For I will contend with them that contend with thee, and will save thy children, and will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh, &c.—Never think that ye will get salvation till God come and contend with his enemies. Some would invert this, they would first have salvation, and then contending with the enemies; but that is not the way that God minds to take, and therefore it will not prosper, take it who will; both ministers and professors God hath to contend with, when he comes back to Scotland, to contend with them that contended with his people. Many think that if we had such an army as they had the last year, we would contend with them:—the Lord God of Hosts will contend with them ere long, and he will feed them that oppress you with their own flesh.
O but folk may think that this is cruelty; indeed if a minister or professor had said it, it might be thought cruelty, but it is the Lord's words—When our Lord comes, he will be severe, he will be so (to speak after the manner of men) he will be cruel, he is just indeed; the instruments that he will make use of, whatever sort they be, they must handle enemies with other sort of weapons than they have been handled; yea, they will take collops out of their flesh and make them eat it, and give them their blood to drink; this will the Lord do, and make them know that he is the Lord, the Saviour and Redeemer of his church. He is not known to be the Lord now; he is but mocked, slighted, and lightly esteemed; but when he comes to execute justice and judgment, he will make all know that he is the Lord, the Redeemer of his people, and that his loving kindness hath been remaining with them all along; and be who they will, whom the Lord will raise up to execute judgment in this land, they will reward them as they rewarded us, they will not spare; as he lives, he will bring cruel foreigners ere he want. But ye may say, we need not trouble ourselves about it, the Lord will do it, wemay
