are to go in them to make a goodly City Quinzay honoured as it is reported with 12000 bridges and a lake in the midst of the City of 30 miles compasse with two Islands wherein are gorgeous houses magnificent Palaces Grand Carre built where Memphis once stood or nigh to it which hath in it as some Historiographers write 18000 streets insomuch that Sel mus the great Conquerour was three daies in passing them â—hrow and such numbers of people that they count it nothing in a great plague every seventh year if they lose but 300000 in the year Hispua now called Casbin which the proud Persisians do call Half the world and say that the compasse of it cannot be rid about on horseback under lesse time then a whole day Musco that wooden City which hath in it sixteen Churches and the Princes Palace with seventeen Turrets and three great Bulwarks and 25000 Souldiers for a constant guard Cambalu the seat of the Crim Tartar who is called the shadow of spirits which is said to be 28 miles in compasse and hath in it a mighty confluence of merchants insomuch that there are said to be 10000 Carts to have come formerly every year laden with silks from China and besides other Inhabitants it is reported to have 50000 Astrologers in it Vienna famous for beautifull Temples stately Monasteries and a magnificent Palace for their Emperours but it hath in it no great quantity of ground nor multitude of Inhabitants but as the Court doth replenish it Paris which is said to be ten miles in compasse and hath in it lofty and curious buildings and 600000 Citisens besides Souldiers and Schollars of which last there are a multitude by reason of their 55 Col-Colledges Sevill which is said to be six miles in compasse and hath many excellent buildings Churches Monasteries Princely houses and a goodly bridge over the River Baetis and indifferently well peopled Constantinople where the spread Eagle was first plumed and flew out of her nest into the Imperiall Armes and that not onely here began to look towards the East and West but chiefly because when Constantine had resolved to build a glorious City and had laid the foundations of it in Asia some say in three severall places the Eagles would not suffer the Workmen to go forward but took up their tools in their bills and claws and carried them to Byzantium where this glorious City was built glorious it was once and somthing now sightly be it but for the Mosques State-houses Almes-houses and the Seraglio Tlascalan which is a goodly City in Guastacan of large extent and so shining afar off that Ferdinando Cortez thought at the first fight of it that it had been built all of pure silver Mexico which is in Tremistatan six miles at least in compasse and had in it about 70000 Families and a goodly lake joyning to it whereupon there were wont to be 40000 Canaoes fishing and all the banks of the Lake spread round about with fair Towns Cusco which hath in it one of the goodliest Market-places in the world and highly decked with rich and sumptuous buildings for every Courtier was commanded there to build a Palace and the whole City seemed to be nothing but a large Chest heaped up with silver and gold Imperiall a City in Chile which was able once to set out 300000 Souldiers against their Enemies El Dorado the greatest City of America some say of the world full of Gold in Coin golden Plate and Armour a City so big that Deigo Ordas was a day and a half travelling before he came to the Kings Palace Yet none of these Cities in their greatest glory were able to equall beams of Majesty with Nineveh no I have gone a large peregrination to visit all the chief Cities in the world but when I would shew to you the nest of the Phoenix I must carry you back to Assyria and wish you to turn your eyes upon Nineveh Whatsoever it is it was the Prince of Cities That great City Great for the Founders Jeron in Loc. Hebr. Hâ—go de S. Victore Pezel in Mellif Histor Arius Montanus Graâ—ay Hervin for Ashur departing from Nimrod for his great cruelties came hither and laid the foundations of this City which not only the scripture doth witnesse Gen. 10. but it is confirmed by the testimonies of many learned men And Belus his Son added somthing to the glory of it for he after he had subdued so many Countries that his subjects made him a God and offered the flesh of their Captives to him for a sacrifice out of great depredations hee bestowed much cost upon the City But it never came to perfection till the time of Ninus who reigning 52 years Sabell l. 1. Aeneid 1. and being a Prince of invincible courage and happy successe joyning with Ariaeus he vanquished Pharnus the King of the Medes and crucified him and some say he killed Zoroastes though Volateran say he dyed with the flashes of lightning howsoever certain it is hee won his Country of Bactria as he did Armenia Arabia and Lybia and grew to be such a mighty Prince that the Caldeans called him Hercules and the Assyrians Jupiter now this Ninus comming home full of prey to this Nineveh after hee had built three Temples in gratitude for his victories one to Belus his Father another to Juno his Mother and the third to Rhea his grandmother to the perpetuall eternising of his name he bestowed all the rest of his vast treasure