A compleat and compendious church-history shewing how it hath been from the beginning of the world to this present day : being an historical-narrative how the power and providence of God, according to his promise, hath hitherto confounded all the damnable plots of the Devil : to which is annexed a Scripture-prophecy fore-shewing how it shall be hence to the end of the world : to whole containing the quintessence of sacred, civil and ecclesiastick-writers, and serving as a short comment upon all the books in the Bible, both historical and prophetical / published for publick good by Christopher Ness ...

The Sixteenth Plot against the CHURCH, in Canaan: Defeated by GOD.

CHAP. XVI.

NOw when the Devil had divided so great a share of Davids King∣dome to himself by Divine Per∣mission, (the Lord of the Soyl, Hos. 9. 3. Isa. 8. 8. giving way for his own glory to such sad Incroachments) he falls up∣on sowing the cursed seed of his Tares upon the Lords Land, among those Tribes who disdain'd to live any longer by the Lords Law. Oh wonderful! there was no visible Church upon Earth at this time, but in the Land of Promise; and yet the only wise God gives up to Satan (when all the World lay in wickedness, 1 Joh. 5. 19. and so in the possession of that wicked one) even the lar∣gest share of his own Land also, though it was but a little spot of Land (no bigger than our Wales) in all. Thus the Lords Land, Levit. 25. 23. became the Devils Land too (in the greatest part) with all the rest of the

Habitable World: Oh how unsearchable are the ways of the Lord, and his works past find-out, Rom. 11. 33, 34, 35. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Oh the bottomless depth of Divine Wisdome! the Devil, having got this leave against Is∣rael (as once against Job) when Gods Hedge was gone, begins to lay waste Gods Vineyard, Isa. 5. 5, 6. He now falls to work for de∣bauching Israel; he first makes them cast off their true Soveraign, and chuse a false one; Jeroboam the Son of Nebat must be the man, one that wanted neither Craft nor Courage to back this Horse which had cast his Rider: Next to Achitophel, the Devil had not a craf∣tier Head to plot against the Church, than this Leader of the Faction and Fraction. As the subtil Serpent infused into him his sub∣tilty for stealing a Scepter, so for securing it to him when he had stoln it: His Plotting Head had this considering Cap upon it, ['twas but a pang of discontent that made me King, violent things are not permanent, sudden Paroxysmes, or Fits of passion, have as sudden Relaxations and recoveries; the Revolters cannot return thrice a year to the Temple in Jerusalem (as God commands them, Exod. 34. 23.) but 'twill make them revolt from me, and return to Rehoboam; I must either keep them off from God, or I shall never keep them off from Loyalty and Piety] Therefore to give them a pleasant

Diversion (when he durst not offer a direct Restraint and Prohibition) he changes and adulterates that Religion, which he dare neither inhibit nor abolish: Hereupon this new King plots to make Israel a new God, and (for their ease) nearer home too, that they might not be toiled with going so far as the Temple, pretending to be more mer∣ciful to the people than the most merciful God, yea and more prudent than he in his more compendious and plausible way of wor∣ship, altogether accommodated to the ease and humour of the people: Aaron had hu∣mour'd Israel with one Golden Calf (such as they had seen long in Egypt) Exod. 32. 4. Now Jeroboam (who had lately lived there, 1 Kin. 11. 40.) judges it proper (after Aa∣rons example) to humour them with two, which he sets up at Dan▪ and Bethel, at both the ends of the Land, North and South, 1 Kin. 12. 27, 28, 29. Thus took he crafty counsel of his cursed Courtiers, and, so he might secure his Realm and Region, he mat∣ter'd not though Religion were run down to ruine. And this thing became a sin to Israel, v. 30. a most heinous sin, though it was but a base thing, this Image was one of the ba∣sest, Psal. 106. 20. The Image of a Calf eat∣ing Hay. Oh what Brutish Creatures were Israel made by an Intoxicating Devil, Psal. 115. 8. so as to fall down and worship such a

