with him." In bearing his cross and sufferance then standeth our conquest, not in rebelling; in dying to him, and not living to ourselves.

Mark now the mighty hand of God fighting for his people, and the cowardly hearts of these boasting braggers, how soon they come to nought: they but heard tell that the Jews. understood their conspiracy, how they thought to have come suddenly and murdered them, and that they were ready in armour to withstand and defend themselves against them; their hearts fail them, they run away, lay down their weapons, and the Lord defeated their whole purpose and devices. Thus light heads they had, that when they heard tell that the Jews went forward with this building, they prepare themselves to fight with them; and when they heard tell that they were ready to defend themselves, they run away. Such rash heads have wicked men always, unconstant, and changing with every wind: but Nehemiah is ever one man, constant and bold in well-doing, and goeth forward in building God's city, notwithstanding all their brags.

Here appeareth how true it is that David said, "The Psal. xxxiii. Lord bringeth to nought the counsel of the heathen, and disappointeth the devices of the people; but the counsel of the Lord endureth for ever, and the thoughts of his heart throughout all ages." The scribes and Pharisees, and the high priest, gathered a council against the Lord Christ, thinking to have overthrown him and his doctrine, that it should never have been heard of more: but David said truly of them, "Why Psal. ii. did the heathen fret, and the people imagine a vain thing? the kings of the earth stood up together, and the princes assembled against the Lord and against his Anointed:" but all in vain, for the Lord raised up his Son Christ from death, and destroyed them. Judas with a band of soldiers thought he should have been able cunningly to have wrought his pleasure against his master, Christ Jesus. But as soon as Christ asked them that came to take him, "whom they sought, they all fell flat to Joh. xviii. the ground," and were not able to stand at the hearing of his word. Achithophel thought by his wicked counsel to have overthrown his lord and king David; but God overthrew his device, and he went and hanged himself:" and so did Judas too, when he saw the matter fall out otherwise than he looked for.

66

Eph. vi.

James iv.

These and such other terrible examples may teach men to be wise, and that they take nothing in hand against the Lord, though it be never so wisely devised; for it shall prove true that the prophet saith, "There is no wisdom, no foresight, no counsel against the Lord." All shall be overthrown, and the more cunning it is, the sooner it shall be cast down: none can stand against him; he only is wise; and all other, that have it not from him, be fools. Good men may also learn here not negligently to look to themselves, nor to go nakedly without weapon, to yield themselves into their enemies' hands for so they may be guilty of their own death. "A weapon bodes peace," as the common saying is: for God hath made the weapon to defend the body, as he made the meat to feed the body; and these braggers, like thieves, will set on no man that they see weaponed, and will stand against them, but on those that be naked or faint-hearted they will be cruel. God requireth not such peakishness in a man, that he suffer himself to be wounded, that by the law of nature alloweth every man to defend himself with weapons against such thieves, if peace cannot otherways be had.

Now that their enemies were vanquished and fled away, they brag not of their strength and courage; they go not to the tavern to toss pots, and boast of their great victory; but in the fear of God return to the walls, and every man falleth to his work again. Thus we learn here, both in the spiritual battle against Satan and his members, to "put on the spiritual armour," that St Paul armeth the christian soldier withal, and they will fly away as these braggers did, if we stand boldly prepared to fight against them, as Nehemiah and his fellows did. It is true that the common verse teacheth,

Hostis non lædit, nisi cum tentatus obedit:

Est leo, si cedis; si stas, quasi musca recedit'. St James agreeth to the same, saying, "Withstand the devil, and he will flee from you." And St Peter teacheth how to withstand him, saying, "Stand against him, being strong in faith, &c." And also we learn not to be idle, unprofitable, or unthankful after the victory and our deliverance; but to return to our work again, and sleep not, nor be negligent: for our

[The enemy hurteth not, except when the assailed person yields to him: he is a lion, if you submit; if you stand, he retires like a fly. ED.]

mortal enemy never sleepeth; and if he prevail not one way, he attempteth another; he is not ashamed to take a foil, but he will assault us again some other way; he is not weary, for he hopeth to speed at length, and take thee napping.

