u88 ::.Kings 17. Contemplations. L, n.XX. The utter dejlru'ilion of the IQngdome iflfrael. A • rJ.h\vasat a fore heavr1yet lfr•tlfhall mif.cary beforeit : fuch are the finnes ofboth , that they llrivc whethoc fball fall firll . butthislotmulllightuponrherenne Tribes; though rh: lar~ King of Iod•h were perfonally worfe then rbe moll of Im61 . •ms fucccffors, yet the people were generally leffe evil! , upon whom the incroachmcnto ofldolarry were more by obtrufion then by confent; bcfides rhat,thc thrones of Judah had fome in. terchanges ofgood Princes,!frael none at all: The fame Jullice therefore that l!lade I{r~tla fcourgc toiud•h, made A.lfJri• a fcorpion tolfr4tl, B Itwas the quarrell of lud•h that firllingaged the King of Aft,•r in this warre againll!fr•tl; now he is nor fo eafily fetcht off; So wee have feen fame eager Mallive,rhat bath been fer on by the leall clapofthe hand, but could not be loofned by the force of llavcs. S4l,.AneftrKing of AJ1jri• comes up againft H•fh,. King of!Jwl,and fubdues him and puts him to his Tribute :This yoke was uncouth and unpleafing; The vanquifbt Prince was neither able to refill,nor willing to yeeld ; fecretly therefore bee· treats with the Kingof Egypt for alii!lance, as defiring rather to hazard his liberty by the·handofanequall,then to enjoy a quiet fubjrction under the hand ofan overruling power; we cannot blame Princes to be jealous of their Soveraignti<s; The detaining of his yearly Tribute,and the whifperiogs with new confederates, have C drawn up the Kingof Ajhur to perfeCt his own victories: Hee rerurnes therefore with a llrong power,and after three ycares fiege, rakes S•mari•, imprifons Hojht4, and in th.ecxchangcof a wofull caprivity,he peoples Tfr•tl with AJ!jri•m, and A.lfJriA with lfr•tliw. Now that abufed foyle harh upon a furfet of wick<dneffe caft out-her perfidiousowners, and will try how it can fare with heathenifb I! rangers: Now the A.lfJriAn gallants triumph in rhe Palaces of s.,,ari• and /tr.m/ 1 1\hiles the Peercs and Captaines of I{rAtl arc driven maoicled through the vtf[yrlan ftreetes and billeted to thcfcverall placesof their perpetuall fervirude : Shortly, now the flourifl1ing Kingdom• ofthe ten Tribes is come to a finall and fbamcfull <nd 1 and fo v:rni!hed in this faft diflipation, that,fince that day, no man could ever fay, ThiJ "'"' l{ratl. Oh terrible example ofvengcance,epon that peculiar people, whom God bath D chofcn for himfdfe,outofall the world! All rbe world were witnelfes of the fa· vours oftheir miraculous deliverances, and protedions; All the world fball be witndfes oftheir juft confufion. Iri; not in the power ofGdght errors to f<t offthat infinite mercy: What was it, 0 God,what \vas it,rhar cauf<d thee to caft offthine owne inheritance~ What but the fame that made thee to caft the Angells out of heaven! Even their rebellious finnes. Thofe finnes dared to emulate the greatneffcofthy mercies, no leffe, rhoo they forc..,d rhe fcveriry ofthy judgements: TheJI•ft .a the t~!nm•ndemems •f the Lordtheir God; And mAdlthem molun lmAgll,e'lle• tJIIo C•lves ; ••dmAdt • gro'l.le And w••fhipped .a the hojlofhe•ven,•ndJerved B••l; •nJ<•uftd their {innet .mddAughters to p•Jfe"thro•gh thefrt,AnduftdJivinatiolf,andt"eha>Jtments, •nd fold themftlves 16doe E t'flibin thtfight ofthe LPrd 11 pr~v1kt him to anger. Neither were rhefdlips offrailty,orignoranr miC.takings, but wilfullcrimes,obllinare impieties,in fpightofthc doctrines, reproofes, menaces, miraculous cooviG!ions ofth«holy Prophets,which God fent amongft them: Thy dellruetion is ofthy f7lf, 0 Ifr•tl;~v_hu coul~ :he juft ban?of theAlmightydoe ldfe _then co_nfum:a nauon fo incorng,bly flagmousl Anauon fo untbankfull for mcrctes, fo1mpanenr of remedies,founcapable of repentance:fo oblig<d,fo warned,fo fbameleffcly, folawl<fiy wicked! · What nation under heaven can now challenge an undefaifible intcreft io God, when Ifr•tl it fclfis caft off! What Church in the worldcaDfbew fuch dear love tokens
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