe dogsdo not hinder Ne. hemiah from walking on his way; profefling his confidence in the God af heaven whofe worke that was; hdbakes offtheir impotent malice,and goes on chearfully t~ build: Every Ifradire knowes his ftation. Eliafoib the high Prieft, andtbc rdl oft bat facred tribe put the firft hand to this worke; they build the fll<cp-gate, and fantlific it; and in it, all the rdl. As the firft fruits of the field, fo thefirft ftones ofthe wall, arc hallowed to God, bythe confrcration of tbofc devout agents: That bufiocffe is like to profper, which beginswith God. _ B No manwas id~, no parrwas intermitred; AIIJerufalem was at once eocompaf• fed with bufie labourers. It cannot bebut the joy'nt-indeavours offairhful heartsmull: raife the walls oftheChurch. Now Sanb,Uat, and his brethren, find fome matter to fpend their fcoffes upon; What d" theftfuhle Iewts?wiathey fortijie themfilves?wiathe1 focrifict?wiUthey make •n end in aday?willthey rtvive the fl•nes 1ut •fthe hups •fr•bbifh whieh oreh•rntl How bafcly doeamall minds;rhink ofthe projells, andat!ions ofGods children; therefore vilifying them, becaufe they mcafure them by noother line, then outward probability. Oh fooli!h Moabites, this worke is Gods, and therefore in defpigbt of all yourrongues and ha•ds, it !hall profper: He heares you whom ye have blafpheC med, and !hall rumc your reproach upon yourowne heads. ':· And thou proud Ammonite, that couldft fay,If • Fix t••pon theirJl•we-t,.llhefo•ll hre•ke il d•wne, !halt well find, that all •thc wolvi!h troopes of your confederars lhall not be able to remove one ftone ofthis fure fortification; Whiks M••hnd Amm1n repine and blufter in vaine, this wall !hall rife; and when Maa~ and AmmM !hall lie in the dull:, this wall !boil ftand. The morter that bath beene tempered with fo many prayers cannot but out-laft all the flints, and marbles of humane confidenc.. Now the growth of this wall bath turned the mirth of the adverfaries into rage: ThefeMoabires, Ammonites, Arabians, Alhdadites confpire all together,to fight a. gainft Ierufaleno,and whiles the morter is yet green,to demolilh thofeenvied heaps. What haththis Citie offended in defiring to bedefenced ~what 1nong could it be to wi!h a freedome from wrongs~ Were this people fo mighty, that there could be D danger in over-poweringtheir noighbo"!s,or i~ refilling~ common Sovetaigne,there might have appeared fome colour for thiS hofttle oppolitton; but, alas! what could a defpifed handfull do to the prejudice of either~ It is quarrel! enough to Ierufalem that it would not bemiferable. Neither is it otherwife with the head of thefe hellilb complices; there ~ceds no other caufe of l]is utmoft furie, then to fee a poore foule ftrugling to gee out of the reach ofhis tyranny. So doe favage beafts briflle up themfelves, and make themoll: fierce affaults, when they are in danger oflofing the prey, which they had once feifed on. In the mC3newhile, what dorh Neheml•h with his Iews for theircommonfafety ~ They pray, and watch; they pray un~o God?they watch _a~ainft t~eenemy. • E Thus, rhus lball we happily prev~tle aga10ft ~hofe fpmru311 W!Ckedneffes, whiCh war againft our foules: No evill can furprize us ifwe watch;noevill can hurt us,ifwe pray1 ThiJ is the '!Jiflory th•t wermnes the world, even ••r fimh. There was need ofacontinued vigilancy1 theenemy was not moremalicious,then fubtile, ond had [aid; They fh•O n11 kn•w,neither fie, tiOwe """In ~he midjl.,,.,,gft them,t~nd J1•1 them. Open force is nor fo dangerous,as clofe?tflimulat_ton; Th~y m~ant to feeme Iewes whiles they were Moabttes and Ammomtes; andmthe cloathes of brethren purpofed to hidemurderers.Never is Sat'IQfo prevalent,as when becomes transformed into an Angell oflighr. It was a merciful! providence ofGod, that made thefe mens .ton~ues the blabs of their owne counfcll: Many a fearefull defignehad p~ofpered, 1fW!Ckcdneffe could have beene filent. Warning is a lawfull guard to a w1fc adverfary: Now dothNe?eTtttt 3 ,,.h
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