The People shall be gathered against them

The People shall be gathered against them.

That is, I will chastise them after this way, By gathering of people against them. The Assyrians when they gathered against them, they did it meerly out of their own ends. Yes, but says God, I have an hand in it, I will gather them against them. And certainly God had a mind to chastise them, when he would gather enemies against them, the Assyrians it's like would never have dar'd to presume to come against Israel if God had not had an hand in it. And certainly we could never have imagined that it were possible that so many should be gathered together in this public cause in this land to maintain wickedness, and to fight to make themselves slaves, but only that God had a mind to chastise England.

But I find by others that it's read thus:

I will chastise them according to my mind, and so the word will bear it.

The Septuagint they reade it, According to my desire.

So Oecolampadius upon the place, says, God prescribed a certain time to have this people come in and repent, but says God, you shall not prescribe me how long I shall stay, but I will do it when I please, both for the time of the chastisment, and for the degree of the chastisement.

God when he has a mind to bring about a thing, he will gather the people when his mind is come. I remember it is said in the life of Pompey, a proud speech he was wont to have, when they askt him what they should do when the enemies came against them? Oh (says he) let me but stamp upon the ground of Italy and I shall have men enough; that was a proud speech of him, but it's a true one in God, let him but stamp with his feet and he can gather people enough together.

And then further, God will chuse with what rod he will scurge us, according to his mind, for the degree, and the kind too. Many afflictions when they are upon us we mourn and repine, and these discontented expressions comes from us, Oh! I could bear any thing but that.

But is it fit for you to chuse your own rod? God might have said also, I had rather you had committed some other sin. It may be, because that's the affliction that is most cross to your spirit, therefore God will have it, God sees that that's more for his honor, and perhaps for your good, because it is the crossest affliction that God could find out, therefore you have that affliction that God might strike you in the master-vain. Therefore let us learn to submit to the will of God. Is it fit that you should chuse your sin and your rod too? No, stay there; If you will chuse your sin, God will have liberty to chuse your rod.