cause they suffered Sodomites in the land. Jeroboam was punished in himself and his posterity for the golden calves that he erected. Joram had all his sons slain by the Philistines, and his very bowels torn out of his body by an excoriating flux for murdering his brethren. Ahab and Jezabel were slain, the blood of the one, the body of the other eaten with dogs, for the false accusing and killing of Naboth. So also hath God punished the same and the like sins in all after-times, and in these our days, by the same famine, plagues, war, loss, vexation, death, sickness, and calamities, howsoever the wise men of the world raise these effects no higher than to second causes, and such other accidents; which, as being next their eyes and ears, seem to them to work every alteration that happeneth.

SECT. IV.

Of Asa and his contemporaries.

TO Abijah succeeded Asa, who enjoyed peace for his first ten years, in which time he established the church of God, b breaking down the altars dedicated to strange gods, with their images, cutting down their groves, and taking away their high places. He also spared not his own mother, who was an idolatress, but deposing her from her regency, brake her idol, stampt it, and burnt it.

He also fortified many cities and other places, providing (as provident kings do) for the troubles of war in the leisure of peace. For not long after, he was invaded by Zerah, who then commanded all the Arabians bordering Judæa, and with such a multitude entered the territory of Asa, as (for any thing that I have read) were never assembled of that nation either before or since. For it is written, that there came against the Judæans dZerah of Ethiopia, with an host of ten hundred thousand, and three hundred chariots, which Asa encountered with an army of five hundred and fourscore thousand, levied out of those two tribes of Juda and Benjamin which obeyed him, and with which he

b 2 Chron. xiv.

c 2 Chron. xv. 16.

d 2 Chron. xiv. 9.

overthrew this fearful multitude, and had the spoil both of their cities and camp.

That this Zerah was not an Ethiopian I have e proved already, and were it but the length between Ethiopia and Judæa, and the strong flourishing regions of Egypt interjacent, (who would not suffer a million of strangers to pass through them,) it were sufficient to make it appear how foolish the opinion is, that these invaders were Ethiopians. But in that the scriptures acknowledge that Gerar was belonging to Zerah, and the cities thereabouts were spoiled by the Judæans in following their victory, as places belonging to Zerah, and that all men know that Gerar standeth upon the torrent of Besor, which David passed over when he surprised the Amalekites, or Arabians, this proveth sufficiently that Zerah was leader of the Arabians, and that f Gerar was a frontier town standing on the uttermost south border of all Judæa, from all parts of Ethiopia six hundred miles. Also the spoils which Asa took, as the cattle, camels, and sheep, whereof he sacrificed five thousand, shew them to be Arabians adjoining, and not far off, and not unknown to the Ethiopians. And if it be objected, that these desert countries can hardly yield a million of men fit for the wars, I answer, that it is as like that Arabia Petræa and the desert, which compass two parts of the Holy Land, should yield ten hundred thousand, as that two tribes of the twelve should arm five hundred and fourscore thousand. Besides, it answereth to the promise of God to Abraham, that these nations should exceed in number; for God spake it of Ismael, that he would make him fruitful, and multiply him exceedingly, that he should beget twelve princes, &c.

5 Baasha, a king of Israel, began to reign in the third of Asa, and fearing the greatness of Asa after his great victory, entertained Benhadad king of Syria, of the race of Adadezer, to join with him against Asa; and to the end to block him up, he fortified Rama, which lieth in the way from Jerusalem towards Samaria.

In the former book, ch. 4. sect. 14. item, ch. 8. sect. 10. §. 6.

f 2 Chron. xiv.
82 Chron. xvi. 1.

This war began, according to the letter of the scriptures, in the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign; but because in 1 Kings xvi. it is said that Baasha died in the twenty-sixth year of Asa, therefore could not Baasha begin this war in the thirty-fifth of Asa's reign, but in the thirty-fifth year of the division of Juda and Israel; for so many years it was from the first of Rehoboam, who reigned seventeen years, to the sixteenth of Asa. It may seem strange, that Asa being able to bring into the field an army of five hundred and fourscore thousand good soldiers, did not easily drive away Baasha, and defeat him of his purposes, the victories of Abia against Jeroboam, and of Asa himself against Zerah being yet fresh in mind, which might well have emboldened the men of Juda, and as much disheartened the enemies. Questionless there were some important circumstances omitted in the text, which caused Asa to fight at this time with money. It may be, that the employment of so many hundred thousands of hands in the late service against Zerah, had caused many men's private businesses to lie undespatched, whereby the people, being now intentive to the culture of their lands, and other trades, might be unwilling to stir against the Israelites, choosing rather to wink at apparent inconvenience, which the building of Rama would bring upon them in after-times. Such backwardness of the

