THE LIFE DEATH OF Nebuchadnezzar THE GREAT The first founder of the Babylonian Empire Represented by the Golden Head of that Image Dan. 2. 32. and by the Lion with Eagles Wings Dan. 7. 4. As also of CYRUS the GREAT The first founder of the Empire of the Medes and Persians Represented by the Breast and Arms of Silver in that Image Dan. 2. 32. And by a Bear Dan. 7. 5. And by a Ram with two Horns Dan. 8. 3 20. He was the deliverer of Gods Israel out of Babylon the seventy years of their Captivity being Expired By both of these much light is given to many of the Prophesies of Isay Jeremy Esekiel and Daniel By Sa. Clarke sometime Minister in St Bennet Fink London LONDON Printed for William Miller at the Gilded Acorn in St Pauls Church-yard near the little North Door 1664. Licensed to be Printed Roger L'Estrange THE LIFE DEATH OF Nebuchadnezzar THE GREAT The first Emperor of the CHALDEANS Who was represented by the Golden Head of that Image Dan. 2. 32. and by the Lion with Eagles Wings Dan. 7. 4. Whereby much light is given to many of the Prophesies of Isay Jeremy Esekiel and Daniel By Sa. Clarke sometime Minister in St Bennet Fink London LONDON Printed for William Miller at the Gilded Acorn in St Pauls Church-yard near the little North Door 1664. THE LIFE DEATH OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE GREAT First Emperor of the CHALDEANS NEbuchadonazar or Nebuchadnezzar was the Son of Nebuchadonazar or Nabopolaser of Babylon who was made General of the Army by Saraco King of Assyria and Chaldea after whose death Nabopolaser took into his hands the Kingdom of Chaldaea which he held by the space of one and twenty years At the same time Astyages was made Governour of Media by Cyaxares his Father and the better to strengthen themselves they entred into Affinity by Astyages his giving his Daughter Amytis to Nebuchadnezzar the Son of Nabopolaser and thereupon joyning their Forces together they took Ninive together with Saraco the King thereof placing a Vice-Roy in his stead Shortly after the Governour of Coelosyria and Poenicia revolting from Nabopolaser he sent against him his Son Nebuchadnezzar having first associated him with himself in the Kingdom of Babylon with a great Army which was in the latter end of the third and the beginning of the fourth year of Jehoiakim King of Juda as appears Dan. 1. 1. compared with Jer. 25. 1. Nebuchadnezzar was no sooner thus associated with his Father in the Kingdom but the things which he was to act were presently revealed to the Prophet Jeremy the first whereof was the overthrow of the Egyptians First at the River Euphrates then in their own Country Jer. 46. The first of these came to pass presently Neco's Forces which he left at Carchemish being cut off by Nebuchadnezzar in the fourth year of Jehoiakim Jer. 46. 2. The second was not till after the taking of Tyre in the seventeenth year of the Captivity of Jechonia Ezek. 29. 17 18 19. In the third year of Jehoiakim Nebuchadnezzar the second his Father being yet alive entred Judaea with a great Army who besieging and forcing Jerusalem made Jehoiakim his Vassal in despight of Pharaoh Necho who had made him King and took with him to Babylon for Pledges Daniel who was yet a child with Ananias Misael and Azarias He took also part of the Treasures belonging to the Temple but stayed not to search thorowly for all For Necho hasted with his Army to the relief of Jehoiakim hoping to find Nebuchadnezzar in Judaea But this great Babylonian had no mind to hazard himself and his Army against the Egyptian Judaea being so ill affected towards him and himself far from all succour or sure place of retreat If he had as may be supposed any great strength of Scythian Horsemen it was wisely done of him to fall back out of that rough Mountanous and hot Country into places that were more even and temperate And besides these reasons the Death of his Father happening at the same time gave him just occasion to return home and take possession of his own Kingdom before he proceeded in the second care of adding more unto it And this he did at reasonable good leasure For the Egyptian was not provided to follow him so far and to bid him Battel until the new year came in which was the fourth of Jehoiakim the first of Nebuchadnezzar and the last of Necho In this year the Babylonian lying upon the Banks of Euphrates his own Territories bounding it on the North-side attended the coming of Necho there after a cruel Battel fought betwixt them Necho was slain and his Army forced to save it self by a violent retreat wherein it suffered great loss This Victory was so well pursued by Nebuchadnezzar that he recovered all Syria and whatsoever the Egyptians held out of their proper Territories towards the North. The Egyptians being thus beaten and altogether for the present discouraged Jehoiakim held himself quiet as being in heart a Friend to the Egyptians yet having made his peace with the Chaldeans the year before and Nebuchadnezzar was contented with such profit as he could there readily make he had forborn to lay any Tribute upon the Jews But this cool reservedness of Jehoiakim was on both sides taken in ill part Whereupon the Egyptian King Psamnis who succeeded Necho began to think of restoring Jehoahaz who had been taken prisoner by his Father and carried into Egypt and of setting him up as a Domestical enemy against his ungrateful Brother But to anticipate all such accidents the Judean had put in practice the usual remedy which his Fore-fathers used For he had made his own Son Jechonia King with him long before in the second year of his own Raign when the Boy was but eight years old As for this rumor of Jehoahaz his return the Prophet Jeremy foretold that it should prove a vain attempt saying He shall not return thither But he shall die in the place whither they have led him Captive and shall see this Land no more Jer. 12. 11 12. The Egyptians having lost all their Mercenary Forces and received that heavy blow at Carchemish had more Gold than sharp Steel remaining which is of small force without the others help Besides the Valour of Necho was not in Psamnis Apries who raigning after Psamnis did indeed once adventure to shew his face in Syria but after a big look he was glad to retire without adventuring the hazard of a Battel Wherefore this declining Nation fought only with brave words telling such frivolous tales as men that mean to do nothing use boasting of their former glorious acts against Josias and Jehoahaz And truly in such a time and case it was easie for Jehoiakim to give them satisfaction by letting them understand the sincerity of his affections towards them which appeared in time following But Nebuchadnezzar went more roundly to
