The Kings Chronicle

THE ACTS OF DAUID.

CHAP. I.

GOD'S Servant, David, is destitute of an harbor▪ GOD provides for him a Kingdom. Now his strait was greatest, his Deliverance was nearest; he is set on the Throne presently after he thought himself on the dung-hill at the lowest. David knew his head was long before annointed, yet he will not stir till he consults with the Lord, resolving to do nothing, without a word from His mouth, and, having that, he orders his Militia, pursues his enemies, and overtakes them: redeemed all the enemy had taken from him, returned to Ziklag with the spoils of them, that spoiled him; Devides the prey into equal portions; and then a few hours after, he hears of his Crown, which he might have received from an unhollowed hand, before that time, even from the hand of an Amalekite; but David had good experience of GOD'S faithfulness; He could possess his soul in patience, he would not now make haste, for he is going to his Throne. A man had need walk softly, that is going thither, and be very circumspect, that is laying his hand upon a Crown; for of all ornaments, he must be careful how meetly the Crown is set upon his head: As it is set on at the first, so it stands ever after, either firm and steady; or, like a tottering wall and broken fence. David is very wise and exemplary at this point; for, he that was a Subject but now, and in a very low estate, begins to be lifted-up on high, he is entering upon his Government ; now he must look, with all his eyes, how he begins, and not so much how he Times his beginning, (though that be a great point of wisdom) but with what discretion he enters the government, and sits down in his Throne. We will observe now with what circumspection he lays hand on a Crown: How he ponders his steppes, now he is entering the Throne. Thus it was;

There comes a man to him out of the Campe from Saul, like a mourner, but with joyful news in his mouth (he thought) for though he must tell David, That the people of Israel were many of them fled, and many fallen; and many dead, and Jonathan dead also: yet this would make amends for all, and comfort David, even over the death of Jonathan; and Saul is dead also :

David questions the man, and the man is as ready in his answer, assuring David concerning the truth of the whole matter; but clears this, which he thought would be most welcome, and sweeten all the bitterness in Israel's slaughter, and Jonathan's death, That Saul is dead also; I am sure of that says he, very sure, for I myself stood upon him and slew him; And, because I would be yet surer, I have, (like Soldiers) pillaged him too, I have taken the Crown from his head, and the Bracelet from his Arm, and have brought them hither unto my Lord: So he has tendered David a Crown, expecting a reward; he shall have it anon.

This sounds very ill in David's ear; he is not glad to hear his Enemy was fallen; No, though he stood betwixt him and a Crown: David does, as a man, that cannot see matter of joy, no not in being set-up, and chief in the Kingdom, When Israel is set under: Israel mourns, he mourns also; and as the Master, so all the Servants do, likewise all the men that were with him .

David questions the man yet farther, whence and what he was? He tells him, That he is the son of a stranger, an Amalekite . The very same; his actions told David as much before; he shall have the reward of an Amalekite; he destroyed Saul (his own confession was so) he was not afraid to stretch his hand against the LORD'S annointed; The hand of Justice shall be now stretched out against him (since it was not stretched out before, when GOD commanded ) to cut him off from the Earth. The Crown of an Israelite is tendered by the hand of an Amalekite unto David; he looked upon it with disdain; and his head shall be taken from his shoulders, because he was so bold to take an Israelites▪ Crown into his hands.

It was a custom (it may be it continues still) That at solemn times, when the Crown is setting upon the head, Prisoners are loosed; the Jews had such a custom on the day of their Feast ; They had it by tradition, and took-it-up, as they did other things, upon trust: but they had it not from David; he slew that notable Murderer at that solemn time.

I heard a great man say, that this great work now in hand, The well▪ Posturing the Kingdom, could not be prosperous. Why not prosperous? Because the very first step into it was in blood, he spake feelingly that spake thus; But, the more likely to prosper will every wise-man say; If there had been more blood-shed, it had prospered the more, even so much, as that the Church might have washed her feet in the blood of her Enemies. But we must leave the issue of these things in GOD'S hands. We have observed how David enters into his Throne; we have found his first Act very exemplary for Judgment and Justice, though very cross to the custom of after times; He is stepping-up now to the Pinnacle of honor; That he may stand sure on that tottering place, his first step unto it shall be exemplary for Justice to all Kings and Princes after him; his first step shall be underlayed with Justice and paved with Judgment.

We go-on, observing all along, how direct a way David goes in still (he is going to a Throne) to establish his Throne forever, and make his Crown flourish upon his head; He enquires of the Lord (He will not move a step but by direction from GOD'S mouth) touching the place of his anointing. And God so orders all for him, that all might know he was designed, preserved and called to the Kingdom (as miraculously as Queen Elizabeth was) by GOD Himself. And yet he finds opposites, as she did (The Kingdom of David shall have all the opposition, the Devils in hell, and all their Angels on Earth, can make against it:) but David prevails over them all; he waxed stronger and stronger , and the house of Saul weaker and weaker.

David's Militia was so strong now (for God was with him) That he took courage, and marched to Jerusalem, laid siege to that strong-hold, which held out all the days of the Judges: The Adversary thought it impossible, that David could take it, and that the lame and blind would defend it: and so they jeered at him; not considering, that they had to do with more then a Man. David comes against his Adversary in the strength of God: He looked not how strong the City was, for then he had been discouraged, he considered how strong God is, and the more easily prevails against his Adversaries, the more ready they were to mock and jeer at him: Nevertheless David took the strong-hold of Zion, the same is the City of David. And David went on and grew great; How so? The Lord God of Hosts was with him ^h . Then what could stand against him • His enemies could not stand before him, for the LORD brake forth upon them like the breach of waters . GOD was with him, no matter how many were against him: The God of all the Hosts in Heaven, Earth and Sea, they shall all fall and be destroyed; and the gods, they in their hasty flight left behind them, David and his men burnt in the fire, that is notable.

We read on,

Now David's care was about the Ark • ; It was well his care was so well placed. Be careful for that, and be careful for nothing; (that is) let your care be about the service of GOD, that it be according to rule, after His Will, Whose service it is, and then you may cast all your care upon GOD, for He careth for you . Let a man seek what he should seek in the first place; and let GOD alone with all the rest; Though they be many things, yet all shall be added unto him; (i. e.) they shall be cast in to him without his care, as an advantage or surplesage to his reckoning. Let a man do his duty, which is his work; and let GOD alone to safeguard him, to make provision for him, for that is GOD'S work. Again;

David's chief and first care was about the Ark. It was most fit it should be so. Indeed a good Prince must needs bethink himself first, how to advance Religion; what should the Deputies of GOD rather do, then honor Him, Who hath honored them, and Whom they represent?

But they should have looked to the manner, and what Law the LORD had set-down, for the removing and carrying of the Ark: The Testimony of God's presence is in their hands, and they handle it rather as Philistines then as Israelites: The Ark should have been carried on the Priests shoulders, they set it upon a Cart. See how ready Israel is to follow an example against the Rule, and to do as the Philistines did; so did they, and a way they went merrily, a very little way, for quickly, (See the Tides and changes in worldly things!) The Lord turned their dancing into mourning; He made a Breach upon them, and so He taught the generations following, this great lesson;

David hath learnt his lesson now, settles to the work again, doth all according to the Law, Decently and in Order, he serves the LORD with fear, and rejoiceth with trembling; he will account of worldly joy and contentment as it is, a thing very momentary, of very small continuance; he will never trust prosperity again, there may be a change within an hour, nor will he let himself loose to a fearless joy.

1. The breach is made upon Uzzah, but it strikes David also to the heart, and see how softly he walks, and humbly before his GOD, (His judgments were before his eyes) he was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, how shall the Ark of the LORD come unto me?

Thus a good man learns much by affliction, and is made better by another's strokes, for the hand of GOD, that was sore upon Uzzah, pointed to David's sin also, and the LORD might have been as quick with him, being the chief person there, and a Leader to His people: So David enquires wisely into the matter and cause of this the LORD'S displeasure, and he finds it out and expresseth it; Our GOD made a breach upon us, for that we sought Him not after the DUEORDER . See how that breach made-up Prince, People and Levites, and made them all whole again; So the Priests and Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the Ark of the LORD GOD of Israel; SANCTIFIED THEMSELVES , that is to be noted;

The Admonition is seasonable; when our foot is entering upon God's work, when we would do a work for God, Joshua's direction is as useful as it was to the Priests, when they should see God working for them; Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you: So, Sanctify yourselves (for tomorrow you are to work for GOD;) as you expect He should work gloriously for you.

3. This is of high concernment for us simple ones, who are all for the work, not regarding the manner; It is spoken to us in a figure. We also are all for the matter and substance of the work; if our prayers be said (as we say) If we have sat out the hour, and heard the Sermon; and, when that is done, have received the Sacrament, that is enough, the work is done. Assuredly this is as if we should think; if the Ark be carried, and brought to his place of rest; no matter for the manner how, though it be put in a Cart, and the Oxen drew it. We must look to the manner of our performance, or else look for a breach upon us: Sooner or latter God will make it, for He is the same, He was in David's days ; and then thus it was; Our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought Him not after the due order. Then we must remember, how they ordered themselves after this breach was made upon them, and as they did, so should we do in our services, before God make a breach upon us (Because you did it not at THE FIRST , therefore the breach was made upon them at the last) So the Priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the Ark of the LORD GOD of Israel. So must we do according to the charge in Ioshuab, and this here, Sanctify yourselves both you and your Brethren, specially ye that are the chief of the Fathers, that ye may do the service of the LORD after the DUEORDER.

David has given the charge, and he leads the way▪ the breach upon Uzzah is still in his eye, not to dishearten him from removing the Ark, for he saw, that a blessing did accompany the Ark, and was visible there, where the Ark was: but to make him wary and very circumspect in his walk now about to remove the Ark. And see with what deliberation he does it, still eying the Rule, and his way, and the breach upon Uzzah, so having gone six paces, he sacrificeth. Then he goes-on rejoicing carrying the Ark into his own City. His wife sees no beauty in her husbands zeal and holy mirth but folly rather and madness. David cannot endure a reproach from her, whom he loved, cast upon his zeal for God, he checks her very sharply: And because her mouth was so open against her husband in the cause of his God, The Lord shut-up her womb, she should bear no child unto him, Whom she had contemned, She had no child to the day of her death: a great reproach that in those days, among men . But David riseth the higher by his outward abasement: And that, which in his wives eye would make him vile and contemptible, should make him honorable and gracious; for what he did was before the Lord, and His abasement before Him, is his way to Glory, therefore he is resolved to be yet more vile then so, and base in his own eyes.

Thus K. David, and his people have done now, touching the Ark, it is brought in a due order to it's place. But David takes not his eye from off it, his care is still about the Ark, That, now the Lord had given him rest, the Ark might rest too, and in a fitting house w ^ch he will build for it. No, but he shall not; and yet the Lord takes it very kindly from him, That it is the purpose of his heart to build GOD an house ; Go and tell him, saith the LORD, I will build thee an house , that I will: wilt thou lay out thyself for Me and My House, I will build thee an house, and it shall be a sure house, It shall continue forever; Thou shalt be no looser for the good-will thou intendest to Me, or the good service thou wilt do for Me, I will build thee an house, and it shall be established forever. Read-on and observe how comfortably the Lord speaks to David, and how sweetly David answers the Lord: I observe only this, That

The only way David could take to establish his house forever, was to take care of God's House on Earth : So he did, and see what provision he made for that building, because he had set his AFFECTION thereupon; and see how he prospered? What exploits his MILITIA wrought! No Enemies could stand before him, for the LORD preserved David wh • thersoever he went. The Enemy had no power to stand before David, for GOD was with him. We see then where our strength lieth, not in multitudes of Charets, and troops of Horse-men: Though our Arm be weak, and our Adversary strong, yet his gods are but fuel for the fire; GOD is with us, and He is strong. We read-on, That David grew mighty, got himself a name; for it follows, presently after, David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice to all his People ^b . JUDGEMENT and JUSTICE! These are like the two Pillars JACHIN and BOAZ , the upholders of the Throne. David executed judgment and justice: To whom? To ALL the People; to the poor and needy, to the Dumbe man, that cannot open his mouth for himself, or his purse to bribe another to speak for him; whom the vile Judge, as an evening Wolf, has appointed to destruction: David will open his mouth for this man, for this Dumbe man, for he will do judgment and justice to ALL the People. To his Courtiers also; if they be proud and stout, David would not suffer them; and if they be privy SLANDERERS, David will CUT THEM OFF; He would turn the WHEELE over the wicked: Hear him what he says, for never any King did speak and practice better.

I will EARLY (mark that, he would begin betimes. Judgment and Justice should be his first work, as we heard) I will EARLY destroy all the wicked of the Land: that I may CUT OFF ALL wicked doers from the City of the LORD.

This is to execute judgment and justice, to do it EARLY, and to have a special eye to the Slanderer; and to him that hath an high look, and a proud heart; to the deceitful person also, and to him that telleth lies. These should be rooted-out, they are the Pests and Plagues of the Court, and of the Kingdom.

But upon whom were David's Eyes fastened for good? Upon the faithful in the Land, they should dwell with him; and they, that walked in a perfect way, they should be his Servants. An infallible sign of a good man this; Mark you, do you see a man setting his Eyes upon (i. e. do's he favor, do's he take by the hand) Doeg's wicked bloody men? He is a Saul. Do's, he set his eyes upon the faithful in the Land? He is a David. Signs and tokens may deceive you, but this never failed; do's he delight in wicked men? Do they dwell with him? Do such vile persons serve him? Will he not suffer them to be cut off, he is a wicked man, for his eyes are upon the wicked to favor them; he will not execute Judgment and Justice. Has he a respect, doth he heartity favor (i. e. does he take by the hand) good men? Do's he delight in such? Is his heart towards them? he is a good man.

The government is upon David's shoulders, he will do Judgment and Justice, for he is set upon GOD'S THRONE, (as Solomon was) to be King for THE LORD HIS GOD (a mighty consideration) Therefore made He thee King over them. What them? over Israel. Why King over Israel? To do Judgment and Justice to ALL the people.

But David did some injustice too in the matter of Urijah the Hittite.

True, he did indeed, He killed Urijah with the Sword, and so he called for the Sword home to his house; It came, and never departed from his house, according to the word of the Lord: And so we may read-on and of nothing but the Sword, the Sword, now in the brothers hand, and therewith he slew his brother: Now again in the sons hand, the beloved Son, and he would dethrone his Father. It is very notable, but it belongs not to this place. We may look upon the Sword in David's house, so as to keep it from our own: And think of the Saints falls, so as to make us look to our standing; we may ponder their steps and their failings in the way, so as that we admire free Grace. We may speak of their falls too, when there is just reason so to do, but with trembling; pointing at them, as SEA-MARKS to bid us beware, that no man presume to come thither; though one man plunged in there, and yet escaped, many have fallen-in and were drowned.

David did transgress in the matter of Urijah; but David watered his bed with his tears. David did according to the desire and pleasure of his Eyes; but he was over-whelmed with sorrow. We have our direction at this point in these words; He that once persecuted the faith, now preacheth the Faith, which he once destroyed. What then? And they glorified God in me . There is a direction for us, when we think or speak of the godly man's falls. But indeed, in this place, we are to say nothing touching this matter, unless we will go against the rule, and the practice of all the godly, even of God Himself. Sarah had her infirmities, so had Moses too, though the meekest man upon Earth; their FAITH is only mentioned and no more. David himself might have said much in the dispraise of Saul; he do's not so, he fills his mouth with Saul's commendation. Job did speak when time was, unadvisedly with his lips, as an impatient man. See in his third Chapter, he breaks out a little. A little! You will say, he breaks-out a great deal, he curseth the day and the night both. True, and yet I said well enough, he breaks out a little; a little in reference to those breakings, that were upon him, under which he was pressed down, and lay flat, then behold a little impatiency; I may well say so: I or indeed St. James mentions none at all, he tells us only this, You have heard of the patience of Job, as if we never heard of his impatiency. Matthew the Publican, saith he of himself, but no Evangelist besides himself. Of Paul before. Luther another Paul, but of a more hot temper (the fitter for those cold days, and the work he was upon) contended, upon a time, with Mr. Calvin, somewhat too eagerly. Well, said Calvin, though Luther in his haste, overtaken with infirmity, should call me Devil. yet I must call him, as I do account of him, An excellent Servant of the LORD. And so we see what the servants of the LORD have done; and yet we are shown a more excellent way. For see what the LORD do's in this case, My Servant David, a man after My Owne Heart, who did that which was right in Mine Eyes, and turned not aside from anything, that I commanded him all the days of his life, save only in one thing, And that I have passed over, as if it had never been done; And shall we recall it? Surely the LORD speaks much for our comfort, and for our instruction too, I WILL FOR GIVE their iniquity, and I will remember their sin NO MORE. Shall we then remember it? We heard what David did, and from GOD'S own mouth; And when we read what he did in the matter of Urijah, we must do as St. Paul saith the Jews did, when they heard what Paul had been, And they glorified God in me.

And now we will draw towards the shutting-up of David's day, for we must hear of him, as of the longest lived man, that ever was, AND HE DIED. We will pass-on in his story, and make a stand there, where David found himself even in the hands of death. Then we read with what affection he speaks to the people; even as one that had set his affection upon them, as he had done upon the House of GOD: He was now leaving them and that house, which must know him no more; and now, mark with what affection he speaks; Hear me my brethren and my people . Then read what he spake, and what his charge was to the people, that they and their souls might prosper ; then how he blesseth Solomon, and chargeth him, but that requireth double observation; he chargeth him to keep the charge of the Lord, for that was the way to prosper in all that he did, and whithersoever he turned himself . We will set a Mark upon the charge to his son; And thou Solomon my son, KNOW thou the GOD of thy Father. Is that all? No, there is much more, which commands our observation, but upon this we set the mark, it is the greatest part of that charge, and in observance of it, hath the greatest recompense of Reward. If a dying Father can bequeath it to his children, he leaves them a richer legacy then is imaginable. And thou, my Son, KNOW the GOD of thy Father; He is JEHOVAH, has His Being in Himself; gives Being to All; The Great and Terrible GOD, The gracious and merciful GOD; That gives Being to all His Promises, to all His Threatenings. NOT ONE THING HATH FAILED . Know this God, none like Him, Glorious in holiness, fearful in Praises, doing wonders. The GOD of thy Father, before Whom thy Father walked; The GOD Who • ed him all his life long, and redeemed him from all evil; My son, KNOW this God. They that so KNOW Him, will love Him, will fear Him, will serve Him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind They that love Him not, nor fear Him, nor serve Him, they KNOW Him not; so we read still; they KNEW not the LORD: We have set the mark theron, as the chief part of the charge; and it must be remembered first and last.

The second part is, touching God's House, whereunto the Father had set his Affection, and made answerable provision; his son now must put to his hand and his heart to make an House like GOD'S House, exceeding MAGNIFICALL, WONDERFULL GREAT, for so is the God, to Whose Name it must be built. The remaining part of the charge is, touching the execution of Judgment and Justice; and there we must set a mark too: how David chargeth Solomon touching cruel Joab , and malicious Shimei , both these must be removed upon the first opportunity, for Solomon must learn by-times, what he must never forget; That the dross must be removed from the silver; The wicked must be taken from the King, else his face cannot shine, nor can his Throne be established in Righteousness . Then David, having seen his son sitting upon his Throne, and charged him concerning His Duty to GOD and to His House, that he must build it exceeding MAGNIFICALL, as we heard; and having blessed the LORD, and his son, and the people, and commanded them to bless the LORD , DIED in a good old-age, with Blessings and Supplications in his mouth, full of Days, Riches, and Honor.

THE ACTS OF SOLOMON.

CHAP. II.

SOLOMON his son, the Beloved of the Lord, blessed with the blessings of the LORD, with the blessings of the Father, and of the People , reigned in his stead. His Father said to the son, Thou art a wise-man ; Solomon said to God, Thou hast made Thy Servant King, and I am but a LITTLE CHILD , and yet I must go out and in, before a great and wise people. All this was true, and in a true sense of this LITTLENESSE, and the people's GREATNESSE, Solomon prayed for an understanding heart . That desire pleased the LORD so well, that He granted it, made Solomon excel therein all the wise-men on the Earth .

Then sat Solomon upon the Throne of David his Father (nay, upon the Throne of GOD, to be King for the LORD ) and his Kingdom was Established Greatly , for he was strengthened therein, and the LORD his GOD was with him and magnified him EXCEEDINGLY .

Then we read of his magnificence; The Glory of his Court; The beauty of GOD'S House; his Dedication; his Prayer there, and that is excellent.