upon this City Euseb in Chron. Coactis undique viribus his quae ad tantum opus spectarent urbem câ—ndidit Diodor Sic. Euseb in Chron Bâ—d in Genâ—â— q 6â— Aug. de civi tate Dei l. 16. cap. 3. Paterauâ—n oppidalum caput Imperii statait Strabo l. 6. Ab Ashur initia ejus civitatis caepisse quam postea Ninus ampliorem augustio rem fecit Pezel in Mellif Histor de Chald. pers Graec. Monarch usque ad Romanos Nava habitavit Jonah 3.3 which was to be called after his own name Nineveh of Ninus though some call it Ninoe and Eusebius Nisibis and the better to beautify the City he caused all his principall Artificers and the flowre of his Nobility to come and build here so that it became at last the splendour of Assyria and the Wonder of the whole world It is true many learned writers do hold Ashur and Ninus to be the same person yet by the judgement of very choise Authors the contrary is maintained Strabo saith that Ninus raised up his Fathers little town to be the head of an Empire Pezelius out of very good Antiquities doth affirm that it may be safely held that Ashur gave but the beginning to the City and that Ninus set it up in perfect beauty Yea it was That great Conquerour that made it That great City And that it was such a City I shall make evident not only from forced derivations by which some Criticks would assert the
excellency of the City as Nin veh of Nave Fair or of Nava full of habitations or from glorious titles as 1. That it was called Megalopolis The great City or Rahabboth The peopled City but I make it evident from that cleare testimony of Scripture that it was called a Great and excellent City or an exceeding great City that is a matchlesse City In the Original it is a City to God or a City for God as if it were fitter for God than man to dwell in it the first-born the first-fruits were Gods and why not the first City it is called a City for God Arias Mont. as if it were of an heavenly kind of magnitude as Cedars are called the trees of God for their procerity and loftinesse the lofty Cedar and this lofty City Secondly It is that great City From the duration of it What City upon earth had such an uninterrupted felicity aâ— Nineveh No Athens Thebes Constantinople and Rome it selfe though they shone brightly for a time yet they had their City-eclipses strange variations and changes by direptions and rapines yea sad alterations both of Governours and Government But this City had no such hurles and state-Hericanoes but it continued in a quiet peaceable and flourishing condition some say for 1500 years others for 1400 and all agree for above a thousand a City that had never feaver nor convulsion epilepsy nor palsie in such a long decourse of Ages how must it needs wax and thrive to the heighth of greatnesse Thirdly It was that great City for the vast wealth that was found in it for Belesus joyning with Arbaces some call him Arbactus Some call him Belochus and Arbastus being present at the taking and burning of the City begging of Arbaces after the sacking and rifling of the City to have barely the ashes of the City to be bestowed upon him which at the first was freely granted him he found such infinite store of gold and silver in the ashes that it raised him to an incredible estate there being an hundred millions of Talents in gold and a thousand millions of Talents in silver found melted in the Palace of Sardanapalus besides the heaps of such coyn that was gathered up in the severall corners of the City Well then for that great Treasure let it be that great City Fourthly That great City for the great emulation that was born against it for was not the eminency of Nineveh accompanied with much envy Yes there were many that did maligne the honour and greatnesse of it and amongst the rest Semiramis This Semiramis from being a base child as some report from being an exposed child as most averre by the mercy of shepheards was taken up and fostered till she came to ripe years when appearing to be one of peerlesse beauty she was presented to the Viceroy of Syria who being rapt at the sight of her received her very joyfully and thankfully and within a short time he married her to his eldest Son Menon The Viceroy being summoned to wait upon N nus in an expedition He and Menon and Semiramis went along together according to the Eastern custome into the Warres where Ninus casting his eye upon this Semiramis he thought her too rich a Jewel for a subject to wear and took her home to his Cabinet yea forced her and wrested her from Menon for which he strangled himselfe and made her his princely Bride and bed-fellow being enamoured upon her more then he was upon all the other rare beauties which attended on him or were his amorous eye-marks or his lustful Baths Semiramis seeing her perfect conquest that she had the Vitor himselfe in fetters made use of her opportunity and authority she secretly therefore envying the glory of Nineveh and ambitious in her selfe to raise up a Pile of her own that should out-beam Nineveh she begged this boon of Ninus that she might have liberty to build a City her selfe her Prince being wholly at her devoyre and not able to deny her any thing he granted her suit Some say Nimrod began the building of Babylon that Semiramis enlarged it