words and thoughts and wayes and labour our sanctification and strive against sin we need not fear in the evil day holinesse is our dore mark and our forehead mark the destroying Angel shall passe over VERSE 9. And thy mighty men O Teman shall be dismayed to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter 5. Their last hope is in the strength of their own mighty men this is addressed to Teman Which word as it signifieth the coast to which the Idumaeans lay from Jerusalem i.e. the east so it is the name of one of the Nephews of Esau Gen. 36.11 whose posterity inhabited a part of Arabia called also by his name He was the eldest son of Eliphaz the eldest son of Esau and under his name here the whole Nation of the Idumaeans is threatned And as the hope the Idumaeans had in the wisdome of their wise men faileth them for they have trusted to false friends and all their providence for their safety miscarrieth So shall they fail in the hope that they have in their own strong men for they shall not be able to preserve them from a finall destruction even so great that every one of the mount of Esau shall be cut off by slaughter Excellently is their judgment set forth for their confederates shall turne perfidious to them abroad and their strong men at home shall be dismayed Two things make wars advantagable to a Common-wealth Consilium fortitudo counsel and strength in the former verse God befools their wisdome in this he enfeebles their strength The reason is he hath decreed that every one of the mount of Esau shall be destroyed And when God turneth enemy neither head nor hand neither wisdome nor force can resist him David and his sling shall discomfit Goliah and his armour his sword and spear and admired strength The two little flocks of Israel the great armies of the Aramites It is worth our noting that God working by means and directing our operations so even in this work of overthrow threatned to Edom doth destroy them by disabling to them all the meanes of their safety as before he turneth the hearts of their friends against them He destroyeth the wisdome of their wise men and now he takes away all heart and courage from their strong men To teach us that all the outward means of safety are not sufficient to keep us from ruine except the Lord be on our side Therefore we pray Hallowed be thy name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done And we acknowledge Thine is the Kingdome power and glory And this enforceth upon us the law of the first Table to have no other gods but one to give him outward worship to sanctifie his Sabbath not to abuse his name And this filleth us with faith saying Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem I beleeve in God c. For as David saith Domine quis similis tibi Lord who is like to thee There is no wisdome or strength not that which is in the god of this world the Prince that ruleth in the air but it is a beame of the heavenly light can God suffer any of his own gifts to be abused against him to turn edge and point against the author of them There is a time when God winketh at the outrage of the ungodly for the exercising of the patience of his servants but when he intendeth a cutting off by slaughter of his enemies in that day the Lord will be known to be God These things are written for our sakes for the enemies of our Church are here threatned to be cut off by slaughter even Antichrist the man of sin who sitteth in the place of God as God and is worshipped whom God shall scatter with the breath of his mouth that is by the power of his word preached and we have comfort against him that neither his wit nor his force shall prevaile against us We have two examples which I hope no time will ever forget to praise God for till the second coming of Jesus Christ The power of Antichrist was defeated in 88. when the Pope gave away the Kingdomes of England and Ireland to the King of Spaine who sent his Invincible Armado hither not as a Challenger but as a Conquerer to take possession of these Lands They had speciall revelations to assure their victory and the prayers of the Popish Church were all in armes against us But as it is in my text their mighty men were dismayed their strong Ships either sunk in the sea or well beaten or constrained to flie because God meant to cut them off by slaughter and the power of Spaine so weakned and the coffers of their treasure so emptied that nothing was more welcome to them then the newes of peace with England The wisdome of Rome had no better successe in the yeere 1605. for when some men of bloud the sons of Belial had layed a plot for the destruction of the whole Church and Common-wealth then in Parliament by powder We cannot deny but the Serpent put his best wits to the rack to stamp a devise with his own image and superscription never was there nequitia ingeniosior a more witty wickednesse then to bring so many precious lives to the mercie of one excutioner who had nothing to do but to put fire to the train Yet in the very act of preparation and the night before the intended execution God put fire to his own train layed for them and discovered things hidden in darknesse and cast them into the pit which he had digged for them and their wit and policie proved hanging and quartering to the conspirators and declared the Papist our secret enemies such whom we must