Brutish Creature as a Calf as soon as it was set up; yea, that service (which was only due to God) was performed to Devils in this base thing, 2 Chron. 11. 15. all Idolatry is Devil-worship, all Devotion that is not done to God (nor by a Divine Warrant) is done to the Devil, there is no Medium or Mean betwixt them, 1 Cor. 10. 20, 21. Revel. 9. 20. Now the Devil (that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Idol-lover) had got his design in debauching Is∣rael, when he had got a Divine Service set up (1.) In another place, 1 Kin. 12.29. (2.) At another time, v. 3••. (3.) After another man∣ner, v. 28. (4.) And by other Priests, v. 31. than God had appointed: Proud Lucifer, the Devil, was well pleased with this De∣vil-worship. This sin not only brought a black Brand upon its abominable Author to all succeeding Generations, that the phrase frequently rings in our reading the Scripture [Jeroboam the Son of Nebat that made Israel to sin] but also had such an Indelible Cha∣racter in it, as could never be removed, nei∣ther from his own Family, nor from any of his Successors (though of other Families, when his was rooted out) all the Kings of Is∣rael after him (by his example) grew worse and worse, (and Israel with them) until they were all carried away Captive out of their own Land, in the days of Hosea, their last King, 2 Kin. 17. 1. to 6. Here the Devil

plaid like a cunning Gamester with notable seeming success; yet God is not an idle Spe∣ctator all this time, and permits Satan to carry it on without any Counterbuffs: but now and then he is a swift witness against, and a severe rebuker of this Plot; (1.) Both at the beginning, (2.) Afterwards, and (3.) At the end. (••.) At the beginning, Jeroboam must not manage his new Rebellion without a Te∣stimony from Heaven, (against his new Reli∣gion.) And 1st. The Lord stirred up a select number, both of Priests and people, that ab∣horred Jeroboams Idolatry, and fled from all the Coasts of Israel (though Jeroboam way-laid them, Hos. 5. 1.) to cleave close unto the true God in his worship at Jerusalem, 2 Chron. 11. 13, 14, 16. The godly Priests gave a good example to the godly people of every Tribe in their self-denial, and leaving their Livings rather than violate their Con∣sciences: Their voluntary Exilement, after their Ejection, (ab officio & beneficio) drew much good people after them, v. 16. whereby not only Rehoboam was much strengthened, v. ••7. but also the Church was preserved in despight of Jeroboam, and his Segnirim, or Hairy Devils, v. 15. insomuch that God had his seven thousand in wicked Ahabs day, that bowed not the knee to Baal, nor those to the Golden Calves; and God preserved them in their slight to the holy City, though wicked

Watchers laid Traps to catch them upon Mizpeh and Tabor in their passage thither, as the Papists in the Marian days watch'd all those that be took themselves to Basil, Geneva, &c. yet the Lord marvellously pre∣serv'd them for his Church in a better day, as he did those in a better place. 2. Gods Testimony was not for his servants Innocency only, but against Jeroboams Idolatry, when he stood at his new Altar at Bethel, with a Scepter in one hand, and with a Censer in the other, invading the High-Priesthood, as well as usurping the Kingdome, 1 King. 12. 33. and 13. 1. God sends a Prophet out of Ju∣dah (possibly one of his banish'd servants) to Jeroboam in the midst of his great Assem∣bly and Solemnity at Bethel, to cry against the Altar, v. 2. that one Josiah should be rai∣sed up, to destroy it, and its Priests: And be∣cause 'twas long too, (more than two hun∣dred year) he gives them a present Sign of the certainty of his Prophecy, to wit, the rending of the Altar at present, to shew its downfall afterwards, which accordingly was accomplished, v. 3, 5. At this Jeroboam ra∣geth, crys, Lay hold of him, and himself would have been the first man in doing it, had not God by another Miracle manacled him, by withering his hand; which though restor'd again, by a third Miracle, at the Prophets prayer, yet hands not its owner