Truly, I know not well what to say next, but Idols and their abominable services, will darken all this glory; for thus it was; Solomon was the greatest example of Wisdom, Riches and Honor, that ever was in the world: and the strangest example of human frailty, that ever we read▪ off, being so wise a man. But what is man in his best estate, though the wisest and the strongest? Not Substantive enough to stand of himself, nor wise enough to order his steps. If the LORD, Who is our strength and our wisdom, with-draw His hand, we fall, and possibly so low, that he, who was a mirror of wisdom even now, becomes anon the mirror of folly. Hold me Lord, and I will hold Thee, said a good woman, who saw how weak she was in herself, and how strong she might be in her GOD▪ There man's strength lieth. It is an high point of wisdom to know all this: And that wicked and Idolatrous Counsels, specially from her, that lieth in the bosom, will weaken strength, and besot reason; and those are the lessons we are to take hence. How the LORD met with him is remarkable also, which I pass-over, touching only upon it anon.

Concerning his fall and recovery again, there is pregnant proof in sacred Writings; and no matter what fools say, though they write books about it, no wiser at the end, then at the beginning. True it is, though Solomon was really so wise, so rich, so honorable, yet, when he A WOKE (for I allude to it) when he came to himself, behold it WAS A DREAM , his wisdom, his riches, his worldly power, Behold! It is a dream, Vanity of vanities all is vanity; so said he, who hastened to find satisfaction; who more then he? he kept not from his eyes, what they desired, nor withheld his heart from any joy; yet so said Solomon the King: for what can the man say, that cometh after the King? Even that, which hath been already said; Solomon said of All things under the Sun, they are vanity and vexation; he could look thorough All, and discern a Nothingnesse at the bottom. Surely this did argue, he had a spiritual eye, and that GOD had instructed him to discretion. As GOD made all things, by His power, of Nothing; so he, by wisdom from GOD, made Nothing of all things; Nothing in reference to that one thing Necessary; or Nothing, in reference to Heaven, our putting forward or backward in our race thither-ward, to our Crown. The conclusion is, He, that sees all things to be Nothing, see's also GOD to be all things: He that sees a Nothingnesse, in the creature, sees a fullness in GOD, an All-sufficiency in Him. It is clear from Solomon's writings, That so Solomon did, and that makes clearer proof to them that have questioned it (I think no wiseman ever did) That Solomon's heart was turned from Idols to serve the Living GOD.

We read-on now, That we may learn to look the better to our standing by Solomon's fall; and to avoid with all our care the snares that are in a prosperous and full estate.

That little more, which concerns our present Theame, is this; Solomon was a King of Peace, and enjoyed long peace, he and his people; Judah and Israel were many as the sand, which is by the Sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry : An interrupted peace, never broken till Solomon broke Covenant with his GOD, and then all breaks to pieces, but till then all was peace, Eating and drinking and making merry. Here was a considering time for Solomon the wisest, and for all his people. They were now in a Land, where Silver and gold was as plentuous as stones : But that more precious commodity, BREAD, That they eat without scarcenesse ; there was no lack of anything, houses full, and wells full, vineyards full and barns full, a fullness of all good things. What is to be done now? It should not be questioned, because the answer is near; But, because of our evil and forgetful hearts, we are still remembered, as often as we meet with all this fullness; Beware Least thou forget the LORD, That hath done thus and thus for Thee, and hath given thee all this fullness.

Thou wilt forget the LORD Thy GOD, Who gave thee all this fallnesse, and multiplied thee so exceedingly, if thou art not now aware and lookest narrowly to thyself. A man cannot easily beleve, how he can forget GOD, when he hath so many remembrances of Him still before his eyes, fields full, and Barns full, and house full and table full; yet now thou wilt forget God or never, Remember Solomon. It will make us beware; the wisest man that ever was, yet, when all good things were multiplied to him, his heart was lifted up, and his spirit fell down flat, he forgot the Lord. Note, It is an hard thing (impossible without special assistance) to keep the heart down and humble, when the person is lifted-up with the fullness of all things; the hardest business well to husband peace and plenty, for the good of the soul, that the soul may prosper as the outward man doth, an hard work it is; pray therefore, That we may be filled with the fruits of Righteousness; ; that we may not be drunk with the world, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit, even with all the fullness of God: Then we shall beware and not forget, then we shall bless the Lord for all His fullness; then we shall well husband our rest and peace, as the Churches before us, They had rest: What then? And were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the holy Ghost, were multiplied. The digression is necessary, if it be a digression: And these considerations and cautions very useful, when we are, as those people were, in those days, Eating and drinking and making merry. There we breakoff. It follows;

No warrlike actions were performed by Solomon, nor memorable, excepting his buildings, which were great, wonderful and very many , with other works of magnificence, wrought for the glory of his own State, not much inferior to that house he built to the honor of GOD in fewer years by six, then he was building his own, which he was building thirteen years, and the building the house of GOD but Seven; That was not for his honor. But we must observe his prayer at the Dedication of God's House, for that is notable . As for the works, though very MAGNIFICENT, yet they might be quickly compassed by him, who could set down and count his cost, and quickly clear all disbursements, That made SILVER and GOLD, as plenteous as stones, and had Cedars in abundance .

Touching his MILITIA, we read much in a little; He provided for the troubles of war, in the leisure of Peace: And, to maintain his peace, he maintained a mighty MILITIA, for

But it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his Wives turned away his heart after other gods (the words are clear, as soon understood as read;) And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the LORD GOD of Israel, Who had appeared unto him TWICE, and had warned him touching that Matter .

But if he appear TWICE, and yet he will not beware, this will make His wrath burn, for the more mercy, the more displeasure, if mercy be despised. We read-on, and how the LORD charged him touching that matter; Solomon had a fair warning, much grace was shown unto him; GOD appeared to him TWICE, and charged him as often; yet Solomon did contrary, he hearkened what his Wife said, not what GOD said; He kept not that, which the LORD commanded. Therefore his son should not keep his Kingdom entire ^e . Surely, The LORD would rend it out of his sons hand. Howbeit not all, for David's sake. And yet Solomon himself should out-live his Glory, he should see affliction, and feel it too from one Adversary, and then another; For thus it was; When this Kings heart was divided betwixt strange Wives, and as strange vanities; when he turned from the LORD, Who had appeared to him TWICE, and so instructed him, touching the establishing his Throne: Then the LORD stirred-up Adversaries, now one, and then another; The one did great mischief ^f ; and the other abhorred Israel . Solomon should have abhorred Idols, those cursed and mischievous things; he did not so, he clave to them in love, for his heart was turned after other gods and goddesses: he did smart for this in this world; The Lord did stir-up two Adversaries, the one did Solomon great mischief; the other served him, as he should have served Idols, He abhorred Israel. To shut up Solomon's Story, we have but this more: He reigned over Israel forty years. The Sun of his glorious Day did set in a Cloud (that we may not admire persons, but free Grace) Then it was night with him, went to bed, and slept with his Fathers. Rehoboam his Son reigned in his stead. We have read his Story, his Sons follows.

THE ACTS OF ABIJAH.

CHAP. III.

ABijah, Solomon's Grand-child, Son to Rehoboam, begins his reign, and quickly ends it, he reigned but three years: he was not much better then his Father, for he walked in all the sins of his Father : but he was a much wiser man. I register him amongst the good Kings, because he ordered his Militia according to Rule; nor was he such a fool, as to humble himself before stocks and stones, or think them gods, which were made with hands, or put confidence thereon: he was valiant also and stout-hearted, and could look-up to GOD, who gives spirit, courage and invention, when and where he pleaseth. We read-on in the Chapter, and his Acts there.

In the close of the former Chapter we read, That there were wars betwixt Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. And in this Chapter we find it intimated, That Jeroboam pursues the War against Abijah, and, finding himself twice as strong, (for he set his battle in array with eight hundred thousand men mighty in valor) sets upon Abijah by force and fraud both, after the manner of an Idolater: Abijah sets his battle in array against him, but before he fights, he speaks; and, That he may be heard, craves audience, hear me thou Jeroboam and all Israel. What Abijahs sins were, the sacred Text tells us in general terms, he walked in all the sins of his Father. What his words were we shall hear, as full of wisdom and grace as any we shall read throughout the Chrouicles; These are his words.

Thus Abijah has mustered-up Jeroboams Troopes, his multitudes of men, of gods, and of Priests, like their gods. Then he tells Jeroboam where his and Judah's strength is, O children of Israel fight you not against the LORD GOD of your Fathers, for you shall not prosper.

Thus Abijah has declared to Jeroboam and all Israel the whole Counsel of God, touching that matter, the Kingdom of Judah, the Stability of the same. But see the treachery of Jeroboam and all Israel! While Abijah was thus wisely advising Israel, Jeroboam was dealing treacherously with Judah, (that is the manner of Idolaters) Jeroboam caused an abushment to come about behind Judah: so when Judah looked back behold Jeroboams Troopes were there; and when they looked forward, the Troopes were there also, before and behind Truly Judah has Lost much by standing to parle, treat and debate matters with Idolatrous Israel; while Abijah is opening to Israel the purpose and counsel of God: Jeroboam is wholly careless of that, minds only how he may cross the counsel of GOD, and has brought Judah into a snare; he has caused an Ambushment to come about Judah before and behind: And now he makes no doubt, but he shall reverse the purpose of GOD, (The great design and project of the world, the very trade they drive) touching the Kingdom over Israel, given to David by a covenant of Salt, an everlasting covenant. When Judah saw this they cried unto the LORD. Then was Judah's time to cry, and God's time to help, for the battle was before and behind. Then Judah cried, and the Priests did their office: Then it came to pass, that GOD smote Jeroboam, and all Israel before Abijah and Judah: And read what a slaughter there was, there fell down slain of Israel, five hundred thousand chosen men: Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Israel prevailed. How so? It follows, because they relied upon the LORD GOD of their Fathers; Judah relied upon his GOD, JEHOVAH is my strength , there is the strength of Judah, and it never fails. Israel relied upon multitudes of men, of Priests, and gods; all of man's making. It is the conclusion we made before; An Idolatrous people, who make flesh their arm, lean-upon gods, and Priests of Mans making, are a weak people; they have no power to stand before Judah Hoast, while Judah relies upon the GOD of Hosts. Let Judah stay themselves thereon, on the Almighty's Arm, and he shall shatter. Idolatrous Israel to pieces; so did Abijah here, he pursued after Jeroboam, and took his strong holds from him, neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah, And yet Jeroboam, such an Idolater, so treacherous, (for while Abijah was opening to him the counsel of GOD touching the stability of David's Kingdom, he was contriving an ambushment against Judah) so treacherous, so rebellious, but I said all before, such an Idolater, shall not scape so; he had made gods for Israel, after the similitude of Calves, that eat hay; and Priests for these gods, and he had dealt treacherously with Judah; GOD will be avenged of him for all this, He will vindicate His Glory, The LORD will smite Jeroboam also; He had smote him before, and all Israel with him, but then Jeroboam made an escape; The Lord smites him now with a deadly stroke, he shall make no more gods, nor Priests, after his order to offer sacrifice unto Devils.

The Lord smote him and he died. The time when this destruction came upon him is remarkable; Then the LORD smote him with a deadly stroke, that he died, when Judah might say of him, as David said of his Adversaries, They are lively and strong, and full of wiles, and are multiplied . When Jeroboam was very proud, then the Lord brought him exceeding low; when his thoughts were most mischievous against Judah, then the Lord broke him to pieces. Let Judah rely upon his God still; trust in the Lord forever, in assured confidence, That, when the Idolater hath made his ambushment, and cooped-up Judah with his Troopes before and behind, then is God's time to work, and to magnify Himself; then the Lord comes-in for them, that relied upon Him; then He smites His Adversarie: He causeth fear and dread to fall upon them: By the greatness of His Arm, His enemies shall be as still as a stone . So it was here; Judah prevailed over Israel because they relied upon the LORD GOD: and the LORD struck Jeroboam and he died. But Abijah waxed mighty; What his Acts, and ways, and sayings were, are recorded all, but the Records are lost. Yet we are sure of this, if it had not been recorded, Abijah made his bed in the dark, was laid in it, and slept with his Fathers.

THE ACTS OF ASA.

CHAP. IIII.

ASA his Son reigned in his stead; An excellent man, yet his Father bad enough, and his Mother stark naught; for she served I dols, and worshipped before stocks and stones;

(Yet they stand bound to do what they can:) Notwithstanding what the Father was, and Maacah his Mother, yet Asa was a very good man, a great example of wisdom in the posturing himself and his Kingdom, and of success thereafter.

Asa did that, which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God . What did he do? He took away those abominable, those accursed things, which brought Sodom to Jerusalem, the Idols there from before the eyes of the LORD, for He took away the Sodomites the Altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the Images, and cut down the groaves. That was a good beginning; to thrust-away those cursed things, which will thrust us away from God, and God from us. So Asa began, and his very first step brought him half way to the end; such an Energy, influence, and effectual working the beginning hath into all the periods of time following▪ This taking away of Altars, and strange gods; this breaking down of Images is indeed the prime and first work, it must have the priority, as in nature, so in time. The Rubb • sh must be cast-out before the building can go up, these abominable things, which make a Kingdom naked, which consume like a Moth, nay like a Cancer, eating out the heart of a Kingdom, these must be thrust away first, else the Kingdom cannot be set in a Posture of Defense; nor is that done (till this be done, till these abominations be cast-out) which is good and right in the Eyes of the Lord: When Asa did do so, it follows (to give clear testimony that so he did) For he took away the Altars, and brake down the Images.

Having so well begun, he follows▪ on the work as well, he commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their Fathers, and to do the Law and Commandment; We must mark this, that we may put the more observation upon it; And commanded Judah, that is, he made an Ordinance in Judah, that Judah should seek the LORD, and do the same, as Asa had done (which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD) doing the Law and the Commandment. Now this Command or Ordinance was in season, for the verse before tells us, He took away the Altars; and the verse following tells us somewhat more, That he took them away out of all the Cities of Judah. Had not Asa done so, he had done a deceitful work, nay, he had mocked God; he had made a show only to do that, which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD, if he had suffered those Altars and Images, such abominable things to stand before the Eyes of the LORD. We must observe Asa's way and method still; and how one thing follows another, and gives clear proof and strength to that, which went before, He did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD; For he took away the Altars, brake down the images, and (then) commanded Judah. All this was done decently and in order.

But how did Asa command? By the word of a King sure, and there is power ; Yes, and by his example sure enough, for that is the greatest command; He will do what himself commanded, He took out of all the Cities of Judah, the high places and the Images, and then, he commanded Judah; what follows now, that there is such a clear riddance of that, which is so contrary to the Militia of a Kingdom, that we may call it the Malitia [the malice] of the same, unhallowed Altars, dung-hill gods: What follows after this riddance? And the Kingdom was quiet before him. Yes, quiet now, for these Achan's, these troublers, Altars, Images, which brought Sodom into Jerusalem &c. are removed, then quietness and rest, and not till then. If we should ask Jorams question, Is it Peace? We must be answered, as Jehu answered him, what Peace so long as the whoredoms, and the witch-crafts are so many? What peace so long as Images stand, and Crucifixes stand, and Altars stand? But Crosses are broken down; and Altars are thrown down; and Images are stamped to powder; Then it will be, as it was here, The Kingdom was quiet, GOD gives it rest, it is a peace of GOD'S giving; Mercy and Truth are met together, Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other: And the Kingdom was quiet before him.

And now he has leisure, while the time is calm, and the Kingdom quiet, to provide for the troubles of war, which he did, He built fencea Cities, for he had no war in those years, because the LORD had given him rest;

We will look over this again, for the way Asa goes-in to posture his Kingdom, is exemplary, safe and excellent, there is not any one step he takes, but is remarkable, He did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD, for He took the abominations from before His eyes: Then he commanded Judah to seek the LORD, and to do the Law and the Commandment: Then, says he, let us build Cities and fortify them, for we have sought the LORD after the right manner; we have sought Him by Prayer and Fasting, so as He is found of us; We are sure we have sought Him, and as sure, we have a blessing from His hand: He hath given us rest on every side; We will build and GOD will prosper, for we have done the Law and the Commandment in removing the Idols from before His Eyes. Then read how strong he is, and what an Army he hath, Five hundred and fourscore thousand, all these were mighty men of valor.

Now Asa has done according to the mind and will of GOD▪ in Posturing his Kingdom; he hath removed all that, which is offensive to the eye of his LORD, and so has made his Kingdom, as a wall of Brasse. It is well he hath done all this, for he will find presently, That the Nations are angry, That Hell from beneath is moved at this Posturingworke, and stirreth up the dead against it: Next news he hears is, That Zerah the Ethiopian is come out against him with an Host, as the sands for multitudes, a thousand thousand, and three hundred Chariots, and they were come-up unto Mareshah, in the very borders of Judah; enough, if multitudes of men, and Chariots, and gods could do it, to lick up Judah as an Ox licketh up the grass. What now? Asa was glad with all his heart, that the LORD had instructed him to discretion: though he had enemies without (he cared not how many) yet he had made a fair riddance of his enemies within, Idols and Idol services, he had cast-them-out, those mischievous things; he had commanded Judah, to seek the LORD▪ and to do the Law and the Commandment; he had used the means in fortifying his Kingdom; he had not slept away the peaccable time that God gave him, but improved it to the strengthening himself and his Kingdom; now he can mock at fear, and laugh at his Adversary, though, to look upon, very terrible. Laugh at his Adversary, who is come out against him with an Host of a thousand thousand; laugh at him! Yes, he might laugh at all the Adversaries in the world, and in hell too, that had cleansed his Land and his heart of Idols: He can look his Adversary in the face, and have him in derision. Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array [We must use the means, else we do not trust but tempt GOD,] And Asa cried unto the LORD his GOD. [What! Laugh and cry both together? Yes, one and the same man may do both, and both together: He cannot laugh at his Adversary, who is a Legion, that cannot cry unto his God.] Asa cried [That is, he set his face steadfastly to heaven; his eyes were upon his GOD] And said, Lord, it is nothing with Thee to help, whether with many, or with them, that have no power [It is all one to an Almighty Arm, to work with many or with few: with means or against means; but then His Arm has the Preeminence, when it is made bare of flesh, and works for them that have no Power.

But had Asa no power now, when he had an Host of five hundred thousand; All these mighty men of valor?

This Asa accounted no power. Alas! what can two Arms of flesh do, but dash together like two Potsheards, break and consume one another. Asa durst not trust in his Chariots, nor in his Horsmen; whoever did so were brought down and fallen; he would Remember the Name of the LORD, That was the way to stand upright:] Help us, O Lord our GOD, for we rest on Thee. [A mighty Argument to draw God to his side. Our Fathers trusted in Thee; what if they did; it follows ever, they were delivered; because they trusted on Him] We rest on Thee. [A sure prop, it never deceives; I say, never deceives that man, who has done as Asa did, That which is good and right in the Eyes of the Lord, Help us, for we rest on Thee; and the Lord will help his servants. Why? because they rest on Him; He will not deceive their Trust, and it was Asa's confidence in the LORD his God.

In thy Name we go against this multitude, [(i. e.) not in our own, but Thy strength, in the power of Thy might, in whose hand multitudes are, but as one man; and Thou canst make one man chase multitudes] O Lord, Thou art our God, Thou art ours, and we Thine by Covenant; Thy Name is called upon us; we have an interest in Thee; Thy people, Thou art our God.] Let not man, a poor weak creature, let not him prevail; [Put him in fear, O Lord, That the Nations may know themselves to be but men ; Men, not God, their Horses flesh, not spirit ; Let not this man prevail against Thee. Do but stretch forth Thy hand, show Thy self to be God, then both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down • , and they all shall fall together. And so it was, for Asa had done that, which was good in the eyes of the Lord; has given Him the glory of His wisdom, power, mercy, goodness, has secured himself and his People, under the shadow of the Almighty; improves his interest there; then enters into his Chambers , as he was commanded, for he has committed the whole matter unto God, has told Him plainly, That he will rest on Him. And it pleaseth GOD wondrous well, That He is rested upon; now see what GOD will do for them, that trust in Him: So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled: And Asa, and the people that were with him, pursued them unto Gerat, and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves, for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before His Host, and they carried away very much spoil. Here was a wonderful victory, such an one as Israel had many years before over Midian , for very probable it is, there was not, at this time, as then, a man lost on Israel's side: My reason is, the Lord did drive them with His Tempest: they were destroyed before the Lord and before His Host, the Lord's Host: And now the Cities of the Philistines shall besmitten too, and those that wished well to the Ethiopians. The fear of the Lord shall come upon all their neighbouring places, and all shall be spoiled.

Thus Asa prospers, he and his people had removed all that, which enfeebles a Land, makes a Kingdom naked, those dung-hill-gods, those mischievous things; and see how he sinites and lays all plain before him, prospers every way, and returns with spoils in abundance to Jerusalem, to pay his vows there, as we shall read presently, for we readeon.