carefully look to for if by strength or wit he can destroy the state of the Church and Common-wealth the mercies of his heart are so cruell that we can expect no favour That is now the cause why his Majesty intending a Parliament doth require so strict a survey of the land for the detection of all Popish Recusants as now is both by the Ecclesiasticall and Civill Magistrate urged For they have given us fair warning that if they can do any thing by wit or force they will abate nothing thereof to the prejudice of this Church But as the confounding of the wisdome of Edom and the disabling the strength of Edom did fore-run their fall so our faith is that Antichrist Gods enemy and ours hath now but a short time and every one of the mount of Esau of the City built upon the hills shall be cut off by slaughter The pride of their own hearts who think they have the keyes of heaven and of hell not only Peters keyes but Davids also who bear the world in hand that they can save or condemn shall deceive them The rock of their habitation shall prove to them like an undefenced City Their confederates and men of their peace that eat bread with them shall
to 16. 2. For the Israel of God 17. to the end The title of the first part is my text Thus saith the Lord concerning Edom. Consider here 1. The subject of the prophecie Edom. 2. The authour of it Diciâ— Dominus Thus saith Lord. 1. Of the subject Edom. Isaac had two sons by Rebâ—â—â—a Esaw and Jacob. Esau was called Edom the reason of that name is thus given Jacob had made red pottage and when Esaw came from the field hungry and faint he said to his brother Jacob Feed me 〈◊〉 pray thee with that red with that red pottage Gen. 25.30 for I am faint Therefore was his name called Edom because he so affected that red colour being himself also red and very hairy This name doth maintain the memory of a quarrell for he bought that red pottage dear enough with the sale of his birth-right Esau and Jacob are a figure of the Church of God and the Synagogue of Sathan for they strove in the womb of their mother so that Rebeeca wondered at it saying v. 12. If it be so why aâ—â— I thus The blessing how soever usurped by â—sau be longeth to Jacob and when Jacob hath his right Esau is angry From this naturall Antipathy between these two brethren and the grudge that the elder should serve the younger From the sentence of this difference which was I have loved Jacob and I have hated Esau there was ever mutuall war and hatred between Israel and Edom in their succeeding posterities for the posterity of Esau did encrease both in number and wealth and grew both many and strong Thus doth the world gather riches and strength and armeth it self against the Church of God and therefore the Church is called Militant Concerning Edom is this part of the Prophecie declaring both Gods quarrell against them and his judgement threatened We may take notice here of one point by the way Edom is a mighty people a strong and rich nation able to molest the Lords Israel that God from heaven undertaketh the quarrell of his Church Do you not see that they whom God hates may have riches and honour and strength and may encrease and grow into multitudes how cometh it then to passe that so many in the world do measure the love and favour of God by these outward things as one flattered his Prince O nimium dilecte deo tibi militat aether What though their oxen be strong to labour what though their sheep bring forth thousands and though they have the fruits of the womb of the herb and purchase lands donec non siâ— locus till there be no room what though they have power and high places all this had Edom whom God hated and doth not our Saviour make it an hard thing for the rich to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Outward things are the gifts of God and he doth not value them at so high a rate as we do He doth not care if his enemies have them His own Son when he took upon him our flesh had none of them more then for necessity and his Apostle perswadeth us if we have food and raiment to be therewith content For there be snares in these outward things and if God give not a blessing with them they be the rods of God to scourge the sons of men and great impediments to godly life There is an Holy use may be made of them but they are not our happinesse seeing they whom God hateth may have them in a greater abundance then those whom God loveth best 2. The authour of the Prophecie Thus saith the Lord. This is the assurance of the truth of all that followeth in this Prophecie and it is the ground of our faith to beleeve what is here revealed it is no passionate motion in the heart and affections of the Prophet against Edom but it is the word of the Lord. These be the bounds that are set to the Prophets and Holy ministers of the Lord we may go no further then the word of the Lord. Christ himself saith often The word which thou gavest me I gave them And Balaam did his office and calling right when he told the king of Moab Lo I am come unto thee Num. 22. v. 38. have I any power to say any thing the word that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speak Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord hath put in my mouth 23 12. All that the Lord speaketh that must I do v. 26. Cap. 24.12 And Balaam said unto Balak Spake I not to thy messengers