hard work considering the vast circuit of those Walls which they were to gird in having neither men enough nor yet sufficiently assured to their Commander the consideration whereof Ministred unto the Babylonians matter of good Pastime when they saw the Lydians Phrygians Cappadocians and others quartered about their City to keep them in who having been their Ancient Friends and Allies were more like to joyn with them if occasion were offered than to use much diligence on the behalf of Cyrus who had as it were but yesterday laid upon their necks the galling Yoke of servitude Whilst the Besieged were thus pleasing themselves with this foolish fansie and vain mirth the ordinary forerunners of sudden calamity Cyrus who by God that set him on work was made strong valiant constant and inventive devised and by the labour of his men digged so many Channels as were capable of receiving the Waters of Euphrates and so to draw the same from the Walls of Babylon that thereby he might make his approaches the more facile and assured which when by the labour of many hands he had performed he waited for a fiâ— time wherein to put in execution what he had designed For he had left in each of the Trenches towards the River certain Banks or Heads uncut till he saw his opportunity Now Belshazzar finding neither any want or weakness within the City nor any possibility for his enemies without to approach the Walls by reason of the great River that surrounded them he prepared an exceeding sumptuous Feast Publick Plays and other Pastimes and thereto invited a Thousand of his Princes or Nobles besides his Wives Courtezans and others of that Trade This he did either to let the Besiegers know that his Provisions were sufficient not onely for all needfull uses but even for superfluity and excess Or because he hoped that his enemies by this time were discouraged and even broken under their manifold disasters Or else he made this Feast in Honour of Bell his most adored Idol or lastly because it was his Birth or Coronation Day Or for many or most of these respects Yea he was not contented to use and shew such Magnificence as no Prince else could Equall but he listed up himself against the God of Heaven Dan. 5. 23. For he his Princes his Wives and his Concubines made Carousing Cups of the Golden and Silver Vessels which his Grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Temple which was at Jerusalem and in contempt of the Lord of Heaven he praised his own Puppets made of Gold and Silver and Brass and Iron and Wood and Stone Whilst Belshazzar was thus tryumphing and had his brains well filled with vapours he beheld a hand which by Divine power wrote upon the Wall that was opposite to him certain Words which he understood not wherewith so great a fear and amazement seized upon him that the joynts of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another Which Passion when he had in some measure recovered he cryed aloud to bring in the Astrologers the Chaldeans and the Southsayers promising them great rewards and the third place of Honour in his Kingdom to him that could read and expound the writing But it exceeded their Art and Skill In this disturbance and astonishment the Queen hearing what had passed came in and observing what distraction the King was in after Reverence done She used this Speech O King live for ever Let not thy thoughts trouble thee non let thy countenance be changed there is a man in thy Kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the holy Gods and in the Days of thy Father light and understanding and Wisdom like the Wisdom of the Gods was found in him whom the King Nobuchadnezzar thy Father the King I say thy Father made Master of the Magicians the Astrologers the Chaldeans and the Southsayers For as much as an Excellent Spirit and knowledge and understanding in interpreting Dreams and shewing of hard Sentences and dissolving of doubts were found in the same Daniel whom the King named Belteshazzar Now let Daniel be called and he will shew the Interpretation This Queen was either the Grandmother or the Mother of Belshazzar For it appears that She was not any of the Kings Wives because She was absent from the Feast and in regard of her age past-banquetting and dancing Yet upon the report of the Miracle She came in to comfort and cheer up the King and whereas Daniel was forgotten and neglected by others of younger years and latter times this old Queen remembred well what Daniel had done in the days of Nebuchadnezzar Grandfather to this Belshazzar and kept in mind both his Religion and Divine gifts When Daniel was brought into the Kings presence he said unto him Art thou that Daniel which art of the Children of the Captivity of Judah whom the King my Father brought out of Jewry I have heard of thee that the Spirit of the Gods is in thee and that light and understanding and excellent Wisdom is found in thee and now the Wise men and the Astrologers have been brought in before me that they should read this writing and make known to me the Interpretation thereof but they could not do it And I have heard of thee that thou canst make Interpretations and dissolve doubts Now if thou canst read the Writing and make known to me the Interpretation thereof thou shalt be clothed with Scarlet and have a chain of Godl aboue thy neck and shalt be the third Ruler in the Kingdom But Daniel made answer in a far differing stile from that which he had used to his Grandfather For the evill which he had foretold to Nebuchadnezzar he wished that it might befal his enemies But to this King whose contempt of God and vicious life he hated he answered in these Words Let thy gifts be to thy self and give thy rewards to another Yet I will read the writing to the King and make known to him the Interpretation which yet before he did he shewed him the cause of Gods judgements against him and the reason of this terrible sentence whereof the King and all his Wise men were utterly Ignorant the substance whereof is this That Belshazzar forgetting Gods goodness to his Father whom all Nations feared and obeyed and yet for his Pride and neglect of those benefits as he had deprived him of his Estate and understanding so upon the acknowledgement of Gods infinite power he restored him to both again And thou his Son said he O Belshazzar hast not humbled thy heart though thou knewest all this But hast lifted up thy self against the Lord of Heaven and they have brought the Vessels of his House before thee and thou and thy Lords thy Wives and thy Concubines have drunk Wine in them and thou hast praised the gods of Silver and Gold c. and the God in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways
the Kingdoms of the Earth and hath charged me to build him an House at Jerusalem which is in Judah Who is there among you of all his People Let his God be with him and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build the House of the Lord God of Israel He is God which is at Jerusalem And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth let the men of his place help him with Silver and with Gold and with goods and with Beasts besides the free-will Offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem Ezra 1 2 3 4. He also brought forth and restored the Vessels of the House of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of the Temple at Jerusalem and had put them into the House of his gods These were brought forth and numbred unto Sheshbazzar the Prince of Judah and this is the number of them Thirty Charges of Gold a thousand Chargers of Silver nine and twenty Knives thirty Basins of Gold Silver Basins of a second sort four hundred and ten and of other vessels a thousand All the vessels of Gold and Silver were five thousand and four hundred The number of Jews that then returned out of Chaldea under their Leader Zorobabel the Son of Salathiel and Nephew to King Jeconias and Joshua the Son of Josedech the High Priest were about fifty thousand And as soon as they arrived at Jerusalem they built an Altar to the living God and sacrificed thereon according to their Law and afterwards bethought themselves how to prepare materials for the building of the Temple Cyrus having set all things in order at Babylon returned through Media into Persia to his Father Cambyses and his Mother Mandanes who were yet living and from thence returning again into Media he married the only Daughter and Heir of Cyaxares and for Dowry had the whole Kingdom of Media given him with her And when the Marriage was finished he presently went his way and took her with him and coming to Babylon from thence he sent Governours into all his Dominions Into Arabia he sent Megabyzus into Phrygia the greater Artacaman into Lydia and Jonia Chrysantas into Caria Adusius into Phrygia Helle spontiaca or the less Pharmichas But into Cilicia Cyprus Paphlagonia he sent no Persians to Govern them because they voluntarily and of their own accord took his part against the King of Babylon yet he caused even them also to pay him Tribute Cyrus having spent one whole year with his Wife in Babylon gathered thither his whole Army consisting of one hundred and twenty Thousand Horse and two Thousand Iron Chariots and six hundred Thousand Footmen and having furnished himself with all necessary provisions he undertook that journey wherein he subdued all the Nations inhabiting from Syria to the Red Sea The time that Cyrus enjoyed in rest and pleasure after these great Victories and the attainment of his Empire is generally agreed upon by all Chronologers to have lasted only seven years In which time he made such Laws and Constitutions as differ little from the Ordinances of all wife Kings that are desirous to establish a Royal power to themselves and their Posterity which are recorded by Xenophon The last War and the end of this Great King Cyrus is diversly written by Historians Herodotus and Justine say That after these Conquests Cyrus invaded the Massagets a very Warlike Nation of the Scythians Governed by Tomyris their Queen and that in an encounter between the Persians and these Northern Nomades Tomyris lost her Army together with her Son Spaâ—gapises that was the Generall of it In revenge whereof this Queen making new levies of men of War and prosecuting the War against Cyrus in a second sore Battel the Persians were beaten and Cyrus was taken Prisoner and that Tomyris cut off his Head from his Body and threw it into a Bowle of blood using these words Thou that hast all thy time thirsted for blood now drink thy fill and satiate thy self with it This War which Metasthenes calls Tomyrique lasted about six years But more probably this Scythian War was that which is mentioned before which Cyrus made against the Scythians after the Conquest of Lydia according to Ctesias who calleth Tomyris Sparetha and makes the end of it otherwise as you may see before The same Ctesias also recordeth that the last War which Cyrus made was against Amarhaus King of the Derbitians another Nation of the Scythians whom though he overcame in Battel yet there he received a wound whereof he died three days after Strabo also affirmeth that he was buried in his own City of Pasagardes which himself had built and where his Epitaph was to be read in Strabo's time which he saith was this O vir quicunque es undecunque advenis neque enim te adventurum ignoravi Ego sum Cyrus qui Persis Imperium constitui pusillum hoc Terrae quo meum tegitur Corpus mihi ne invideas O thou man whosoever thou art and whensoever thou comest for I was not ignorant that thou shouldst come I am Cyrus that founded the Persian Empire Do not envy unto me this little Earth with which my Body is covered When Alexander the Great returned from his Indian Conquests he visited Pasagardes and caused this Tomb of Cyrus to be opened either upon hope of great Treasure supposed to have been buried with him or upon a desire to honour his dead Body with certain Ceremonies when the Sepulchre was opened there was found nothing in it save an old rotten Target two Scythian Bows and a Sword The Coffin wherein his Body lay Alexander caused to be covered with his own Garment and a Crown of Gold to be set upon it Cyrus finding in himself that he could not long enjoy the World he called unto him his Nobility with his two Sons Cambyses and Smerdis and after a long Oration wherein he assured himself and taught others about the immortality of the Soul and of the punishments and rewards following the ill and good deservings of every man in this life He exhorted his Sons by the strongest Arguments he had to a perpetuall Concord and agreement Many other things he uttered which makes it probable that he received the knowledge of the true God from Daniel whilst he Governed Susa in Persia and that Cyrus himself had read the Prophesie of Isay wherein he was expresly named and by God preordained for the delivery of his People out of Captivity which act of delivering the Jews and of restoring of the holy Temple and the City of Jerusalem was in true consideration the Noblest-work that ever Cyrus performed For in other actions he was an Instrument of Gods Power used for the chastising of many Nations and the establishing of a Government in those parts of the world which yet was not to continue long But herein he had the favour to be an Instrument of