into repentance; and while the Altar (of Stone) rends, yet his Heart (being harder than any stone in the Altar) remains still without any rending, or relenting. This God foresaw, and therefore the Man of God was directed to direct his speech to the Al∣tar, and not to Jeroboam, seeing the former would receive impression sooner than the latter, who had forgot how Israel had start∣led at an Altar of the Reubenites, which was only for a Monument and Memorial, Josh. 22. when they were newly come out of affliction, now an Altar for Idolatry startles neither him nor them, being setled upon the Lees of a long abused peace in Solomons day; and this same Bethel (where one of his Calves stood, and the rent Altar) being now be∣come a Beth-Aven [the House of God an house of wickedness, as the two Hebr. names signifie] was recovered again out of Jero∣boams hands, 2 Chron. 13. 19. His Golden Calfish God could not protect its own Seat and City from its Enemy. This Divine Te∣stimony from Heaven against Jeroboam was manifold: (1.) Against his Altar. (2.) A∣gainst his Arm, which he stretched out to apprehend the Lords Prophet (who had born witness against his Idolatry) contrary to Gods Special Command [Touch not mine A∣nointed ones, and do my Prophets no harm, Psa. 105. 15. 'Tis safer to anger a Witch, than

provoke a Prophet; for if any man will hurt such, fire proceedeth out of their mouth to de∣vour them, Revel. 11. 5. To touch these, is to touch the Apple of Gods Eye, Zech. 2. 8. Therefore doth God say to Kings (not of Kings) Touch not those that have the Ʋnction of the Father; which when King Jeroboam offered to do, God shrank his sinews, and makes him stand like an Antick Statue, pointing out the way to Travellers with an hand stretched out, but cannot pull it in, 1 Kin. 3. 4. So facile a thing it is with God to cool the courage, and restrain the rage of the proudest Prince, or Persecutor, Psa. 76. 10. This very Arm that had been burning Incense to his Idol (in his playing the Priest himself, to give some Grace to his sordid Priests, made of the Dregs of the Vulgar) God dried up, as the arm of an Idol-Shep∣herd, Zech. 11. 17. and because his Eye was darkned too (according to that threatning) so that he would see nothing of Gods Hand in withering his hand; Therefore Gods third Testimony was against his Heir; and as Gods Wrath was upon his first Son, so on his best Son, who was also his Right Hand indeed, for he was his Heir, and hopeful for good, 1 Kin. 14. 13. Now God strikes at the Fa∣ther for his sin, upon the Back of the Child in his sickness: Jeroboam seeks to Ahijah (the Lords Prophet) what would be the issue

(not what was the cause) of his good Sons sickness, which none of his wooden Priests could tell him, v. 3. He receives heavy ti∣dings, and that by the hands of his own Wife, that this only gracious Son must die, but all his other graceless Sons must live; he must die to afflict them, they must live to afflict them; because Jeroboam was bad, there∣fore was he unworthy of so good a Son; and because the Son was good, therefore was he worthy to be removed from so bad a Father: This Son alone shall have both Tears, and a Tomb for his goodness, his other Sons shall have no sorrow but for their lives, and at their deaths no Graves, but the Belleys of Dogs and Fowls, v. 6. 11, 12, 13. Israel had cause to mourn when they had lost such an hopeful Heir of the Kingdom. The fourth Divine Testimony against Jeroboams Idolatry was (as 1. Against his Altar. 2. Against his Arm. 3. Against his Heir; so 4.) Against his Army: Jeroboam in the eighteenth year of his Reign raises a vast Army (no less than eight hundred thousand) to vanquish Abijah while young, and newly ste••t into his Fa∣ther (Rehoboams) Throne, which was then empty by his Fathers death; young Abijah raises an Army to resist him, which was but half as big as Jeroboams, yet was it an huge Army too, considering that fifty thousand is now counted a Royal Army, whereas his was