saying If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord to do either good or bad of mine own minde but what the Lord saith that will I speak When God designed Jeremie to the office of a Prophet who did fear to undertake that great employment God said to him Say not I am a childe Jer. 17. for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee shalt thou speak When our Saviour sent forth his disciples he so limited them Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Mat. 20.20 And accordingly Saint Paul doth professe First of all I delivered unto you 1 Cor. 15.3 that which I also received Thus doth the Apostle again professe being accused of the Jews I obtained help of God and continue unto this day Act. 26.22 Witnessing unto to small and great saying no other things then those which the prophets and Moses did say should come 1. This limitation we finde in the titles of our office for we are the Lords workmen and we must do his work not our own the Lords builders he provideth the materials we work not by great but day-work We are the Lords Messengers and Embassadors we may not digresse from our instructions the messenger of the Lord must speak the Lords message 2. This is necessary in respect of those to whom we are sent for the seeling of their faith so the Apostle hath declared it And my speech and my preaching was not in the entising words of mans wisdom 1 Cor. 2.4 but in the demonstration of the Spirit and power That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery There is nothing that giveth faith firm footing but the word of God That is the Lords fan which purgeth away the chaff and trash from the good corn That is the bread of our fathers house words of mens brains be the husks that the prodigall gathered up in his famine That is the two edged sword that divideth between the bone and the marrow that is the medicine that searcheth the soars and diseases of the inward man Humane wisdom put into the best words is but as a woodden dagger it may dry beat it will never kill the body of sin it
upon the cheek bone Use 4 4. This teacheth us our duty before the War in the War and after the War 1. Before the War and in the War to joyn prayers with our prepatations and our attempts for God declared in the Wars of Israel with Amalck that Moses praying on the hill with Aaron and Hur and Joshua fighting belowe in the valley Exod 17. were both of them the forces of God And that prayers were the better fighting for when Moses ceased praying Amalek prevailed 2. After the War we are taught to whom to attribute the victory and good successe of the War that is to give the glory thereof to the Lord and so say with David The right hand of the Lord hath done valiantly the right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to passe So the daughter of Jephta came out with timbrels to meet her father and confest to her father Judg. 11.36 The Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies even of the chldren of Ammon Yet may we not herein smother the well deserving prowesse and valour of valiant Commanders and souldiers but give them their due honour so even the women meet Saul returning from the slaughter of the Philistines and they answered one another in their song saying Saul hath killed his thousands and David his ten thousands 1 Sam. 18 7. Doctr. 2 2. Whereas Israel saith to the Heathen Arise ye and let us arise making use of the power and strength of the Heathen against Edom we are taught that God doth use one evil man and one evil Nation to punish another The Lord did smite the Moabites by the Ammonites and took from them some part of their land Chedorlaomer maketh war against other kings and taketh away their substance The Midianiâ—â— were their own Conquerours The Lord set every ones sword against his fellow there wont all the host The children of Israel did call the Heathen here to them Jud. 7.22 they joyned in one war against Edom as if at this day Princes of the Popish Religion should joyn themselves with a Protestant Prince to maintain him in his Kingdom against the Emperour the Popes eldest son Is not this setting Egytians against Egyptians and defending the Church by the enemies of the Church Reason 1 The reason why God doth this is not for want of other strength for he is Lord of hosts but to declare him to be King and Lord over all he doth whatsoever he will in heaven and in earth and in the sea and all deeps What doth more declare his absolute Soveraignty then his Power to whip and scourge the enemies of his Church by one another of them which is to make Sathan cast out Sathan This sheweth that Sathans kingdom is subordinate to the Kingdom of God there is but one Kingdom of which it may be truly said Et Imperijs ejus non est finis There is no end of his Kingdom Christ shall one day make this good when he shall have put down all his enemies for then he shall deliver up the Kingdom to God In the mean time the subjects of Sathans kingdom are the vassalls of God and Sathan himself shall be and is at his command to be the rod of God for execution of his wrath where he pleaseth Reason 2 2. God useth to punish the wicked to declare to the Church that there can be no true love but where there is love of the Truth onely true Religion doth unite the hearts of men and all that embrace not that want the bond of peace They may