his Army he marched strait into Judea where the amazed King made so little resistance the Egyptians having left him as it were in a dream that Nebuchadnezzar entred Jerusalem laid hands on Jehoiakim whom at first he bound intending to send him to Babylon but his mind changing he caused him to be slain in that place and gave him the Burial of an Ass to be devoured by Beasts and ravinous Birds according to the former Prophesie Leaving in his place his Son Jehoiakim or Jeconia whom yet after three moneths and ten days he deposed and sent him Pisoner to Babylon together with Esekiel Mordecay and Josedech the High Priest The Mother of Jeconias together with his Servants Eunuches and all the ablest men and best Artificers in the Land were also then carried away Captives This Jechonias following the Counsel of the Prophet Jeremy made no resistance but submitted himself to the Kings will wherein he both pleased God and did that which was most profitable for himself though at the present it might seem otherwise to such as considered the evil that befell him rather than the greater evill that he thereby avoided This only particular act of his is recorded in Scriture which was good But it seems that he was at least a partaker in his Fathers sins if not a provoker which was the cause that though he submitted himself to Gods will yet did he not preserve his estate For so it is said That he did evil in the sight of the Lord according to all that his Father had done In his stead Nebuchadnezzar set up Mattania his Uncle making him King of Judea and called him Zedechias For like as Necho King of Egypt had formerly displaced Jehoahaz after he had slain his Father Josias and set up Jehoiachim the Son by another Mother So Nebuchadnezzar slew Jehoiakim who depended on the Egyptians and carrying his Son Jeconias Prisoner to Babylon he gave the Kingdom to this Zedechias who was whole Brother to that Jehoahaz whom Necho took with him into Egypt and from Zedechias he required an Oath for his loyalty and faithfull subjection which Zedechias gave him and called the living God to witness in the same that he would remain assured to the Kings of Chaldea 2 Chron. 36. 13. Esek 17. 13 14 18. In the first year of Zedechias Jeremy saw and expounded the vision of the ripe and rotten Figs the one signifying those that were already carried away Captives the other signifying those Jews that yet remained and were afterwards destroyed Jer. 29. 17. In the fourth year of Zedechias Jeremy wrote in a Book all the evil which should fall upon Babylon which Book or Roul he gave to Seriah when he went with King Zedechias to Babylon to visit Nebuchadnezzar willing him first to read it to the Captive Jews and then to binde a stone to it and cast it into Euphrates pronouncing these words Thus shall Babel be drowned and shall not rise from the evil which I will bring upon her This journey of Zedechias to Babylon is probably thought to be in way of a visit and to carry some presents to Nebuchadnezzar But yet its likely he had some suit to make which his Lordly Master refused to grant and sent him away discontented For at his return all the bordering Princes sent Messengers to him inciting him as it seems to those unquiet courses from which the Prophet Jeremy dehorted both him and them About which time the Prophet by Gods appointment made bonds and yokes one of which he wore about his own neck others he sent unto the five Kings of Edom Moab Ammon Tyre and Zidon by those Messengers which came to visit Zedechias making them know that if they and the King of Juda continued in subjection to Babylon they should then possess and enjoy their own Countries If not they should assuredly perish by the Sword by Famine and by Pestilence He also foretold them that those Vessels which yet remained in Jerusalem should be carried after the other to Babylon yet at length should be restored again The same year Ananias the false Prophet took off the Woodden yoke which Jeremy did wear as a sign of the Captivity of the Jews and brake it Vaunting that in like manner after two years God would break the strength of Babel and the yoke which he laid on all Nations and that he would restore Jeconias and all the Jews with the Vessels and Riches of the Temple and put an end to all these troubles But Jeremy instead of his Woodden Yoke wore a Coller of Iron and in sign that Ananias had given a false and deceitfull hope to the People he foretold the Death of this false Prophet which accordingly came to pass in the seventh Moneth After this when Zedechias had wavered long between Faith and Passion in the eight year of his Raign he practiced more seriously against Nebuchadnezzar with his Neighbours the Edomites Ammonites Moabites Tyrians and others who were promised great aides by the Egyptians in confidence of whose assistance he resolved to shake off the Babylonian Yoke whereof when Nebuchadnezzar was informed he marched with his Army in the dead of Winter towards Jerusalem and besieged it Jeremy perswaded Zedekias to render the City and himself to him But Zedechias being confident of help from Egypt and being perswaded by his Princes and false Prophets that it was impossible that the Kingdom of Judah should be extirpated untill the coming of Shilo according to Jacobs Prophesie Gen. 49. 10. he dispised the counsell of Jeremy and imprisoned him For Jeremy had told the King that the City should be taken and burnt that the King should not escape but be taken Prisoner and brought to the presence of Nebuchadnezzar That he should not perish by the Sword but being carried to Babel should there die a naturall Death The following year Jerusalem was surrounded and more strictly besieged by Nebuchadnezzars Army whereupon the King of Egypt Pharaoh Hophra entred into Judea with his Army to succour Zedekias of whose revolt he had been the principall Authour But Jeremy gave the Jews faithfull counsel willing them not to have any trust in the succours of Egypt for he assured them that they should return back again and in no sort relieve them And it fell out accordingly For when the Chaldeans removed from Jerusalem to encounter the Egyptians these bragging Patrones abandoned their enterprise and taking Gaza in their way homewards returned into Egypt as if they had already done enough leaving the poor People in Jerusalem to their destinied miseries Jer. 34. 11 22. In the mean while the Jews who in the time of their extremity had released their Hebrew Bondmen and Bond-women according to the Law in the year of Jubile and made them free thereby to encourage them to fight did now upon the breaking up of the Chaldean
