_L__ I_a._X~· X_··------~--~-a_n_ruffi_e_h~·--~~~-----' ~ A to draw judgment upon a world; but what hell is fufficicot for all together~ What brows arc not now lifr.d up to an atte~t!ve expectation. of fome pr<fcnr, and fearfull vengeance from God, upon fuch Ragmous w•ckedneffc ~ thmfore th114 faith the Lord, Behold1am bringi~gfitdJ evil/ upon Ierufalem 41td Jud•h,that wbo{ower leareth•fit,both hiuaw ji,./Jrtngle,Thenerfon of Mana!Jeh is not capable ofrevenge enough;as his fin dilated it fdfe by an infdlious diflufion to his people, fo lhall the punilhmenr. We are fenfiblc of the leall touch ofour own mifcries, how rarely are we affeCted wirh other mens calamities~ yet rhisevill lh:~ll be fuch, as that the rumor ofit lhall beat no care that ilull not glow with an aflonifi1ing. commifcration : What then 0 God,whar fiJJII that plague be,which thou rhreatnefl with fo much pr<fJce of horror~ I wiO{lrercb wer Imif'lem the line ofsamATia, and the pl•mmtt ofthe houft B ofo..Ahab; and I will wipeitrt~(.lem .u a nmmiperh adijh,wiping it •ndttiTningit upfide di!nme : ...Anti I wiN f'rfokt the remnant ofmint inheritance ; and I will ddiv<r thtm into tht handofthtir tntmiu, andthey (baD htcome a pr<J a~d •fioil•nroaHtheir entmits. Jr is enough 0 God,it is enough: What eare can bur tingle~ What eye can but weep?whachaire can but flarr op~.what heart can be but confounded at the mentionof [o dreadfull a revenge~ Can there be a worfe judgement rhen defolarion, c•ptivity,de[crtion,fpoyle, and torture of prevailing enemi<s~ but however , other Cities and Nations have und<rgone rhefe dyfallers,without wonder;thar all this flwuld befall to thy}<rufJ!em, the placewhich thou haft chofen to thy fdfe, out of the whole earrh,rhe lot of rhine inh<ritance,the feat ofrhine abode, whereof thou haft C faid,llm fo•ll he m7 rtft for tver,it is able to amaze all eyes,all ear<s. No City could fare worfethen Samaria, whofe inhabitants afrer a wofull liege, were driven, like cattell, inro a wretched fervirude; Jerufa!em lball fare no better from Nebuchadnez'{.r the King of Babylon: }<rufalem the glory of the earth, the dearling ofheaven; See, 0 yee vain• men , that boaffof the privilcdges of Chairs and Churches, fee, and trembk. There is no pllce under heJven towhich the prefenceof God is fo wedded as that the fins thereof lhall not procure a difdainefull,and finall divorwThe height offonn<r favours lhall be bur an aggravatioc of vengeanc<. This rorall vaftation offerublem lh1ll take time: onwards, God b~gins with the perfon of wicked M•••Jfih;againfl tvhom he flirres up the Captaines of the hoafl of the late friend, and old enemy of Judah : Thofe thornes amongfl which he had D lhrouded his guilty head,cannot lhdrcr him from their vioknce; they rake him and bind him with letters of Iron, and carry him to B1bylon; There belies loaded with chaines, in an uncomfortable dungeon, exercifed witb variety oftortures , fed with fuch courfe pittancesofbread, and ups ofwater, as might maiotaine an unwilling life,ro the punifhmenr ofrhe owner. What eye can now pity the deepefl miferies of M•n•!Jeh? What bur bondage can befit him,that bath [o lawldly abufed hi• liberty~Whar but an utter abdication can bdir him that hathcalloffhis G·>d, and doted upon D:vils~ What but a dyiog !if:, and atormenting death can be fit for a man of blood~ Who now would not have given this man f.,r loll; and have lookt when hdl {houldclaime her own ! But oh the height,oh the depthpfdivine mercy~ After all E rhefeprodigiesoffin, r.M•na!Jeh is a coovw;When he w.u in afjldli.n ht bt(ought the Lord his G•tl,and bumkledbimfiifgrwly before tbt God of his Fathers. How true is that word of the Proph<r,V<xAtion ~ivtt under/landing. The vip<r when he is la01ed,cafts up his poyfon:The traitor wh;n he is racked,tells that truth which he had elfe never uttered; Ifthe croffebeare usnot to heaven,nothing can: What ufe were there ofthe grain, bur for thecdge ofthe fickle, wherewith it is cut down; the llrokeofthe ftayle, whc:n:wirh it is b~aten ; the wd&hc ~n~ attrition ofthe mill, wherewith it is crufiJCd; the fire of the oven wherewuh lt 15 boken ? Say now, t.MAnaJTeh, wirh that Grand-father of thine (who was, till now, too good for thee) lt "'"' good for mu thAt I "'"' •ffliaed' Even thine iron was more precious to rhee, then thy gold; rhy Gaole was a more happy lodging to thee, then thy Palace; R rrrr J Babylon
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