and Nebuchadnezzar perfected it Others do say That Semiramis was the principall person to advance the glory of Babylon and brought it in her dayes near to perfection for Berosus l. 4. doth write that Nimrod built only the Tower not the City nec designatam urbem fundavit And he affirmeth if any credit may be given to him that Nebuchadnezzar built onely a new City joyning to the old and as Scaliger notes upon the fragments of Berosus saith that there he built his stately Pensile Gardens to satisfie the desire of his wife Nitocris and furnished her with treasure to build where she would and what she would she instantly fixeth upon Babylon and bestowed so much cost in building that she thought to make it the mirrour of Architecture and the Nymph of Cities Indeed the walles she made so admirable that they were esteemed as one of the wonders of the world in the rest of the buildings her pride and ambition had radiant reflexes But because the saw that she had a restraint in her boundlesse desires so long as Ninus lived therefore she presented a second Petition and that was that he would give her leave to step out of the Bed-chamber into the Throne and to raign as absolute Prince for some short time some say it was but for one day others for two others for five Ninus infatuated with passionate affection subscribed that Petition too oh fatall thing for a Prince for to deliver the Scepter out of his hand or to give away his Crown for an hour for Semiramis in this stint of Government before the last minute of her command was expired got her Husband to be made away and murthered Oh prodigious new Prince what mischiefe may be done in the space of a few punctilioes Well Semiramis being footloose wading through her Husbands blood to the bank of Principality she dedicated all the treasures he had left her to the shrine of Babylon Babylon is decked and adorned with all the Jewels of the Crown which she could spare But because vast expences will drayn even Princes Coffers for where the Vessell is alwayes running at last it will be drawn out to the dregs therefore Semiramis finding a decay of riches she goeth forth to dig in the Gold-mines abroad She mustereth up an Army and marcheth forth with such a Besome of Souldiers that she was able to sweep all the earth as she went in that expedition she conquered the Aethiopians and returning back with fame and spoil from that place she invaded the Sagdians Hirâ—â—nians Parthenians Arachosians Araspians Parmisedans Chorismans Semiramidis exercitus habuit contra Indos peditum ut Ctesias tradit ter decies centena millia equitum millia quingenta Currus ad millia centum erant totidem numero homines super camelos cum gladiis cubitorum quatuor Naves divisae ad duo millia quas cameli
found this to his cost for he was enforced to besiege it three years and he had never taken it Haec totius terrae imperium olim magna pompa maximisque viribus nulli postea regioni aequandum tenuit Ar. Mont. Scimus illam non modo similem fuisse magnis urbibus quales hodiè multae in Europa sunt sed superaste omnia quaecunque praecipuum nomen obtineret Calvin in 4. Jonae Cui par magnitudine neque fuisset antea neque esset futara Ribera in 3. Jonae but for the rising of the River Arias Montanus saith that the height of the walls was an hundred foot in height and the breadth of them so large that three Carts could go abreast upon them the Towers were a 1500 and two hundred foot high and that it was such a stately City that it commanded the Empire of the Earth to which none was yet equall either for Pomp or Force Calvin saith It was not like to our Cities in Europe but it did exceed them all which of them soever have had the greatest fame and renown So that now ye see what is spoken here by the Spirit of God concerning Nineveh is no hyperbole as when we say that a thing is whiter then snow sweeter then holly clearer then the Noon-day No man may have his nimieties of expression his diffluences redundances superjections and transiliences of speech but the Scripture doth not blandish over-phrase extra-fame any thing truth it self cannot falsify Nineveh here hath from God but her just commendation for it was singular and supreme a great City and That great City Should not I spare Nineveh that great City From hence observe that Eminency hath an eminent respect with God Almighty he is loth to pluck down that City which he hath suffered to rise up to the heighth of greatnesse Jerusalem was become a prime City the joy of the whole Earth the perfection of beauty how doth our Saviour weep when he looketh upon Jerusalem weep why weep what is he offended at such a delectable object do the Towers or the Bulwarks the Fort of Sion or the Temple grieve his eyes no he doth weep because he was to shed the first tears but Jerusalem ere long was to weep her self blind to weep her self dead it was an antient City and she was now crumbling away to her first dust it was a great City and she was now demolishing to her first stone yea Not one stone shall be left upon another the very thought of her misery makes our Saviour cry out Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem thou hast killed the Prophets and stoned them which were sent unto thee that blood wil fetch out