ans, is not for the _jus divinum_ of lineal Succession, or what
we call hereditary Right, any farther than serves for his Purpose.

Thus Satan ridded his Hands of ten of the twelve Tribes; let us now see
how he went on with the rest, for his Work was now brought into a
narrower Compass; the Church of God was now reduc'd to two Tribes,
except a few religious People, who separated from the Schism of
_Jeroboam_, and came and planted themselves among the Tribes of _Judah_
and _Benjamin_: The first thing the Devil did after this, was to foment
a War between the two Kings, while _Judah_ was governed by a Boy or
Youth, _Abija_ by Name, and he none of the best neither; but God's Time
was not come, and the Devil receiv'd a great Disappointment; when
_Jeroboam_ was so entirely overthrown; that if the Records of those Ages
do not mistake, no less than 500000 Men of _Israel_ were kill'd, such a
Slaughter, that one would think the Army of _Judah_, had they known how
to improve as well as gain a Victory, might have brought all the rest
back again, and have intirely reduc'd the House of _Jeroboam_ and the
ten Tribes that follow'd him to their Obedience; nay they did take a
great deal of the Country from them, and among the rest _Bethel_ it
self; and yet so cunningly did _Satan_ manage, that the King of _Judah_,
who was himself a wicked King, and perhaps an Idolater in his Heart, did
not take down the golden Calf that _Jeroboam_ had there, no nor destroy
the Idolatry it self, so that in short, his Victory signified nothing.

From hence to the Captivity, we find the _Devil_ busy with the Kings of
_Judah_, especially the best of them; as for such as _Manasseth_, and
those who transgress'd by the general Tenor of their Lives, those he had
no great trouble with.

But such as _Asa_, _Jehoshaphat_, _Hezekiah_, and _Josiah_, he hung
about them and their Courts, till he brought every one of them into some
Mischief or another.

As first, good King _Asa_, of whom the Scripture says, his Heart was
perfect all his Days, yet this subtle Spirit, that could break in upon
him no where else, tempted him when the King of _Israel_ came out
against him, to send to hire _Benhadad_ the King of _Syria_ to help him;
as if GOD who had before enabled him to conquer the _Ethiopians_, with
an Army of ten hundred thousand Men, could not have saved him from the
King of the ten Tribes.

In the same manner he tempted _Jehoshaphat_ to join with that wicked
King _