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Vers. 17. Hee made the world as a wildernesse, and destroyed the Cities thereof, and opened not the house of his prisoners.
IN this verse he expresseth the crueltie and [ 1] in humanitie of this Tyrant; namely, that [ 2] he brought the world to a wildernesse, rased the [ 3] Cities, deliuered not his prisoners. Those who haue obtained victorie, haue been accustomed sometimes to release their prisoners, that they might win their hearts by gentlenesse:* 1.1 but Tyrants had rather bee feared then loued: because they perswade themselues, that the onely safe way to raigne, is to make them∣selues feared of all, through a brutish cruelty. We need not wonder then at their so misera∣ble and wofull an end: for it cannot bee but God must render them like for like; after hee hath corrected his Church by their crueltie, shewing no more mercy to them, then they did to others. Thus then he shewes how mise∣rable Tyrants are, in regard they haue both God and men their enemies.