the misery that should come upon them It appears not with which of them he first began but it seems that Moab was the last that felt his heavy hand For so many interpret that Prophesie of Isay threatning Moab with destruction after three years as having reference to the third year following the destruction of Jerusalem the next year after it being spent in the Egyptian expedition This is evident that all the principal Towns in these Countries were burnt and the people either slain or made captives few excepted who saved themselves by flight and had not the courage to return to their habitations too hastily much less to attempt any thing against Nebuchadnezzar but lived as miserable out laws untill the end of the seventy years which God had appointed for the desolation of their Countries as well as of the Land of Judaea When by a long course of Victory Nebuchadnezzar had brought into Subjection all the Nations of Syria and the bordering Arabians in such wise as that no enemy to himself or Friend to the Egyptian was left at his back that might either impede his proceedings or take advantage of any misfortune that might befall him then did he forthwith apply himself to the Conquest of Egypt upon which those other Nations had formerly been dependants Of this expedition and the Victorious issue thereof the three great Prophets Isay Jeremy and Esekiel have written so plainly that it s altogether needless to seek after any other authority to confirm the same Long before it was prophesied by Isay that the King of Assyria or Babylon should lead away the Egyptians Prisoners and the Ethiopians Captives young and old naked and barefoot even with their buttocks uncovered to the shame of Egypt Isa. 20. 4. But Esekiel and Jeremy as their prophesies were neerer to the time of execution so they handled this Argument more plainly and precisely For Esekiel tells us cleerly that Egypt should be given to Nebuchadnezzar as wages for his great service which he had done against Tyre Esek 29. 18 19 20. He recounteth also in particular all the chief Citys in Egypt saying that these by name should be destroyed and go into Captivity yea and that Pharaoh and all his Army should be slain by the Sword Esek 30. 4 10 c. Chap. 32 2 c. And the Prophet Jeremy saith thus Behold I will visit the common people of Noe and Pharaoh and Egypt with their Gods and their Kings even Pharaoh and all that trust in him and I will deliver them into the hands of those that seek their lives and into the hand of Nebuchadnezar King of Babel and into the hands of his Servants Jer. 46. 25 26. Josephus accordingly saith that Nebuchadnezzar in the three and twentieth year of his Raign and in the fifteenth year after the destruction of Jerusalem did Conquer Egypt and kill the King thereof appointing a Vice-Roy to Govern it And it is evident that his Victories which followed his Conquest of Syria were such as did more enlarge his Dominions than all his former Wars had done For Esekiel in his 30th Chapter reckoneth up besides the whole Country of Egypt Phut and Lud with other Nations that may seem to have reached as far as into Mauritania which were conquered by him and added to his Empire And truly it is worth observation how Pharaoh King of Egypt was infatuated by God who thought himself most safe in his own Country by reason of the well-defenced situation thereof and therefore very unwisely suffered his enemies to make a cleer way to his own doors by the Conquest of all his Friends and Allyes in Syria For as the labour of this business did more harden then weary the Chaldean Army so the confidence and vain security of the Egyptians relying upon the difficulty of the passages which the enemy was to make through the Arabian Desarts and the great advantage which the River Nilus afforded did little avail them when the War came on Yea it did much astonish them as may justly be thought in the time of execution It being usually seen that the hearts of men fail when those helps deceive them in which they bad reposed more confidence than in their own Virtue and Valour Untill this time the Kingdom of Egypt had flourished under the Rule and Government of the Pharaohs for above the space of one thousand four hundred and eighty years But from this time forward it remained forty years without a King under the subjection of the Babylonians and then at length it began to recover by little and little the former greatness Yet so that it was never dreadfull unto others as it had been God having said of that people At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the People whither they were scattered and I will bring again the Captivity of Egypt and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros into the land of their habitation and they shall be yet a base Kingdom It shall be the basest of the Kingdoms neither shall it exalt it self any more above the Nations Fâ—â— I will diminish them that they shall no more rule over the Nations and it shall be no more the confidence of the House of Israel Esek 29 13 14 15 16. For whereas it had been said of Pharaoh I am the Son of the wise the Son of ancient Kings Isa. 19. 11. and whereas they had Vaunted the River is mine and I have made it Esek 29. 9. The Princes of Egypt now became fools the River failed them the King himself was now taken and slain and that ancient Linage was quite extinguished Of any Wars made by Nebuchadnezzar after such time as he returned from the Conquest of Egypt we read not except that against Ninive the destruction whereof was forefold by the Prophet Ninive indeed had been taken long before by Merodoch and together with the rest of Assyria made subject to Babylon Yet was it left under a peculiar King who rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar as Jehoiachim and Zedechias Tributary Kings of Judah had done was made partaker also of the same ruine That the destruction of Ninive followed the Conquest of Egypt is clear by the comparison which Nahum the Prophet made between this City that was to fall and the City of Noe in Egypt which was fallen already Nahum 3. 8 c. Art thou better than populous Noe that was situate amongst the Rivers that had the waters round about it whose Rampire was the Sea and her wall was from the Sea Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength and it was infinite Put and Lubin were her helpers Yet was she carried away she went into Captivity Her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets and they cast lots for her honourable men and all her great men were bound in chains Thou also shalt be drunken thou shalt be hid thou also shalt seek strength because of the
