1 KINGS, Ch. XIII. to V. 25. Ch. XIV. and Ch. XV. from V.25. to 29.
Jeroboam perfifts in his Idolatry. Son falls fick and dies; Ifrael mourns for him. His Family deftroy'd by Baafha.
Rom facred Truth 'tis cafie to decline, When Error does with pow'rful Int'reft joyn; But, oh! how hard against the Hill to rise, And reaffume the Path that leads us to the Skies? The brighteft Miracles no Credence gain, And Nature's ftedfaft Laws are broke in vain: This Jeroboam's Crimes and Fate atteft,
Tho' warn'd, and plagu'd, and beal'd, he still tranf grefs'd:
Nor this that injur'd Pow'r to whom alone,
Th' ungrateful owes his Life and owes his Thrine:
A Son he had, the best of all his Blood,
For fuch a Houfe and Father far too Good:
With pious Vows he Ifrael's God implor'd,
Non ever Dan's or Bethel's Calvės ador'd :
Yet he, alas! his Parents Sins muft bear,
Orighteous Heav'n! how Juft, yet how fevere !
Snatch'd from the Plagues that must hisHoufe destroy,
He'll his foort Pains exchange for endless Foy.
Death-ftruck, he neither murmur'd nor repin'd,
But on a brighter Crown he fix'd his Mind;
Then that he now muft lofe--- his Father hears,
His guilty Mind is feiz'd with anxious Fears :
His Wife difguis'd he to Abijah fent,
With Prefents to the Man of God the went,
Too foon, of his Difeafe to know th' Event:
Nor this cou'd Bethel's Gods or Priests reveal,
Nor cou'd fhe from the Seer herself conceal:
Tho his corporeal Eyes with Age were blind,
How clear the Sight of his inlighten'd Mind?
He bids the Mother, yet a Mother, come,
As firft her trembling Feet approach'd the room:
Vainly difguis'd, unhappy Queen! draw near,
The Prophet fays, and heavy Tidings hear!
Unto thy Lord this dreadful Meffage bring,
From Ifrael's God, from him who make him King.
---And did I thee my Peoples Captain make,
For this the Crown for this from David take!
O how unlike !---For me be ferv'd and fear'd,
Obey'd my Precepts, and my Laws rever'd:
Thy Faults have drown'd their Crimes that reign'd before,
Thou and thy Land new golden Gods adore:
Nor unreveng'd hall thy Tranfgreffion go,
Soon will I thee and all thy Houfe o'rethrow;
Like Dung remov'd from Earth's polluted Face;
By him whom I'll exalt to fill thy Place:
Already is the kindled Wrath begun,
Already has it feiz'd thy darling Son,
No longer yours, he dies at thy Return,
And Ifrael his untimely Fare shall mourn:
He only to the Grave in Peace defcends,
A happy Death his pious Life attends,
The reft, as fits their Crimes, referv'd for dreadful'
Ends.
He faid, nor were their Fates denounc'd in vain,' Her Son and Husband die, and Nadab's flain, Nor did one Branch of all their impious House remain. CLXVIII.
Baafha's Reign and Death. Elah fucceeds him, and is flain by Zimri, who kills himself.
Hen Baaba thus the Crown by Murther gain'd,
As he began, in War and Blood he reign'd,
On Feroboam's House did Vengeance take,
But cou'd not his convenient Gods forfake:
The Grave at length the mighty Chief receives,
To Elab he his Crimes and Kingdom leaves;
Who swiftly with his Father's Houfe declines,
Unkingly Luxury to Idols joyns:
To Arzah's Seat he from the Court retires,
And there his Blood with potent Liquor fires:
Arzah, with richest Wines profusely stor'd,
A drunken Steward, worthy fuch a Lord.
The Royal Debauchee the Goblet plies,
His Face a Flame, and red his sparkling Eyes;
Stumbled his Tongue in many a fruitlels Boaft,
His fault'ring Feet, and delug'd Reason loft:
Tho' scarce alive, for Death how ill prepar'd!
When furious Zimri, Captain of his Guard
Springs in abrupt, his Mafter wou'd have spoke,
But hafty Death th' unfinish'd Accents broke,
And Blood, and Brains, and Wine purfu'd the fatal
Stroke,
I KINGS, Chap. XVI. from Ver. 1.
Ver. 8. In the twenty and fixth year of Asa king
of Judah, began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Ifrael in Tirzah, two year.
9. And his fervant Zimri ( captain of half his chariots) confpired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his houfe in Tirzah.
10. And Zimri went in and fmote him, and killed him, in the twenty and Seventh year of Ala king of Judah, and reigned in his stead,
The Crown he feiz'd, with recent Murther ftain'd,
Sev'n Days (an Age for fuch & Tyrant) reign'd.
Againft ftrong Gibbethon the People fought,
When Fame the Tidings to their Leaguer bought,
The Treafon they unanimous abhorr'd,
And vow'd for their affaffinated Lord
Severe Revenge; to Omri, Firm and Brave,
By general Vote the dubious Crown they gave;
From Gibbethon he with his Army rofe,
To Tirzah he by speedy Marches goes,
Within whofe Walls his Rival they enclefe
With jealous Eyes, the conscious Wretch survey'd
The Gates and Tow'rs, the Soldiers largely paid,
Yet yet foon the Traitor is himself betray'd:
While to fecure a diftant Gate he flies,
The Guards admit their friendly Enemies:
He heard, and to the Palace thence retir'd,
Whose lofty Top above the Town afpir'd,
And o're his Head the ftately Building fir'd:
Nor Omri! fhalt thou this enjoy, he cries,
Amid the crackling Flames too well the Traitor
dies;
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