Asa is no sooner come to Jerusalem, but a Prophet meets him there (a good Prophet, upon whom the Spirit of GOD came) deals plainly with him, as a Prophet of the LORD, and that had the Spirit of the LORD, assureth him, saying;

In those times there was no Peace to him, that went out, nor to him that came in: but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Countries; Nation was destroyed of Nation, and City of City; how so for GOD did 〈◊〉 them with all adversity. They had forsaken Him, and He plagued them; but here was the complement of their misery, The Lord forsook His people, and then all the fore-mentioned followed, for when GOD forsakes a people, it shall be a miserable time with them, there shall be an howling, because of oppression, They shall be vexed with all adversity. When Asa heard these words; (O it is a great matter, almost all in all, when Prophets will deal faithfully with their Lord and Master.) When Asa heard the Prophet say so, for the Prophet had set the judgments of GOD as a Mountain before Asa's eye; Then he took courage, and went on towards a more thorough Reformation; took away the abominable Idols (as before out of Judah and Benjamin, or made clearer riddance then before he had done:) so also out of the Cities, which he had taken from mount Ephraim; If he were Lord of their Cities, they should serve his GOD too, that they should; Is not Asa their King? Then the Cities of Ephraim too, over whom he was King, should serve his GOD, and not the gods of their own hands and choosing; And he would refine the worship of his GOD, impured with Idolatrous services; and renew the Altar of the Lord, which, their Altars, made unto Devils, had quite defaced. Now mark, GOD had made a Mountain, a plain before Asa; and the hills to melt; He wrought so wonderfully for Asa, that strangers were taken with it; The people round about came flowing in to him, They fell to him (says the Text) out of Israel in abundance. Why fell they to Asa? That is expressed too, They saw that the Lord his God was with him: Yes, He was so, and He will be so, while we are with Him; so the good Prophet assured K. Asa.

Now he engaged himself to serve the Lord more; Oh! It is well when God's goodness towards Prince and people make them all the better; are bonds of assurance to serve God more; to be yet more vile in their own eyes; and to walk more humbly and more faithfully with GOD! Now Asa will do great service to his God, and to himself also: The greatest service that ever was heard of, if it be done, as he did it, in a right manner, and we keep unto it. But mark first how methodically, how orderly Asa goes-on; there must be a Thankoffering first, he had a glorious victory, God must have the glory of it.

Thus Asa did, in a full and free acknowledgement, That GOD did all for him;

The LORD had given the enemies and the spoils into their hands; in homage to This Lord, the Giver of victories, they rendered back into their LORD'S Hand of the spoil, which he had brought to theirs. A very just, reasonable and equitable thing, and but according to the command and rule: Offer unto God 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 Thankesgiving, and pay thy vows unto the most High. Asa had called upon the LORD in the day of trouble, the Lord kept promise with him, and delivered him: Asa stood bound now, in the strictest bonds, to do as he did, To offen Thankesgiving unto GOD, for that was the only way be could take, To glorify the LORD, the Giver of victories.

Asa goes on, he and all the people are gathered together at Jerusalem something should be done now, which might well become so solemn a meeting: And this it was; Asa could not think, that he and his people could be joined close enough to their God, Who had wrought so and so for them, such Salvations: yet they would join themselves as close as they could; They entered into a Covenant to seek the Lord: How? That is worth the asking; still the manner how, for that commends all; with all their heart and with all their soul. That is the way, with all the heart and soul, for so the LORD shown Himself with them; Assuredly, He did them good, With His whole heart, and with His whole soul .

Aye, but very likely, they should find some refractory and stubborn spirits, very cross to this great work, this engaging the heart to serve the LORD; Some men or women among the great ones, or amongst the small ones, having a spirit of contradiction, would not join with their Brethren; great ones might be stout, and small ones might be careless. It might be also the Cities of the Prophets, and many of the Levites would be refractory now, they would not come-in and protest to serve the LORD, and to renew Covenant with Him. No I That were strange indeed, that men, who had understanding in the visions of GOD, should be backward here to renew Covenant with their GOD, to seek and to serve Him, Who SOUGHT them out at the first, and served them ever since, all their days; Who gives them plenty of all things, richly to enjoy; gives them leave to reap where they fowed not; and to dwell in houses, which they built not; and yet unwilling to renew Covenant with This GOD, Who hath so engaged them to come unto Him, and to keep with Him all their days! If any would be so abominable, refractory and stout, that they would not come-in, they should be brought-in; If they would not yield to a golden Scepter, they should stoop to an iron Rod; if not submit to a sweet easy yoke, they should be broke to pieces with that of iron; And whosoever would not seek the LORD GOD of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

Well now; and yet it is not so well as we may think it is: for though we seek the LORD with all the heart, and with all the soul, yet all the heart is deceitful, and at the best a fleeting and inconstant thing; GOD knows, for indeed we know not, how deceitful the heart is ; Now we have it, we think at command, it deceives us quickly, gives us the slip, and is gone. Therefore there is a Caution put-in for that; They bind themselves fast with bands and cords, as with iron and brass; They sware unto the LORD; [they protested to serve the LORD; they solemnly vowed themselves His sworn servants; They avouched the LORD for their GOD: They had sought GOD and found Him, none like that GOD; then they sware, that they will hold Him fast, and keep unto Him.] But was it not with some of them, as it is now with all our vile Priests, and treacherous Prophets; did not their Protestation faulter in their mouths? No; All Judah (mark that ALL) Judah sware clearly, as if they were best content, that all the world might take notice, They sware with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with Trumpets, and with Cornets.

But the heart commonly does not love to be in bonds, and fetters; was there no grief of heart, no regret and giving-back there? No; for then it would have shown it self, as it does in our Priests, they could not have framed to swear with a loud voice; But the Text cleeres it, That it was the merriest day, that ever they saw; And ALL JUDAH REIOYCED AT THE OATH: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought Him with all their whole desire.

And they that so seek, shall find; so it follows, And He was found of them: And they that have found GOD have found all in that finding, Rest and Peace; and that is all; and that follows too, And the LORD gave them Rest round about. It is not imaginable, much less can it be expressed, what peace, what a shower of Blessings follows this entering into Covenant, and keeping to it I will leave this to the heart of the Reader, and go on, when I have said but this; That then Asa had made himself and his Kingdom strong▪ then he had postured, he had set himself and Judah in a posture of defense, when he had done as we have read. And they whose aim is so to do, must do as he did; for when all is done, nothing is done, till that be done, which Asa did; till we, in a contrariety to the wicked in their wicked way, shall ASSOCIATE ourselves, as the wicked all the world over, to break bands, and cast away cords, so we, To bind ourselves with those cords (which the wicked break) To enter into covenant with our GOD; To keep close with Him, and walk humbly before Him all our days, Amen. We read on.

Asa had engaged himself, had bound his heart with bonds and cords, so he goes on, for he will prove himself, as was said, a complete pattern of Reforming, of right posturing his Kingdom; I say, Asa goes on, meets with a Mountain in his way, which he will make a plain; He has engaged his heart to walk-after the LORD , and fear Him, and obey Him; serve Him, and cleave to Him; And now he must not spare; nor must his eye pity, no not the stoutest I mage in all the Country;

though any one of these should set it up, yet Asa must throw it down, his eye must not pity nor spare, for so the charge is; and Asa must do thereafter, for he hath sworn. Let me object, like a fool, after my manner, as if I were in Asa's stead; The Answer shall make amends for the folly of the objection, for it shall be given from God's Mouth; I object,

Ob.

I may express my Authority, that GOD has given me, over my Brother, I am in place over him, and, in that respect, he is my inferior; And over my Son, and Daughter, I am their Father; And over my wife too, GOD has made me her head, and Master; But now suppose (though I need not suppose, but for instruction sake) That a Queen should say, let us go, and serve other gods, whom thou hast not known, thou nor thy Fathers; suppose, she should say so, and so do, set up an Idol in a grove? Nay yet higher, suppose she be a Queen, and a Mother too, what must be done then? Thus I have made a question, where no wise man ever made any: I answer, or rather the Lord by me, by way of expostulation.

An. Is there any command can give check to GOD'S command? Is there any Relation so near, as that betwixt GOD and His people? Is there any Bond so strong as the Bond of a Covenant? Is there any such a Binder as an Oath? I have bound myself in an Oath, nay I have entered into a Curse if I perform not. I must now, in the fear of GOD, and dread of a Curse, throw away, that, which sought to thrust me away from the LORD my GOD; Who hath wrought all the works in me, and for me. I will not say now, as Jerome says, That, in such cases, I must thrust away my Father, and mother, who would thrust me from GOD; And, if, being thrust away, they will lie in my way to with-hold me from following GOD, I must trample upon them; I will not say so. But this I will say, I must break down their Idols, then stamp them to powder, and more also, but it follows presently.

This I have set down for the information of us simple ones; for we shall meet with an Idol in the bosom, which will plead as much as all this, and entice more secretly; but if we remember the Covenant, the Oath, and the Curse, we shall be too hard for that Idol, though it be a beloved one, and it shall down, and be thrust away. Now mark what Asa did, for he instructeth very much, a very great example of well posturing his Kingdom.

A foolish woman, a notorious Idolatresse, some say an Adulteress also (these commonly go together, for the reason rendered, Rom 1. v. 23, 24. and are, whether hees or shees, the stoutest fools in the world, for they are stout and proud before GOD, and humble before stocks and stones) had committed folly in Israel, worshipping an Idol in a grove, some called it Priapus, an obscene god, but guilded over, and made, by art, a pretty gaudy thing; And she thought verily she had been a privileged woman, she had a license to lift up her heart and eyes to lying and strange vanities; she was the Mother of Asa, the King , and, why might not she do as she pleased, under her Sons protection, being Queen and a Kings Mother? Again, this foolish Idolatrous woman (for she had degraded her self by falling before an Idol, and such an Idol, which was named before I was aware) considered not, That Asa the King had entered into a covenant with his GOD, therefore he must not suffer any abomination to stand before His eyes, with whom he has entered covenant, and struck hands.

Oh but he might spare that one Idol, it was the Queens Idol, and the Queen his Mother, he might spare that: No but he might not; better spare a Thousand then that one; for, though one be no number, yet it is the beginning of a number, and you may quickly add one to it, and then one is two; and now it will multiply, specially a Queens Idol. Certainly the Devil blesseth Idols, for they multiply like fishes: Solomon had many Wives, and half as many Concubines, and yet but one Son: But his Wives Idols, multiplied, and filled City and Country both. Therefore Asa did not spare Maacah, though she was his Mother, he pl • cked her down, and that is very emphatically expressed; And also Maacah his Mother, even HER, he removed from being Queen, because she had made an Idol in a grove; The Idol must down too, and be destroyed; that follows, for if he would not spare his Mother, NOT HER, then, not her abomination sure, that should be destroyed, and so it was; And Asa CUT DOWNE her Idol; Was that all? No; Idols must be dealt more roughly with then so; and STAMPED IT; yet that was not enough to consume an Idol utterly; Now he makes an end of an old block, and BURNT IT. Where? It is a good question, and the answer is notable, at the Brooke Kidron; That when he had stamped it to powder; burnt it to ashes; he might show his just indignation against it yet farther, he would drown it too; And all this for just reasons, clear in the Text.

1. That he might show Maacah his Mother what a vile god she served, that might be stamped to powder, then burnt, and then dround.

2. To show his just indignation against Maachas Image; she was Queen-Mother, her Idol, even hers, must be served so, for it had brought more then a suspicion upon her, That she was as unclean as the spirit she served in that obscene Image: Besides, it was the Mother of Abominations, by the Devils blessing it had been not only fruitful, but had multiplied, filling the City and Countries round about with Idols; And these, the Devil working effectually by them, filled Jerusalem with Sodomites, they made Jerusalem, the beloved City, a Sodom, which GOD overthrew, and repented not: for so we read; when they knew GOD and glorified Him not as GOD, but changed the Glory of the incorruptible GOD into an Image made like to, what? I cannot tell, but what the Carver pleased; Therefore GOD also gave them up, &c. I pray you read the place, and there you shall see Idols and Devils and Sodomites yoked all together. Therefore Asa cut down Maachas his Mothers Idol, EVEN HERS, and stamped it, and burnt it at the Brooke Kidron; That when he had done all this, he might do yet more, drown it also. Truly now Reformation is risen to the highest, it did not stick at the head. While Reformation sticks there, a Kingdom is never well postured; but there we leave it.

The Chapter concludes thus; There was no more war till such a time. We go-on now, to inquire into that time.

And now we have heard as much as can be expected from an excellent King; the truest subject to the LORD his Master; a stout and valiant Soldier, every way provident for the peace of his people. He was a King, and a very good King, whose Actions we have been treating of all this while; He was a Man too, that we all know, but we do not always wisely consider that, and answerably make an allowance. It follows now, how he acted as a man, standing alone; and there, we look to find slips and falls, infirmities, some worse then that in his feet, whereof he died.

Surely the wise GOD suffers it to be so; leaves Man, as we do our Child, to try how substantive he is, how he can stand alone; and behold he totters presently, perhaps fall. slat upon his face. Why so? for excellent reason; That man may know, when he stood, he did not stand alone, but underpropt by an Almighty hand; that sustained him: And what he did, he did by an Almighty hand too, that did it. O blessed be GOD for man's infirmities, whether these be in his head, or in his feet, or all over his body; These, as the Lord graciously orders them, makes him know, and know to purpose, that he is a man. A great point of knowledge this, and this of all men Kings are very unapt to know: Kings said I; alas! we poorer men, beggars in comparison, forget it often times, as our words and deeds do testify (for we blow as big in our little Ponds, as Kings do in their great Seas ) much more may Kings forget themselves quite, being upon their pinnacles. But then God leaves them (and so He may do and in much mercy) that they may try, what is in their hearts; He knoweth it well enough, for He knows all things, But He would have them to know it also. Blessed be God, I say again, for our infirmities, That, though our heads may stand high, yet, looking down to our feet, (our infirmities, our weaknesses) we are kept low, and made to walk softly all our days. And so I shall speak of Asa's weaknesses or infirmities, for to that head I shall rank them all; and then cast a covering over them, wide enough to hide all.

Baasha King of Israel, came up against Judah; blocks-up the passages to the intent that he might let none go-out or come-in to Asa King of Judah . That which seems strange is, why Asa, being able to bring into the field, and Army of five hundred and fourscore Thousand, all mighty men of volour , thought it fit rather at this time, not to draw them forth; but to fight rather with money , and to purchase his peace with the treasures of GOD'S House and his own, at the hands of an infidel. A learned Knight in his History of the world, speaks thus for him,

which the building of Ramah would bring upon them in after-times, then to take off his people's hands and intentions from so necessary employments. Well, but this pleads nothing for to excuse Asa; he might wink at the building of Ramah (which yet he had not done, if his understanding had not been clouded with fear) But he ought not to shut his eyes at this, That he calledin Benhadad the King of Syria into GOD'S inheritance upon these two dear rates; The breach of Benhadad's league with Baasha; and the expilation of the Temple. Here was an infirmity, a very great one, to call-in a Heathen King, and to make him break covenant. Let this go, for we will pass it over. But Hanani the Seer will not let it go so , he came, and, like a good Prophet, reprooves even Asa the King, saying; Did not the LORD deliver a huge Host, with very many chariots and horse-men into thine hand? Thine enemies did ride upon horses, and were very swift; but the LORD thy GOD, did ride upon the Heavens for thy help, and in His excellency upon the sky . And it is His manner so, To spy abroad even over all the world, where this faithful man is, whose heart is strong and perfect with his God, That He may show Himself strong in the help of such a man. Ah! thou shouldest have relied upon this GOD, Whom thou hast, so lately, found to be a strong GOD; so faithful, and true. Thou shouldest have relied upon Him, and not on the King of Syria. But because thou hast done so, thou must hear of it in plain terms, though thou art King, and feel the smart of it too; Herein thou hast done FOOLISHLY (there is plain English; That was the manner in those times, and then it was better with Kings then in after-times) Therefore from henceforth thou shalt have war There is one infirmity discovered; the King had done FOOLISHLY, which shown plainly, that the head was ill-affected, and the very heart faint. There is yet more discovery made of his weakness; he will not abide reproof; he is so sick, that he beats the Physician, and then anon, huggs him too much, as if he could cure heart and feet, and all; for be relied upon him, and in so doing he made him a god; We look over all this in order as it was done.

1. He will not abide reproof; That was a great infirmity, and the very note of a brutish man . He beats his Pysician, that good Prophet; that was yet a greater infirmity; Then Asa was wroth with the Seer, and put him in a prison house, for he was in a RAGE▪ with him because of this thing. Good man! he was in a rage indeed; but it was his infirmity. We read on, and behold the greatest weakness of all! And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time. We thought verily that would follow, after we read that he was in a rage, and with his best friend, that he had in the world, for he told his Lord the truth, and his Lord was in a rage for that thing; then it follow • , and Asa oppressed; in a rage with a Prophet, and for telling the truth, and oppression of the people, went all together.

2. Poor weak man! for by this time he found and knew himself to be so, and no better; and, as he grew old, so his infirmities growing upon him, His disease in his feet was now EXCEEDING GREAT: He should then have sought (that is, trusted) to the LORD; his eye should have been fixed upon Him, the great Pysician, that makes a man (every whit) perfectly whole, feet, and heart, and head and all. Asa did not so; a poor weak man leans upon man; weakness upon weakness; Asa sought to (i. e. relied upon) the Physicians; put confidence in them, so made them gods. What shall we do with all these, for here are many infirmities?

We must learn hereby how to judge of others; and to make use of their infirmities, so as to strengthen us against our own. If we judge at all it must be by the rule, observing the best actions that we can see in men, and judge not by their sudden and inconsiderate ways, but by the course of a man's life, and according to the more constant way and frame of his spirit. And here we may observe a great variety, and change in the ways and actions of good men, as here in Asa; In the 14. Chap. he does that, which is right in the eyes of the Lord, and commands Israel so to do: and then he bears-up himself in the Hand and Power of GOD, and do's wonders. In the 16. Chap. he is clean-off again, and fainting before a creature, and then do's like a man, standing, working alone without divine assistance. In the 15. Chap. he is hearkening to the good Prophet, and very attentive to his words, and striking Covenant with his GOD, and bringing his people into Covenant with Him. In the 16. Chapter, he is wrath with the Seer, puts him into prison, and oppresseth the people. It is a resolved case; Man is not Substantive enough to stand alone; if GOD leaves Him, he falls, but that was noted before. We will note this here, That the inward-man, the inward frame of spirit is subject to as many changes, as the outward man; nay, it is exposed to more invasions, and greater incursions, whereby to unsettle it, and put it out of frame, then is the outward man, the outward frame of body: which consideration, if laid to heart, teacheth us first,

1. To walk softly all our days, and humbly before our God; To fixe ourselves upon His Arm, and stay ourselves there continually; To say, as we heard before:

And

2. To breath after that place, where the Spirit shall be put into a constant frame of Holiness: It shall warp no more, decline the good way no more, but be constant and immovable forever. And thus we have learnt to judge of others infirmities, and to make use of them to ourselves. Now we must find out a cover for all this, and, blessed be GOD it is found out to our hands. Blessed be God the Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, there is a Garment pure enough and large enough to cover all these infirmities, and heal all thy diseases; And this I leave to Faith, for it is not in sight. There is another Garment, which I may call the mantle of Sincerity, that will hide great infirmities also, and under that covering, so wide and large, I will leave Asa: Though after such experiences of the comings-in of GOD unto him, yet he fainted before His creature; he was afraid of a man. Though the high places were not taken away: Though he was in a rage with a Prophet, for telling truth; and an oppressor too: Though in exceeding great distress, and then sought not to the LORD, but to the Physicians; though all this was in Asa, overtaken with infirmities, yet this mantle of Sincerity is wide enough, Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days. Under that covering we leave him, which hideth a multitude of sins: Remembering still, what man is in his best estate, and what were the first ways of Asa:

he entered into Covenant with all his heart, he did not spare his Mother, nor her Idol, no not her. Certainly, The LORD remembered all this for good; he did many things amiss, like a man, but he took away the Sodomites, and the Idols, which caused them; he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, he commanded all Israel so to do (it may do you good to read it again and again) he brought them into a Covenant with their God, and all this with a perfect heart, this must be remembered to all Generations, Notwithstanding the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

Now hear the end of all the sons of Adam; So Asa slept with his Fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign: and they buried him in one of the Sepulchers, which he had made for himself. He was a wise-man sure, he had serious thoughts of his long and last sleep, who had prepared his Bed before night came. This might be a means to set his soul in a good readiness, and his house in good order, that when death came, he might have no more to do but die. I knew a man myself, that had done the like, he had, with his own hands, made his Bed, his Coffin, I mean, many years before he died; I have seen him lie down in it with much comfort, for so he could think of his latter end; he told me it was his manner daily, and it was a means to keep him exceeding humble.

