Nehemiah 4:11

And our adversaries said, They shall not know.

The craft and cruelty of the Church’s adversaries

I. A strong combination against the church of god.

II. A wicked design they were combined in.

III. A bloody means propounded.

IV. A subtle way projected for the affecting of this. (Matthew Newcomen.)

Satanic subtlety

I. In this serpentine, crafty, and malicious dealing of these wicked men appeareth the old serpentine nature and malice of Satan.

II. The next property of the serpent that appeareth in them is that they mercilessly would murder them when they had once thus suddenly invaded them.

III. The last property of Satan appeareth here in these wicked men, in that they would gladly overthrow this building of Jerusalem, that it should never be thought of any more. (Bp. Pilkington.)