Three things present themselves for the vindication of eht equity of God's righteous judgments, in the recompens- ing the sins of the king upon the people.
1. The concurrence and influence of the people's power into their rule and government: they that set him up, may justly be called to answer for his miscarriage. The Lord himself had before made the sole bottom of that political administration to be their own wills : * If thou wilt have a king after the manner of the nations ;' Deut. xvii. 14. 1 Sam. viii, 7, Though for particulars, himself (according to his su- preme sovereignty) placed in many, by peculiar exemption, otherwise his providence was served by their plenary con- sent, or by such dispensation of things as you have related, 1 Kings xvi. 21, 22. 'Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts, half of the people followed Tibni, the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri, but the people that followed Omri, prevailed against the people that followed Tibni; so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.' Now they who place men in authority to be God's vicegerents, do undertake to God for their deportment in that authority, and therefore may justly bear the sad effects of their sinful mis- carriages.
2. Because for fear of Manasseh's cruelty, or to flatter him in his tyranny for their own advantage, the greatest part of the people had apostatized from the ways and worship of Hezekiah, to comply with him in his sin. As at another
f Zech. V. 7, 8. ^ Est quaedam aemulatio divinee rci,ct huraanee. Tertul. Apol.
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time 'they willingly walked after the commandment;' Hos. V. 11. And this is plainly expressed, 2 Kings xxi. 9. * Manas- seh seduced the people to do more evil than the nations.' When kings turn seducers, they seldom want good store of followers. Now if the blind lead the blind, both will, and both justly may, fall into the ditch. When kings command unrighteous things, and people suit them with willing com pliance, none doubts but the destruction of them both is just and righteous. See ver. 6. of this chapter.
3. Because the people, by virtue of their retained sove- reignty, did not restrain him in his provoking ways. So Zuinglius, Artie. 42. ' Qui non vetat, cum potest, jubet.' When Saul would have put Jonathan to death, the people would not suffer him so to do, but delivered Jonathan that he died not; 1 Sam. xiv. When David proposed the reduc- ing of the ark, his speech to the people was : * If it please you, let us send abroad to our brethren everywhere, that they may assemble themselves to us; and all the congrega- tion said, that they would do so, because the thing was right in their eyes;' 2 Chron. xiii. 2. So they bargain with Reho- boam about their subjection, upon condition of a moderate rule ; 1 Kings xii. By virtue of which power also they de- livered Jeremiah from the prophets and priests that would have put him to death ; Jer. xxvi. 16. And on this ground might they justly feed on the fruit of their own neglected duty. See Bilson of Obed. part 3. page 271.
Be it thus, or otherwise, by what way soever the people had their interest therein, certain it is, that for the sins of Manasseh, one way or other made their own, they were de- stroyed. And therefore these things being written for our example, it cannot but be of great concernment to us to know what were those sins which wrapped up the people of God in irrevocable destruction. Now these the Holy Ghost fully manifesteth in the story of the life and reign of this Manasseh, and they may all be reduced unto two chief heads. ■ '■■''
(1 .) False worship or superstition : * He built high places, made altars for Baal, and a grove, as did Ahab ;' 2 Kings xxv. 2.
(2.) Cruelty: 'He shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem with blood from one end of it to an- other;' ver. 16.
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Whether this cruelty be to be ascribed to his tyranny in civil aft'airs, and so the blood shed is called innocent, because not of malefactors ; or to his persecution, in subordination to his false worship instituted as before (as the pope and his adherents have devoured whole nations ' in ordine ad spiritualia'), is not apparent : but this is from hence, and other places, most evident ; that superstition and persecution, will- vi^orship and tyranny, are inseparable concomitants.'
Nebuchadnezzar sets up this great image and the next news you hear, the saints are in the furnace ; Dan. iii. 20. You seldom see a fabric of human-invented worship, but either the foundation or top-stone is laid in the blood of God's people. ' The wisdom (religion, or way of worship) that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy, and good fruits, without par- tiality, without hypocrisy;' James iii. 17. when the other is * earthly, sensual, devilish, bringing along envying, strife, contention, and every evil work ;' ver. 16. Persecution and blood is the genuine product of all invented worship. I might from hence name, and pursue other observations, but I shall only name one, and proceed.