( LIB. XX. Jehu ~ith Jehoram,&c. A How juft arc the judgements of God! It was in the fiddofNab~th wherein Tth~rammetwithltbM; That very g.roundcalled to him for blood; And now this new avenger remembers that prophecie which bee heard frorn the mouth of Elijah, in that very placc,following the heelsof dh•b; and is carcfull to perform it. Little did Tthu thinke , when bee heard that mcffagc of Elij•h, that his hlDds lhould all it; now_, as zcal'?us ofaccomplilhing the word of a Prophet, he givos charge to Bidk4r hJS Captam, that the blcedmg carkdfe of Ith~ra~" lhould be caft cpon that very plat of Nab1th : Oh N•h•ths blood well paid for! A h•~s blood is licked by dogges, in the very place. wherethofe dogges lickt N ahoths; rehor•ms hloud fiull manure that ground, whrch was wrung from N •both 1 and lt"{Jhtl lhall adde to this compofi. Oh garden of hearbes dearcly bought, royally B dunged! What a rcfemblance there is betwixt the death ofthe father, and thefon· Ahah and Teher•m 1 Both are llainein.thdr eh are~; _Bmh withan arrow1 Both repay their bloudto N•hoth; and how perfit rs thJS rctahauon ~ Not ondy N•b~th mifcaried in thatcrudl injufiice,burhis fonsalfo; elfethe inheritance of the vineyard had de· fccnded to his hcires, notwithftanding his pretended offence; and now not oncly <..Abah forfeitshisbloud to this field,buthis fon Itb.r... alfo : Face doth not more anfwer to facc,then punilhment to fin. It was timcfor vtha:r,i•/; King oflud•h, to flee : Nay it had been time long before to have fled from the finncs , yea from the houfc of dh•h; That brand is fearefull which God fcts upon him; Hu did eviU in thtjight•f tht L~rd .u didtht C ho•fe•f Ahab, for heewas thcfonnc in lawofthe houfeot Ahah; Affinity is too ofren guilty ofcorruption; Thefonnc ofgood lthofoaphat is loft in AhA~I daught~r. Now hepayes for his kinde ollilnC<;1ccomplnying the fonof Ahah in his death whom he confurred with,in his Idolatry ; Young Ah•"{jah was fcarcc warme in hi; throne,when themil-matchcd bloodof Athaliah is required from him; Nothing is more dangerous then to be impcd ina wicked family; this rdarion too often drawcs in a fi1arc both offin and punilhmeot. Whowould not have lookt that ltzthtl hearingofthis bloody end ofher lon;and purfuit ofherallic; and the feareiull proceedings of this profperous confpiracie, lhould have put her fclfc into fackclorh and alb'5;and now finding no meanes either D ofdcfehcc,or efcape,lhould have call her felfc into fuch apofture ofhumiliation, as mioht have moved the compallion of ltht• ~ Her proud hem could no~ fuddcnly lea~n to ftoopc: rather lhe recolktls her high fpirirs; and in!lead of humbling her foulc by repenrance,aod addrelling her fdf for an imminent death ; lhe prankes up her old carkalfe, and paints her wrinkled face,and as one th>t vainly hopes to daunt the courage ofan ufurpcr, by the fuddw beames ofMajcftic; lhc lookes our, and thinks to fright himwith the challenge ofa traitor , whofc either mercy, or jufiice could nor be avoided 1 Extremity findes us fuch as our peace leaves us ; Our !aft thoughts arefpent upon that we care moll for; thofc that have regarded their face more then their foulc, in theirlatt<rend arc more taken up with ddirc of fecming fairc, then being happy: It is no r.urvell ifan heart obdurcd with the cu• E ftomeoffinnclhutupgracdclly. Counterfeit beauty agrees well with inward uncleanneffc. rebuts rcfolution was too ftrongly fetled to be removed with a painted face, or an opprobrious tongue; Hec lookcs up to the wind01v, and faycs, Wh• il 1n "'7 fide, Wbo? There want not thofeevcry where, which will be ready to obfcrvc prevailing greatnelfc: Two or three Eunuchs lookc out ; bee bids them, Tbrorv htr dm»t : They inftaotly lay hold on their lately-adored Miftris, and notwithftanding all her lhriekes and prayers, caft her down headlong into the fireet. Whatheedistobetak~oofthe deep profclfed Cervices ofhollow-hemed fol · lowers; All thiswhile they have humblywith fmiles,and officiousdevot!ons fawned upon; their great Q.!!_eenc; now upon the call of a profperous cnemrc they forget
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