hee declares that hee is angrie against the Iewes, yet the maner of the Hebrew phrase hath a farre greater weight; for it imports as much as if the Prophet should say, that this people is destinate to perdition, because there is nothing else in them but matter of wrath. It is certaine that God is neuer angrie, vnlesse he be prouoked thereunto by our wickednes; but when impietie is come to the highest degree, then his vnappeasable wrath and indignacion burneth. Thus he takes away all hope of reconciliation from the hypo∣crites and contemners, who ceased not to heape sinne vpon sinne.
Afterwards it is said, he gaue the reines to the rage of the enemies, that they should de∣uoure and ouerflow into all kinds of pilling and extortions. And yet we must not take this as if because the Assyrians had commande∣ment from God, they might therefore excuse themselues: for God commands after two [ 1] sorts, to wit, by his secret counsell, whereof [ 2] men haue no knowledge: secondly, he com∣mands by his law, which we ought chiefly to haue regard vnto; that so we may answere a companie of fantasticall spirits, who dispute prophanely of the counsell of God, whē they will excuse their owne and others impietie. Wee must then wisely distinguish betweene these two sorts of commandements: for see∣ing the Lord declares his will in his law, I ought not to mount vp to his secret coun∣sell which he hath hidden from me, but ought rather to bring my selfe simplie vnder his o∣bedience. [Obiect.] If any shall alledge that he obeyes God when he plungeth himselfe into dissolu∣tions, [Ans.] he is a lyar, and accuseth God in vaine to be the author of his wickednesses, whereof his owne heart knowes himselfe to be guil∣tie, for in this respect there needs none o∣ther witnesse, but euery mans owne consci∣ence. I grant that God serues his turne of the wicked, but ye wicked haue no purpose there∣in to serue God. Therefore when he works by the wicked and reprobate, it is a thing ac∣cidentall in regard of men: for they haue no intent of seruing his will, neither haue they any will thereunto. If therefore they take this pretext, they may be easily conuinced as vt∣ter rebels against God, seeing they only do that which pleaseth themselues: for they haue the expresse will of God in his law, so as they seeke it in vaine any where else. In regard of them then, they do not, the worke of God, but the diuels, because they serue their owne lusts. It is certaine that the Assyrians did not so much as looke for any reward for their paines at Gods hands, but were caried away with their lusts, ambition, and auarice: in the meane while the Lord ordered their ende∣uors and counsels to another end, which was to them vtterlie vnknowne. Now the summe of this place is, that a rare and extraordinarie testimonie of Gods vengeance should be ma∣nifested, when the Assyrians should ouerflow with a furious licentiousnes, because they should be sent of God not to deale mildlie or moderatelie with his people, but to pill and sack them as in open warre. He addeth also To be trod vnder feete, which is the vttermost of all rage, for what can men do more then with shame and contempt to stamp them vnder feete whom they haue vanquished?