four hundred thousand, which is eight times as many as is fifty: Those two great Armies (the 800000 of Jeroboams for Idolatry, and the 400000 of Abijahs against Idolatry) fa∣ces each other in the Field; Abijah by his Heralds sounds a Parley, stands upon Mount Zemeraim (as Jotham likewise had done upon Mount Gerizim, Judg. 9. 6.) makes a pious, pithy, elegant and artificial Oration (not unlike Solomons Grand-child) to the Heads of Jeroboams Army, wherein he shews them the honour God had from Judah, and the dishonour he had from Israel, and many migh∣ty Motives he presses upon them to desist their irrational and irreligious enterprize, whereof they could never render any good reason, nor ever hope for any good success: While Abijah was thus Haranguing in his Religious as well as Rhetorical Disswasives by a fair and friendly Treaty, Jeroboam base∣ly useth most foul and filthy treachery, in causing an Ambushment behind him, while his main Battalia was before him, to surprize him at unawares, 2 Chron. 13. 3, 4, 5, 13. Judah (espying his treachery, and their own danger) cryed unto the Lord, v. 14. having strong fervency in praying to God for suc∣cour in that dangerous case, prayers were their Souldiers surest great Ordinance, and together with their holy prayers they joyn an honest policy, the whole Army together gave

one great unanimous shout, v. 15. This loud Acclamation [They run, they run] affrights Israel, especially God striking them at the same time with a panick fear, and with fright∣ful Furies in their own Consciences, they all fly, and fall in a monstrous and matchless slaughter, v. 16. 17. to wit, five hundred thousand men of Israel were slain by the men of Judah, who were but four hundred thou∣sand, so that they slew more than every one his man; and this Slaughter is well called a Great Slaughter, it being the greatest slaugh∣ter of men in any one Battel in all the World that we read of, either in Sacred or Civil Hi∣story: And had those two Armies been uni∣ted as Brethren against a Common Enemy, they had made up the greatest Host that ever we heard or read of, assembled together in the Field; yet Judah (the lesser number) prevails against Israel (twice as many) because they relied upon the Lord. v. 18. [Deo Confisi, nunquam Confusi: Judah confided in God, therefore were they not confounded by Israel: True trusting in God can never miscarry; God is faithful, and never fails the Faith of his people: He that believes in him shall not be confounded, 1 Pet. 2. 6. The fifth and last Divine Testimony was against Jeroboam himself: God had let him blood (as it were) in the Arm to cure him of his I∣dolatry, and struck the Vital Spirit out of

it when 'twas dry'd up; but now God comes to strike the Soul out of his Body, when nei∣ther Ministry, nor Misery, nor Miracle, nor Mercy, could mollisie and heal his impeni∣tent heart; neither the Wind, nor the Sun (to wit, neither the blasts of Divine Judg∣ments, nor the Beams of Divine Mercy) could make him cast his cumbersome Coat of Ido∣latrous worship, but he will not (though his hand was both withered and healed, &c.) see Gods Hand against him, but will live and die in his Idolatry: Therefore the Lord smote Jeroboam, v. 15. and the Lord struck him, v. 20. that he died. God gave him two deadly blows upon his Cheek-bone (as Psal. 3. 7.) with his heavy hand; so that he died not an ordinary, but a sudden and violent death, and that by a special hand of God: The Lord smote him, as with a Thunder-bolt, as he smote Nabal that he died, 1 Sam. 25. 38. Deadly Diseases are Divine stroaks, as the Pestilence is call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Morbus Sacer, or the Divine Disease, though it is not expressed in Scripture of what Disease neither Nabal nor Jeroboam died; and had his Idolatry died with him, it had been bet∣ter for Israel: This Jeroboam, the Son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, 2 Kin. 10. 31. &c. which is oft added as Jeroboams infamous stile, 1 Kin. 12. 30. and 13. 34. and 14. 16. &c. (so oft it sounds in our

