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ways barren and desert, wanting manual arts whereby to supply the naturals with furniture; neither are these bands named as chief in that action, but rather adherents of the Philistines. Out of this we may infer, that one half, yea, or one quarter of the numbers found in the least muster of Judah and Benjamin under Jehoshaphat, (wherein were enrolled three hundred and eighty thousand fighting men,) had been enough to have driven away far greater forces than these enemies are likely to have brought into the field, had not the people been unable to deal with them for lack of weapons, which were now kept from them by their prince's jealousy, as in Saul's time by the policy of the Philistines.

It may seem, that the house of the king, which these invaders took, was not his palace in Jerusalem, but rather some other house of his abroad in the country, where his wives and children at that time lay for their recreation; because we read not, that they did sack the city, or spoil the temple, which would have invited them as a more commodious booty, had they got possession thereof. Yet perhaps they took Jerusalem itself by surprise, the people being disarmed, and the king's guards too weak to keep them out; yet had not the courage to hold it, because it was so large and populous; and therefore, having done what spoil they could, withdrew themselves with such purchase as they were able safely to convey away.

The slaughter committed by Jehu upon the two and forty brethren of Ahaziah, or, (as they are called elsewhere,) so many of his brother's sons, and the cruel massacre, wherein all the royal seed perished, only Joash excepted, under the tyranny of Athaliah, following within two years after this invasion of the Philistines and Arabians, make it seem probable, that the sons of Jehoram were not all slain at once, but that rather the first murder began in his own time, and was seconded by many other heavy blows,

wherewith his house was incessantly stricken, until it was in a manner quite hewed down.

After these calamities, the hand of God was extended against the body of this wicked king, smiting him with a grievous disease in his bowels, which left him not until his guts fell out, and his wretched soul departed from his miserable carcase. The people of the land, as they had small cause of comfort in his life, so had they not the good manners to pretend sorrow for his death; wherefore he was denied a place of burial among his ancestors the kings of Judah, though his own son succeeded him in the kingdom, who was guided by the same spirits that had been his father's evil angels. Athaliah had other matters to trouble her head, than the pompous interring of a dead husband. She was thinking how to provide for the future, to maintain her own greatness, to retain her favourites in their authority, and to place about her son, such counsellors of the house of Ahab"," as were fittest for her turn. Wherefore she thought it unreasonable to make much ado about a thing of nothing, and offend the people's eyes with a stately funeral of a man by them detested, but rather chose to let the blame of things passed be laid upon the dead, than to procure an ill opinion of herself and hers, which it now did concern her to avoid. Such is the quality of wicked instigators, having made greedy use of bad employments, to charge, not only with his own vices, but with their faults also, the man whose evil inclinations their sinister counsels have made worse, when once he is gone, and can profit them no longer. The death of Jehoram fell out, indeed, in a busy time; when his friend and cousin the Israelite, who had the same name, was entangled in a difficult war against the Aramite; and therefore could have no better leisure to help Athaliah, in setting of things according to her own mind, than he had, (perhaps through the same hindrance,) to help

3 2 Chron. xxii. 4.

her husband when he was distressed by the Philistines; yea rather, he needed and craved the assistance of the men of Judah, for the taking in of Ramoth-Gilead, where they had not sped so well the last time, that they should willingly run thither again, unless they were very fairly entreated.

The acts of this wicked man I have thought good to handle the more particularly, (pursuing the examination of all occurrences, as far as the circumstances, remembered in holy scripture, would guide me by their directions,) to the end that it might more plainly appear, how the corrupted affections of men, impugning the revealed will of God, accomplish, nevertheless, his hidden purpose, and, without miraculous means, confound themselves in the seeming wise devices of their own folly; as likewise to the end that all men might learn to submit their judgments to the ordinance of God, rather than to think that they may safely dispense with his commandments, and follow the prudent conceits which worldly wisdom dictateth unto them. For in such kind of unhappy subtleties, it is manifest that Athaliah was able to furnish both her husband and son; but the issue of them partly hath appeared already, and partly will appear in that which immediately followeth.

SECT. V.

Of the reign of Ahaziah, and his business with the king of Israel.

Ochazias, or Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram and Athaliah, began his reign over Judah, in the twelfth year of Jehoram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, and reigned but one year. Touching his age, it is a point of much more difficulty than importance to know it; yet hath it bred much disputation, whereof I see no more probable conclusion, than that of Torniellus, alleging the edition of the Septuagint at Rome, Anno Domini 1588, which saith that

he was twenty years old in the beginning of his kingdom, and the annotations thereupon, which cite other copies, that give him two years more. Like enough he is to have been young; for he was governed by his mother and her ministers, who gave him counsel by which he perished. In matter of religion, he altered none of his father's courses. In matter of state, he likewise upheld the league made with the house of Ahab. He was much busied in doing little, and that with ill success. He accompanied his cousin the Israelite against Ramoth-Gilead, which they won, but not without blows; for the Aramites fought so well, that the king of Israel was fain to adventure his own person, which escaped not unwounded..

The town being won, was manned strongly, in expectation of some attempt likely to be made by Hazael, king of Aram; which done, Jehoram, king of Israel, withdrew himself to the city of Jezreel, where with more quiet he might attend the curing of his wounds; and Ahaziah returned to Jerusalem. It seems that he was but newly come home, (for he reigned in all scantily one year, whereof the former expedition, with the preparations for it, had taken up a great part,) when he made a new journey, as it were for good manners' sake, to visit the king of Israel, who lay sore of his wounds. Belike Athaliah was brewing some new plots, which his presence would have hindered, and therefore sought every occasion to thrust him abroad; for otherwise it was but a vain piece of work so to leave his kingdom, having no other business than, by way of compliment, to go to see one whom he had seen yesterday. Certain it is, that the Lord had resolved at this time, to put in execution that heavy judgment which he had laid, by the mouth of Elias the prophet, upon the house of Ahab. And hereunto at this time had he disposed, not only the concurrence of all other things which in man's eyes might seem to have been accidental; but the very thoughts and affections of such persons,

as intended nothing less than the fulfilling of his high pleasure. Of these Athaliah doubtless was one; whose mischievous purposes, it will shortly be needful, for explanation of some difficulties arising, that we diligently consider and examine.

SECT. VI.

How Ahaziah perished with the house of Ahab: and how that family was destroyed by Jehu.

THE whole army of Israel, with all the principal captains lying in Ramoth-Gilead, a disciple of Elizeus the prophet, came in among the captains that were sitting together, who calling out from among them Jehu, a principal man, took him apart, and anointed him king over Israel; rehearsing unto him the prophecy of Elias against the house of Ahab, and letting him understand that it was the pleasure of God to make him executioner of that sentence. The fashion of the messenger was such as bred in the captains a desire to know his errand, which Jehu thought meet to let them know, as doubting whether they had overheard all the talk or no. When he had acquainted them with the whole matter, they made no delay, but forthwith proclaimed him king: for the prophecy of Elias was well known among them; neither durst any one oppose himself against him that was by God ordained to perform it.

Jehu, who had upon the sudden this great honour thrown upon him, was not slow to put himself in possession of it, but used the first heat of their affections who joined with him, in setting on foot the business which nearly concerned him, and was not to be foreslowed, being no more his own than God's. The first care taken was, that no news of the revolt might be carried to Jezreel, whereby the king might have had warning either to fight or flee: this being foreseen, he marched swiftly away to take the court while it was yet secure. King Jehoram was

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