All histories declare that the greatest kingdoms, which came to great power and authority by taking pains, by painful battles, by suffering hunger and cold, even the same, when they fell to idleness, wallowing in wealth and riotous feasting and daintiness, they lost their former glory faster than they won it. Such be those "time-servers" which the gospel speaketh of, that "for a time make a shew in serving the Lord, but in the time of trial they fall away:" their hollow hearts declare plainly, that they never feared the Lord uprightly. Thus must the men of God neither be rash in attempting things unadvisedly, nor negligent in providing things necessary for their defence, or desperately fear the brags and power of the enemy; but in the fear of God stand to their lawful defence, committing the success to the Almighty, whose wisdom ruleth all things at his pleasure, who defendeth his people, and no power can withstand him.

v. 16. And it fell forth from that day forward, that the half The Text. part of the young men did work, and the other part of them held their spears, shields, bows, and breast-plates: and the rulers were behind the whole house of Juda. 17. They that builded the wall, and those that bare burdens, and those that laid on the burdens, with the one hand wrought their work, and with the other held their darts. 18. And every one of the builders girded their swords upon their loins, and so they built; but he that blew the trumpet was by me.

19. And I said to the nobles and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, This work is great and large, and we are scattered on the walls far every one from other. 20. In what place soever ye shall hear the sound of the trumpet, thither come together to us: our God will fight for us.

21. And we will labour at the work. And the half of them held their spears from the day-spring until the stars did rise.

22. And at that time also I said unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge in the midst of Jerusalem, that in the night we may have watch, and in the day labour.

23. As for me, my brethren, my servants, and the watchmen that followed me, we put not off our clothes, any of us, but only to wash them in water.

Although Sanballat and his fellows were fled and retired back, yet Nehemiah, like a wise captain, fearing some new practice, and lest they might hide themselves for a time, and come again on the sudden and overthrow them, divideth all the young men into two parts, and the one half followeth their work, and the other standeth ready in armour to defend them, if any sudden assault should be made against them. So must good captains not be negligent nor careless, when the enemy is fled; for many times they will retire for a time, for policy's sake, to see whether the other part will be careless and negligent, and yet come again on a sudden; or else to draw them into the field from the defence of their town, and there join battle with them, and having some ambush of soldiers lying privily, who should invade the town, being left without sufficient defence, might sack and burn it at their pleasure, as we read the Israelites did against Gibea of BenJudg. xx. jamin, in revenging that horrible abusing of the Levite's concubine. Such other policies ye shall read divers both in the scriptures and other histories. A good captain therefore, as he must not be a coward and fearful, so he must not be too careless and negligent, but still provide for the safety of his people; though he had good success of late, and seemed to have vanquished his enemies.

Luke xi.

So must the preacher not be careless, when he seeth that God hath blessed his labour, moved the people's hearts to the receiving of his doctrine, and that a reforming of life and love to the truth doth appear; but he must water his gardens, pluck up the weeds, and labour continually for Satan never ceaseth; and though he be once cast out, yet he "will return to his old house, and if he find it swept and made clean, he will come with seven other devils worse than himself, and then the end shall be worse than the beginning,"

as the gospel teacheth. Christ our Saviour saith also, that when "tares and darnel appeared among the good corn, that it was done by the enemy, when men were on sleep." Watch therefore and pray continually, that we be not taken napping.

These young men stood not naked, but had armour of all sorts, both to defend themselves and to hurt the enemy; to shoot and smite far off, and keep them that they drew not near so must every Christian in his spiritual battle against Satan and his members "put on the whole spiritual armour of God," which St Paul teacheth him, that he may "quench the fiery darts of Satan," and not stand naked of God's grace, trusting in his own strength. It is marvel to see how Nehemiah, being so long a courtier, is now become so cunning a soldier on the sudden, being not used to it afore he setteth "the young men before" to bear the brunt of the battle, as most strong and able to bear it; and "the rulers come behind," as being wise men to direct and teach the younger sort what they should do, and how to behave themselves: young heads of themselves are unskilful, and therefore it is necessary they should be directed by others; so that, when youthful courage is governed by the sage counsel of the wise and ancient ruler, the battle will fall out well. Tully said well, Parvi sunt arma foris nisi sit consilium domi: and as it were determining whether strength or wisdom in the wars be more profitable, he saith, Cedant arma toga, concedat laurea lingua'. Courage and strength without wisdom is foolish rashness, and wisdom without courage and strength is fearful cowardliness: join them together, and they make a perfect soldier.

And here the wise ruler cometh behind in a place of more safety, and as it were a thing more necessary in the wars to save a wise captain and counsellor, than to save the strong and lusty soldier. The stronger that a man is, wanting wisdom, the sooner he overthroweth himself: as a tree that the wind hath shaken loose at the root, the higher and greater that it is, the sooner it is overthrown. In persecutions, therefore, every man must stand armed with these spiritual wea

[1 De Offic. 1. 22. Arms abroad are of little use without counsel at home.-Let arms give place to the gown, and the laurel (of war) to eloquence. ED.]