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us to think, that Athaliah, when she saw the princes of the royal blood, all of them in a manner slain by her husband, and afterwards his own children destroyed by the Philistines, began even then to play her own game, reducing, by artificial practice, into fair likelihoods, those possibilities wherewith her husband's bad fortune had presented her. Not without great shew of reason, either by her own mouth, or by some trusty creature of her's, might she give him to understand, how needful it were to take the best order whilst as yet he might, for fear of the worst that might happen. If the issue of David, which now remained only in his family, should by any accident fail, (as woeful experience had already shewn what might after come to pass,) the people of Judah were not unlikely to choose a king of some new stock,-a popular seditious man peradventure, one that, to countenance his own unworthiness, would not care what aspersions he laid upon that royal house, which was fallen down. And who could assure him, that some ambitious spirit, foreseeing what might be gotten thereby, did not already contrive the destruction of him, and all his seed? Wherefore it were the wisest way to design by his authority, not only his successor, but also the reversioner, and so to provide, that the crown might never be subject to any rifling, but remain in the disposition of them that loved him best, if, the worst that might be feared coming to pass, his own posterity could not retain it.

Such persuasions being urged, and earnestly followed by the importunate solicitation of her that governed his affections, were able to make the jealous tyrant think, that the only way to frustrate all devices of such as gaped after a change, was to make her heir the last and youngest of his house, whom it most concerned, as being the queen-mother, to uphold the first and eldest.

If Athaliah took no such course as this in her hus

band's time, yet she might do it in her son's. For Ahaziah, (besides that he was wholly ruled by his mother,) was not likely to take much care for the security of his half-brethren, or their children; as accounting his father's other wives, in respect of his own born-mother, little better than concubines, and their children basely begotten. But if this mischie vous woman forgot herself so far in her wicked policy, that she lost all opportunity, which the weakness of her husband and son did afford, of procuring unto herself some seeming title; yet could she afterwards feign some such matter, as boldly she might; being sure that none would ask to see her evidence, for fear of being sent to learn the certainty of her son or husband in another world. But I rather think that she took order for her affairs before-hand. For though she had no reason to suspect or fear the sudden death of her son, yet it was the wisest way to provide betimes against all that might happen, whilst her husband's issue by other women was young and able to resist. We plainly find that the brethren or nephews of Ahaziah, to the number of two and forty, were sent to the court of Israel, only to salute the children of the king, and the children of the queen. The slender occasion of which long journey considered, together with the quality of these persons, (being in effect all the stock of Jehoram that could be grown to any strength,) makes it very suspicious that their entertainment in Jezebel's house would only have been more formal, but little differing in substance, from that which they found at the hand of Jehu. He that looks into the courses held both before and after by these two queens, will find cause enough to think no less.

Of such as have aspired unto lordships not belonging to them, and thrust out the right heirs by pretence of testaments, that had no other validity than the sword of such as claimed by them could give, histories of late, yea of many ages, afford plentiful examples;

and the rule of Solomon is true: Is there any thing whereof one may say, behold, this is new?— 'It hath been already in the old time that was be'fore us. That a king might shed his brother's blood, was proved by Solomon upon Adonijah; that he might alienate the crown from his natu ral heirs, David had given proof; but these had good ground of their doings. They which follow examples which please them, will neglect the reasons of those examples if they please them not, and rest contented with the practice, as more willingly shewing what they may do, than acknowledging why Solomon slew his brother that had begun one rebellion, and was entering into another. 'Jehoram slew all his brethren, which were better than he'.' David purchased the kingdom, and might the more freely dispose of it, yet he disposed of it as the Lord appointed. If Jehoram, who had lost much and gotten nothing, thought that he might alienate the remainder at his pleasure; or if Ahaziah sought to cut off the succession of his brethren, or of their issue,― either of these was to be answered with the words which Jehoiada the priest used afterwards, in declaring the title of Joash: Behold, the king's son must reign; as the Lord hath said of the sons of Da'vid.' Wherefore, though I hold it very probable, that Athaliah did pretend some title, whatsoever it might be, to the crown of Judah, yet it is most certain that she had thereunto no right at all, but only got it by treachery, murder, and open violence; and so she held it six whole years, and a part of the seventh, in good seeming security.

SECT. II.

How Jehu spent his time in Israel, so that he could

not molest Athaliah.

In all this time Jehu did never go about to disturb her; which, in reason he was likely to desire,

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being any enemy to her whole house. But he was occupied at the first in establishing himself, rooting out the posterity of Ahab, and reforming somewhat in religion; afterwards in wars against the Aramite, wherein he was so far overcharged, that hardly he could retain his own, much less attempt upon others. Of the line of Ahab there were seventy living in Samaria, out of which number Jehu, by letter, advised the citizens to set up some one as king, and to prepare themselves to fight in his defence. Hereby might they gather how confident he was, which they well understood to proceed from greater power about him than they could gather to resist him. Wherefore they took example by the two kings whom he had slain, and being exceedingly afraid of him, they offered him their service; wherein they so readily shewed themselves obedient, that in less than one day's warning, they sent him the heads of all those princes, as they were enjoined by a second letter from him. After this, he surprised all the priests of Baal by a subtlety, feigning a great sacrifice to their god, by which means he drew them altogether into one temple, where he slew them; and, in the same zeal to God, utterly demolished all the monuments of that impiety.

Concerning the idolatry devised by Jeroboam, no king of Israel had ever greater reason than Jehu to destroy it. For he needed not to fear lest the people should be allured unto the house of David; it was (in appearance) quite rooted up, and the crown of Judah in the possession of a cruel tyranness; he had received his kingdom by the unexpected grace of God; and further, in regard of his zeal expressed in destroying Baal out of Israel, he was promised, notwithstanding his following the sin of Jeroboam, that the kingdom should remain in his family to the fourth generation. But all this would not serve; he would needs help to piece out God's providence with

his own circumspection; doing therein like a foolish greedy gamester, who, by stealing a needless card to assure himself of winning a stake, forfeits his whole test. He had questionless displeased many, by that which he did against Baal; and many more he should offend by taking from them the use of a superstition so long practised as was that idolatry of Jeroboam. Yet all these, how many soever they were, had never once thought upon making him king, if God, whom (to retain them) he now forsook, had not given him the crown, when more difficulties appeared in the way of getting it than could at any time after be found in the means of holding it.

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This ingratitude of Jehu drew terrible vengeance of God upon Israel, whereof Hazael king of Damascus was the executioner. The cruelty of this barbarous prince we may find in the prophecy of Elizeus, who foretold it, saying: Their strong cities shalt thou set on fire; and their young men shalt thou slay with the sword, and shalt dash their infants against the stones, and rend in pieces their women " with child." So did not only the wickedness of Ahab cause the ruin of his whole house, but the obstinate idolatry of the people bring a lamentable misery upon all the land. For the fury of Hazael's victory was not quenched with the destruction of a few towns, nor wearied with one invasion; but he smote them in all the coasts of Israel," and wasted all the country beyond the river of Jordan. Notwithstanding all these calamities, it seems that the people repented not of their idolatry, (' for in those days the Lord began to loath Israel' ;) but rather it is likely, that they bemoaned the noble house of Ahab, under which they had beaten those enemies to whom they were now a prey, and had bravely fought for the conquest of Syria, where they had enlarged their border, by winning Ramoth-Gilead, and compelled Benhadad to restore the cities which his father had 2 2 Kings x. 32.

1 2 Kings viii. 12.

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