Ezra 8:22

For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God [is] upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath [is] against all them that forsake him.

Ver. 22. For I was ashamed] Heb. I blushed and was abashed, I knew not how to put on the face to do it, neither could I bring my mind to crave a convoy, though it might have been of great use to us; lest the name of God should thereby be dishonoured, and his excellencies questioned. It is the ingenuity of saints to study God's ends more than their own, and to be far more troubled when anything crosseth him than when themselves are crossed or disappointed. Propter te, Domine, propter te, Because of you, God, becuase of you, is the good man's motto. Choice and excellent spirits are all for God, whatever becometh of themselves.

Because we had spoken unto the king, saying] They had spoken good of God's name, and amply set forth his power, providence, goodness, and other attributes, being no whit ashamed so to do before kings, as Psalms 119:46 : so did Chrysostom, Basil, Latimer, Lambert, John Colet, Dean of Paul's, and founder of the free school there. He, for the bold and faithful discharge of his duty, in a sermon before Henry VIII, at the siege of Tournay, was called to his trial by the king's counsellors; but the issue proved happy; for he gave so great content to the king, that he, taking a cup of wine, said, Dean, I drink to you; let every one take whom he will for his confessor, you shall be my doctor (Mr Clark in his Life). Holy Ezra found no less favour with this mighty monarch, whom he had well informed in the manifold excellencies of God, as appeareth by this and sundry other preceding passages.

The hand of our God is upon all them, &c.] To hide them in the hollow of it till the indignation be overpast; to hold them by their right hand, and so to guide them by his counsel, that he may afterwards take them to his glory, Psalms 73:23,24 .

But his power and his wrath] Id est, His powerful wrath, his anger armed with power, for vanae sine viribus irae; but who knoweth the power of thine anger, saith Moses? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath, Psalms 90:11. Let him fear thee never so much, he is sure to feel thee more, if once he fall into thy fingers, into that mighty hand of thine (as St James styleth it, Jam 4:10), before which ten thousand kings cannot stand. Let God forsakers therefore do as those elders of Israel did, 2 Kings 10:3,5 .

Is against all them that forsake him] Such are all they, 1. That forsake not their sins, Job 20:17 Isaiah 55:7. Isaiah 55:2. That know not God, Isaiah 1:3,4 Ephesians 4:18. Ephesians 4:3. That trust to idols, or creature comforts, arm of flesh, 1Ki 9:9 Jos 24:20 Jeremiah 2:13. Jeremiah 2:4. Church-forsakers, and apostates, Hebrews 10:25; Hebrews 10:38. God is against all these, and will consume them, after that he hath done them good, Jos 24:20 Psa 73:27 1Ch 28:9 John 2:8 Jer 17:13 Deuteronomy 31:16 2Ch 12:5; 2 Chronicles 15:2; 2 Chronicles 24:20 .