ears) made all the Kings of Israel sin his sin of Idolatry after him, there being not one good Successor in his Throne of Apostacy until the Captivity, though God raised up sundry famous Prophets (as Elijah, Elisha, &c.) to reclaim them, and though God did witness from Heaven against them in his most severe Judgments, yet the perdition of one was not any availing caution to another, for (2. (Nadab took no warning at Gods Judg∣ments upon his Father Jeroboam, and he was rooted out, and all his house, 1 Kin. 15. 27. by Baasha. (3.) And the same Judgments, in the same words, are threatned against Baa∣sha, which had been against Jeroboam, be∣cause he persisted in the same sin, 1 Kin. 16. 3, 4. And (4.) Ela Baasha's Son was a Sot in his drunkenness, and was slain in his sin by his servant Zimri, v. 9. who (5.) succeeded him, but God soon cast that Rod into the fire, wherewith he had chastised the house of Baasha, v. 10, 11, 12. for Omri (the 6.) forced him to burn himself with his Palace, v. 18, 19. This Omri made wicked Statutes, Mich. 6. 16. and made (undoubtedly) as wicked an end: Qualis vita, Finis ita; he lived wickedly, v. 25. (seeking to out-sin all his predecessors) so died wretchedly, though not (that we read of) by any violent death: His Son Ahab (the seventh) that None-such

sinner succeeded, whom (being an uxorious man) Jezabel (his Wife) stirred up, even to unparallel'd wickedness, v. 31, 32, 33. God sets this black brand upon this Virago Jeza∣bel, 1 Kin. 21. 25, 26. who held her Husband in such slavery (by a mischievous 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Woman wearing the Britches) that for a quiet life with her, he did not dare to deny her any thing that she would have done: Hereby he proves worse than his Ancestors, extorts Naboths Vineyard and life from him, where the Dogs licked his blood afterwards, yea, and the Dogs did eat up Jezabel also, 1 Kin. 21. 19, 22, 23. with Ch. 22. 38. and 2 Kin. 9. 35, 36, 37. So they who sold them∣selves to work evil, and might have been sure they should (in time) rue the bargain, at length as they had made a Match with mischief, so God gave them both their Belly-fulls of it, and fill'd them with the evil of their own ways, Prov. 14. 14. Gods Arrow found out wick∣ed Ahab under his disguise (which he did to evade Micaiah's Prophecy of him) a certain man drew a Bow at a venture, and smote Ahab 'twixt the joynts of his Harness, 1 Kin. 22. 30, 34. This casual and contingent shot was guided by God to hit the mark to an hairs-breadth, whereas the cast of Sauls Javelin was three times guided by the same hand of God to miss the mark of holy Davids body: Micaiah was imprisoned for foretelling this

fate, v. 26, 28. Who would not rather be a Mi∣caiah in the Goal, than an Ahab in the Cha∣riot; God preserved the one in the former, but wounded to death the other in the lat∣ter: Then was God even with him, for all his Idolatry and impieties in persecuting the Prophets, murdering of Naboth, who doubt∣less had hope in his death as righteous, and so in a far better condition now than Ahab was, who had no hope, but was driven away in his wickedness, Prov. 14. 32. Wicked men may have some advantage of the way, but god∣ly men have their advance at the end; as A∣hab had sold himself to sin, so God sold him to destruction, and Ahaziah (the eighth) suc∣ceeds him, who was a soft-pated Prince, and low-spirited, in losing no mean part of his Kingdome, in the beginning of his Reign, by the Rebellion of Moab, 2 Kin. 1. 1. with Ch. 3. 4, 5. and 2 Chro. 20. 1. but above all, he was a wicked King, like Bird, like Egg, he had as black a Soul as his Father Ahab, to live in his white Ivory Palace that Ahab had built, 1 Kin. 22. 39, 52. His sin finds him out, Num. 32. 23. as he was walking upon the Leads of this stately Palace, he falls through a Grate, and catches his death, which Baal∣zebub of Ekron could not prevent, or rather the Devil of Acheron (as Hell is call'd by the Poet Virgil, as above, Flectere si nequeo supe∣ros, Acheronta Movebo. This Beelzebub, or