We read of two, our Country men both, in their times very eminent persons here: They made themselves, not Beds, but Monuments, and the one remains a Monument of his pride to this day. The other made himself a Monument also, and glorying much in the Power he had put forth against the Lutherans, (the faithful servants of CHRIST) would glory of it also, when he lay under his Tomb a sleep; and, that he might not perfect his own praise with his own hands, sent over his mind to Erasmus, with an ambling Horse , That he would, after his manner, express his worthy deeds in crushing the Lutherans, and then return it to him, to be set upon his Tomb. But see the luck of it! This man was cut-off by the shoulders, his body buried we know not where, but without honor, near to the block, where his body and his head were parted: And no other Epitaph over him, that we read off, but the Axe the instrument of the execution. I mention all this here, to show the different works and aims of men: some made themselves Sepulchers, to tell the world their pride, and where they placed their glory: Others made themselves Beds, to tell themselves what they are Dust, and Ashes, and thither they must when all is done; and that there is a grave for their glory too: But if they do glory, they will glory in the LORD.

Asa had prepared his Bed before night came; when night came, death I mean, he was ready for it, and his Bed ready made: His people laid his body in it, after that they had made his Bed, the sweetest of any, that ever we read off, for it was filled with sweet Odours, and divers kinds of spices, prepared by the Apothecaries Art. He had left a Name behind him, better then precious ointment; it was as an ointment poured forth, therefore they laid his body a sleep amidst Spices: And so they made, in our language and manner, a very solemn funeral for him. The good Father is dead, and yet he is not dead, he lives in his good son, whose Acts follow.

THE ACTS OF JEHOSHAPHAT.

CHAP. V.

AND Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, followed-on in his Fathers steps, closer with his GOD then his Father did (towards his latter end) and more successful. He strengthened himself against Israel, and set his Kingdom in a posture of Defense; but before we read anything of his Militia, how great and prosperous that was, we read first, That the King walked in the first ways of David [those were good ways, when David fulfilled all GOD'S WILS] and sought to the LORD GOD of his Fathers. [There is the first seeking; and if we so seek GOD at first, that we find Him, good success follows, even all good, in it's own nature so, or made so, for in finding God we find all things.] It follows, And walked in His Commandments, and not after the doings of Israel, [those were strange doings, for they served Calves, strange gods] Therefore the LORD stablished his Kingdom , for his heart was LIFT-UP in the ways of the Lord: Lift-up, He could not else have stepped-over the blocks, stops and walls in his way, those high places, if he had not been more bold, , and resolved in his way, then Asa his Father was (towards his latter end.) But because his heart was LIFT-UP in the ways of the LORD, It follows, Moreover he took away the high-places from out of Judah .

And so Jehoshaphat has made a good Beginning, and he timed it well, as his good Father before him. He took away the abominations, and then He appointed the chief of his Priests (whom he calleth Princes, found faithful, and after his own heart) to their charge. What was that? Not to gather in their Tithes; nor to over-see their Rents, and in-comes, as the manner is. No, he charged them, touching that only thing necessary for Priests to do, though Princes, To teach in the Cities of Judah : And because there is much teaching work in a Kingdom, enough to set all on work, Priests and Levites all, of all ranks, for there is great want; great want of Knowledge, and for want of knowledge, the People perish: Therefore the King appointed inferior Ministers, (Levites) to teach the People out of the book of the Law of the LORD . So they went Circuit through all the Cities of Judah, and taught the people. A blessed work. This is the way of well-posturing a Kingdom, to take away the Idolatrous places and services, then to take care the people be taught in the book of the Law of the LORD, through all the Cities of Judah. Jehoshaphat knew well till this was done, nothing was done; an untaught people will ever be an untoward and contrary people, they will stand in a Posture of offense against GOD and His holy ways. Woe, woe to them, who have taken no care, that the people might be taught in the Law of their GOD: And blessings be upon the souls of them, who, seeing the mischief of ignorance, what those people are, that are an untaught people, make it their prime and chief work (after the casting-out of Idols) To provide for a poor people, nuzzled in ignorance, that they may be taught in the Law of their GOD through all the Cities of Judah. This was Jehoshaphat’s care; he will have his Priests and Levites, all do their work, which becomes them, belongs properly to them, to keep the Charge of the LORD, Teaching the people the Law of GOD, throughout all the Cities of Judah. These two Conclusions do naturally follow from these premisses.

1. To appoint Lecturers (call them what you will) The Spirit calls them (The Messengers of the Churches, and the glory of CHRIST ) Preaching Ministers, such as can teach the People the Law of the Lord, is a princely duty, the prime and chief work of a Parliament, not below that great Council of State.

2. That a well exercised, taught and trained People, I do not mean in the use of their weapons, and military Postures, (though very commondable all this, & very serviceable to a Kingdom, but) exercised, and taught out of the Book of the Law of their GOD, is the Militia of a Kingdom, makes the King and his People secure at home, and feared abroad. So it follows, presently after the People were so taught and trained, That the Enemies of Jehoshaphat round about, feared and submitted themselves; would rather stoop to the dust of his feet, then stand out with him to try the power of his Militia: Indeed it was terrible to the Inhabitants round about; for we read-on in his Story, That he waxed great exceedingly; built Castles and Cities of store; he had much BUSINESSE, and the men of War mighty men of valor were with him. But out of all this we note only; The comely order, his Militia comes last. All his work before was this, to instruct and teach his people touching the Law of their GOD; To enter or inroule himself, and his People, the Soldiers of the GOD of HOSTS: To make Him their General. That was his care, and how he prosecutes it we shall see hereafter. Here we may read that Jehoshapat had a greater Host, then the Ethiopians had, who came forth against his Father. Yet, as we shall see anon, Jehoshaphat put no trust in them. The Number of them are recorded according to the House of their Fathers ; and one amongst the rest shall be named, Amaziah the son of Zichri; for he willingly offered himself unto the LORD first , and (that's the ready way to do good service for the Land) then with his two hundred thousand mighty men of valor, waited upon the King his Master. Doubtless he did the King his Master good service, for he had offered himself to the LORD first. Thus we have seen Jehoshaphat’s strength, and what made him so exceeding great; now we shall read his weaknesses too, what brought him exceeding low; he had joined affinity with Ahab, which consumed his house, and destroyed his Kingdom utterly.

But so much is recorded before ; here we shall see, how he acted standing alone, and upon his own bottom, and what an hazard he ran, going down to Samaria, and with Ahab to battle, this follows.

Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab: Jehoshaphat had matched his son Jehoram to Athaliah, Ahab's daughter (or sister, I am not resolved whether, but I take it for granted, That Athaliah was Jezebel's daughter, being so like her) A strange over sight in a wise King! But it may be, the young Prince was head-strong; he might say to his Father, Get her for me, for she pleaseth me well: And the Father was loath to cross the son in his first love. What gained the Fathers consent we know not: but so it was, Jehoshaphat joined affinity with Ahab. How his son prospered, we have read; and what befell the Father, we shall now read, no small trouble, and a very great danger. It was not possible, (I say) not possible, To come clear off and join affinity with Ahab. We read-on: And after certain years, Jehoshaphat went down to Ahab to Samaria. He and his company find royal welcome, he is entertained like himself, a King, and a Brother. Then Asab makes a request to him, and persuades him, To go with him to Ramoth-Gilead; WILT THOU GOE WITH ME? Yes, answered Jehoshaphat, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people. A strange speech from a Wiseman, and as strange a compliance; I am as thou art: he was not so; Ahab was a gross Idolater, Jehoshaphat a faithful servant of the LORD: My People as thy people; That was not so neither; Jehoshaphat’s people were in Covenant with their GOD, as we heard, their Uowes were upon them: Ahab's people not so. Truly it is dangerous to come near an Idolater; To go to him to Samaria, may alter a man as much, as the going-in once into the High-Priests house; There they were set down together, and Peter sat down amongst them . We know what followed presently; his zeal to his Master, cooled before the fire; he was in the High-Priests house, and then as one of them . We will read-on where we were; Jehoshaphat is in Samaria, feasting with Ahab. Now he can deny Ahab nothing, We will be with thee in the War. See! There he had passed his promise, but now he will inquire about the lawfulness of the war, and success in the same, which he should have done first.

Touching the justice of this war, there was little or no question to be made: for Benhadad, who owed Ahab his life, breaks one Article of the League, in with-holding Ramoth Gilead most unjustly from him; Therefore Ahab might justly move a war to recover his own from a perfidious Tributary; But that Ahab should make a League with Benhadad then (which was his sin) or that Jehoshaphat should join with Ahab now, there was no reason of a religious stamp, though some reason there might be of State: And yet therein Jehoshaphat should have inquired first, before he had passed his Promise.

It was well remembered, but had he remembered that before, he had not gone down to Ahab to Samaria; much less had he made promise, to be with him in the war. But Jehoshaphat will inquire before he begins his march; And Ahab agrees with him to inquire, for he knew he had Prophets enough, (as bad as himself) who could speak to their Masters mind, though it was to his destruction; Jehoshaphat should see, that Ahab would order his war with council; and that he had counselors enough, that would approve of the war: and those Prophets too; how many? four hundred , and one, and that one only an honest man . A false worship shall have false Prophets enough: And a wicked King shall have wicked Counselors more then enough; and all for war: GOEUP AND PROSPER.

Jehoshaphat is jealous of these 400. Prophets, (too many to be good) and would prefer an honest man's judgment, especially in point of war, before them all; Is there not here a Prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him? Yes, said Ahab, there is one man more, but I HATE him. Why? I will answer that; Because he was an honest Prophet, and would speak the Truth, and that is always evil to an evil heart. But yet Jehoshaphat prevails, and the man is sent for by a messenger sent from Ahab, who must lesson the good man before he come (as some have been taught what to say from Mans mouth when they were to speak from GOD'S Mouth) and put words into his mouth ;

No but I will not, said the good man; Does thy Master pretend to inquire of the LORD, and dost thou tell me what I must say: And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, even what my GOD saith that will I speak. A good resolution, and but becoming a Prophet of GOD.

And now the good Prophet is with the bad King, and the first words he says are ironicall, which make the strongest denial by affirming, (which the King does not well understand;) But see his hypocrisy I he seems eager to hear the truth, which yet he hates, and cannot endure to hear; how many times shall I adjure thee, that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the Name of the LORD? What a notorious hypocrite was this! he adjures the man to tell him the truth in the Name of the LORD, and when he has heard it, he will turn his back upon it, suffer him to be stricken; nay, he will command him to prison too, and to be fed with the bread and water of affliction there. How long? till I return in peace. See there! Ahab expects to return in peace, though he went to war against the express will and word of GOD. But that is no wonder; his bloody sin had closed-up his eye, and care both; he will rush-on to his own destruction: The sentence was passed upon him, it must be executed, In the place, where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, EVEN THINE. An Idolater will please himself with vain thoughts; dreams of peace, and yet seek war, and pursue it; and persecute those that stand in his way, though they would hold him back from running into ruin. And still be thinks, it will be well, until I return in peace. He is missed by liars, they by the Devil , they hurry him into a war, and yet Ahab dreams of peace, until I return in peace, That is never. His iniquity is top-full; wrath is running over; Though he will not hear the truth, yet he shall see it fulfilled, according to the word of the LORD, by Micaiah; Thou shalt not return in peace, for so the LORD hath spoken, And he said, hearken all ye people.

Now this had been a wonder to the reader, that Jehoshaphat, notwithstanding all this, went-up with Ahab to battle, but that we find him joined in affinity with Ahab; gone down to Ahab to Samaria, and at a feast with him. All this, nay any one of these, was enough to take away the heart from the wisest King, that ever was; But take all together, and then see how one thing draws on another, till Jehoshaphat be drawn into a desperate condition, to the very pit brim of destruction; No doubt, for this very end, that no good King after him may join affinity with Ahab; go down to Samaria to him; feast with him there, and then join in a war with him. I will only repeat the danger he was in, and note the deliverance, and then go-on.

The Captains of the Charets saw Jehoshaphat, and taking him to be the King of Israel, they compassed about him to fight: Good man! he was in a coope now, Captains of the Charets round about him, But he cried out: he had one refuge left him, and a way for escape; he cried to Heaven, and the LORD helped him; after His manner, a present help in trouble, (who would join in affinity with Ahab against the expresle command of such a GOD?) And GOD moved them to depart from him. GOD MOVED THEM. Mark it, The Captains of the Charets thought verily they had the prey in their hands, and they would devour him presently; but they must stand and deliberate upon it, as those that must ask GOD leave first.

They thought so and so, but there came a motion into them; and they depart. We say, Captains and Soldiers do all in war, with their strength, and with their counsel: No, we are mistaken greatly; GOD does all; As he moves, so the Captains and their weapons come and depart: just as it was here with Jehoshaphat; GOD moved them to depart from him; then they turned back from pursuing: It was upon GOD'S motion; so the Enemy moves or stands.

And Jehoshaphat the King of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. The goodness of Jehoshaphat’s GOD! Jehoshaphat was wandered quite out of his way; he had been at Samaria; with Ahab in the battle; in a bloody skirmish there; GOD'S Hand was with him notwithstanding, delivers him, and brings him off with a motion and back to his own house in peace. Jehoshaphat will not presume anymore, he fears GOD and His goodness, Who would not take his servant at an advantage. Doubtless Jehoshaphat thought upon it; he had joined in affinity with Ahab; in a war with Ahab; was taken for Ahab; was hemmed in by the Captains of the Chariots, yet escaped; saw Ahab wounded, with an arrow, shot at a venture, but directed by an invisible hand, and so slain before his face; and yet he returns to his house in peace. So GOD could do, and do it easily, upon a motion.

But now the Son of that good Prophet, who dealt so plainly with his Father, deals, in the same plainness of language, with his Son Jehoshaphat, saying; shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? (i. e.) Thou shouldest not have done so, but so doing thou art much to blame.

Do's not the King interrupt him? No; The Kings heart is melted within him, in sense of that he has done against the LORD: and the goodness of the LORD towards him; he has a patient care now, and lets the Prophet go on; he will speak comfortable words presently; Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. Now mark how he comforts him again; Nevertheless, though thou hast done so and so; yet all that thou hast done shall not blot out the remembrance of the GOOD THINGS thou hast done, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the Land. Mark that, the taking away Idolatrous things, Altars and the like, and Idolatrous services, (in truth of heart) makes amends for many miscarriages, and shall be remembered and reckoned amongst good things found in the man, where there are evil things too, but they shall be, (as if they had not been) remembered no more.

See again? Jehoshaphat stands the firmer after his fall: After his deliverance he follows-on to seek the LORD; he dwelt at Jerusalem , (i. e.) he set his Son Jehoram in his Throne there, while he goes in Person, and visits the Churches! Priests are deceitful many of them, and Levites too, he will visit his people himself; his own eyes and ears shall tell him how they thrived. We are an inconstant people; now we set our faces towards Heaven, then we turn back; so it was with the people of that time, but Jehoshaphat went out again (he had sent forth the Priests and Levites, as we read, it may be he went out himself then also) through the people from Bersheba to Mount Ephraim, and brought them BACK to the LORD GOD of their Fathers. They were revolted and gone, Jehoshaphat sent Priests and Levites after them, and then went forth himself. And see the success: he brought them back to the LORD GOD of their Fathers.

Then he prosecutes the work of the LORD; rectifies things amiss in the Church and State, sets Judges in the Land, gives them a charge very strict, and pressing to duty; Take heed what you do, you judge not for man, but for the LORD, Who is with you in the judgment:

[A corrupt Judge from that day this charge was given, to this present hour, never respected this Scripture] Jehoshaphat Of whom? of the poor and needy, and of the rich also: but it is called the judgment of the LORD: That they might consider well their charge and not trespass against the LORD, and so bring wrath upon themselves and upon their brethren; Thus shall you do in the fear of the LORD faithfully and with a perfect heart . Corrupt Judges, vile Priests, treacherous Levites, trespass sore against the LORD, and against their brethren; they bring wrath upon themselves and upon the Land : But do thus in the fear of the LORD faithfully and with a perfect heart, and ye shall not trespass. Ye shall have Rulers over you, and officers before you, all this for your encouragement; but this is for the comfort and encouragement both, of all the good; Deale courageously and the LORD shall be with the good. when he had forsaken the LORD, as saith the learned Knight in his History of the World.

And yet there is a question m • de, whether the Priests might forsake Jehoram or not. Hear the case, consider on it, and then judge; This is the case; Jehoram followed-on in the ways of Ahab and after the counsels of Athaliah his wife, a wicked woman; that is clear in the Text, and so is this; That Jehoram forsook the Law of his GOD, and forced the people so to do. These Priests, the inhabitants of Libnah followed-on in the ways of the LORD, keeping the charge of the LORD, and close to the Law and the Commandment; They would not be forced to forsake the LORD, so they turned the back on Jehoram and forsook him; This is the case, and this the question;

whether GOD be King or Jehoram? That is the question. The Judge of all the world hath made answer hereunto (as His manner is) by Himself . He hath laid fore judgments upon Jehoram, and He will be sharp and quick in answering those, who make question, whose ways are to be followed, the ways of Ahab or the ways of GOD: And who is to be forsaken, Jehoram or the Law of GOD. The sacred Text makes clear answer here, the Priests forsook Jehoram, because he had forsook the LORD GOD of his Fathers. They that will not take this for answer, shall be answered in another manner, as Jehoram was answered; the LORD will answer them by Himself: This in passage by occasion of Jehoshaphat’s charge, Deale courageously, and the LORD will be with the good. Thus Jehoshaphat hath ordered the Church, and State according to rule, and very wisely postured the Kingdom.

Now we read on, and behold a whole world of Enemies are marching-on against Jehoshaphat. What way will he take now, for they think to swallow him up? He was not to seek his way now; he had prepared his heart to seek GOD ; that GOD, Who had moved the Captains to depart from him; That GOD, Whom he had sought with all his heart, and took care that all his people should so seek Him would be found now. He that had prepared his heart to seek the LORD, was prepared for his adversary; Jehoshaphat he was not to seek now (the Enemy was upon him) what way he was to take; he that had so lifted-up his heart in the ways of the LOLD, that he had stepped over the groves, and taken them away; and had given a charge, that judgment and justice should be executed to all the people; That all the Cities of Judah should be taught, touching the Law out of the Book of the LORD; he whose heart was so lift-up in the ways of the LORD, could tell what to do now, even lift-up his eyes to Heaven; The doors of that Sanctuary always stand open, to those, whose hearts are so lift-up; And when a man, looking before and behind, and on every side, and knows not what to do; when refuge fails, then he can tell what to do; lift-up his eyes to Heaven, hear what GOD will say; (He will speak peace,) and wait patiently, in the use of all means, what GOD will do; He will do wonders; where? At the mountain of straits: certainly He will, and Jehoshaphat will lift-up his eyes unto Him; and thereon stay himself. It is a clear case, so every man should do, lift-up his eyes to GOD in time of trouble; Nay, so every man will do, whose heart is not like a stone; but Jehoshaphat only can lift-up his eyes thither, and find present help from thence, for he lifted-up his heart in the ways of the LORD in the days of his peace.

And this I thought most worthy our noting from the expression in the Text, which yields us this comfortable conclusion; That he and he only, whose heart is LIFT-UP in the ways of the LORD; can LIFT-UP his eyes to the LORD in the day of trouble, with assured confidence of present help. Now we read on in the Chapter.

A great multitude cometh against Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat FEARED and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah . [That's a good fear, which drives a man, not to his heels, but closer to GOD: and it will be well sure, for it empties his heart of all creature confidence, and then GOD comes-in.] But was this a time to fast, and pray; or rather, was it not the fittest time to lay hold on Bow and Spear, and prepare for Battle? No, Jehoshaphat looked not to Bow nor Spear, but looks to GOD, acknowledging, he hath no might, nor knows he what to do, but look-up. We have no MIGHT, saith he; we know not what to do . No; let reason come in now, that would tell him; he has MIGHT enough, and may know what to do; he had men of war, mighty men of war ; see a list of them; their numbers, greater then was the Host of the Ethiopian; And yet, no might, nor knew he what to do! Let him bring forth these men of might, and march on; so reason would counsel. Jehoshaphat was wiser then so, for he had a better counselor: Asah! what can these two do, flesh against flesh, but, as we do, eat each the •• hers Arm? he and his people look steadfastly to the Father of Spirits, the GOD of Hosts, Who created the Smith, that forms the Instrument, and the waster to destroy ; our EYES ARE UPON THEE . The King relied more upon HIS GOD, as appeared in seeking to Him, and praising of Him, then upon his many companies, or could have relied for dependence, if those many had been multiplied by Thousands. And we hear his prayer, he called upon GOD, and SO he was delivered; he remembered GOD, Who is GREAT and TERRIBLE; in Whose hand is power and might; art not Thou GOD in Heaven ? Then he pleads his interest in This GOD; art not Thou our GOD ? Then he calls to mind the Right Hand of the Almighty, what He had done of old; And SO he is delivered, and had the victory, a glorious victory, whereof we may say indeed, as a great Commander greatly beloved, said of a late victory, never was there seen less of man, and more of GOD; for the Enemies here, everyone helped to destroy one another . So, when Judah looked towards the great multitude, behold they were dead bodies, fallen to the earth and none escaped .

