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Ver. 20. But I will remove farre off from you the Northerne army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the East-sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.
The third promise (which secureth their plenty, v. 19. and re∣moveth the great cause of their fear,) is, that he will drive away these devouring creatures, who were driven upon them as a great army by a North-winde; and that he will kill them, so that no∣thing shall be left of them, but their noisome stinke; and this he will do, because, or though they had done great things against Gods people. As for that which is said; and will drive him to a land &c. with his face toward the East-Sea, &c. it may be ei∣ther understood thus, that though they were so many as to fill the breadth of the land, from the East or Dead Sea, to the West or Mediterranean Sea; Yet he would drive them to the Wilder∣nesse and kill them there; or rather, that the main bulk and body of them should be driven into the Wildernesse, their fore-par∣ty into the dead sea, and their reere into the West-sea, there to die; However it teacheth, 1. Scourges and hurt∣ful things, were they never so dreadful; yet God who sends them, can drive them away, and consume them when he will; for, I will remove farre off from you the Northern armie, which had beene dreadful before; And he can make use of Wildernes∣ses and Seas, even the uselesse dead Sea, to help his people against their enemies, I will drive him into a land barren and desolate &c. 2. God can let scourges be seene how contemptible they are when he hath done with them; for, this formidable armie ser∣veth for nothing but to stink above ground, his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up. 3. Instruments of Gods vengeance against his people will gaine nothing by their paines, but stroaks; And though they have acted much, yet God will reach them; for, all this done, because (or, although) he, the Northern armie, hath done great things.