enemy c. This Great Monarch having thus spent his younger days in inlarging his Dominions he betook himself to rest that he might reap the fruit of his former labours and the first thing that he applyed himself to was to beautifie his Imperiall City of Babylon adding a new City to the Old which he compassed about with three Walls and made in them stately Gates And neer the former Pallace he built a New one more stately than it wherein he raised stone-works like unto Mountains which he planted with all manner of Trees He made also Pensile Gardens one of the Worlds wonders born upon Arches foursquare each square being four hundred Foot long filled above with Earth whereon grew all sorts of Trees and Plants The Arches were built one above another in a convenient heigth still increasing as they ascended The highest which did bear the Walls on the top were fifty Cubits high so that they equalized the highest Mountains He made also Aquaeducts for the watering of this Garden which seemed to hang in the air This most sumptuous frame which out-lasted all the remainder of the Assyrian and all the Persian Empire is said to have been reared and finished in fifteen Days He erected also an Image of Gold in the Plain of Dura sixty Cubits high and six broad commanding all his Servants and Subjects to fall down and Worship it Dan. 3. 1 c. But of all this and other his Magnficence we find little else recorded save that which indeed is most profitable for us to consider to wit his overvalewing of his own greatness which abased him to a condition inferior to the poorest of men For whereas God had honoured him not only with many great and glorious Victories and much happiness in his own life but with a rare discovery of things that were to come after him yea and had manifested the certainty of his Dreams by the miraculous reducing of it into his Memory and given him the interpretation thereof by the Prophet Daniel He notwithstanding became so forgetfull of God whose wonderfull power he had seen and acknowledged that he caused that Golden Image to be set uâ— and Worshipped appointing a cruell Death for them that should dare to disobey him which was utterly unlawfull and repugnant to the Law of him that is King of Kings And thus he who so lately had Worshipped Daniel the servant of God as if he had been God himself now commanded a Statue to be erected unto himself wherein himself might be worshipped as God From this impiety it pleased God to recall and reclaim him by the wonderful and miraculous delivery of those three blessed Saints out of the fiery Furnace who being thrown bound into the midst of it for refusing to commit that abominable Idolatry were preserved from all hurt of the fire loosned from their Bonds accompanied by an Angel and at last called out by the King and restored to their former honour Nebuchadnezzar being amazed at the Miracle mad a Decre tending to the honour of God whom by the erection of his Image he had dishonoured Yet was not this devotion so rooted in him that it could bring forth fruit answerable to his hasty zeal Therefore was he forewarned of God in a Dream of a terrible Judgement which hung over his Head which Daniel expounding withall counselled him to break off his sin by righteousness and his iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor that there might be a lengthening of his tranquillity Dan. 4. 27. whence it seems that injustice and cruelty were his faults for which he was thus threatened But neither did the Dream nor advice of Daniel so prevail For probably he believed it not but looked upon it as an idle Dream for that it seemed altogether unlikely that so great a Monarch should be driven from amongst men yea compelled to dwell with the Beasts of the Field and made to eat Grass as the Oxen this was altogether incredible in mans Judgement and therefore giving so little heed to it it s no marvell that he had forgotten it by the years end One whole year was given to this haughty Prince wherein to repent which respiting of the execution may seem to have bred in him forgetfulness of Gods sentence For at the end of twelve Moneths as he was walking in his Royall Pallace in Babel he was so overjoyed and transported with a vain contemplation of his own seeming happiness that without all fear of Gods heavy Judgement pronounced against him he uttered these proud words Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdom by the might of my power and for the Honour of my Majesty But his proud speeches were not fully ended when a voice from Heaven told him that his Kingdom was departed from him c. And the same hour the thing was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar and he was driven from men and did eat grass as Oxen and his Body was wet with the dew of Heaven till his hair was grown like Eagles Feathers and his hails like Birds Claws Dan. 4. 33 c. This his punishment was singular and unexpected For he ran amongst beasts in the fields and woods where for seven years he lived not only as a salvage man but as a salvage Beast for a Beast he thought himself to be therefore fed himself in the same manner and with the same food that Beasts do Not that he was changed in his externall shape from a man to a Beast For as St Jerome well expounds it when he saith vers 34. that his understanding was restored unto him he shewed that he had not lost his Humane shape but his understanding being stricken with a Frenzy or deep Melancholly which made him think himself a Beast Seven years being expired Nebuchadnezzar was restored both to his understanding to his Kingdom and saith he I blessed the most High and I praised honoured him that liveth for ever whose Dominion is an everlasting Dominion and his Kingdom is from Generation to Generation And all the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his Will in the Army of Heaven and amongst the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him What dost thou At the same time my reason returned unto me and for the Glory of my Kingdom mine honour and brightness returned unto me and my Counsellers and my Lords sought unto me and I was established in my Kingdom and excellent Majesty was added unto me Now therefore I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extoll and honour the King of Heaven all whose works are truth and his way is Judgement and those that walk in Pride he is able to abase Dan. 4. 34 35 36 37. How long helived after this is uncertain but all agree that he raigned about twenty moneths copartner with his Father in the Kingdom and about three