[It is not in vain to fix the eye upon GOD.]

Then Jehoshaphat makes a memorial thereof, calls the place where GOD gave them that victory, BERACHAH , a Valley of Blessings. So they returned, every man of Judah, Jehoshaphat in the fore-front of them to Jerusalem with joy and praises in their hearts and mouths. Praise was comely then, for then GOD gave them the victory; He must have the praise and glory; He made them to go again to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their Enemies. He caused His Fear to come upon all the Kingdoms of those Countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the Enemies of Israel. So the Realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: For HIS GOD gave him rest round about; he had a P • ace of GOD'S making, from His hand, That was a sure peace. Rest indeed; such a Peace the LORD will give to that man, whose heart is lift-up in His ways. More is recorded, touching this King, the time when he began and ended his Rain; his Mothers name also, and how he walked, even as his •• there Asa, doing that which was good in the sight of the LORD; Howbeit the high places stood still, as in his Fathers days; but the people are blamed for that (indeed we are j •• lie blamed, we are the block in the way, the Hill, the Mountain, a mighty hindrance to Reformation) An unprepared heart is such an hindrance, and such an heart we have, then such an hindrance are we, for we have not prepared our hearts unto the GOD of our Fathers. It is now, as it was then: Howbeit the high places were not taken away, for the people had not yet prepared their hearts unto the God of their Fathers. The high-places will not down, till the stout heart falls; till the high thoughts and imaginations there are down, these abominable things cannot be taken away; till the heart be prepared for such a mercy, till it be squared (whether by blows or sweet entreaties, that is not the question, but squared, and most likely as stones for the building, by hard blows) to GOD'S holy word, and will, till this be done within, and upon the heart, this execution will not be done upon the abominations before the eye. The heart must be prepared, must be put into a frame of holiness before they can be fit for, or deal with holy things, Give not that which is holy to dogs, neither cast your pearls before Swine; Swine will trample pearls under their feet, and if you give holy things to dogs, they will turn again and rent you. What should a rough and an impolished Stone do in GOD'S building! What should an Hypocriticall heart do with a sincere worship? An unprepared heart with pure and prepared Ordinances? These agree no better then old cloth to a new garment; then new wine with old bottles. Holy things relish no better with an unholy and unprepared heart, then did Manna to the Israelites. Now our soul is dried away . Was there nothing to stay their souls, and to refresh them? Yes, they had Angels food, excellent food, Meat from Heaven, Manna, was their food, but that was as good as nothing; There is nothing at all besides this Manna before our eyes. See there! Leekes, Onyons, and Garlike, Aegiptian fare and slavery to boot, would relish better with them, for their hearts were in Egypt. We might observe the sore wrath of GOD upon that people, who were so contrary in their choice and liking, and upon the people here, whose hearts were so unprepared: Their next King fitted them very well, he was to them according to their stubborn hearts; he gave the people their Idols, they loved so well, bids them serve stocks and stones, and they, that would not show themselves so brutish, he would have forced so to do. But we must observe ourselves, it is our own case, We have not prepared our hearts to the GOD of our Fathers; We will not be reformed; we count Reformation, as that perverse Israelite did, a killing; we account no better of it, and it is so indeed to an unprepared heart. But O what sorrows, what breakings will these our stubborn hearts cause unto us! The LORD is about His strange work, and he will accomplish it. Now the LORD sanctify His Owne work, and prepare a people for Himself by all this. The LORD prepare our hearts also, that we, who would not be drawn by allurements, may be compelled by hard blows. Amen.

The rest of the Acts of Jehoshaphat first and last are written, but the writings are lost . And yet some of his last Acts are recorded; not so good as the first. Toward the end of his days, he was as his good Father, overtaken with infirmities . And after this he joined himself with him, who did very wickedly; and to make Ships to go to Tarshish. A Prophet tells him roundly of it, in effect thus; Though hand joined in hand, and strength with strength, yet the wicked shall not be unpunished ; no nor the Righteous man neither, That joins himself with the wicked, The LORD hath broken thy works; and so it was; And the Ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish. Surely the LORD will have his Servant join himself to the LORD, not with those that hate the Lord; If he do join strength with such, it shall do him no good, but hurt, it shall weaken him. But thus Jehoshaphat did, and it is the last Act of his, that is recorded. So the wise GOD permits it to be; otherwise, the very best Kings (which was intimated before) might forget themselves, how weak they are, standing alone. If there were nothing of human frailty, even in open sight, to stain their best works, they would cast too great a luster in their eyes; if no cloud to eclipse the speciousnesse of them, they might make an Idol of their Acts, and their credit by them: And we poor People would think of them, and give unto them, above what is meet: Therefore it is (there may be other Reasons, which GOD knows) that the Sun of the most glorious Kings, that ever were upon the Earth, hath, in the close of their day, set in a cloud, he shall rise in glory.

That which follows now touching Jehoshaphat is that, which will ever follow; for it is concerning his death and burial, which needs not be mentioned anymore, seeing it hath been to this day, and will be ever to the worlds end, the end and close of all, as with Jehoshaphat, he went the way of all the world after his Fathers, slept with them, and was buried. His Son Jehoram, a very wicked man, reigned in his stead; and he has a Son too like the Father, and yet, though Partus sequitur ventrem, not half so bad as the mother: Father and son both blundred-on in the ways of Ahab's house, and after their counsels to destruction, as we read before. Then Athaliah played Rex, till Jehoiada cut her short, we will read his Acts now worthy such a Priest.

THE ACTS OF JEHOJADA.

CHAP. VI.

IEhojada, a Chief Priest indeed, and a Prince too, takes care to set the Kingdom in a Posture of Defense against an usurping and insolent Idolatresse: the way he takes is remarkable; he first causeth the Captains to enter into a Protestation or Covenant with him; Tels them God's Counsel, touching the succession in David's house ; orders the Militia of the House of GOD, after that calls forth the Captains, makes them provision of Arms, and then swears allegiance to their true King; appoints every man his place ; sets a guard about the King; every man with his weapon in his hand . All is done as Jehoiada appointed; Then the King is brought forth, the Crown is put upon his head, but he is not made King yet. The Testimony is put into his hand. What is that? The Law of GOD, the Kings Law-Book , whereof you read, Deut. 17. Wherein the King must learn, how to serve GOD, and to govern his people.

This is the Testimony they gave into his hands, and so they made him King , And having anointed him, they said, GOD save the King, Amen. But Athaliah says not so; she expected to hear, GOD save the Queen, when in truth, there could be no such prayer put up for her; she hears of a King, and she calls out Treason, and she doubles it, Treason, Treason. Who does so? Athaliah, that fire-brand in Judah, who had consumed the noblest Families therein, and murdered all the Seed Royal: The most notorious woman in all the world, except one, and that was her Mother Jezebel. See the manner! This wicked woman cries out Treason, Treason; calls others by her own name. But what was the matter, that occasioned such an out-cry? This was all; The Crown was set upon the right head; the testimony was put into the Kings hand; he is of the house of David, he must be King; and the people put up a Prayer for him, heartily, GOD save the King; and all the people rejoiced. Think upon it, ponder it well. Is there any Treason in all this? Yes, saith Athaliah; Treason, Treason! That was Treason in her account, That the Seed of David should reign: That there should be such acclamations, such prosperity wished to the Kingdom of David. But her time is come, she must be made drunk with her own blood, that had shed the blood of her husbands children. No matter what she says now, Jehoiada will not dispute so clear a case; He charges his Captains, saying, have her forth of the Ranges : And if any one be so fool-hardy, as to appear on her side, Slay him also with the Sword, but defile not the house of the LORD. So they laid hands on her . And where was she slain? It is worth our observation; just at the entering the horse-gate; she was hurried out of GOD'S Court, and could not reach home to her own Court, before she felt the Sword in her bowels; she had lived like a beast, tyrannized like a Lioness; she must be slain near to her Stable, entering the Horse-gate. Look about you and consider; you will find that some ignominious death has befell the Idolatresse; and a place where very suitable to the manner of her life. Where was she buried? There is no answer to that. As her Mother Jezebel was trampled under the feet of her enemies herses: So Athaliah was slain at her own horse-gate; Jezebel was devoured by dogs, as the LORD had threatened. What became of Athaliah, we do not find; she was slain, and before the Horsegate: That was as much as Jehoiada was to look after, not where such a wicked woman was to be buried.

And now here was a good work dispatched; what was that? Judgment and Justice was executed; The wicked Counselor was removed, she, that had destroyed the Seed Royal, and counseled her own Son to his Destruction.

A good riddance indeed! Now Jehoiada goes on comfortably; And what do's he? He made a Covenant between Him, [GOD] and between all the People, and between the King, that they should be the LORD'S People . Of infinite consideration all this; He made a Covenant between GOD, the People▪ and the King; He shown the King the meaning and purpose of the Testimony, put into his hand; bids the King remember, he was in GOD'S stead, sat in GOD'S Throne; must do all by GOD'S book: That is his Covenant betwixt GOD and his people, now that GOD has made him King over them.]

That they should be the LORD'S people. Had Jehoiada sat muzing, as many days as he spent minutes upon this great business, the crowning the King, securing him, and his Kingdom; he could not have thought of a speedier and more compendious way then this, to engage them to be the LORD'S People. If they be so, they have assured confidence forever. The LORD'S vineyard, it is the security of that vineyard; The LORD'S Kingdom, it is the security of that Kingdom; The LORD'S People, it is the security of that people. Touch not these anointed-ones. Why? They are Mine: Nor the Prophets, for the same Reason, they are Mine also, and as the Apple of Mine Eye, So I tender them, saith the Lord. It is so, and so you may run through all the Cities, Towns, Houses, Gates, Ships, Strong-holds and Forts; it is the Lord's City, a secured City, &c. But look to it now; if not the Lord's, we have no security from His hand for our Peace: Every thing may do us hurt, nothing shall do us good, if not the LORD'S: Go ye upon her Walls and destroy; Take away her battlements . Ai, if we had an Arm like GOD, we could easily do it might the Adversary say; But it is not so soon done as spoke; the walls are high, and the battlements very strong. No matter how high they are, nor how strong they are, you shall take them. Why? They are not the LORD'S (i. e.) Their defense is departed from them ; The LORD protecteth them not, and then wounded men shall take the Fortress ; and the lame the prey .

Therefore of mighty consideration this is, That they might be the Lord's people. And now the people of GOD rise apace and down falls Baal, and they shatter his house all too pieces over his Lordships head; and yet the work is not done; they break down his Altars, and Images all to pieces ^l : And yet they have but little more then half done: But here will be a perfect Reformation presently, when they have slain the Mass-Priest, Mattan the Priest of Baal before the Altar, and that is done now, and before the Altars: I pray you note it; That Priest of Baal, like our Mass-Priest now, had been offering before the Altars, and when he did so, he offered sacrifice to Devils. Now he must be slain before the Altars; where he had wrought such abominations, there he must be slain. Now Jehoiada has but one work more to do, then the Reformation is complete, and Judah is as well-postured, as can be expected. Indeed there cannot be too much Caution about the house of the LORD, a double watch there do's well, for if anything that is unclean enter in there, it will diffuse it's self there like a Leprosy unto all the people. Of mighty Consideration this also, for filthiness from the Priest, is as spreading as oil from the head, spreading it's self through all the people, for from the Prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone-forth into all the Land. And now the MILITIA was as completed as it could be, for so it was ordered: And so successful it was, That all the People of the Land rejoiced, and the City was quiet, When was it quiet? The Answer to that is very considerable; After that, they had slain Athaliah with the Sword, that wicked and idolatrous woman; the City was quiet, and not before. She was still divising iniquity, and working evil upon her bed, and when Morning was light, she practiced it, as the power was in her hand, and this did greatly disquiet the City: but it was quiet after that they had slain Athaliah with the Sword. The rest touching good Jehoiada follows in the Story of King Joash, but it is gone before in this Chronicle: For Joash was, though a good Prince, yet a very bad King, and the most unthankful Person that ever we read off. He has an Amaziah, a son little better then the Father: Amaziah an Uzziah, both naught: Uzziah a Jotham, a very good man, we will read what he did, and not much, but very well.

THE ACTS OF JOTHAM.

CHAP. VII.

KING Jotham follows in the Story, for he succeeded Uzziah, and the plague, that rose-up in his Fathers fore-head, must needs be in the sons eye: So he was forewarned not to meddle with Temple-work, but to leave that to the Priests, and to see that they were faithful in it. And yet this is noted of the people, not for the credit of the King; And the people, yet did corruptly: And this of the King, he built MUCH, an exceeding high Gate (sixty Cubites upright, saith Josephus) and Cities, and Castles, and Towns: He subdued the Ammonites, and made them Tributaries, they gave unto Jotham very largely: He prospers, for GOD was with him. I will add hereto the Testimony Josephus gives of him:

So Josephus. I will rest in that Testimony, the Spirit gives of him, and conclude with it. So Jotham became MIGHTY, because be prepared his ways before the LORD his GOD. How old he was, and how long he reigned is recorded in the same place, and then good Jotham slept with his good Fathers. Ahaz succeeds him, a bad Son, but Ahaz has a good Hezekiah, and his goodness is upon everlasting Record. We will read his ACTS now.

THE ACTS OF HEZEKIAH.

CHAP. VIII.

HEzekiah, Jotham’s Grand-child, began his reign, and Reformation together; he was religious, and wise both, and must delay no time, for indeed his Father King Ahaz. had caused a Deformation through his Kingdom, and weakened his MILITIA very much. So that it did but stand in a fainting Posture. Therefore Hezekiah bestirred himself, and let no time run-out to waste. In the first year of his reign and month, he opened the doors of GOD'S House, and repaired them [It was observed before; he must look well to GOD'S House, that expects GOD should look to and establish his house, and there he must begin and end both] brought in the Priests and Levites, chargeth them; Sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD GOD; carry forth the FILTHINESSE thence , make clean work there; Remember my sons, the fierce wrath of GOD, yet before your eyes: He hath delivered us to troubles, to astonishment, and to hissing; keep his judgments like frontlets before your eyes: And be not negligent in such a time as this. And he found the Levites (the ordinary Ministers) very obedient in word and deed, for they were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves then the Priests . But so he charged them. And for himself, it is in his heart to lead the way, making a Covenant with the LORD GOD of Israel ^• , that His fierce wrath may turn away from us [would we have the fierce wrath of the LORD turn away? Then we must come up close to Him in a Covenant:] So the King do's, and see how all follow, and how quick they are, how they bestow themselves. Indeed the King is a leading-hand, whether he goes on the right or the left, the people observe not curiously, but they follow. It was well here, K. Hezekiah kept strait-on, and see how well all perform their duty! But you must note, The good King is at their elbows, as chief Over-seer there, he is zealous for the bringing forth the uncleanness out of the Temple; and the Levites show their zeal too, [The Kings presence presseth much to duty, else the Levites are but slaggs; but now they are very active, and out they carry the filthiness, and throw it into the brook Kidron. And very much filthiness there was, for Ahaz in his transgression , had made holy things common, which caused the King, Priests, and all more work and trouble, as it is always when the Predecessour is wicked, but they went through it willingly; The Kings zeal and example carried all smooth before them with rejoicing; [nothing is hard to a willing mind: And zeal in GOD'S service feels no burden there] A great deal of work was done in a little time; And Hezekiah rejoiced with all his heart, that GOD had so postured the people (i. e.) set them in such a good frame to obedience: So we read; and Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that GOD had prepared the people, for the thing was done SVDDENLY.

We will note it twice over, if thrice it will do us no hurt, The Kings heart is upright; the people's heart prepared, all are willing; what now? Great things are done suddenly. Read back-ward now, people hang back, are not a willing people; The heart is not prepared, not upright; What now? Things are done heavily. Come-on again for now we are quite-off. Here is a Covenant; All ASSOCIATE themselves, the King, he is the Leader, Priests, Levites, People, these follow close, ASSOCIATED; here are many; and yet but one shoulder, one hand, and one lip; and, which makes the Union, one heart and one mind; and now things are done suddenly. I remember here what one Man did, and how suddenly, Mr. Fox comes into my mind now, he took an excellent work in hand, we all know it, he had an excellent spirit, an upright heart he had, and his heart was, next to GOD, with the upright still; he did that in a few months, which, we would scarce think could be done in so many years: But he was all for GOD, and for His Church, indeed he was for he was no-body for himself: and he did all those volumes, in reference to such a work, suddenly.

Now the LORD give us such hearts so upright, so prepared, and then, we also shall be so willing, and shall do things suddenly. The King go's before we will follow, he is a fair and full example in our eyes.

He has made himself, and his people sure in a Covenant; now he applies himself, and sets his heart to the Seal, the PASSEOVER. And mark well, for I can can but point to it: What means he makes, That all Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh shall here of it, He takes counsel about it (if I were not in haste, I would note it) for, notwithstanding all the haste, he will consult upon it, and take deliberation, how such a company should be called together and fitted, I mean, Sanctified for so solemn a work: The Proclamation issued forth, and the Posts carry it throughout all Israel from Beersheba even unto Dan, according to the Kings Commandment, and these words, Turn again unto the LORD, and He will return to the remnant of you:

I have read the Contents of the Kings Proclamation, and Letters, I think you never read the like: How is it entertained? With scorn and mocks . Thus it was, such a pious Proclamation; such Letters, as full of Grace as of words, have been entertained with disdain and derision; when the contrary, A Declaration for Liberty, Letters as full of dishonor to GOD, as of syllables, have been entertained with hand and heart and all acceptance. Such a brutish people we are, and yet all are not so; Nevertheless divers of Ashur and Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem ^e : Also in Judah the hand of GOD was to give them one heart to do the Commandment of the King, and of the Princes by the word of the LORD.

The hand of GOD, Mark that, till that be given-out, Hezekiah may call and call, and pull and pull, and have no answer; he may as well pull at a Bell without a Clapper to call the people to Church (as our Phrase is:) But GOD'S hand is reached forth to a person, or to a people, and then they come-in to do according to the Law and the Commandment▪ suddenly. I cannot forget that word.

I do not speak this to make men slack in their commands, or their endeavors: but to quicken all; and, when all is done, first and last, to look-up to GOD, for He speaks with a Strong hand. I cannot stay upon things here, they be so many, and so notable; my contrivance is here to thrust out of the throng.

And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the Feast, a very great Congregation, and they arose. What then? It follows. I warrant you; and away they took the Altars, even all, and cast them into the brook Kidron. That brook was fatal to Altars and Images, thereunto they tumbled those dung-hill things, after the uncleanness found in the Temple. They were now about to celebrate a great Feast, never the like since the time of Solomon; and down the Altars must, else they had been ill fitted for a Feast, and worse fitted for a Blessing and such a rejoicing: down they be tumbled, and into the Brooke, and then they kill the Passover, all decently and in order. And the people go so stoutly on in this good way, That they shamed the Priest quite, that they did, for the people had more zeal then the Priest (and that is very possible, the more their shame indeed) so the Priests, beholding the people's forwardness, blushed at their own coldness; and for very shame sanctified themselves after the manner.

But the multitudes, they were many; were newly met from all quarters; things could not be in an outward conformity to the Requisites of that solemn time, nor to the Purification of the Sanctuary, then Hezekiah bestirrs himself, knows which way to look, puts-up a sweet Prayer for his People: Thether they came in great multitudes, with their faces steadfastly set to Jerusalem, and with good hearts sure, upright and sincere; The King prays; Now the good LORD pardon everyone, that prepares his heart, who sets that right, the good

What follows?