all the blood in thy veines those stones will dash out thine own brains thou wouldst not be gathered therefore thou shalt be scattered thou wouldst not come under my wings therefore thou shalt fall under other Nation 's claws thou hadst an house but thy house shall be left desolate unto thee Thus ye see that though Jerusalem had been the Cutthroat and Executioner of his Prophets yet becaushe she had been a place of eminency it cannot but grieve him to see how shee hath brought this blood of Martyrdome upon her self to gush to death with the blood of revenge and how her stones of persecution will be the stoneheap that will crush the head of a whole City with direfull curses Christ cannot think of this accident without grones nor look upon this sad fate without tears Ephraim had been another famous City how is God pained to the heart to behold Ephraim in danger When Ephraim spake there was trembling sure I am when God doth speak against Ephraim there is trembling Ephraim is joined to Idols let her alone alone how long see how soon God doth renew his presence and pitty to Ephraim Thou hast gone saith God to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb and these could not heal thee But what shall Ephraim be without remedy these cannot heal thee shall none heal thee yes alas sick Ephraim if thou wilt thou shalt not yet fester to death in these wounds I saith God offer to be thy Physitian Oh Ephraim what shall I do unto thee Hos 6.4 He will teach Ephraim his own shame him in his exorbitances represent to him what a mixed piece and a clammy patch he is become a meer Time-server and Newter Ephraim is mixed amongst the people a cake not turned Hos 7.8 yea he will call him simple to his face Ephraim is a silly Dove without heart v. 11 yea and he will plead kindnesse to him ask Ephraim if this be the fruit of his affection instruction protection Oh Ephraim did I never do thee any courtesies was I never usefull and beneficiall to thee yes I taught Ephraim to go taking him by the armes I drew him with the cords of a man with the hands of love and I was as one that took off the yoak from his jaws and laid meat unto him Hos 11.3.4 Thus God will hint defection accuse of folly and intimate favour he will counsell and chide admonish and rebuke rather than he will repell and reject he will never leave till Ephraim leave old strayings and come to new tracks till Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols I have heard and observed him I am like a green firr tree from me is thy fruit found Hos 14.8 yea when God is constrained to be rough against Ephraim how is it as if a Father should dishinherit or tear out the bowells of his own heir Is Ephraim my dear Son is he my pleasant child since I spake against him I earnestly remembred him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him Jer. 31.20 With such a heavinesse if ever God doth deliver up Ephraim to judgment shake down his walls bring the yoak of captivity into his streets Oh Ephraim how shall we part how shall I separate my heart from thee thou hast done much unto me yet Oh Ephraim what shall I do unto thee There is a saying in the sixth of Micah 9. That the Lords voyce cryeth unto the City What City What cry A City saith God that I have fetched the stones of it out of a far Country for I have brought you saith God out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of servants yea I appointed Master-workmen to go along with the materialls and advance the buidling I sent before thee Moses Aaron and Miriam v. 4. and I yet further preserved the quarry-pieces whereof the City should be framed by might and miracle that they might not be seased upon scattered and dashed in pieces by the way for Oh my people remember what Balack the sonne of Moab consulted and what Baalam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal Thus farre I have gone for this City nay I never left it till in despight of all opposition and maugre all practisings against it I raised it up to
after it or look upon it that I heare a childe crying as if it had lost a Father or his fatherly providence and preservation Can God prepare a Table in the wilderaisse I am weary of my life what good shall my life do me who shall raise up Jacob for he is small thy breach is great like the Sea who can heale thee all joy is darkened the mirth of the Land is gone Wo is me now for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow I fainted in my sighings and have no rest When I cry and showt he shutteth out my prayer The anger of the Lord hath divided them he will no more regard them Is this the City that men call the perfection of beauty the joy of the whole earth The Lord hath cast off his Altar abhorred his Sanctuary Our bones are dryed our hopes are lost we are cut off These are the sad groans of an asslicted family the broken speeches of perplexed Sion we are chastised and the rod will never be hung up we are brought to a mourning condition and we must moisten our graves with our dying teares we are the footstool of the earth and all the Angels of heaven cannot remove this trampling foot our collar is loosened and we shall never be girded again with strength we are carried away to Babylon and we shall never see