people might have deterred Asa from adventuring himself with the least part of his forces, and committing the success into the hands of God. Howsoever it were, he took the treasures remaining in the temple, with which he waged Benhadad the Syrian against Baasha, whose employments Benhadad readily accepted, and brake off confederacy with Baasha. For the Israelites were his borderers and next neighbours, whom neither himself (after his invasion) nor his successors after him ever gave over till they had made themselves masters of that kingdom. So h Benhadad being now entered into Nephthalim without resistance, he spoiled divers principal cities thereof, and enforced i Baasha to quit Ramah, and to leave the same to Asa with all the materials h 2 Chron. xvi. 4. i I Kings xv.

which he had brought thither to fortify the same; which done, Benhadad, who loved neither party, being loaden with the spoils of Israel and the treasures of Juda, returned to Damascus. After this, when Hanani the prophet reprehended Asa in that he now relied on the strength of Syria, and did not rest himself on the favour and assistance of God, he not only caused Hanani to be imprisoned, but he began to burden and oppress his people, and was therefore stricken with the grievous pains of the gout in his feet, wherewith after he had been two years continually tormented, he gave up the ghost when he had reigned fortyone years.

There lived with Asa, Agesilaus the sixth of the Heraclidæ, and Bacis the fifth king of the same race in Corinth, of whom his successors were afterwards called Bacidæ. Astartus and Astarimus were kings in Tyre. Astarimus took revenge on his brother Phelletes, for the murder of Ithobalus, priest of the goddess Astarta, whom Salomon in dotage worshipped. Atys and Capys ruled the Latins: Pyrithiades and Ophrateus the Assyrians: Tersippus and Phorbas the Athenians: Chemmis reigned in Egypt; who dying in the thirty-sixth year of Asa, left Cheops his successor that reigned fifty-six years, even to the sixteenth of

Joas.

SECT. V.

Of the great alteration falling out in the ten tribes during the reign

of Asa.

IN the reign of Asa the kingdom of Israel felt great and violent commotions, which might have reduced the ten tribes unto their former allegiance to the house of David, if the wisdom of God had not otherwise determined. The wickedness of Jeroboam had, in his latter days, the sentence of heavy vengeance laid upon it by the mouth of Ahia, the same prophet which had foretold the division of Israel, for the sin of Salomon, and his reign over the ten tribes. One son Jeroboam had, among others, in whom only God found so much piety, as (though it sufficed not to withhold his

k2 Chron. xvi.

1 Euseb. in Chron.

wrath from that family) it procured unto him a peaceable end; an honourable testimony of the people's love, by their general mourning and lamentation at his death, and (wherein he was most happy) the favourable approbation of God himself.

After the loss of this good son, the ungodly father was soon taken away: a miserable creature, so conscious of his vile unthankfulness to God, that he durst not suffer his own name to be used in consulting with an holy prophet, assured of the ruin hanging over him and his, yea, of God's extreme hatred; yet forbearing to destroy those accursed idols that wrought his confusion. So loath he was to forsake his worldly wisdom, when the world was ready to forsake him and all belonging to him, his hateful memory excepted.

Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, reigned in the second and third years of Asa, which are reckoned as two years, though indeed his father's last year of two and twenty did run along (how far is uncertain) with the second of m Asa, whose third year was the first of Baasha; so that perhaps this Nadab enjoyed not his kingdom one whole year. He did not alter his father's courses, neither did God alter his sentence. It seems that he little feared the judgments denounced against his father's house; for as a prince that was secure of his own estate, he armed all Israel against the Philistines, and besieged one of their towns. There (whether it were so, that the people were offended with his ill success, and recalled to mind their grievous loss of five hundred thousand under Jeroboam, counting it an unlucky family to the nation; or whether by some particular indiscretion he exasperated them) slain he was by Baasha, whom the army did willingly accept for king in his stead. Baasha was no sooner proclaimed king, than he began to take order with the house of Jeroboam, that none of them might molest him, putting all of them, without mercy, to the sword. That he did this for private respects, and not in regard of God's will to have it so, it is evident, by his continuing in the same form of idolatry which Jeroboam had begun.

in 1 Kings xv. 25.