The LORD hearkened and heard Hezekiah, and healed the people, That he did, and it will still be so, where there is, as it was here, such an heart, and such a prayer. Go-on I pray you, for it is better and better; The LORD hath spoken comfortably; Hezekiah speaks Comfortably too (GOD spake so first, but I can but point to things) To whom speaks the King so comfortably? To those that were good sure, and were good Teachers, for so we read, That taught the good Knowledge of the LORD; Good knowledge, for it makes men good, and so do not Riches nor Honors, nor any other thing, which we call good under the Sun; yet that is the good we most of all look after, not the good knowledge of the LORD, That made it so good; Know the LORD, and you know all things; if you know Him not, you know nothing: A comprehensive knowledge indeed, but it was noted before ;

Observe this here: What is the work, the duty of a Minister? To teach the good knowledge of the LORD. What shall I say to them, that do not thus? Nothing; The Lord will say enough to them, to make them speechless: And the good King will never speak comfortably unto them, who do not teach The good knowledge of the LORD. We go-on, And behold how merry (in the Lord) the good King, and his good people are! For they were upon the service of the Lord; Their hearts were taken with it; here was Pass time indeed; for in an holy mirth, as well as in a Calvish brutish Mirth, time passeth away and is gone before we are aware; O it is all in all, when a man feels a relish, a delight and sweet contentment in the service of the Lord (as he do's, that is targht The good knowledge of the LORD) he is as merry in his service before the Lord, as we are when we have our minstrel with us, and are dancing and skipping after our measures, and manner of Heathen people before a May-pole, there learning the knowledge of war, by such feats of Activity as are learned at May-games (for so much I have learnt by reading) That such sports will make us fit for war; and is it not even so! Have we not gained well by our May-games! Have we not got experience to fit us for war by our activeness before a Minstrel! Our sporting with the Lord, has made us fit for war indeed, to be consumed by the Sword of the Almighty; And truly, though I am no Prophet, I feared all this more then 7 years ago.

I have not forgot myself all this while, I know where I am, though out of my way a little: Nor do I forget how much I was mistaken a little before, where I compared the mirth of that man, who delights himself in the good knowledge of the LORD, in service done to His Name, where I compared I say, his mirth to our mirth, in our warrlike exercises, I mean, rioting in the Day-time. And yet there is some conformity, agreement and a • swerablenesse, not betwixt mirth and mirth; person and person: but betwixt heart and heart, affection and affection, set upon this mirth. (I express myself, as well as I can) We in our warrlike exercises have passed away the time, we know not how: The Holy day (we will call it so, for whether it be the LORD'S DAY (Holy indeed) or Saints days in our conceit, all one to us, to Whom that Day is most holy, whereon we may be most profane) The holy Day is too short, we wish it longer, and that every Sunday had it's seconds (so one expresseth it) as two Sundays have (now my mind is upon their sports, I will name days, as the Heathen did) Red-Letter-Days are as pleasing to us, as to children; we may riot on them, and they may play. Why now our minds, our affections meet, Heart answers heart, ours upon our sport , theirs in the sacred Text, Let out upon their service before the Lord; and so we will look upon that again, and shall find it just so;

They had continued seven days at their Feast in their holy mirth, Offering Peace-offerings, and making Confession to the LORD ▪GOD of their Fathers (the more hearty the confession, the more hearty their mirth: As the sowrer the Herbs, the sweeter the Passover) And now those days were over.

The whole Assembly (mark you that) took counsel. About what? To keep other seven days: And as they advised, so they did; They kept other seven days with gladness. Look you there, how hearts and affections answer, theirs and ours. And it must be so, for this reason; While the heart is altogether carnal, it let's forth, and spends it's spirits upon profane things: Answerably, as a spiritual heart let's forth it self towards holy things. But here is a wide difference again, our mirth is of no continuance, it ends with the day, when we shut-in our doors at night, we shut forth our mirth for the most part; and if death, or something like it, should stare us in the face, the night after we have been so merry after our manner: where is our mirth then? The very relish of it is gall and worm-wood, and we are dead with very fear. The righteous not so, because such is not their mirth; They can keep days with gladness, and do's their mirth cease with the day? No they have their Songs for the Night, even their night of sorrow, their deepest affliction. I have not been too long upon this point, but though ▪ break-off, the sacred Text carries it on further, for behold nothing but joy and gladness and blessings, never the like since the time of Solomon; There were mighty Prayers too, full of spirit and life, Their Prayer came-up to His holy Dwelling place, even unto Heaven.

They go-on in the work of the Lord, as men refreshed with new wine▪ and see how they execute the wrath of the Lord upon Groaves, Altars, Images, breaking, cutting, hewing, throwing them down, till they had utterly destroyed them all: Their hearts were now warmed with zeal, they could not now hold their hands still, till they had utterly destroyed them all.

Then the King appoints the courses of the Priests and the Levites, every man to his service; and portions to the Priests and Levites also, that they might be encouraged. Thus did Hezekiah, what he did, and how he did it, we will note it down more fully anon.

Now it will be said by some, That I have spoke a great deal, and little to my purpose, which indeed is, To show how a Kingdom is fortified, and it's MILITIA maintained and made strong; and to this, I have said nothing, so it may be said; And if so, my answer is; That they are much mistaken in the matter, for I have said all, that makes for the security and establishment of King and Kingdom; when I have set down all that Hezekiah has done, for that great purpose: we have not all yet; we have heard what he hath done, in reference to the Covenant, to the Passover, to the Priests, to the services therein; what he hath thrown down, and cast forth, and what he hath brought-in: In all this the King hath engaged himself and his people to their GOD; he hath intitled GOD to his Kingdom, that the Kingdom may be the LORD'S Kingdom; his people, the LORD'S people; he will have the house of his GOD, to be kept as GOD'S house, and those that serve therein to be sanctified ones, the Lord's Priests and the Lord's Levites; and that they may attend the work there, that unum necessarium: They shall not take care about many things, f • r the King will take care for them; so he commanded to give the portion of the Priests and the Levites, That they might be encouraged in the Law of the LORD , which was not noted before.

2. He will suffer nothing to stand, which cut-faceth the command of his GOD, all shall down which his LORD GOD will have thrown down. This was the way to make himself and his Kingdom, to stand fast and firm forever, as the perpetual hills, and everlasting Mountains: The way to make himself, and people as a wall of Brasse, and the Blast of the terrible one, as a puff of wind against it, I mean, against a Pillar of Brasse, or a Mountain made of Northern Iron and steel. We shall observe it to be so anon; we will recollect here in two verses, What Hezekiah did, and the manner how he did it; Thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that, which was good and right and truth, before the LORD his GOD. What had he wrought?

That was spoken before, but we will read it again: for me thinks the words run like a whirl-wind or a Tempest, so carrying Idols and Images down before it, and scattering them; he brake the Images in pieces, cut-down the Groaves; threw-down the High-places and the Altars, out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh. How long was he upon that work? Untill they had utterly destroyed them all. Now mark the manner of performance, in what sincerity, truth and uprightness of heart, Hezekiah did all the forementioned, for the manner and the carriage of the heart commends all, in all that we do; And in every work, that he began in the service of the house of GOD, and in the Law and in the Commandments, to seek his GOD, he did it with all his heart, and prospered .

Now King Hezekiah may take his rest, lie down and sleep; he can repose his head in the lap and Arms of the Almighty, for he had done the Law and the Commandment; he had removed the cursed things; but now he will not be carnally secure, rather the more watchful, because of this thing, for now he shall hear of enemies rushing like mighty waters. Why now? Because now he has angered the Devil, and all his servants; he has cut them to the heart, and they g • awe their tongues for pain: For King Hezekiah has persecuted them, their Groves, Altars and Images with his Tempest. Now the Enemy will come-in like a flood, and if Hezekiah sleep now, as we call sleeping, the Enemy will come upon him before he shall know or see. The King keeps his watch; has done his duty, postured his Kingdom by plummet and rule, for they had ASSOCIATED themselves (I purposely mention it again and again, because there is no other way) King and people have entered into a Covenant: So now, if the Adversary do come, he comes upon the greatest disadvantage.

But this the Adversary considers not, he is not coming but come: So we read, Sennacherib King of Assyria came and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced Cities ^d ; that he did, he durst come into Judah's land, while it was the LORD'S Land, and her Cities the Lord's Cities, and thought to win them for himself. What made the raging Beast, for he do's not speak like a man, so confident? It is worth the labor to hear this, for in feeling this man's pulse, if I may call him so, we may know the temper of others like him, What says he? This is the first fault he finds in the King, he bad his people be confident, That the Lord his GOD would deliver them out of the hands of the King of Assyria. This he lays to the good Kings charge, and he is well content to be charged with it.

2. That Hezekiah had taken away his high places, and His Altars; The good King is content with this too, but he will have the man know, That the things he took away were not the Lord's, but the Devils; his high places, and his Altars; The Priests there, the Devils Priests, and the services done there, were done to Devils too.

3. That Hezekiah said, Ye shall worship before one Altar. The good King said so indeed; for it is according to the command of GOD; and however, more Altars may be commanded, and Priests to serve before them, yet it is against the command of GOD, Who commanded to worship before one Altar; and now that is removed, we have but one still, and He is the Priest, and the Sacrifice, and the Altar, and All. Hearke how he blasphemes now, None of all the gods of other Nations, could deliver their people out of my hands, or my Fathers band: And do's Hezekiah think, that his GOD can deliver him and his people? There shall be no reply to this; For they spake against the GOD of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the Earth, which were the work of the hands of men . Then he wrote letters to rail on the LORD GOD; Rayling letters, and a railing Rabshekeh, all rail, and there the charge is also, Answer him not.

But one thing I would have noted, which passed while Rubshekeh was railing. Eliakim desireth a courtesy of him, That he would not speak to the people in their own language, for that would dishearten them (half dead already) A plain hearted man, and he considered not, That now Rabshekeh would roar, stand up and cry out the louder in the Jewish language, That they might be the more disheartened.

I remember a proud Tyrant, delighting in proud wrath, had slain a son before the Fathers eye; The Father thanked him, and held-in his grief pretty well; one asked him how he could stand so cheery before a Tyrant, and thank him too. Great Reason, said he, to conceal from the Tyrant, where my care lay, Habebam alterum, I have another son, and fain I would hold that one, and so I bit in my sorrow.

The King cares for none of all this, nor his rage, nor his blasphemy, for there was nothing in sight now standing, to offend the eye of his GOD; Hezekiah had destroyed all those cursed things utterly, and then Senecherib may swear and curse and rage, and blaspheme; though it troubles the good King, (it is as a Sword in his bones to hear his GOD blasphemed:) Yet I say in point of hurt and danger, to him or his City from without, the good King is careless, because there are no provocations within. Indeed the proud Adversary did the good King much good, for it made the King to strengthen himself with such means, as his GOD allows him; he called a Counsel of war, gathered much people, stopped all the • ountaines, strengthened himself, built up the Wall, raisedup the Towers, made darts and shields in abundance. But his more special care was to engage himself to his GOD, and his GOD to him: See how he encourageth his people, with us is the LORD our GOD to help us, and to fight our battles: Then it follows, And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah. So the victory is got already; but we will see how wonderfully matters were brought about, and what destruction from the Almighty, befell this proud Adversary. It was unto him according as the LORD had said; He sent a blast upon him, he heard a rumour; The LORD caused him to fall by the Sword of his own sons, in his own Land. But by what means these great matters were brought about, that is our enquiry now, and it is worth our observation.

Sennacherib wrote letters, says the Text, To rail on the Lord God of Israel; an old fashion, and yet not worn out of use: I have cast mine eye upon the like now a days, both in prose and verse, as railing as were Sennacherib's letters here, and as foolish as were the Songs the drunkards made of David, let them pass in the crowd, he that reads them, is as he that made them; and he that makes them, is as he in the sacred Text, a Rabshekeh, and as those Drunkards the Prophet mentions: I was saying Sennacherib wrote letters. What do's Hezekiah with them? Not rail too, we must not return railing words, not if we contended with the Devil; nor did he go to his closet to make answer to them, for then he had done against his own command, Answer him not . Hezekiah received the letter and read it, and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD. What more? And spread it before the Lord; The King lays open the whole matter before the LORD, Tels Him how the Infidel had dealt, how he had reproached and blasphemed His Name. Aye, GOD'S Name; had he reproached a man, in respect of common nature and principles, like himself, then Hezekiah had held his peace; he had not spread the matter before the LORD; but in Hezekiah, the LORD'S Servant, That Beast opened his mouth, and blasphemed the living GOD, so he remits the matter, puts it over to GOD, Revenge is Thine, Thou shalt repay is, for Thy Glory is interested here. An excellent pattern before the servants of the LORD in these times; you shall have a company of drunkards, worse, if it can be, will give up their tongues and their pens to the Devils-forge, entreating him, that he will sharpen them against the face of the Righteous; he will do it; for, as the LORD will work with, and for them, who will give up their tongues, and hands, and hearts to Him and His service: So also the Devil will do for his servants, entreating him (they are not so shameless as to entreat GOD) That he would enable them to blaspheme and reproach GOD, and His Servants. The Devil grants their request with all his heart, they shall do it, and it is done; away they run well apaid to their fellow Printer, as forward as themselves, and serving the same Master, and next Morning out it comes. What is done with it? The same now, as in ancient days, according to the very pattern, It is spread before the LORD;

Thus it is spread before the Lord. And as sure as this is Scripture, which we are now upon, so sure the Lord will answer these foolish and brutish Men in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. We goeon.

The letter is spread, And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, as follows. What now? Now you shall see the Scene Alters, and a strange exploit wrought. You read of a Prayer, and no sooner put up, but answered, That, which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib King of Assyria, I have heard. And presently, see what a slaughter there is! Who slew all them? The Angel of the Lord; That is true, but we say as truly, Elisha's Sword did it; That is Prayer, I think, for I do not conceive what other Sword Elisha had: But that is not granted on all sides, yet this is most clear, That Hezekiah's Prayer, that did the execution; Prayer commanded the Angel, I am not mistaken, I say, commanded (for Prayer commands GOD) The Angel to come out of Heaven, to execute the vengeance of the Lord upon that cursed Host.

I could say as much of Prayer, as is said of Faith, it is the most efficacious of anything in Heaven or Earth, next to the blood of CHRIST: I say next, for it has it's Energy, and efficacious working there-from. It has the quickest motion of anything in the world, and has as quick a return. What always? That was well remembered; No, not always, but in some cases; many times the eye is dim with looking upward; and the heart faint with expectation. Of what? Of the Return of Prayer. How so? For excellent reasons; The children of GOD must not always ask, and have presently; they must be held in expectation; their time is now; they have prayed now, and now they would have a Return; No, GOD'S time is not yet; They must not think to sow and reap together. Their graces must be exercised, and they taught to wait, and in patience to possess their souls; They must stay till GOD may be magnified in His Salvation; Every Salvation is His, but His Name is not magnified, except things rise to a height, and there be an extremity of danger. And when the case is so; Refuge faileth the Church, then God comes-in; The return of Prayer is speedy then; And this was the case here; The Adversary very proud, the Church very humble; The Adversary very high in his demands, the Church very low; The Adversary would hear of no conditions of peace, unless Israel would be his servants, he refuses all • ffers. So the valiant men did cry, and the Ambassadors of Peace did weep bitterly [There is no Treaty with an Infidel, or an Idolater] The Adversary despised the Cities, and regarded no man . The Earth mourned, Lebanon was ashamed, Sharon was like a wilderness. Now is GOD'S time to arise, and to be exalted; now He will appear in His glory: He will regard the Prayer of the destitute: And the return shall be speedy: And see what an exploit it hath wrought? It returns with an Angel, which went out, and smote in the Campe of Ashur an hundred fourscore and five thousand: So when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib departed, returned to his house, thought to dwell in safety at Nineveh: And it came to pass that he went into the house of Ni •• och his god, there to worship; and there he must be slain: he had blasphemed the true GOD, he must be slain before his Idol; and by the Sword in the hands of his own Sons; he had reproached the Sons of Jacob, the servants of the Lord; he shall be slain by his own children.

Thus the LORD did for Hezekiah, according to the good word He spake unto him, and whereon the people rested ; He cursed from Heaven (after His manner) bold and daring enterprises managed against His hidden ones: The LORD said, upon all the glory shall be a defense , and so it was. The fear of the LORD is his Treasure ; It was spoken of King Hezekiah; that all may make GOD their fear, then He will be a Sanctuary. To recollect all; Sennacherib's Host were all slain in a night, prayer commanded an Angel (for there is no intermediate thing in sight) the Angel does the execution: The King slinkes away, thinks to hide himself in his house, from the wrath of the Almighty; The Sword, which he three atned Judah, finds him-out and slays him before his gods, and the execution is done upon him by his own Sons; he falls by the Sword of his own Sons in his own Land . Thus the LORD dealt with the Adversaries of Judah, and guided them on every side . And many came to congratulate the King, and rejoice with him after this victory, so they brought gifts unto the LORD, and presents to Hezekiah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all Nations from thenceforth.

Now whether Hezekiah did boast of the LORD, the giver of victories, all the day long, I cannot tell; he was an excellent Man, and yet but a Man, he might look on his own arm too much, and on GOD'S Arm too little. Certain it is he gloried in his riches; it may be also, but that is one man's conjecture, he rejoiced too much at the destruction and lamentable end of his enemy. But this is clear from the connection of the Chapters, which we must observe here;

no, as our outward peace may be plundered: so our inward peace may be and is often eclipsed. We must look for changes here below; our comforts, as not full here, so nor permanent; we must look for that in Heaven. Nay, commonly thus it is on earth; when our joys here below are at the highest, yet there is a cloud above them, which, at that instant, that point of time, will overshadow them: when we are at the heights in our joys, then fear some depth of sorrow; there is such a connection between these two, joys and sorrows. So it seems it was here with Hezekiah; In those days; what days were those? good and joyful days, as we may imagine upon such a glorious victory as that was, and coming-in of Ambassadors to joy with him. See now! But then, in those days, Hezekiah was sick unto death. The King was joyful no doubt, and very comfortable, being so wondrously delivered, and like enough, was thinking of building Tabernacles upon his comforts, well persuaded they would be of some continuance; but behold then at that time, sickness came and overshadowed all. Peter seeing the glory, was so well pleased with the sight, that he spake of making Tabernacles for continuance; But what says the Spirit, so indeed he said, not knowing what he said . Indeed we do not, when we talk of building Tabernacles upon our comforts, expecting a continuance of them. There is such a connection betwixt joy and sorrow, as there is between those Chapters and Verses : The one concludes with joy, the other begins with sorrow. And in those days Hezekiah was sick unto death; that is, his disease was deadly in it self, for it was (supposed to be) the plague: And now the message is, you must not think of the victory now, but in setting your inward and outward house in order; for thou shalt die and not live. See here! But as yesterday, an Enemy was at his gates, threatening to swallow up all: the LORD sent that adversary packing. No sooner delivered from the oppressing Sword, but he is smitten with a disease as with a Sword in his bowels. It is strange, but so it is; That man can think of building Tabernacles upon his comforts here below, or upon any worldly thing, whereunto we give the Name of Glory, which hath so many waines and ecclipses, how soon comes a cloud and overshadowes all our glory! sometimes when we are speaking of setting up a Tabernacle, I mean our rest upon the creature, the cloud comes; that we may learn to expect changes here, and of sorrows too. An Enemy was even now at the Kings gate; no sooner was he removed, but a sickness sent unto him, which cut his heart like a Sword in his bowels. This trouble is blown over, and now it is peace. Alas! man's peace here, is like a sun-shine after rain, trouble as the cloud returns again.

What is our expectation then? That our houses, our comforts will continue? that cannot be; here is no continuance; if we so expect, our expectation is vain. Blessed is the man, that looks for continuance there, and there only, where is a City that hath a foundation; that can say, my soul wait thou only upon GOD: for my expectation is from Him: And now LORD what wait I for? my HOPE is in THEE: I do not expect anything can be certain here, but changes of sorrows, trials in this kind, and in that; I wait for afflictions, Thou hast said, in the world ye shall have them: But my hope is in Thee, that Thou wilt support me in them; do me good by them; work my deliverance out of them, I wait Thy salvation.

We proceed to that, which was as a Sword in the Kings bowels; set thy house in order for thou shalt die and not live. Then we read which way he turned; what his prayer was, and what his comfort; the sweetest cordial, that a man can think of upon his sick bed, REMEMBER, &c. he wept sore (for he had no Son, and yet the LORD promised to give a light to David and to his Sons forever:) The LORD heard the voice of his weeping, gives him a wonderful sign, that the LORD would heal him, and that he should go up to the House of the LORD; so he was wonderfully recovered (no plague being beyond the skill of this Pysician) and upon his feet again, and an Ambassador at his elbow, to congratulate such a mercy. It follows, Hezekiah shows his treasuries unto them, even ALL that was found there; But the Prophet cools his spirit quickly, saying, all this store (being the spoils of Senacharibs Camp, who had robbed him the year before, repaid all with advantage, and made Hezekiah richer upon the sudden then ever he had been, which unexpected wealth was a strong temptation to boasting) But I say, the Prophet takes down his spirit, saying, all this store which thou hast shown to the Princes of Babylon, shall be carried thither, nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. We may read what follows; The good King hears all this and more, and submits humbly and thankfully to the will of GOD, saying, good is the word of the LORD; All is good to the good, the good LORD so ordering all.

