fpeak nothing, I fay, of Egypt, the great Empires of Nineveh and Babylon furnish a thoufand Proofs of what I here advance.

THEIR moft puiffant Kings, Tiglath-PeLafar, Salmanafar, Sennacherib, Nabuchadonofor, and feveral more were in the Hands of God as fo many Inftruments which he made Use of to punish the Prevarications of fa 5. 26. his People: He lifted up an Ensign to the Nations from far, and hifs'd unto them from the End of the Earth, to come and receive his Idem. c. Orders: He himself put the Sword into their 50.28.13 Hands: He appointed their daily Marches: He fill'd their Soldiers with Courage, rendered their Armies indefatigable and invincible, whilft Terror and Confternation march'd before them.

4.

THE Rapidity of their Conquefts might have given them fome Intimation of the invifible Hand by which they were conducted. Sennachar. But, fays one of 'em in the Name of all the Edem, c. reft, 66 By the Strength of my Hand I have o. v. 13, done it, and by my Wisdom; for I am pru"dent: And I have remov'd the Names of "the People, and have robbed their Trea"furies, and I have put down the Inhabiσε tants like a valiant Man. And my Hand "hath found as a Neft the Riches of thePeo"ple: And as one gathereth Eggs that are "left, have I gathered all the Earth, and "there was none that mov'd the Wing, or 66 open'd the Mouth, or peeped."

4

BUT what was this Prince, fo great and fo wife in his own Eyes, what was he in the Eyes of God? A Subaltern Officer, a Servant

fent

V. 7.

fent upon his Master's Errand; the Rod of Ibid. v. s. bis Anger, and the Staff in his Hand. It was God's Intention to correct, not to extirpate his Children. But Sennacharib had it in his Heart to deftroy and cut off Nations. And what will be the Iffue of this Sort of Contest between the Designs of God and those of this Prince? When he believ'd himself already Master of Jerufalem, the Lord with V. II. one Blaft diffipated his proud Thoughts, flew a hundred fourfcore and five thousand of his Men in one Night; and with a Hook in his 2 Kings Nofe, and a Bridle in his Lips, as if he had 19. 35. been leading fome wild Beaft, he fent him back to his own Dominions all cover'd with Infamy, through the very Nations which had fo lately feen him marching against Jerufalem, in all the Pomp and Infolence of his Power.

V. 28.

NABUCHODO NOSO R, King of Ba- Nabucho bylon, appears still a more visible Inftance of a donofor. Prince govern'd by a Providence of which he is ignorant, but which prefides in his Councils, and determines his whole Conduct.

ARRIV'D with his Army at the Head of Ezech.21, the two Ways, one leading to Jerufalem, and 19, 21. one to Rabbah the Capital of the Ammonites, this Prince, irrefolute and fluctuating in his Counfels, deliberates which Way he shall take, and commits his Choice to the Determination of a Lot. God makes it fall upon Jerufalem, thus to accomplish his Menaces against that City, which were to deftroy it, to burn its Temple, and lead its Inhabitants Cap

tive.

REASONS

Idem, c.

28.

REASONS Of Policy, abftracted from divine 20, 27, Neceffity, feem'd to engage him rather in the Siege of Tyrus, not to leave behind him fo powerful and well fortify'd a City; but the Siege of that Place was determin'd by a fuperior Will. God defign'd on the one hand to chastise the Pride of Ithobal her King, who believing himself more inlighten'd than Daniel, fam'd over all the Eaft, and afcribing fingly to his own uncommon Wisdom the Extent of his Dominion, and the Grandeur of his Wealth, perfuaded himself that he was 28. v. 2. a God, and fat in the Seat of God: On the other, he was refolv'd likewise to punish the Luxury, the Riot, the Arrogance of those infolent Merchants, who regarded themselves as Lords of the Sea, and Mafters of Kings themselves; but above all, the inhuman Joy of Tyrus, which fuggefted to her, that her own Grandeur rofe upon the Ruins of Jerufalem, her Competitor for Wealth and Glory. Thefe were the Motives which determin'd God to conduct Nabuchodonofor to Tyrus, in Execution of his own Orders, tho' that Prince knew it not.

Idem, c.

20.

To recompenfe this Prince, who now 28-18, fought under God, for the Services done by him in taking of Tyrus, and to make him Amends for the Lofs of fo many Forces as a This is af Siege of thirteen Years had coft, "I will, faid terwards God, give the Land of Egypt unto Nabuchodonofor King of Babylon, and he shall Pages 104," take her Multitude, and take her Spoil, and 105, 106.❝ take her Prey, and it fhall be the Wages for "his Army."

enlarg'd

upon in

66

THE

V. 17.

THE fame Nabuchodonofor, paffionately de- Dan. c. 4 firous to immortalife his Name by every pof fible Way, was for adding to the Glory of Conqueft that of Magnificence, by embellishing his Capital with ftately Buildings, and the most expenfive Ornaments. But whilst a flattering Court, enrich'd by his Bounties, and crown'd with Honours, was paying him its fervile Adorations, an Auguft Senate of Guardian Spirits which weigh in the Balance of Truth the Actions of Princes, and pronounce the irrevocable Sentence of their Fate, fat in Council. The King of Babylon was cited before this Tribunal of the Sovereign Judge, who joins to a Vigilance which nothing escapes, a Holiness which fuffers no Disorder. Here his Actions, which the publick Voice fo applauded, were canvass'd with Rigour, and the very Bottom of his Heart was laid open to discover his moft retir'd Thoughts. Where will be the End of this formidable Inquiry? In the very Moment that Nabuchodonofor, walking in his Palace, and pleasing himself with the Ideas of his great Exploits, and of his prefent Grandeur and Magnificence, faid within himself, Is not this great v. 30. Babylon that I have built for the House of the Kingdom by the Might of my Power, and for the Honour of my Majefty? In this critical Moment of the flattering Ideas of his Power, and Empire, held independent of God, whofe Place he ufurp'd, a Voice from Heaven pronounc'd his Sentence, and declar'd to him, that his Kingdom was departed from v. 31, 32. him, that he should be drawn from Men, and

Cyrus.

his Dwelling be with the Beasts of the Field, until he knew that the most High ruled in the Kingdoms of Men, and gave them to whom soever he would.

THIS Tribunal always fubfifting, tho' invisible to mortal Eyes, has pronounc'd the fame Judgment upon thofe famous Conquerors, thofe Heroes of Paganism, who, like Nabuchodonofor, look'd upon themselves as the fole Builders of their high Fortune, as independent upon any other Authority, and as only advanc'd by their own Strength or Wisdom.

IF God rais'd up fome Princes to be the Ministers of his Vengeance, he likewise rais'd up others to be the Difpenfers of his Bounties. He deftin'd Cyrus to the Delivery of his People from Servitude; and to qualify him to fupport with becoming Dignity fo ennobling a Miniftry, he furnish'd him with all the Qualities requifite to a great Captain and a great Prince, and gave him that excellent Education fo much admir'd by Pagans, who were equally ignorant of its Author, and the true Reason of it.

FROM prophane Hiftorians we may learn the Extent and Rapidity of his Conquefts, his intrepid Bravery, his wife Views and Defigns, the Grandeur of his Soul, his noble Generofity, his Affection for his Subjects truly paternal; and the Returns made him by a grateful People of Love and Affection for a Government which endear'd him to them, and represented him to their Thoughts rather in the Appearance of a Protector and a Father,

than