Baalzebub, is call'd the God of Flies, or Jupi∣ter Stercorarius, a Dunghill Deity, for out of the Dunghill have the Flies their Natu∣ral Generation: This Devil could not take off that sickness which the God of Israel had laid on him, and whereby he was disinabled to attempt any thing against rebelling Moab. This pusillanimous Prince Jehoram (the ninth) succeeded, who was more active than his Brother Ahaziah, and not all out so bad as his Parents Ahab and Jezabel, (for he destroyed Baal out of Samaria yet not very much better than they, for he continued Jeroboams Calves, 2 Kin. 3. 2, 3. God likes not that men should make a straight furrow here, and a balk there, partial Reformation discovers Hypocrisie, wherefore Gods Ar∣row finds him at Ramoth-Gilead, as it had done Ahab (his Father) at the same place, and coming to be healed of his wounds at Jezreel, is there slain by furious Jehu (the tenth) whom God raised up extraordinarily to destroy Ahabs Posterity, 2 Kin. 9. 1, to 30. 37. and 10, to 15. He had a zeal (indeed) for the Lord (as Jehoram had) against Baal, v. 16, to 28. yet proves he but an half Re∣former, putting down Baal, yet keeping up the Calves, v. 29. lest it should cost him his Kingdome by Israels repairing to Temple-worship, notwithstanding this his Dispensa∣tory Conscience, because he had done well,

for the matter, God gives him the favour of his fourth Generation, v. 30. (which was not granted to any other King of Israel after the Revolt) to wit, Jehoaaz the eleventh, who doth wickedly, and Joash (the twelfth) who rides in the same rode, 2 Kin. 13. 2, 6, 11. and Jeroboam (the thirteenth) who did [Pa∣trizare] also, and walkt in his forefathers steps, Ch. 14. 24. for which cause Amos prophecied against him, and was banished from Bethel for it, Amos 7. 10, 11, 12. fore-telling a dreadful Earthquake, Amos 1. 1. and Jeroboams death by the Sword, Ch. 7. 9. him succeeded Zecharias (the fourteenth) and the fourth from Jehu, to whom God would not be indebted for his good actings, but gave him this reward; yet this his last Branch being wicked, he was slain for his wickedness by Shallum, (the fifteenth) Ch. 15. 9, 10. who was paid home in his own Coyn by Menahem (the sixteenth) whose cruelty ending with himself, Pekaiah (the seventeenth comes on the Throne; but he (not degenerating from his evil Ancestors) was soon put off by Pe∣kah (the eighteenth) who (being no better than the rest) was trayterously slain by Ho∣shea (the nineteenth) who (being wicked al∣so) was carried Captive by Salmanezer of Assyria: 2 Kin. Ch. 15. and 16. and 17. Thus Israel provoked the Lord to anger; as if they had done all this for that very purpose of

causing God to cast them off, and to write Lo-Ammi upon them: by the forementi∣oned Earthquake, the Lord did plain∣ly foreshew, that God would shake terribly the Heaven of that Church, and the Earth of that State: And as God forewarned them by his works (both ordinary and extraordinary) so all along by his Word in the mouths of all his (both the greater and lesser) Prophets, saying to them, that if they would not live by Gods good Laws, they should not live in Gods good Land, &c. Hos. 9. 3. This Hosed who forewarns Israel, that their Land would spue them out, (as God had threatned, Levit. 18. 26, 28. was the first of the Race of those Prophets (before Isaiah) in the days of Jero∣boam, Hos. 1. 1, 2. And thus, as under an Hosea, Israel was possessed of Canaan, Numb. 13. 16. and under an Hosea they were di∣spossessed of it, 2 Kin. 17. 1, 6. so the Lord sent an Hosea to blame their unthankful∣ness for the former, and to declare the dreadfulness of the latter. No doubt but the Devil was much delighted with this sad Catastrophe of Israels Ejection out of Ca∣naan, he always makes mirth and merriment out of Israels mourning, he makes Comedies of their Tragedies; he had (indeed) so rooted and riveted Idolatry in Israel, that it could not be rooted out, but by rooting up the corrupted Stock: yet all along the Reign