But I will set the mark upon this; The LORD gave unto Hezekiah wonderful signs, and a recovery of health: But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him. The reason is given, for his heart was lifted▪up: [If the heart be lifted up with pride, it cannot be lifted up in rendering praises.] Read on; Therefore there was wrath upon him. [That follows still, when the heart is lifted-up, then is the time when, wrath comes down.] Came this wrath down upon the King only? no, for Kings do not sin alone, nor are they punished alone; There was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

It seems not so; wrath was not already come upon them, it was to come: True, that which the Lord threateneth is reckoned as already done; we may say of it, as we read concerning the last violl of wrath, that shall come pouring down upon the last Enemies of the Church, long since threatened, yet to be executed, and thereof it is said, behold it is come, and it is done, saith the LORD .

And so King Hezekiah here, he humbled himself for the pride of his heart (both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem) so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah . No; he had humbled himself; True humiliation turns away wrath, as here, and instead thereof he had blessings good store, for he had exceeding much of all precious things, and substance very much, and he did great works, and prospered in all he did. One thing he did very foolishly, recorded after all this, which was before, and that was about the Ambassadors: but then GOD left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. [The ablest and strongest Christians must be left a little, else they will trust themselves too much; They must know by their falls how weak they are, else they cannot know all that is in their hearts, even such thoughts as these,

The rest of his Acts, and his GOODNESS; Mark that; and his GOODNESS; The pride of his heart in showing of the Treasures, that shall be remembered no more, his goodness shall; his infirmities all shall be forgotten, as if they had never been, his GOODNESS shall never be forgotten; and his Goodness. What a good GOD did King Hezekiah serve, He passeth over all, and all shall be forgotten; but his Goodness shall still be remembered. Again, see the portion of those that fear the LORD and His Goodness; They live desired, and they die lamented; and when they are dead, it is in every man's mouth; And their Goodness. See also the measures of the wicked, clean contrary; They live undesired, they die unlamented; and when they are laid in the grave, if they have so much honor, their Name rots above ground, as their bodies under ground, and it is in every man's mouth, and their Badnesse, the evil that they wrought! Oh! who would not choose the fear of the LORD, and to walk before Him in truth, That it may be said of him, when he is taken hence; And his goodness! All are recorded in the visions of Isaiah; and in the Book of the Kings. But let me note what I have observed all along these Chronicles; That after many glorious acts of the LORD'S Worthies, their slipps and falls are recorded almost last of all. Why so? for excellent reasons sure, though I may not hit upon them; I think verily this is one; That we may remember our sins first and last, with bitterness of spirit, after a godly sort, and then, being remembered so this once, they shall be remembered no more forever. I will remember your iniquities no more: but the Goodness shall be remembered to all generations.

Death still concludes the Story; It follows, And he slept with his Fathers, and all Judah did him honor at his death, for he honored all Judah.

THE Repentance of MANASSEH.

CHAP. IX.

MAnasseh his Son, an older King then his Father was a Man (for he reighned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:) began to reign when he was twelve years old ; What discerning he had at those years, into his Fathers pious carriage, and the prosperity that followed him, we cannot certainly tell; we think very little, for this is apparent and upon everlasting record; That never any Son walked more cross to the Fathers steps, as contrary as evil is to good; Hell to Heaven▪; Those abominations his Father cast down, the Son set up; and what his Fathers soul hated, his Son did practice: To pass by all the rest, wherein he did like to the abominations of the Heathen; here he exceeded, burnt his Sons for a sacrifice to the Devil, and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, from one end to another, (worse then the Heathen) into which channel did stream down the blood of that reverend and aged Prophet Isaiah, whom he caused to be beat to death with a Fullers club, or to be sawne in sunder with a wooden saw, in the 80 Yeare of his life: The sacred Scripture indeed is silent here, only it saith, That Prophet lived to see, and feel that Kings tyranny; Other writers, too many to rehearse, and too good to be suspected, affirm it with a loud voice; That, in such a barbarous manner, he put that good Prophet to death. Yet he is reckoned-up in this place, because, when he comes to the business, he ordered his Militia according to right reason and rule. Indeed we read nothing of Manasseh his Militia, before he was taken in the thorns, bound with fetters, and carried to Babylon, and brought again thence to Jerusalem, for then he knew, that the LORD He was GOD. [See how the sharp thorns and briars of affliction, can teach us, when the LORD is pleased to sharpen and sanctify such goads] But this is the lesson; To admire the height and depth of GOD'S mercy; He suffers Manasseh to run-up to the height of all heathenish abominations; to plunge himself into a depth of innocent blood; and then, when he was near the end of his race, the LORD recovers him, fetcheth him from out of that depth, and turns his heart back again. We must insist upon this, that we may put the more observation upon it.

1. The truth of Manasseh his Repentance, is cleared from the sacred Text, not that there are any who doubt of it, but that none may presume from it. What takes off somewhat from the weight of his sin, and adds to the terror of an hypocritical person, who doth one thing, and professeth another: so Manasseh did not do; and yet his sins are heightened, so as to magnify free grace.

OH the height of GOD'S merciel He lengthens out Manasseh's day, and brings him into the Thorns towards night, that there he might bethink himself of all his abominations. That we may admire free grace, we must make a stand here, and look upon Manasseh in the Thorns, and what exceeding mercy he found there: And I speak of it here, that the proud sinner may not presume, nor the humble despair; for a sinner shall not be condemned, because he is an old sinner, and a great sinner: but because he is an impenitent sinner: And such an one Manasseh was not, when he was in the Thorns. And when he was in affliction he besought the LORD his GOD, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers.

But may we think this Humiliation to be sound? Yes, we dare not judge otherwise; nay, this Scripture assureth us, it was sound: True it is, (and therefore I speak of it in this place) when we are in the Thorns, when our sorrows reach unto the heart, when our Month is come, and we are in our pangs, then there will be pangs of sorrow, whether after a godly sort, or a worldly sorrow unto Death, cannot possibly be discerned by the most discerning spirit, that dwells in flesh, GOD knows, Who only knows the hearts of the children of Men; but there are some expressions in the Text, which are full of use to the Penitent and impenitent, both, clearing Manasseh his Repentance unto us.

He besought the LORD his GOD; so a wicked man may do. He humbled himself, so a wicked man may do also: nay, greatly in man's judgment. Some might be pointed to, who, being in the Thorns, in great Agony of body and spirit both, expecting to make their appearance before the great Throne, have humbled themselves greatly, given as great Testimony of true sorrow, as possibly could be expressed; yet, being delivered out of the Thorns were worse then ever before, Therefore, I say, greatly in man's judgment, so a wicked man may do too. But he humbled himself GREATLY, before the LORD greatly, and as in GOD'S presence, and by the Testimony of the Spirit, before the Lord condemning, judging, loathing himself, accepting his punishment, greatly humbled before the Lord; so a wicked man cannot do, none but a true Penitent. That again, which follows, he prayed, and GOD was entreated of him. For a temporal Deliverance you will say; but We speak of a soul mercy, of an eternal redemption: And this me thinks may be concluded also, from the following words, Then Manasseh knew that the Lord He was God. All our evils, which are committed, are, as I may say, charged upon this one word, as their original root, they knew not the Lord: So all our works of righteousness upon this word, He knew the Lord; I cannot express the fullness of that word, but it contains all: It is the sum of the Apostles Prayer, That the Lord would give the Ephesians the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the KNOWLEDGE of Him [Eph. 1. 17.]

In the last place, it do's not appear, that Manasseh, recovered out of the thorns, did return unto folly, but the contrary will appear anon, when we shall look upon him, as a pattern of true Repentance.

Now I will take leave, for the instruction of the living, to take so much from the weight of Manasseh's sins, and to put in so much allowance for it, as, I am confident, the sacred Scripture will allow me to do: for GOD forbid I should do more. And all this I shall do for this great end, to discover the danger of Hypocrisy, and to magnify free grace, Manasseh was an abominable Idolater professedly so; but that was some help for him; he did not persecute that way, he himself walked-in; nor that Religion he seemed to profess; he was indeed what he seemed to be, such was he, and that I say was some help unto him. He offered his son to Molech; he did it when he knew not the LORD. The Altars, his good Father threw down, he set-up; but he did not set them up with his hand, and cry them down with his mouth. He slew that Evangelical Prophet Isaiah; whoever was the Executioner, or what ever the instrument of his Death, Manasseh slew him: But Manasseh did not call them bloody Rebels, that killed Isaiah, as though they had done it against his mind and will. He shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; But he did not, at that time, seem to relent at what his hand did, and so water the same City at the same time with tears of feigned compassion: I mean by this, he was not an hypocritical King against whom that severe judgment is denounced, as against an Hypocriticall Nation, and against the people of GOD'S wrath. Manasseh was not one manner of man in show and profession; and another in deed and in truth. He did do worse then the Heathen, he was most abominable in all his ways; But he was what he was, and he walked according to his light in his own ways, which seemed right in his own eyes. I think verily no man ever went further towards ruin, then Manasseh did, and returned in peace; never any plunged himself deeper into the gulf of sin, and escaped: But this is it I say; we cannot charge him with Hypocrisy. He set himself against GOD, he openly and manifestly opposed GOD'S Truth: So an Hypocrite do's not do; he will oppose it, but he will make you shows and overtures of the contrary. The established Religion, he will seem to be all for that, and to do all for it, nothing against it. Paul breathed out threatenings ; he compelled men to blaspheme; He was exceedingly MADD against the righteous, that he was, for he persecuted them even to strange Cities. What was his comfort, or what helped him? he did it ignorantly, and obtained Mercy. It was so with Luther too, a bloody persecutor in heart: as all Idolaters are, as he says of himself, and all that are as he was;

But why do I mention these excellent servants of the LORD? For excellent reason▪ To magnify free Grace, That made them DIFFER FROM ANOTHER: But here I mention it to evince and clear this, That Hypocrisy is the DAMNABLE SINNE. A man may be a Malignant Person, he may persecute the good way (wherein the fool cannot err) and the righteous in that way▪ and may do it ignorantly: And then see the help and the comfort, the time of this ignorance GOD winked at. He saw and would not see, He overlooked it. I do not plead for ignorance, that cursed root, that mother of witch-crafts and superstitious devotions. Some thing might have been said for it fourscore years ago, for that ignorance which was in those dark and gloomy days, rather that night of superstition and Popery: But not a word for it now in these days, where the light is so clear, and knowledge so abounding: now to be ignorant, do's not lessen, do's not extenuate or take-off from, but aggravate the fault; for it is now to stumble in a Sun-shine, and to grope for the way in mid▪Day, as at mid-night. But I say, for a man to do what he do's professedly, walk in a way he thinks good in his own eyes, and to do it ignorantly, as, for ought I know, Manasseh did, This hath helped very many; Paul, Luther, and so Manasseh, for the time of this ignorance GOD winked at, and he obtained mercy.

What? And his sins so great! Yes, he was GREATLY humbled, the spirit, says so, and adds, BEFORE the LORD; The LORD saw that he abhorred himself, admired free grace, he was GREATLY humbled.

But his sin was great?

True, But it is said, He knew the LORD, He remembered the LORD, That He is GREAT; and, as he had sinned to the utmost, so This Great GOD could save to the utmost. He had gone far indeed, never any man beyond him; yet not so far, but This Great GOD, whom he knew now, could fetch him back-again with His out-stretched Arm. Again, his sin was great, but that was his Father David's Argument before him, wherefore he did expect pardon; his sin was great , and GOD is great, and hath laid strength on Him that is Mighty, a great, strong Redeemer, can save to the utmost, O LORD pardon mine iniquity, for it is GREAT. The glory of GOD is Great in the salvation of great Sinners: And by putting confidence in Him, Who is Mighty, We lay Glory and Majesty upon Him; for to those words we may properly allude; His Glory is great in thy Salvation, honor and Majesty hast Thou laid upon Him.

Antichrist converted and lying prostrate at the foot of CHRIST: And shall I think that CHRIST will spurn at him? So, I do not propose unto you Manasseh slaying the innocent: Walking after all the fore-mentioned abominations: But Manasseh in the Thorns, seeking the LORD, humbling himself greatly before the LORD; and now behold the LORD hearing his supplications, entreated of him. And ô the riches of Grace, and the freeness thereof! How exceeding, how admirable, how inexpressible! And this Grace was shown to Manasseh, that no penitent sinner may despair; Manasseh and he only went so far towards Hell, and turned back, that no man might presume. Not sin but impenitency killeth! I thought I could have said something more at this point; but I see it is too high for me, I can say no more of it: But, now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we can ask or think, Unto Him be glory in the Church by CHRIST JESUS throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

2. Manasseh his Repentance maketh clear proof to all Generations following, what Repentance is and true conversion.

NOw we return where we left, and found Manasseh in the Thorns, and graciously delivered thence. There we must observe how he goes on with his Militia, removes that which hinders, do's all that, which will further the same: Now after this he built a wall, &c. And he sooke away the strange gods, &c. And he repaired the Altar of the LORD, &c.

And this is spoken so fully unto already, that more needs not be said of it here. This rather I would insist upon a little; To thow, • ha • , • Manasseh was a true pattern of reforming and poster •• 〈◊〉 Kingdom after the right manner; so is he a pattern of 〈◊〉 I •• t • nt, one that had truly repented, and heartily turned to the LORD. Repentance is the change of the • ind, and of the heart too, and then all is changed: the way also, wherein the impenitent person walked before his conversion, is changed and turned clean cross, or as I may say, up ••• e down; which is the reason, that Reformation, where it comes, makes such stirs and tumults in the world; for it turns the world upside down. But let that pass, the present time will speak enough to that. To this in hands now, and thus it will appear by what Manasseh did, after he was recovered out of the thorns; he went clean cross to the way now, wherein he walked before: he went a direct way before to ruin himself and his Kingdom: Now he goes a direct way, but clean cross, to make himself strong, and to establish his Kingdom; it shall appear in all the several ways or motions thereunto. But I will make instance in the Jailor first, where we shall see how contrary a penitent man walks to himself, and his own way; He had, by the Commandment of the Magistrates, beat the Apostles, and receiving further charge about them, he thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. When he was changed by a wonderful work from Heaven upon his heart; see how cross he is to that he was before, and how cross he do's to that he did before; he was stout and proud before, now he trembles; his Sword was drawn in a readiness to kill himself; now he asked the way, how to live forever with the LORD: Before, he made the Apostles stoop to him, for he made their feet fast in the stocks; Now he fell down before them. Before, he thrust them into the inner prison; thrust them in roughly enough, for these Jailors are as cruel, as their Masters, that command them, and into the inner prison; the worst place in the house is fittest for the Apostles, so it was then; how now when the Jailor is a changed man? Now he brought them out; And when the main work was done, which the Apostles minded more then their stripes, he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, those sore blows himself had given them, and then he set meat before them: The right way of a true Penitent this, for it is clean cross to the way he walked in before his Repentance.

Now see the same crossness in Manasseh his way, now he is graciously delivered out of the Thorns. And the more cross his way is to the way he went in before, the better the way is and more instructing us to discretion. Let us well observe it, because it will make clear proof, what a living man's condition is, whether he be a changed, a reformed man, well postured; I mean, whether he be set now in a sure and safe way of defense in these exceeding fierce and perilous days, for if he have truly repented, he needs fear no evil; if his way be turned, he needs not care though the world be turned upside down.

Manasseh was all for strange gods, his heart went a whoring after them, now he takes them away, as those his heart loatheth; He took away the strange gods. He had set up Altars, and worshipped before them; now away they shall with indignation, he cast them forth out of the City. He set up Altars and graven Images. When? Before he was humbled : As the saying is, If the headache went before drunkenness, a man would never be drunk: So had he been humbled before, he had not set-up Altars before his eyes; but now▪ that he is humbled, down the Altars are tumbled, out they are cast as the filth in the streets, And cast them out of the City. These Idolatrous Altars had defaced and defiled the Altar of the LORD, as all false worship defiles true worship. Now he repairs the Altar of the LORD: He had been a stout Rebell; he made himself strong against the LORD, maintained enmity and war against the Almighty, so bold he was. Now he sacrificeth on his Altars Peace-offerings. He had been a most unthankful person, he had a good Father, that was a good mercy, a fair example before his eyes, many grave instructions from his mouth. He had received a Kingdom from his LORD'S hand, and all good things, but he was not a ware; and then we read how he requited the LORD; but now he is changed, He sacrificeth on GOD'S Altar, Thank offerings, and so he glorifies the LORD. How? There is but one way to glorify Him on Earth, in praising of Him, in giving thanks unto Him; so he glorified the LORD: And so it follows, And sacrificed thereon Thank-offerings. He had caused Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to err and to do worse then the Heathen. What do's he now, now, being a converted man? He commanded Judah to serve the LORD GOD of their Fathers [commanded.] We see now, Repentance is a change of the man, the heart and way. The way of a penitent man is clean cross to what it was in the night of his impenitency. It is well called by another name, conversion; A turning the heart back again. A man, in his unconverted estate, goes a way cross to Heaven; when he is converted his heart is turned back again, then he goes clean cross to that way he went in before; where he set his back before, there he sets his face now. So the Jailor did, so Manasseh, and so all true Penitents. We will make up the conclusion and so end; A man walks contrary to himself, now that he is not himself; what he loved before, he now hates; what he hated before, he now loves; his delight is now with the excellent upon the Earth; before none were more unpleasing and tiresome to him; before the service of the LORD was a burden, it is now a delight; he snuffed at it, and said, when will the Sabbath be gone; now he thinks the day too short: nay seven days not enough, as we heard, he would have seven days more; his mind is changed, and now all is changed, his delights, his recreations, his contentments. New wills now, and new aims, all is new, and old things are passed away; old sorrow and old joy, they run fresh and new now in the right Channell, so do all his affections, all to GOD, and for GOD.

3. Manasseh's Repentance kept off wrath from himself, but could not keep it off from the Nation, His corrupt example had leavened the whole Land; Idolatry in a King being like a leaprosie in the head, which presently corrupteth the whole Kingdom.

WE read on now, where this follows; Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their GOD. There was a mixture in their service, much superstition there; Idolatry was so rooted in the Kingdom, that it could not be rooted out, till the Kingdom was rooted out; like a leprosy, it begun in the head , thence spreads it self through the body. It is of a spreading nature, more spreading then leaven; it leavens a whole Land quickly; because it is so agreeable, so complying with man's corrupt heart. Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse th • n the Heathen, Ai, that was an easy matter to do; an easy matter to make men walk in their own ways, the way of sin and death; but to call them back again, that is a hard work, nay impossible.

A Ruler may go far in a wicked way, and then, by a strong hand, be turned back again, to walk clean cross to the same way: But the mischief he has done by his example in his old way, may spread so far, that do, or say what he can, it is past remedy. We might have heard more of Manasseh his goodness, of his ways, prayer and humiliation, but that the writings were lost : But this is recorded, That Manasseh could not with all his tears, which doubtless were abundant, wipe out the filthiness (for stain is too light a word) of his Idolatrous example; his miserable seducement; No, that was such as could not be purged, but by the fire of GOD'S wrath: for so we read; Because Manasseh had made Judah also to sin with his Idols, therefore so and so would the LORD deal with Jerusalem, in such a manner as the very hearing of it, would make both the ears to tingle: A Ruler, by his prayer and humiliation, may repair his own breaches in his own house, and soul, not those breaches he hath made in a City or Kingdom; he may, by those sanctified means, plead forth his own pardon, and save his own soul, but not save a Nation: as his seducement there has been spreading, and National, so must the humiliation be, of high concernment this;

To conclude; if a Ruler, joining himself to Idols, cannot consider what a breach he makes betwixt GOD and his own soul: Yet, O that he could consider what a breach he makes through his whole Kingdom, a breach like the Sea, which he can never make up again; and how he hath, by so doing, endangered, nay undone the whole Land, by provoking GOD to stretch over it the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and wipe his Cities as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down. O that a Ruler could consider this; for just so it was here; Manasseh could not repair the ruins, that his sins had made both in City and Country; nor could his good Grandchild (for Amon his Son did evil, as did Manasseh his Father before his conversion) after him; The best King that ever had his Kingdom in this world; he, for whom, the people could not be in extremes, in desiring too much, or lamenting too much: so desired was his life, and so lamented his death, Josiah by Name; such a King could not repair those ruins, though he took the only way, as his great Grandfather before him; he made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, as his great Grandfather had done; and, this one thing more, he caused all TO STAND TO IT, and so maintained his Kingdom in a posture of defense all his days. But, the sins were great, the provocations many, the transgression of the Land heavy upon it, Therefore many were the Princes thereof . Then the man of understanding and knowledge, by whom the State and peace is prolonged, was taken away: And when that man, a man betimes, for while he was yet young he sought the LORD, and so lived much in a short time, when this man in understanding, Josiah was taken away, by the stroke of death, which he received near Megiddo, and lingered about him till he came to Jerusalem, there brought him to the Sepulchers of his Ancestors; when, I say, this King of Desires, this so dearly beloved, was taken away from seeing the evil to come, then the cloud of blood poured down upon Judah; Then Judah's Militia fainted, and mouldred away also, and, being in a miserable consumption, as we read, died: The strong holds fell into the hands of their Enemies, like new ripe figs into the mouth of the eater. This we must repeat again, for it is also HIGGAION Selah, a matter seriously to be considered on.

