Nehemiah 4:11

And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

Ver. 11. And our adversaries said] But their plot was some way discovered, and so prevented. Detexit facinus fatuus et non implevit, saith Tacitus of one in his time. So the gunpowder traitors betrayed themselves; and all came to light, though they had dug as low as hell to hide their counsels from the Lord.

They shall not know, neither see] But what shall he do who is omniscient and ολοφθαλμος, all-eye? whose providence is like a well drawn picture that vieweth all that comes into a room.

Till we come in the midst among them] Either in the night undiscerned; or by day, but unarmed, and not as enemies: for the Florentine secretary, though not yet (nor of many ages later) born into the world; yet the good of this world was as great a master then as afterwards.

And slay them, and cause the work to cease] The craft of the Church's adversaries is never but accompanied with cruelty; and their cruelty is seldom without craft. The devil lends them his seven heads to plot, and his ten horns to push; but in the thing wherein they deal proudly, God is above these cruel crafties.