of those twenty Kings of Israel (for so many, Tibni (Corrival to Omri) 1 Kin. 16. 21, 22. doth exactly make) and often several Stocks, yet all agreeing in Jeroboams sin, God raised up a Race of Prophets to give warning, even from the Man of God (that cryed against Je∣roboams Altar, 1 Kin. 13. and from Elijah and Elisha, down to the last-of those Kings (very few whereof died a dry or natural death) 2 Kin. 17. 13, 23. God wanted not his Witnesses (though in Sackcloth) all that time; His Eye to Israel (even under great provocations) was good, while the Devils Eye was evil: Oh the admirable workings of Divine Compassion in 2 Kin. 14. 26, 27. [The Lord saw the affliction (as well as the transgression) of Israel, that it was very bit∣ter, when they had neither safety, nor a Sa∣viour: Oh the yernings of Gods Bowels in that Word [The Lord said not, that he would blot out the Name of Israel from under Hea∣ven] God had not then said it, yet though afterwards he both said it, Hos. 1. 6, 9. and did it, 2 Kin. 17. 18. 'Twas a long time, and upon great provocation (as is related from v. 7, to the 18.) before he removed them out of his sight, that is, out of the Land of Promise, upon which the eyes of the Lord were continually after an especial manner: Notwithstanding all this, the Devil got not all, nor did the Lord lose all, he divided the

spoil with the strong Devil, Esa. 53. 12. As God had his Witnesses 1. At the beginning of the Apostacy; so 2. All along afterwards, he had both Witnesses and people too, that had a blessed tenderness towards their two hundred thousand Captives, at the powerful preaching of the Prophet Oded (whom God had as a Witness in the worst of times) 2 Chron. 28. 9, to 16. so mightily did the Word of God work upon this armed Army, that they shewed a great work of mercy to their distressed Brethren, &c. though they had but one Prophet to press them to it in so great an Host. And as God had his seven thousand of people in Ahabs time, 1 Kin. 19. 18. so he had great multitudes in Ho∣sea's time (their last King) out of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, Zebulon, and Asher, who humbled themselves under the sight and sense of their sins, and came to Jerusalem at Heze∣kiahs Proclamation to keep the Passover, ac∣cording to the Word of the Lord, 2 Chron. 30. 1, 6, 11, 13, 18. though some jeered (showing themselves ready ripe for ruine in their last Kings time) yet many others fear∣ed, v. 10, 11. And though those which came out of the ten Tribes (out of the fear of God) were ignorant of due preparation, (having been long without God, Law, and Teaching Priest, 2 Chro. 19. 3.) came rudely and irreverently to the Passover (and proba∣bly

smarted for it, as 1 Cor. 11. 30. Matth. 22. 12, 13.) yet at Hezekiahs godly Prayer for them, God Healed them and accepted their Service, v. 18, 19, 20. Yea, and Gods Pitty was such to his Covenanted people, that the Old Stile and Title [The Lord God of Israel] is kept up even by Abijam, 2 Chron. 13. 5. and such was Gods Respect to Israel under the Revolt, that he sent sometimes Saviours to them, as 2 Kin. 13. 5. Obad. 21. Neh. 9. 27. All which doth plainly Demonstrate Gods Care of his Church even in the worst of times, let the Devil and his Imps do all they can: And though there hath been such a Revolt from the Ture Christian-Religion by the Pa∣pacy, as this of the Ten Tribes from the Tem∣ple-Worship, (the Foundation whereof was laid in Blood, to wit, the Blood of Adoram, 1 Kin. 12. 18. as that of the Romish-Revolt much more.) Yet the Lord secureth his own Interest, Rev. 12. 6, 14. Maugre the Malice of Men and Devils, both in Witnesses and Peo∣ple, as I have shown at large in my Discovery of Antichrist. Moreover (3ly.) at the End of this Revolting Kingdom, when God had cast the Ten Tribes out of Canaan, because they had cast him off and his good Laws; yet God had respect (1) to the very Land out of which they were cast; for when the King of Assyria had Conquered Samaria and the Cities of the Ten Tribes, which he carried Captive into

