with all other hinderers of thy building, that thy simple people may live quietly, and serve thee without invasions or persecution. And as of thy great mercy thou hast left to us in writing the names of all such as were the chiefest doers in this work, for our comfort and example to follow; so we beseech thee, loving Lord, to stir up those whose names thou hast written in the book of life, that manfully they may stand in the defence of thy truth, to the confusion of thy foes, and thy immortal praise, for thy Christ's sake. Amen.

Acts xiv.

CHAPTER IV.

v. 1. It came to pass, when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was very angry in himself, and disdained greatly, and mocked the Jews.

2. And he spake afore his brethren and the soldiers of Samaria, and said, What do these impotent Jews? will they make themselves strong? shall they offer sacrifice? shall they finish it in a day? shall they rear up the stones out of the dust, where they were brent?

3. And Tobias the Ammonite was beside him, and said, Yea, that which they do build, if a fox come up, he shall break down their wall of stone.

THE last chapter declared unto us the forwardness of all sorts of men, from the highest to the lowest, both of the laity and the ministry, strangers and citizens, to build and repair the broken walls of Jerusalem; and this chapter and divers others following describe the manifold lets, subtle devices, bold enterprises, both of the outward enemy and hypocrites amongst themselves, to overthrow all this building; so that if God had not, contrary to reason, assisted, couraged, and defended his faithful servants, this work had never been finished. Such hath been, is, and shall be unto the end, the state of God's people and church, that in no age it hath wanted or can want many sore assaults to overthrow it, if it were possible. But let us trust his faithful promise that said, he would "be with us unto the end of the world," and we shall not be overcome.

en

Let no man marvel therefore in these our days, because he seeth the like troubles fall among us, nor blame the doctrine that is taught, as though that were the cause of all mischiefs for God is not so gracious to any country in any age to set up his kingdom there, but the devil is as busy and malicious to overthrow it, as much as he may. Let every man also, that will faithfully serve the Lord, think this to be most true, and look into this state of the Jews, as it were in a glass, and he shall find that "by many troubles we

must enter into the kingdom of heaven," and that it is a

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narrow way that leadeth thither, as it is written, Matthew vii. Matt. vii. only take thou heed that thou deserve not to be persecuted, and the Lord will confound them. The rich glutton went to hell with all his belly-cheer; and the poor beggar Lazarus to heaven, and all his sorrow was no hinderance. Look at the footsteps of all our forefathers, the patriarchs and prophets, Christ Jesus and his apostles, with all other martyrs and good men; and we shall find none, but his whole life was a perpetual warfare, subject to infinite sorrows, and the ending of one was the beginning of a new: "but he that continued to the end was saved." Let us not look to come into heaven, if we walk another way; and be of good cheer, for the end shall be happy. These be spoken and written for our learning, not to discourage us, but rather to encourage us, that we be not found unlike to our forefathers, but manfully to stand in all trials, knowing that we have the same God that they had, that he is as able now and as willing to defend his chosen congregation as he was in the beginning, and will never forsake his dear children.

In the second chapter, verse 10, Sanballat and Tobias, hearing that Nehemiah was come with commission from the king to build Jerusalem, they were "grieved very sore" within themselves, cast into a dumpish sad heaviness, almost amazed for sorrow that any man should come to do the Jews any good at all but now that they heard say they did work so lustily at this building, Sanballat first burst out into anger; he stamps, he stares, he frets, he fumes, he rageth, he raileth, and taketh on like a madman, and cannot tell how to stay them; and after that he falleth on mocking and mowing, potting and smiling at them, and flocking and flouting, scorning and scoffing of them, in fingering, fleering, and girning at them, to try them, whether they by this means would be dismayed or afraid to work any more. A shrewd trial for a sort of poor people, which were but lately restored to their country, and yet not well settled in it, to see the greatest ruler in the country to be so angry toward them, to scorn and mock them! If God had not strengthened them, it would have made them to leave their work for fear and run away. Look round about you in these our days; and

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ye shall see that if but a mean man in authority, or his man with a badge on his sleeve, do but look sourly, speak roughly, or behave himself any thing stoutly, all about them stoop, make low courtesy, run when they are bidden, and dare not whisper nor mutter one word, no, not in their good and just cause: yet where God's Holy Spirit giveth comfort, all these brags are nothing regarded, but in their well doings they will on forwards with their just cause and serving the Lord. Let every man take heed how he falleth into wickedness, for he cannot get out when he would. These men increase in mischief and amend not: so shall all they that yield unto it, and stay not in the beginning.

2. And he spake afore his brethren. The malice that the wicked men bear against the godly is so great, that it cannot be forgiven nor forgotten: whatsoever falleth out well to the good man, they are sorry for it; and they think all the posterity [prosperity] of the godly to be their disgracing and overthrow. Cain envied Abel, because God accepted his sacrifice better; Saul envied David, because he was more esteemed of the people. The Pharisees disdained Christ our Lord, because they see their doctrine decay and his received. And what maketh such a stir this day in the church, but that the pope and his partakers see their kingdom decay and the truth appear? These be "written for our learning," that we should not discourage ourselves in these miserable times, but boldly stand and continue to the end.

Sanballat, after that he had thus chafed in himself, and also had scorned and scoffed at their doings, he is so sore vexed in his mind that he cannot hold in, but bursteth out into blustering big words, and saith openly before his fellows and countrymen, which were of the same mind and superstition that he was; and [that] it might be more fearful to the Jews, to discourage them, he "speaketh" and braggeth it out “before the soldiers," which were set there to repress all mischievous attempts and enterprises that any should take in hand. As who should say, that if any went forward with his building, the soldiers should overthrow it and destroy them; for they were as ready to do such a mischief as he was to bid them. And thus he saith, "What do these beggarly Jews," these slaves, peasants, and villanes? what go

they about? what mean they? will they take in hand such a building as no mighty prince is able to finish? and that many noble kings afore them could scarce in many years perform, will they on a sudden bring it to perfection? But if they be so foolish to think that they can finish it themselves, are the heathen people so mad to stand by, look on, and laugh, and suffer them to go forward with this building, which hath been of old time a great enemy unto them, and may be now again, if they be suffered to work still? Do they think the gentiles so foolish that they foresee not their meaning? or do they think them such cowards that they dare not, or so impotent and unable that they cannot, hinder and overthrow this work; or so unwilling to help their country, that they will suffer them to go forward in it? Nay, I warrant you, ye shall find them stout men, ready and willing to defend their country, and will not suffer such runagates to strengthen themselves against them. Shall they offer their old sacrifices? Shall they restore their old religion, in despite of us and our country, and go about to draw others to their religion? Shall they use their old accustomed solemn days, their great assemblies, and have it for well done? Nay, let them assure themselves, we shall find them otherwise occupied; we shall hold their nose to the grindstone; they shall not have leisure to pray and to be merry, as they look for. They work so lustily as though they "would finish it in one day," afore their neighbours should espy them; but they shall find it far otherwise we foresee their meaning well enough, we will be heavy neighbours to them: it shall not fall out as they look for. Many kings afore them were busy to build, some one place and some another, and in many years; but these braggers go to it so greedily, as though they could finish it in a day or two. A sort of beggarly vagabonds and proud beggars take this work in hand, as though they were able to go through with it. What will they do? Will they glue the old stones together again? when will they get new stone? The old ones are burnt to powder, knocked in pieces, and will not serve for any building again. They shall find it another manner of work to finish than they look for.

The same miseries is the building of God's church subject to at this day; the same scoffs, mocks, threatenings and jeopardies