THE Reformation of JOSIAH.

CHAP. X.

I Have ended the Story of Josiah before I began it, for the dependence it had with that of his Father Amon, and his Grandfather Manasseh; And also because, what he did in point of Reformation, is fully contained and runs parallel with that his great Grandfather did before him: only someone or two expressions there are of great observation, which I shall observe anon. True it is, and well observed; As Amon his Father succeeded in the sins of Manasseh's youth; so Josiah his Grandchild succeeded in the virtues of his age. Joash began well, and ended ill; Manasseh began ill and ended well; Josiah began his reign, and ended, never any King better. True it is also, never any did rise to an higher pitch of holiness, and from a surer bottom, (for he laid the foundation thereof in his young years) then Josiah did; and never anymore desirous and zealous that way, to carry all with him to the same height; And for this he stands upon everlasting record, to be the best King that ever was before him, and never the like after him, though we could speak of one, who was a young King, and an old Saint. All this I leave to the Readers perusal, for his Story is plain; Some things of note I shall take in, in passage, while I shall plead forth a case with our own hearts, for our better instruction, but not with the LORD, for we are concluded He is Righteous ; His ways are just and equal; And I would show the equity thereof in this place, where we have as completed a Reformation as ever was, and yet as sore judgments executed as we have heard of, and at the very instant time when the Reformation was so completed, Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of His great wrath, wherewith His anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked Him withal: See! here was a King, that had engaged his heart to the whole work of the LORD; had proceeded very courageously in it, even to the completing of the same; yet he was taken away in the height and heat of his work, when he and his work was going on to perfection, then he was taken away. Is it not in vain to serve GOD? what profit is it, &c. Let the wicked man speak it out; let it so be spoken in Gath, and published in the streets of Askelon; as for Israel, they will not say so, but the contrary; It is good to serve the LORD; to work for Him; to deal courageously for His cause: In His service is perfect freedom, and it hath an assured recompense of reward. Doubtless there is a reward for the Righteous, as sure as there is a GOD that judgeth in the earth. All the faithful servants of the LORD will say so, for they have found it to be so; And so Josiah found it to be even then; never any King began sooner to seek after the LORD then he did, for it was his first seeking, while HE WAS YET YOUNG , and never any King followed-on better in the way of the LORD, for he declined neither to the right hand nor to the left; And so soon as he felt himself strong, (for Amon his Father, and Manasseh his Grandfather had weakened and polluted his Kingdom very much) he began to PURGE Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and all the abominations that were SPIED , (Mark that, it clears our duty before our eyes) he sought diligently, he pried narrowly into every corner, where that abomination might stand, out-facing GOD'S command, and grievous to His good Spirit, THAT WERE SPIED in the Land of Judah, did josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the LORD . He took away the Horses given to the Sun, and burnt the Charets of the Sun with fire; Nay in a holy indignation mark what he did, he brake the Altars and Images in pieces, made dust of them, strewed them upon the water; he slew the vile Priests upon the Altars, and burnt their bones there, and strewed the ashes upon the graves of them that had sacrificed there; In a word; All that the Idolatrous Kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah took away.

This is granted you will say, Josiah was steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD; But what was his reward? I cannot express that, but the part of it, which was in sight, was very great; he should not see the evil, that was to come upon his dwelling place, and the inhabitants of the same. There was some return for his goodness, he should not see the evil. Treasures of wrath were sowed and sealed up in a bag , by his Father and Grand-father: the bag must be opened, and down the wrath there must be poured, but Josiah should neither feel nor see that tempest; before that storm fell he should be HOUSED, gathered to his Fathers, and to his gave in PEACE. In peace! He was taken away in war, as we read, he would not forbear from meddling with GOD ^c : He would not hearken to the words of Necho from the Mouth of GOD. It is true; he had politick respects enough, to engage him to the war, (which we examine not) but certain it was, he did not ask counsel at GOD'S Mouth, for then his reasons had shrunk-up to nothing. But the bag of wrath was full; it must be empited; wrath must come upon Jerusalem; but that could not be, till Josiah was taken thence, and housed in his grave. As it was said of Lets going to Zoar; so of Josiah's going to his grave; wrath must fall, but I cannot do anything till thou be come thither . And thither he was brought, to his grave by an Arrow shot from an Enemy, and yet IN PEACE, in perfect peace, a peace that passeth all understanding; That King, who shall do as Josiah did, begin as he did, so proceed as he did, in cleansing his heart from Idols; and, being a King, shall SPYE-OUT through the whole Land, what is offensive there, and shall remove it. This King, dies in PEACE, though in battle, and dashed in pieces there as a snow-ball dashed against the wall; yet in PEACE, because in the peace of a good conscience, which makes a man the merriest feast; when? when his body must go to feast the worms. And again;

In PEACE, for it was peace in comparison of that, which was shortly after to follow, when that bag of wrath must be opened, and the fierceness thereof must kindle against Jerusalem, and Judah must be removed out of GOD'S sight. In peace, with reference unto that time.

Now we come to the case, and there if we will spy into it, we may see our own case. And could not this good King, and his goodness keep off wrath? did the meltings of his own spirit, the spying-out and removing all abominations, did all this do no good to the Land! did it but deliver his own soul? yes doubtless; It was a means to respite the judgment; to hold-back the wrath. Certainly were it not for these Josiah's, these melting spirits, these that spy-out all abominations, and do their uttermost for removing of them, were it not, I say for these, our sins, our abominations, had found us out before this day, wrath had been upon us before this time, our blood had been upon our heads, and our Images had destroyed us before this day. But this is the point, the decree was passed and gone forth, wrath must come. Again;

Innocent blood was shed in abundance, that filled up the measure apace. That cries and calls for vengeance; the voice of it will not be stopped till the bag be opened, and wrath be poured down.

Object. Why, but Manasseh shed innocent blood?

Answ. True, for we do verily believe, that Kings may do injustice; Manasseh shed innocent blood; he was an Idolater, therefore a Man of blood, and chief in the trespass; but he had bloody ministers, as bloody as himself, and woe unto them both .

Object. But Manasseh's sin was put away • ; so might theirs be, who were his ministers in fulfilling his bloody commands.

Answ. Grant that, and that was David's case; the LORD had put away his sin: and yet see, what wrath fell down, and abided upon his house. Sin may be done away, and yet temporal punishment may be inflicted for mighty and just reason, which may easily be gathered up from that place, and else where.

Object. It may be said again; Manasseh was gone, and his generation with him; why should wrath fall upon the children for that the Fathers did?

Answ. There is a mighty reason for that also, which will charge and feoff all the righteous blood, shed in Qu. Mary's days upon us, an impenitent people. Manasseh and his bloody ministers had shed innocent blood in abundance, and they were gone. The generations following approved their doings. How doth that appear? Thus; Because it doth not appear, that the generations after them did ever humble themselves for that blood-shed in their Fathers days, anymore then we have done for the blood our Fathers shed in Qu. Mary's days. True it is, Josiah's heart was tender, he humbled himself before GOD when he heard a sound of wrath, and we read how it fared with him; It is not to be doubted also, but many amongst us have been and are so humbled too and for the re • son above said. But the people were not humbled, they were not tender, their hearts did not melt; there was not a National humiliation, for we know what followed; they were so far from humbling themselves thereby to turn away wrath, that they transgressed more and more; There was a forsaking in the whole Land; all were revolted, all degrees and estates, and they continued revolting, till there was no remedy, till they had brought Sodom and Gomorrah into Jerusalem; They had Rulers, but they were (not (as) but) Rulers of Sodom; and the people, the people of Gomorrah.

But that which was the determining sin, and filled up the measure was this, They mocked the Messengers of GOD, and despi • ed His words, and mis-used His Prophets. How long persisted they in so evil a course? Untill the wrath of the Lord arose against His people. It is clear; That there was no humiliation, for there was no Reformation, nay, there was a contrary walking still, so approving the sins of their Fathers by committing the very same. Therefore it was fulfilled according to the threat, I will cause them to be removed into all the Kingdoms of the Earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah King of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem: And so we are come to the end of The Kings Chronicle. And it hath a sad close, very unanswerable to expectation: for the last King we read off, was the best King that ever was: And the Reformation he made was as complete and perfect, (as imperious) if the Adversary will have it so, as ever was any so much as upon design, For he SPIED-out what Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, and took it away: And yet he could not hinder the saddest effects of GOD'S displeasure, the violl of wrath from pouring down: Notwithstanding desolation followed even to astonishment, and an hissing. Josiah could not make up the many breaches in the City of David, which Idolaters had made there. How corrupting, eating and consuming abominable Idolaters are; and what a prevalence there is in a wicked Idolatrous example to destroy, more then is in a good example to make up and heal, has been spoken-off before. This only I will add to this place, That where sin is let in like a flood, the storm of GOD'S Judgments follow after, and falls down swiftly and heavily upon the hairy scalpes of those, who were instruments to open that sluice or flood-gate:

Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings ^c shall reprove thee, &c.

An Abridgement of the Chronicle. One conclusion drawn from the two Sections, with an use to those that are in Authority, To walk in the good way, after the example.

TO make a collection of the whole Chronicle, I have in the former Section and Chapters traced the steps of the bad Kings of Judah, tending in show to the strengthening themselves and their Kingdom; but indeed and in the issue, to the ruin and destruction of all. Their irreligious Policies carried them hopefully-on sometime, but confounded them and broke them to pieces at the last, for they would be wise with their own counsels and strong in their own strength, so they rooted-in that, which could not be rooted-out, till even Judah was rooted-out of the Land. So strongly, as one saith, doth the painted visor of wise proceedings delude even those, that know the fowl face of imp • ety lurking under it: But behold the wretched ends, that have ever followed it, whereof the Kings of Judah first mentioned, were themselves very great examples, and so they are propounded to following generations, holding forth in their example DEATH and EVILL before Kings and people.

But now here is the wonder, that the wicked have not yet learnt, after so many thousand years experience, That they work a deceitful work, that they pull down wrath upon their own heads, and that the Politicians beaten ways tend to death. They march-on as furiously now as ever they did: but I forbear.

In the latter Section and fore-going Chapters, I have traced the steps of the good Kings, and we have found them walking strait-on towards those two great ends, the glory of GOD, and the safety of their Kingdom, carrying all level thereunto; for their counsel was taken from GOD'S mouth, and their strength from His right Arm: They SPIED-out what Idolaters had done to provoke the LORD to Anger, and took it away. All their care was to make their Kingdom the LORD'S Kingdom; and their Land the Lord's Land. I need not add, And they prospered; but I will add, So they prospered, as that they were the wonder of the world, and The fear of them fell upon the Nations. And so these hold forth to after Generations, Life, Good, and Blessings. We might wonder here also, how any should forsake this good way, and choose a way of their own, but the heart is deep, and the deceit there cannot be bottomed, and there are depths of Satan, and we are not ignorant of his wiles, how ready and able he is to seduce, and how willing the heart is to follow, though to destruction; but I forbear here also.

From these two so different ways, the bad and good Kings have walked in, we will conclude what way must be taken well to Posture a Kingdom, for that is our main scope of all that is said: And first I will put it down negatively.

Not a Magazine of treasures; nor an Arsenall of Armor, nor a Fleet by Sea, nor Forces by Land; nor Towers, Walls, Barrs, none of all this can secure a Kingdom, nor put it into a Posture of Defense; for then Babylon, that great City, had stood it out to this day, which had a mighty River, a wall of water to secure it, and indeed thereby the King was so secured in his safety, That he was drinking wine in bowles, when part of his City was taken; and the Sword in his bowels, before he feared it, for the LORD pleaded His Churches cause; He dried up her Sea, and made her springs dry ; then did the Inhabitants of Zion say, The violence done to me and to my flesh, be upon Babylon . And so it was, which tells us also, what shall be in after times, for the LORD will stretch forth His hand upon her, and roll her down from the Rocks, and will make her as a burnt Mountain.

The same might be said of populous NO. If a MILITIA could have defended her, she had been defended, for we read her strength was INFINITE. Yet she was 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 honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

I must not forget Jerusalem, concerning whose MILITIA we have been speaking all this while, if strength of Walls, Towers, Gates and Barrs, could have defended Jerusalem, she might have bid defiance to her enemies and have mocked at fear. And that was the opinion of all the world at that time touching Jerusalem's MILITIA; The Kings of the Earth and all the Inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the Adversary and Enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. But make a chain, saith the LORD (that is) I will judge her, she shall go into Captivity, for her Land is full of bloody crimes, the City is full of violence. So the LORD abhorred His Sanctuary; he gave-up into the hand of the Enemy the walls of her Palaces; Then her gates sunk into the ground, I know not how to understand the words, but sure I am the Roman Conqueror acknowledged, That an Almighty hand made way for him, and let him into the City. And the remnant ever since, Zion, I mean, and her inhabitants, are resolved to say now, Ashur shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses. We will not look to foreign aids, nor to strength of men or horses at home, We will trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. The Lord is good▪ a strong hold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them, that trust in Him.

Then it will be said, what need of walls, towers, gates and bars? Yes great need; for though the safety of a City doth not consist in having walls and gates, and bars about it, but in the safeguard of the Almighty, and His shutting in the gates, as He did the doors of the Ark: yet the City will not neglect her walls and gates or leave them open; for this were to tempt GOD, and to forfeit His protection: We must not write Salvation upon any visible fortifications, how mighty and strong soever; we must not trust to them. But such is the foolish pride of man's heart, he can glory in his own strength, and magnify his own wisdom, courage, fore-sight, and forget God the Maker, and giver of all things. Whence it comes to pass, that the stronger he finds himself, the more he turns from God, and falls before his enemy, at such a time when he thought it most impossible. The walls then may be too high; the Castles too strong; the people too many for GOD to defend a people, or to give them the victory, because of the cursed pride of man's heart, who will ascribe salvation to the strength of his Mountain (which GOD made so strong) and can quickly weaken, if Man will not lookup to Him, off from himself, and give GOD the Glory. In Him the fatherless find mercy, they that put no confidence in the Arm of flesh.

A people then may look to their Militia and use all means to fortify themselves with walls and brazen bars, but they must have respect to Him, Who strengtheneth the bars of his gates. Solomon is not blamed for building that stately house of the Forest; the house of Armory for his whole Kingdom. Nor are the people blamed, because in the day of trouble, of treading down and perplexity, they did look to the armor of that house (though they should have looked to it sooner, and how provided they were of store and provision there:) Nor are they blamed for beholding the breaches of the City, which were many, and looking to all means to stop the same, and to fortify themselves: All this was considerable, had they done it sooner. But for this they are blamed, and stand deeply charged of folly, that they looked to the Armor of the house, and how they might fortify the wall, and make a ditch; but did not look unto the Maker thereof, neither had respect to Him, that fashioned it long ago. So then we may look to our Armories, and to all means of Fortification, but so as we look steadfastly to the maker thereof; for we can tell now, what the Militia is, not an Arm of flesh, neither Chariots nor horse-men, vain things to save a man: It matters not how high and towering our walls and ships are; if walls stand and manners fall, a people cannot stand it out long. Walls joined to walls, and piles upon piles, an hundred walls cannot defend a City, when blood, rapine, and abominable Idolaters, are within, for then GOD departs from them, and takes away His defense. We must ponder and well weigh these things in our hearts, because it is so hard a matter to beat the heart off from these things, I mean, from putting confidence therein, though whosoever have so done, trusted on the Arm of flesh, Chariots and hors-men are brought down and fallen, whereas, All they, who have remembered the name of the Lord their God, have risen and stood upright: for the strength of Israel is not in any outward thing, but in Israel's GOD, The saving strength of His right-Hand.

2. This, I say, for I will not recall that which went before , is the Militia of a Kingdom; GOD with His twenty thousand Chariots, even thousands of Angels, the Lord among His people, as in the Holy place: for He, That is, Israel's God, is the God of salvation, and unto this God the LORD belongs the issues from Death. Therefore it was, that all the good Kings and Princes, took this one way to secure then Kingdom; they and their people AS. SOCIATED themselves (that was their next work after the Abominations were spied out and removed) came up to God, even to his Termes, joined themselves in Covenant with Him, thereby shrewded themselves and their people, under the shadow of the Almighty, that His Salvation might be round about them, & their people for Walls and Bulwarks: As this was their design; so this one way they took to bring their design about (it cannot be spoken too often) they spied▪out what Idolaters had done to provoke the eyes of the Lord, and all that they removed: then they associated themselves, came up to GOD to bind themselves to Him in the bond of a Covenant. This is the old way, which good men have trodden, direct and strait forward in a conformity to the rule, and driving-on these great ends; The glory of God and the good of His people. And it is one and the same way, and varieth not; It is the way of the wicked, that has turnings and windings in it, for they, as the crooked Scrpent their leader, and like harmful Beasts, do love confusa vestigia: But I say, the way of the righteous is one and the same stra • -forward. And it is observable, though it could be no otherwise, That these good Kings, went all one way, minded one thing, carried all level to one mark: all made the same beginning, the same progress, attained the same end, Sabbath and Port of their labors, their own and their Kingdoms peace here, and everlasting Peace in a Kingdom, which has a foundation, and shall never be shaken.

A man would wonder now, That this way) so beaten out before us by the foot-steps of the godly, so direct, so plain away, wherein it is said, the fool cannot err (i. e.) he that has ceased from his own wisdom) a way of pleasantness and of peace; a way, which GOD has be strewed all along with blessings; and wherein His foot-steps have dropped fatness: A wonder I say, that this way should be mistaken. And yet no wonder, when we consider again, that (it is said) the fool shall not err in it, but the wise-man shall not find it, who is his own guide and trusteth in his own wisdom.

And now we can discern the reason, whence it comes to pass, That, though there be but one way, one main and chief end (the other but subordinate and secondary;) all the motions to th • s and made plain and direct before us, yet we leave this good way choose rather to walk in ble▪paths; The reason is, because we will be wise in our own wisdom, and think our selvesable enough to order our own steps.

And this is of high concernment to the high Court of Parliament, c •• led together at first, and kept together till this time (I will make no question of it) for such a time as this , when they have a price put into their hands, never any the like before them, The saying of the King and Kingdom; of high concernment unto them, called now to be Savior's, that as they were at the first but one House, so they would go all one way, the good way beaten-out plain and direct before them. I say, and I will insist a little upon it: First,

That there is but one House of Parliament: pride and ambition, and I know not what, have made them two, and separated them, whom God had joined at the first, and made one, if the Records of time tell true, and I have read what they say. Notwithstanding we allow heartily a distinction in persons and places, though yet, as God hath made them, let them be, and be so called, no longer two, but one House, for so anciently it was. But if there be a distinction in point of office and service, then the scale turns towards the lower House, for there one man stands for ten thousand, a great engagement to his service. In the upper House (whereto we give as much honor, as man is capable of) They are but Unites, one is but one, like a great letter in the front or beginning of a Patent, which hath many flourishes, and yet but one letter. So as (and to express it as well as I can) if there be upper and lower there (as certainly there must be, while there is order in the world) yet is it, but as the upper and lower teeth, they stand above the other in a Posture of opposition, and the upper move not, but do all equally the same work, and therefore if there be any contention betwixt them, it should be ever the same, I read, was betwixt two brothers, who never contended, but who should do each other the best service; It should be said of those two Houses, as one said of his Mother and of his Sister, He had lived with his Mother threescore and seven years, with his Sister not half so many, but in all that time, there was never any RECONCILIATION betwixt them, for there was never any difference or falling▪out. A noble Concord, becoming none more then a House of Parliament, that as they were once one, so they may continue one still, follow-on in one way, be of one mind and one judgment, for they have but one way, and that is plain and direct before them; but one manner of proceeding in it; and but one principal aim (the other is subordinate thereunto) the glory of God, and the salvation of his people. If we will see the way, the first entrance into it, the progress in it, the end, and all shut-up together, behold we the way of the good Kings of Judah set before the Nobles and Worthies, to do thereafter, they associated themselves, came up to God, entered into Covenant, kept thereunto, then they spied-out what Idolaters had done to provoke the eyes of the Lord, and they removed it; and so they made their Land, the Lord's Land; and the people, the Lord's people; and now seeing there is but one way, one method of proceeding in it, one aim, and one mark, whereto all is to be carried level: And all this is so plain and direct and clear to the eye, that the fool cannot err in it, he that has renounced his own wisdom; I will shut up all in the Apostles prayer; Now we beseech you brethren, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you: but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment. And the Lord fulfill His good promise; I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them. Amen.