Sion again they which have dominon over our bodies rule over us with rigour and God hath forgotten us the earth is a Correction-house and heaven is no Sanctuary for us Barth Bonon in ejus vita yea as Antonius Vrceus Codrus for a little Chamber which he had burnt down went against the perswasion of all his friends and lived in the Woods and after that returning he lay the first night upon a Dunghill and when he entred into the City he could not be drawne to live in his owne house or in any other house of quality but lived six moneths in a mean mans house as if all were lost and he were never able to rise againe So if a few sparkes be fallen upon our estates or we but fired out of a little meanes we think we are never able to repair these losses no we are punished and we shall perish Porus King of India Justin lib. 12. when he was vanquished by Alexander he took it so heavily that though he had his life given him yet he would not for a great space eat any meat suffer his wounds to be dressed or be perswaded to live So if we be but crosed in any of our designs and cannot enjoy that liberty and fulnesse which formerly we had or carry any cuts about us we would even starve upon accidents or suffer our wounds to rankle we are unwilling to live or despaire ever again to live happily But oh sigh gently speak softly chide not with providence roare not under casualties fret not your selves into your graves for are ye the men that maintain a Creed and stand up to the Creed what one true article of faith have ye howsoever do ye believe a God what thus to loosen all the joynts of a Christian dependance to distrust a God oh remember that ye have suffered nothing but what the wisedome of God held convenient and the providence of God is able to restore double for it Moses fled for his life and kept sheep and afterwards became a mighty Ruler Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen thâ— end which the Lord wrought Jam. 5.11 Howsoever do ye suffer any thing out of Gods sight no his eye is upon all your trialls all your miseries are scored up in heaven he doth keepe a Catalogue of all your sufferings oh therefore take courage lift up your hands which hang down strengthen your feeble knees witnesse patience expresse confidence for why should ye be a fainting people under a knowing God no when ye are ready to complain and murmur and vex restrain these distempered passions by calling to mind that ye have a seeing and a searching God that hath taken notice of all your sorrows he can tell you all your losses reckon up all your injuries and indignities repeat to you all your extremities and exigences ye know not better how many eyes ye have in your heads nor how many fingers ye have upon your hands then he can bring in the full tale of all your distresses That he is such an observing and intelligent God ye may see herein Nineveh he can number out to her all her thousands and the surplus Wherein are more then sixscore thousand persons Secondly This doth serve to represse sin for oh that thou darest trespasse before such a knowing God canst thou doe any thing in such a close reserved manner that he shall not have cognizance of it I know there are a company of men which are all upon the point of secrecy and laying snares privily saying Who shall see them Psal 64.5 Yea a generation of men that have set their mouthes against heaven which say How doth God know and is there knowledge in the most high Psal 73.11 But these men shall hear God ere long answer them in thunder and tell them I know your manisold transgressions and your mighty sins Amos 5.12 Yea these things hast thou done and I kept silence then thou thoughtest wickedly that I was such an one as thy selfe but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Psal 50.21 Oh Lord thou hast searched me and known me thou knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising thou understandest my thought asar off Thou compassest my path and my â—ed and art acquainted with all my wayes There is not a word in my tongue but lo O Lord thou knowest it altogether Thou hast beset me behind and before and laid thine hand upon me Psal 139.1.2 3 4 5. God could tell Adam of his eating the forbidden fruit Cain of murthering his Brother Abel Saul of sparing Agag and taking a part of the prey David of slipping in to his neighbours Bed and covering the fowlnesse of that guilt with the skin of a dead Husband Asah of trusting in his Physitians Hezekiah of shewing his treasures to Merodach Baladan the Scribes and Pharisees of their secret lusts which deserved stoning Aâ—anias and Saphira of their keeping back part of the price what then unto God can be undiscovered no he hath not only a multitude of about spies thee but he himself is the constant visiter of all thy actions Mercury feared not Gallus not Vulcan nor all the Gods so much for the discovering his close passages with Venus Natales Comes l. 2. Myth c. 6. as the Sun so this Sun is shining into all corners to reveal the most hidden passages yea God will beat the woods to make the birds fly out of their secret nests and smoak the dens and burroughs to make the beasts which are earth'd under ground to appear thine own dogs shall bark in thine ears thine own corrupt