Gods goodness and a willing advancer of his Kingdom upon earth which must last for ever Cyrus had Issue two Sons Cambyses and Smerdis and three Daughters Atossa Meroe and Artistoua At his Death he bequeathed his Empire to his Eldest Son Cambyses appointing Smerdis his younger Son to be Satrapa or Leiutenant of Media Armenia and Cadusia He reigned about one and thirty years and died aged The Greek Historians wholly ascribe the Conquest of Babylon to Cyrus because that he commanded the Army in Chief yet the Scriptures attribute it to Darius King of the Medes whose General Cyrus was For when Babylon was taken and Belshazzar slain It s said Dan. 5. 31. that Darius the Median took the Kingdom being about sixty two years old It was Darius also that placed Officers over the severall Provinces thereof as we read Dan. 6. 1 2. It pleased Darius to set over the Kingdom a hundred and twenty Princes which should be over the whole Kingdom and over these three Presidents of whom Daniel was the first c. And thus was it Prophesied by Isay long before Behold I will stir up the Medes against them c. and by the Prophet Jeremy The Lord hath raised up the Spirit of the King of the Medes for his device is against Babylon c. Jer. 55. 11. And again verse 28. Prepare against her the Nations with the Kings of the Medes the Captains thereof and all the Rulers thereof and all the Land of his Dominion But certain it is that the Honour of that great Victory over Babylon was wholly given to Cyrus who was the Instrument preordained and forenamed by God himself not onely for this Action but also for the delivery of his Church Yet Daniel makes it plain that himself not onely lived a great Officer under King Darius but that he continued in that estate to the first year of Cyrus which was not long after which also was the year of Daniels Death As for the age of Cyrus we are beholding to Tully for it who in his first Book de Divinatione Cites it out of one Dionysius a Persian Writer in this manner The Sun saith Dionysius appeared unto Cyrus in his sleep standing at his feet which when Cyrus thrice endeavoured to take in his hands the Sun still turned aside and went away and the Magi who were the most learned men amongst the Persians said that by his thrice offering to take hold of the Sun was portended to him that he should raign thirty years which came to pass accordingly For he lived to the Age of seventy years and began not to raign till he was forty In the first year of Belshazzar Daniel had the Vision shewed him of the four Beasts signifying the four Monarchies and of God delivering over all power and Sovereignty to the Son of man Dan. 7. In the third year of Belshazzar the Vision of the Ram and Goat foreshewing the destruction of the Persian Monarchy by Alexander the Great and the great misery which Antiochus should bring upon the People of God was shewed to Daniel living then at Susa in the Province of Elam upon the bank of the River Vlai which environed the Castle of Susa and parted the Provinces of Susa and Elemais Dan. 8. whence we may collect that at that time the Province of Susa was not in the hands of the Medes and Persians but of the Babylonians under whom Daniel then lived Darius the Mede son of Cyaxares or Ahasuerus the Son of Adyages took upon him the Kingdom which was delivered over to him by Cyrus the Conquerer Dan. 5. 31. 9. 1. The Angel in this first year of his Raign is said to have confirmed and strengthened him in his Kingdom Dan. 11. 1. After which he raigned two years Towards the end of the first year of Darius the Mede the seventy years of the Babylonish Captivity expired which began under Jehoiakim in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar at which time God promised that they should return into their own Country Jer. 29. 10. Thus saith the Lord that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good Word towards you in causing you to return to this place Upon consideration of which very time now so neer approaching it was that Daniel powred out that most fervent Prayer for the Remission of his own sins and of his Peoples and for that promised deliverance out of their Captivity Whereupon the Angel Gabriel brought him an answer not onely concerning this but also for the spiritual deliverance of the Church to be wrought at last by the Death of the Messias uttering that most famous and memorable Prophesie of the seventy Weeks Dan. 9. 12 c. The Samaritans by the means of some Courtiers about Cyrus whom they had bribed for that purpose distributed the Jews in their building of the Temple Ezra 4. 5. Whence proceeded that three weeks mourning of the Prophet Daniel which Fast he begun about the third Day of the first Moneth in the third year of Cyrus Dan. 10. 1. 4. After which upon the four and twentieth Day of the first Moneth that vision of the Kings of Persia of Alexander the Great and his Successours and their Kingdoms was shewed and revealed unto Daniel as he stood upon the bank of Hiddikel or Tygris All which is contained in the three last Chapters of Daniel which as may be collected out of the close thereof was the last Vision that ever he had and that but a little before his Death FINIS Courteous Reader be pleased to take notice that these Books following are Printed for and sold by William Miller at the Gilded Acorn in St Pauls Church-yard near the little North Door Hickâ—s Revelation Revealed Folio Clares Martyrology Compleat with the Persecutions of England to the end of Queen Maries Reign Folio Lives of ten Eminent Divines some being as follow Bishop Vsher Dr Gouge Dr Harris Mr Gataker Mr Whittaker c. and some other famous Christians Life of Christ 4º Life of Herod the Great 4º A Prospect of Hungary and Transylvania together with an account of the qualities of the Inhabitants the Commodities of the Countries the Chiefest Cities Towns and Strong-holds Rivers and Mountains with an Historycal Narration of the Wars amongst themselves and with the Turks continued to this year 1664. As also a Brief Description of Bohemia Austria Bavaria Steirirark Croatia Dalmatia Moravia and other Adjacent Countries contained in a Map joyned therewith by which Map you may know which Places are in the Power of the Turk and which Christians have 4º Ctadocks KNOWLEDGE and PRACTICE Or a Plain Discourse of the Chief Things necessary to be KNOWN BELIEVED and PRACTISED in Order to SALVATION 4º Ford of Baptism 8º Cottâ—n on the Covenant of Grace 8º Culverwell of Assurance 8º Records Urinal of Physick 8º Ravius Oriental Grammar 12º Peacocks Visitation 12º Dr Tuckney's Good Day well Improved 12º Death Disarmed 12º Balm of Gilead
