4. Will you fear them who have a God to ruin them? Though the
29:12. And God will exert so much of power to bridle the inclinations of nature in the wicked for the good of his people. He will give them so much line as may serve his holy purposes, but not so much as shall prejudice the church's standing. A staff is not capable of giving a smart blow without the force of the hand that holds it. Wicked men are no more than a staff in God's hand: Isa. 10:5, 'The rod of my anger, the staff in their hand is my indignation;' he can either strike with it, or break it in pieces. The staff is still in the hand of God, and can do no more than what his merciful arm moves it to; as he can restrain it, so he can divert it. What should we fear those whose hearts are in God's hands, whose enmity is under God's restraint, who can change their fury into favour, or at least bridle it as he doth the waves of the sea? No enemy's shot can exceed God's commission.
God often laughs when men plot, and disappoints when they begin to act. Sometimes he makes them act contrary to their intentions.
Balaam comes to curse the people, and God turns his tongue to bless them, which, if guided by his own heart, would have poured out execrations upon them, Num. 23:7, 8. God puts the words into his mouth, but not in his heart, ver. 5, and makes him bless that which his heart hates.
4. Will you fear them who have a God to ruin them? Though the beast in the Revelations hath seven heads, a reaching wisdom, and ten horns, a mighty power, Rev. 17:3 (both the numbers of seven and ten being numbers of perfection in Scripture), yet, with all his wisdom and strength, he shall tumble down to destruction; they can no more resist God's power than blustering winds or raging waves can cross his will. When the enemies of the church are in combination, like thorns full of prickles 'folded together,' then shall they 'be consumed like stubble that is dry,' Nahum 1:10. God loves to defeat pride: Exod. 18:11, 'In the thing wherein they dealt proudly, he was above them.' God waits but the time of their swelling to make them burst. Absalom kills his brother, withdraws the people from their obedience to the king, stirs them up to revolt, enters Jerusalem in his father's absence, pollutes his concubines, engages his designs against his life, raiseth an army against him; who would not say