As foam

As foam.

The word that is translated Foam, sometimes signifies the foam that is in a man that is extreamly angry, so you have it in Zechariah 1:2. Oh the King when he was crost he was in a foam. Your King that is crost and does foam in anger when he is crost, he shall be as foam upon the water (says God). Now the note that is from hence it is this;

That ungodly men in their greatest power and rage, yet if God comes upon them, are nothing but as foam, are poor weak creatures that vanish and come to nothing. The foam when the waters makes a noise, is above it, and has a great shew above the waters, but stay a while and it is vanish'd and comes to nothing. Your King that rages and is above others, and thinks he has a great deal of power; stay a while he comes to nothing. The Scripture compares men in their greatest power to things of the greatest vanity; there are in Scripture, that I'll mention to you, a matter of 19 or 20 several particulars wherein the Scripture compares men in their greatest power, to that which has nothing but vanity: yes there are such expressions in Scripture, to set out the meanness, vileness, and baseness of men in the greatest power, that it would make Christians that understand Scripture, and that is of the same judgment with their Father, with God, as he has reveal'd himself in his Word, never to be afraid of the power of men. I'll name them distinctly to you thus:

First, the Scripture sometimes calls even Kings and great ones, a mere noise, nothing more, in Jeremiah 46:17. Pharaoh King of Egypt, is but a noise. That's the first.

Secondly, they are but as small dust, in Isaiah 29:5. The multitude of your strangers shall be like small dust.

Yes, thirdly, they are but as chaff, in the same place Isaiah 29:5. The terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away in an instant. Who would be afraid of a noise, small dust, and chaff?

Fourthly, they are as nothing, in Isaiah 41:11. Behold, all they that are incensed against you, shall be as nothing.

Fifthly, they are as Tow; put a little fire to Tow and it quickly comes to nothing. In Isaiah 1:31.

Sixthly, they are as dung, in Psalms 83:10. As the dung of the earth.

Seventhly, they are as straw that is troden for dung, in Isaiah 25:10. As straw troden for the dunghill.

Eighthly, they are compared sometimes to a beast that has a hook in his nostrils, in Isaiah 37:20. God will put a hook in his nostrils; now who would be afraid of a beast that has a hook put into his nostrils?

Ninthly, they are as stubble, and as stubble fully dry, ready for the fire, in Nahum 1:10.

Tenthly, they are as rottenness, and their root is rottenness (Isaiah 5:24).

And then, they are as scum, in Ezekiel 24:12. And as scum ready for the fire.

And then again, they are as smoke in Psalms 68:2. They are as smoke that is dry.

And then they are as grass, as green grass, as grass on the house tops, and as corn blasted before it is grown up; all these you have together in Isaiah 37:27.

And then they are as wax that melts before the fire, in Psalms 68:2.

Yes, they are as the fat of lambs, in Psalms 37:20.

They are as a worm, in Job 25:6.

They are vanity, lighter than vanity, altogether in their best estate vanity (Psalms 39:5).

They are as snow melting before the sun. In Job 24:19.

They are as the light of a candle that is presently put out (Proverbs 24:20).

And then lastly, they are a lie: even great men and princes, for it's spoken of them in Psalms 62:9.

Thus my brethren, we see how the Scripture heaps up expression upon expression. It might have been very profitable to have insisted upon all these particulars, and to have opened them, to shew you how contemptibly the Holy Ghost does speak of men in their great power.

Now if we could gather these Scriptures together, and put them all into one, and so present the power of great men to us, and by these things have the same judgment of them that God has, it would mightily help us from the fears of men. As for Samaria her King is cut off as the foam upon the waters.