cry a confederacy and give one another the right hand of fellowship for a time but if God be not the knot of their union all other respects will come short of setling a constant concurrency We see this clearly in the vicissititudes of confederacies and wars amongst the enemies of true Religion temporall respects make their leagues temporall respects do again dissolve them The Uses of this point Use 1 This doth serve to reform our judgements and to settle our hearts in our great vexation for did not the foot of David almost slip when he saw the prosperity of the ungodly and compared it with the main and great troubles of the Church For seeing God doth make this use of them to be his sword marvell not that he keepeth his sword by his side that he keepeth it in a sheath that he keepeth it bright And David saith Deliver my soul from the wicked which in thy sword that is one cause why God rewardeth the wicked with some temporall favours Psa 17.13 because he maketh use of them to punish his enemies this is fully exprest For thus saith the Lord to the Prophet Son of man Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus Every head was made bald and every shoulder was peeled Ezech. 29 18.19 yet had he no mages nor the army for Tyrus that served against it therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I will give the land of Egypt into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and he shall take her multitudes and take her spoils and take her prey and it shall be the wages for his army This may satisfie us that we grieve not at the prosperous estate of the wicked for God hath use of them and he will not let them serve him for nothing The elect of God have fairer hopes let them stay their stomack and let them wait the Lords leisure Use 2 2. We may see in this example in my text and in many more that God maketh use of the wicked in the behalf of his Church and therefore we must not give the glory of Gods justice to the means but to God The wicked know not what they do when they fight the battells of the Lord yet God doth put such mettall into them that they do most valiantly perform his will A full example hereof is The word of the Lord to Zedekiah king of Judah by his prophet Jeremiah Jer. 37.8 The Chaldaeans shall come again and fight against this city and take it and burn it with fire Thus faith the Lord deceive not your selves saying The Chaldeans shall depart from us for they shall not depart For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you and there remained but wounded men amongst them yet should they rise up every man in his tent and burn this city with fire This must needs be the hand of the Lord and therefore the glory must be given to God onely the means are weak but the Lord is strong he alone must be exalted and all the glory of victory must be ascribed to him The Church may use the help of the Heathen and of Idolaters in the Lords battells for they are the sword of the Lord as you have heard Use 3 3. We are taught that though Israel and the Heathen do come together though the godly do use the
man is he that desireth life and loveth many dayes Psa 24.12 13. that he may see good Keep thy tongue from evill But of all kind of evill speaking against our brother this sinne of Edom to sharpen an enemie against our brother in the day of his sorrow and distresse this opening of the mouth wide against him to insult over him in his calamity is most barbarous and unchristian Yet I denie not but that God giveth matter of joy to his Church when he destroyeth the enemies thereof and it may be sometimes lawfull to open our mouthes wide in the praise of God for the destruction of the ungodly as I finde joy in the Campe of Israel for the devouring of proud and cruell Pharaoh and his Armies in the Rea-Sea Then Moses taught them a Song Exo 15. not only of thanksgiving unto God but of insultation over those enemies wherein they said Pharaohs Chariots and his Hoast hath he cast into the Sea his chosen Captaines also are drowned in the Red-Sea The depths have covered them he sanke into the bottome as a stone The horse and his Rider hath he throwne into the Sea This was the first Song that we do read of in holy Scripture the ancientest Song that is extant in the world upon record And therefore it is a Type of the jubilation of the Saints in heaven for the destruction of the Beast and it said that they Sing the Song of Moses the servant of God Rev. 15.3 for there was more cause of joy in the whole Church for the fall of the Beast then Israel had for the fall of King Pharaoh for indeed that of Israel was but a type of this But Moses was warrant enough for the one and the same spirit which directed Moses shall authorize the other Yet here is a dangerous way and exceeding slippery and wonderfull circumspection must be used and Davids caution I said I will take heed that I offend not in my tongue for Christ hath put a duty upon us which in his Evangelicall law to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to speake well and do well There is in the enemies with whom we have to doe a double opposition which maketh a double quarrel 1 They are opposite to God himselfe when they oppugne the Church of God or any member of that Church for Gods sake this is Gods quarrell 2 When they personally violate the servants of God in life goods or