A85436:39
The great interest of states & kingdoms. A sermon preached before the Honourable House…The great interest of states & kingdomes. A sermon preached before the Honorable House…
The great interest of states & kingdoms. A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their late solemn fast, Feb. 25. 1645. / By Tho: Goodwin, B.D. one of the Assembly of Divines.The great interest of states & kingdomes. A sermon preached before the Honorable House of Commons, at their late solemne fast, Feb. 25. 1645. / By Tho: Goodwin, B.D. one of the Assembly of Divines.
London: printed for R. Dawlman, 1646
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
To let pass those petty Kings of Canaan,1 overcome by Moses and Joshua, let us come next to Assyria, which together with Babylon is reckoned the first great Monarchy. The beginning of the Assyrian Monarchy being from Babylon, Gen. 10. 10. and the Kingdom returning again to Babel, both are justly reckoned but one, though in their several revolutions they were distinct. This Monarchy in the Infancy of it, Abraham had to do with, and as you heard, overcame the King thereof: Egypts King was also reproved for their sakes, and Persia, and two Kings more: God ordering it, that the Father and representer of the faithful should reprove and chastise those Kings, whom his seed should after ruin. ⟨p. 14⟩How the people of God were oppressed, first by the Assyrian kings, and then by the Babylonians, the story of the Kings and Chronicles do show: The Assyrian often oppressing them, and at last carrying the ten Tribes captive, as Babylon did the other two. Now to make short work of both, you shall find one Scripture, Jer. 50. where you shall see them both put together in their ruin, and the ruin of both put upon this, their oppression of the people of God. I mention that Scripture only, because it summarily contains the whole: ver. 17. says God, Israel is a scattered sheep, the Lions have driven him away: they were a scattered people: or as Junius and Piscator hath it, they were parva pecus, a little flock, few, and very small, in comparison of the Nations, as the Psalmist hath it here: and the Lions drave them away. Who were these Lions? First, saith he, the King of Assyria hath devoured him, he seized as it were on the flesh,2 (Pull, Tiglath Pileser, and Salmanazar, oppressing and captivating them, 2 Kings 15.) and last This Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babylon, (he speaks of him with scorn and indignation, This Nebuchadnezzar) hath broken the bones: And because that he came last, and took away all, as a sweeping rain, therefore his anger riseth most against him, Ver. 18. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Behold, I will punish the King of Babylon and his Land, as I punished the King of Assyria.