and forty years by himself alone Whilst Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon raged in Judea God prepared a worm which in due time should eat out this spreading Tree by reason of the cry of his poor People which entred into his ears According to that of the Psalmist Psal. 137. 8 9. O Daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed Happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones For in this very year was Cyrus the Perso-Median born whose Father was a Persian and his Mother a Mede of whom this very Nebuchadnezzar at the hour of his Death uttered this Prophesie There shall come a Persian Mule who shall make use of your Devils as his fellow-Souldiers to bring you into Bondage He calls Cyrus a Mule because he was to be born of a Father and Mother of two divers Nations FINIS THE LIFE DEATH OF CYRUS the Great THE FIRST FOUNDER of the EMPIRE OF THE MEDES PERSIANS Represented by the Breast and Arms of Silver in that Image Dan. 2. 32. and by a Bear Dan. 7. 5. and by a Ram with two Horns Dan. 8. 3 20. And the deliverer of the Israelites out of Babylon the seventy years of their Captivity being Expired Whereby much light is given to many of the Prophesies of Isay Jeremy Esekiel and Daniel By Sa. Clarke sometime Minister in St Bennet Fink London LONDON Printed for William Miller at the Gilded Acorn in St Pauls Church-yard near the little North Door 1664. THE LIFE DEATH OF CYRUS the Great The first Founder of the PERSIAN EMPIRE CYRVS was the Son of Cambyses King of Persia by Mandanes the daughter of Astyages King of Media He was so named by the Prophet Isay almost two hundred years before he was born Isay 45. 1 4. Thus saith the Lord unto Cyrus his annointed c. Cyrus his first Education was under his Father Cambyses with whom he lived till he was twelve years old and somewhat more at which time he was sent for together with his Mother Mandanes by his Gandfather Astyages into Media In Media he served Astyages first as one of his Halberdiers and then as one of his Armour-bearers till he was called home into Persia by his Father Cambyses when as yet he had one year to spend at School and when he had spent seventeen years at School amongst Boys he spent ten years more amongst youths When Cyrus was now almost sixteen years old Evilmerodach the King of Assyria being about to marry a wife called Nicotris made an in-rode with a great Army of Horse and Foot into the borders of Media there to take his pleasure in hunting and harrassing of the Country against whom Astyages and Cyaxares his Son and Cyrus his Grand child who then first began to bear Arms being but about fifteen or sixteen years old marched out met with him and in a great Battel overthrew him and drave him out his borders Indeed the Death of Nebuchadnezzar the Father of Evilmerodach gave courage to those that had found him a troublesome neighbour to stand upon prouder tearms with the Babylonians than in his flourishing estate they durst have used But Evilmerodach being too proud to digest this loss which he had received by the Medes and their Allies the Persians under Cyrus he drew unto his party the Lydians and all the People of the lesser Asia with great gifts and strong perswasions hoping by their assistance to overwhelm his enemies with a strong invasion whom in vain he had sought to weary out by a lingring War The issue of these great preparations made by Evilmâ—râ—â—ach against the Medes was such as opened the way to the fulfilling divers Prophesics which were many years before uttered against Babel by Isay and Jeremy For the Babylonians and their Confederates who trusting in their numbers thought to have buried the Medes and Persians under their thick showers of Arrow and Darts were encountered with an Army of stout and well trained men weightily Armed for close fight by whom they were beaten in a great Battel wherein Evilmerodach was slain After which that great Empire that was raised and upheld by Nebuchadnezzar was grievously shaken and enfeibled under his unprosperous Son and left to be sustained by his Grand-child Belshazzar a man more like to have overthrown it when it was greatest and strongest than to repair it when it was in a way of falling Xenophon relates the matter thus When the Babylonian had enlarged his Empire with many Victories and was become Lord of all Syria and many other Countries he began to hope that if the Medes could be brought under his Subjection there would not then be left any Nation adjoyning able to make head against him For the King of the Medes was able to bring into the Field sixty thousand Foot and ten thousand Horse to which the Forces of Persia being joyned made an exceeding great Army Considering therefore the strength of such a neighbour he invited Craesus King of Lydia a Prince very mighty both in men and Treasure and with him other Lords of Asia the less to his assistance alleadging that those Eastern Nations were very powerfull and so firmly conjoyned by League and many Alliances that it would not be easie no nor possible for any one Nation to resist them With these suggestions backed with rich Presents he drew to himself so many adherents as he compounded an Army of two hundred Thousand Foot and sixty thousand Horse Of which ten thousand Horse and forty thousand Foot were brought by Craesus who had great cause of enmity against the Medes for that they had made great Wars against his Father Allyattes Whereupon Cyrus was by his Father Cambyses and the Council of the Kingdom made Generall of the Persian Army and sent away into Media with thirty Thousand Souldiers and one Thousand Commanders all of equall Authority under him and when he came thither he was also made by his Uncle Cyaxares who had sent for him Generall of the Median Forces and the management of the War against the Babylonian was wholly comitted to him With this Army he marched against Evilmerodach and his associates and in a very bloody Bartell overthrew them In which defeat Evilmerodach King of Babylon being slain so many of his Subjects revolted that Babylon it self could no longer be secured but by the help of Mercenaties waged with great sums of money out of Asia the less Egypt and other Countries which new leavied Forces were also defeated and scattered by Cyrus who following his advantage possessed himself of a great part of the lesser Asia Those Persians which followed Cyrus and were by him levied are reckoned to be thirty thousand Foot of which one thousand were Armed Gentlemen the rest of the common sort were Archers and such as used the Dart or Sling Craesus notwithstanding the men lost and the