good name this is our quarrell whether in passion the case be ours or our brothers in compassion There is a double respect to be had to enemies 1 As they are men 2 As they are enemies This ground being layed these conclusions do result concerning this point 1 That no man ought to rejoyce at the ruine and destruction of a man as he is a man for this is a naturall tye that bindeth us one to another and Religion doth not unbind the bonds of nature rather it is religatio and tyeth them much faster The reason is for though the Image of God in which man was created were much defaced in the fall of man yet was it not wholly extinguished for the image of the Trinity is an indelible character it cannot be wholly lost not in the reprobate I may adde not in the damned for even they also are the workmanship of God Therefore as they are the creatures of God we do owe them love and pity in honour of the Image of God in them and ought not rejoyce to to see the blemishes of Gods Image So the Samaritane shewed kindnesse to the Jew that fell among Theeves although as the woman of Samaria said they converse not together And so Jacob cursed the cruel furie of his sonnes for destroying the Shechemites though Aliens from Israel and usurping their land And so God hating both the Moabite and the Edomite yet he avenged the cause of them against the King of Moab saying For three transgressions of Moab Amos 2.1 and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof because he burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime But I will send a fire upon Moab and it shall devoure the Palaces of Kerioth And to go lower when the rich man in hell-fire saw Abraham afar off and besought him for helpe he answered him by that loving compellation Son thou in thy life time c. hell would not take that from him but that he was Abrahams sonne according to the flesh And whilst we live here we ought much rather to doe all offices of humanity to our enemies because they are men and because only God knoweth who are his and they may be converted and come into the Vineyard at the last houre 2 As they are enemies 1 We consider them as Gods enemies so we hate them not their persons but their vices for that as Augustine defineth it is odium perfectum a perfect hatred and indeed it is the hatred that God beareth to his enemies For the wrath of God from heaven is revealed against the unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse of men not against their persons they are his workmanship and carry his Image in some sort though much disfigured but against the unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse of men by which their persons do stand obnoxious to his displeasure And thus I find the Saints of God have insulted over the wicked as Israel over Pharaoh and the Gileadites over the children of Ammon Rom. 1.18 not rejoycing in the destruction of Gods creatures but of Gods enemies and wishing with Deborah and Bareck So let all all thine enemies perish O Lord. This is no moâ—e but an applauding of the judgment of God and a celebration of his justice and of this we have examples both in the Militant and in the Triumphant Church 1 In the Militant Babylon where the Israel of God were captives and despightfully intreated and where they hung up their Harpes and were scornefully and sarcasmatically required to sing one of the songs of Sion is thus insulted over O daughter of Babylon who art to be wasted Rom. 1 18 happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Happy shall he be Psa 137.8 that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones Lift ye up a Banner upon the high mountains Isa 13 2. exalt the voice unto them shake the hand I have commanded my sanctified ones Jer. 50.2 I have also called my mighty ones for my anger Declare ye among the Nations and publish and set up a Standard publish and conceale not say Babylon is taken Bel is confounded Merodach is broken in peeces c. In the triumphant Church Rejoice over her thou heaven Rev. 18.20 And ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged yea on her Yet I will not conceale from you that many learned expositors of the Revelation do understand this Text of the Militant Church But no doubt the Saints judging the world
the Gospel for the Church of God and the patrones of his truth are under the banner of Gods love and their latter end must be peace let us by daily prayers command them to the tutelary protection of God and let him hear vocem fidei the voyce of faith of those that fight his battels and vocem sanguinis the voyce of blood of those that die in his quarrel 2. It furnisheth us with patince to tarry the good pleasure of God for when he shall arise his enemies shall be scattered and they that hate him shall fall before him he hath promised his Church victory and he will not suffer his truth to faile Excellently is this comfort exprest by the Prophet Isaiah And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercie upon you for the Lord is a God of judgment Is 30.18 blessed are all they that wait for him For the people shall dwell in Sion at Jerusalem Verse 19. thou shalt weepe no more he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear is he will answer thee And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity Verse 20. and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers 3. The assurance which the Church of God hath in all this The Lord hath spoken it They build sure that build upon the word of God for heaven and earth shall faile and perish but no word of God shall be unfulfilled Ye have a sure word saith the Apostle for God hath magnified his name and his word above all things This is my comfort in mine afflictions Thy Word hath quickned me Remember thy Word unto thy servant upon which thou bast caused me to hope Ps 119.50 Verse 49. The best faith hath many fears and terrors joyned with it to shake it and the faithfull do sometimes want the feeling of the favour of God we are directed here like wise men to let rather our understanding spiritually enlightned then informed by sense govern us The naturall mans understanding is wholly led and instructed by the outward senses and as they suggest that apprehends when the sense feeleth paine the understanding apprehends cause of feare and grief and stirreth the affections that way But the spirituall man doth not value Gods love by what the sense feeleth but by that which the Word of God suggesteth In paine the flesh smarteth the sense complaineth and Satan saith God hath forsaken thee but the spirituall man saith no for Gods Word saith I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Therefore in all afflictions the soule of man hath no better remedy then to resort to the Word Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy Word this is the poole of healing waters Gods Bethesda for all infirmities and he hath sent his Angels his Ministers to stir these waters by exposition of the Word exhortation and consolation to heale the diseases of his Saints VERSE 21. And Saviours shall come upon Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdome shall be the Lords 3. The means ordained for the performance of all this Vid. dinis supr pag. 182. Mount Sion here doth signifie the whole Church of God in the two houses of Jacob and Joseph as they are before distinguished that is the two Kingdomes of Iudah and Israel as they were divided under Rehoboam for Mount Sion was at first Caput imperii the head of the Empire the Saviours here mentioned are those that God imployed for the restablishment of the state of his Church and that Either in the procuration thereof Or in the execution of the same First In the procuration 1. Cyrus King of Persia hath the honour of the meanes of this favour for God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia Ezra 1 1 c. and he confesseth that God The Lord of heaven gave him all the Kingdomes of the earth and charged him to build him an house at Ierusalem which is in Iudah and therefore by Proclamation he gave a large Commission to this purpose 2. The chiefe Fathers of Judah and Benjamin had the same motion from God to undertake this designe Verse 5. But Artaxerxes by a contrary Edict made this work to be given over cap. 4.17 3. Then God by the Prophecy of Haggai stirred up Zerubbabel and Ioshua the son of Iozedek to attempt the work This also was opposed and Darius then King of Persia was solicited against the Jewes to hinder their building so 4. Darius came in as a Saviour to help the people and confirmed the Decree of Cyrus cap. 6. according to that he found in the search of the Rolls and the work went on and the house of God was finished and dedicated 5. Ezra moved Artaxerxes and prevailed for a full grant both for the return of the people out of captivity and for the re-establishment of the worship of God at Ierusalem 6. Nehemiah mooveth Artaxerxes for the building again of the City of Ierusalem he prevaileth and they go to work and their enemies who by scornful speeches and violent opposinges hindred their building Nehem. 2. lost their labour These be the Saviours who by procuration did advance this work of God in his Church 2. By Execution all these concurred 1. Cyrus gave leave and meanes so did Artaxerxes and Darius restoring them the treasures of the Temple which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away and arming them with full Commission for all the helps that might advance that work 2. The Prophets of the Lord encouraged the work and Ezra the Scribe prayed and wept and mediated with the Kings 3. Zerubbabel Nehemiah and Joshua and the chief Fathers of the people laboured to hasten the execution of that work and for this all these are called here Saviours because God used them as his instruments in his preservation of his Church giving them the honour of his own proper appellation for in the fitnesse of the word and in the fulnesse of sense God only is properly and by peculiar prerogative capable of that great title as himself hath laid claime to it I Isa 43.11 Ose 13 4. even I and there is no Saviour besides me And he gave this title to his Son who thought it no robbery to be equall with God for he shall save his people These Saviours shall come upon Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Esau By the Mount of Esau Edom or the Idumaeans the posterity of Esau is understood throughout this Prophecy that people who as you heard dealt so cruelly with their brother Jacob in his posterity To judge this people is to execute those jugements upon them which God hath in this Prophecy threatned and elswhere as you have heard from other Prophets especially that of Balaam and of Ezechiel for God