his own Countrey, and had Planted his Co∣lonies of mixt People in their place, The Lord sent Lyons among them, which Slew some of them, 2 Kin. 17. 25. because those New-Planters (as themselves say) knew not the manner of the God of the Land, v. 26. foolishly thinking, that each Land had its proper God: Indeed the Land of Israel had another God than the Gods (or Idols) of those Lands from whence they came; it was a Land which Jehovah had Chosen as an Habitation for himself, and saith, The Land is mine, Levit. 25. 25. Hence it is called the Lords Land, Hos. 9. 3. and Immanu∣els Land, Isa. 8. 8. and by their Seventh-Year Sabbath, they Acknowledged that their Land belonged to God, and that they were onely Gods Tenants and Tythe-men: now seeing those Assyrians that came into Canaan in Is∣raels Room, made no such Acknowledgment, nor Own'd him in a Land which the True God was pleased to Own, therefore he sent this Judgement of the Lyons upon them, to let them know that the God of this Land had all Creatures (even the most Ravenous) at His Command wherewith to be Avenged for their not-Fearing him. Thus, it appears, God did not Hate the Ground (as some say) that Israel trode upon, though they were Revolters. 2ly. God had Respect to themselves much more, (if so much to their Land,) so that they were (in a sort) Ammi, while they were Lo-Ammi; and

Ruhamah, while they were Lo-Ruhamah, Hos. 1. 6. Yea, when the name Israel was too good and too Honourable a name for them, but they must be called Jezreel, that is, a People devoted to Dispersion, v. 4. and such as God would scatter into the four Winds of Hea∣ven, [Zerang,] as the Seeds-man scatters his Seed, so that the Ten Tribes never return'd out of Captivity; yet (sure I am) neither the Devil got all, nor God lost all, for God did not lose Israel, but onely laid them up in an Unknown Sepulchre with his own Hands, (as he had done their Mediator Moses,) in sure and certain Hope of a Resurrection: God did not cast off his People for ever, 1 Kin. 11. 39. Though the dry Bones of Israel lye in Babylon, &c. as in a Sepulchre, and were (as it were) Buryed Alive at their final Abdication, yet the Lord Promises, These Graves shall be o∣pened. This is spoken over and over again, Ezek. 37. 11, 12, 13, 14. to the whole House of Israel, the Lord saith, Behold, Oh my People. God owneth them still, though they little de∣serv'd it. This is Alledged as an Allay to those Dreadful Desolations; so loath is the Sun of Righteousness to sett under a Cloud, that in the midst of Judgement he remembers Mercy, Hab. 3. 2. Thus while the Lord wrote Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, and Lo-Ammi upon Israel: In the Invasion made by Tiglath-Pilneser upon the Tribes beyond Jordan, 2 Kin. 15. 29. 1 Chro.

5. 6. and by Salmaneser upon the rest of the Ten Tribes on this side Jordan: Yet behold how graciously God comes off in that Direful Sentence; Yet the Number of the Children of Israel shall be as the Sand of the Sea that cannot be Numbred; and where it was said, Ye are not my People, there it shall be said, Ye are the Sons of the Living God, Hos. 1. 4, 6, 9, 10. to shew Gods great care of his Church, and of his Promise to Abraham, even when he seems to have Utterly Abandon'd them: The same Graciousness that had sent Prophets to them all along their Revolt, and a Promise of the Messiah at the same time their Rejection was foretold, Isa. 7. 8. (within 65 Y. of its com∣ming to pass,) That the Lord would not quite cast off the House of David, till a Virgin have born a Son, and he to be God in our Nature, v. 14. and this Son to be Born in Bethelem, One that should tread down all the Churches E∣nemies, and be her Peace, &c. Micah 5. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. yet would be War to the Assyrians in sending Lyons among them, (as before,) all which doth show, That this Antient People (of the Ten Tribes) are not altogether Aban∣don'd and Abolish'd, but God reserves this Honour for them, to Vouchsafe them a Call to the Participation of Christ, (but more of that in New-Testament-times.) Ezek. 37. 16, 19. Jer. 3. 12, 13. &c. Isa. 11. 12, 13. Obad. 20. Rom. 11. 15, 26.