A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

XVIII. God's remarkably preserving the tribe of which Christ was to proceed, […] being ruined through the many and great dangers of this period. The visible church of Christ from Solomon's reign, was mainly in the tribe of Judah. The tribe of Benjamin, that was annexed to them, was but a very small tribe, and the tribe of Judah exceeding large; and as Judah took Benjamin under his covert when he went into Egypt to bring corn, so the tribe of Benjamin seemed to be under the covert of Judah ever after: and though▪ on occasion of Jeroboam's setting up the calves at Bethel and Dan, the Levites resorted to Judah out of all the tribes of Israel, (2 Chron xi.13.); yet they were also small, and not reckoned among the tribes: and though many of the ten tribes did also on that occasion, for the sake of the worship of God in the temple, leave their inheritances in their several tribes, and removed and settled in Judah, and so were incorporated with them, as we have account in the chapter just quoted, and 16th verse; yet the tribe of Judah was so much the prevailing part, that they were called by one name, they were called Judah ▪ therefore God said to Solomon, 1 Kings xi.13. "I will not re•d away all the kingdom: but will give one […] to thy son, for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, which I have chosen," and so ver. 32.36. So when the ten tribes were carried captive, it is said, there was none left but the tribe of Judah only: 2 Kings xvii.18 "Therefore the Lord was very wroth with Israel, and removed them out of his sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah only" Whence they were all called Jews, which i• a word that comes from Judah.

XVIII. God's remarkably preserving the tribe of which Christ was to proceed, 〈…〉 being ruined through the many and great dangers of this perio•. The visible church of Christ from Solomon's reign, was mainly in the tribe of Judah. The tribe of Benjamin, that was annexed to them, was but a very small tribe, and the tribe of Judah exceeding large; and as Judah took Benjamin under his covert when he went into Egypt to bring corn, so the tribe of Benjamin seemed to be under the covert of Judah ever after: and though on occasion of Jeroboam's setting up the calves at Bethel and Dan, the Levites resorted to Judah out of all the tribes of Israel, (