Contemplations.
The SHVNAMITE suing to IEHORAM; ELISHA conferring with HAZAEL.
HOw royally hath Elisha 2 Kings 8. paid the Shunamite for his lodging! To him already she owes the life of her sonne, both giuen, and restored; and now againe (after so many yeares, as might well haue worne out the memory of [Page 2] so small a courtesie) her selfe, her sonne, her family owe their liues to so thankfull a guest. That table, and bed, and stoole, and candlesticke was well bestowed: That candlesticke repaid her the light of her future life and condition, that table the meanes of maintenance, that stoole a seat of safe abode, that bed a quiet rest from the common calamities of her nation: Hee is a niggard to himselfe, that scants his beneficence to a Prophet, whose very cold water shall not go vnrewarded. Elijah preserued the Sareptan from famine; Elisha the Shunamite; he, by prouision of oyle and meale; this, by premonition: Arise, and goe, thou and thine houshold, and soiourne wheresoeuer thou canst [Page 3] soiourne. The Sareptan was poore, and driuen to extremes, therefore the Prophet prouides for her, from hand to mouth: The Shunamite was wealthy, and therfore the Prophet sends her to prouide for her selfe: The same goodnes that relieues our necessity, leaues our competency to the hand of our owne counsell; in the one, he will make vse of his owne power, in the other, of our prouidence.
The very Prophet aduises this holy Client to leaue the bounds of the Church: and to seeke life, where she should not finde religion: Extremity is for the time a iust dispensation with some common rules of our outward demeanure, and motions, euen from [Page 4] better to worse. All Israel and Iudah shall be affamished; The body can be preserued no where, but where the soule shall want; Somtimes the conueniences of the soule must yeeld to bodily necessities. Wantonnesse and curiosity can finde no aduantage from that which is done out of the power of need.
It is a long famine that shall afflict Israel; Hee vpon whom the spirit of Elijah was doubled, doubled the iudgement inflicted by his Master; Three yeares and an halfe did Israel gaspe vnder the drought of Elijah; seauen yeares dearth shall it suffer vnder Elisha: The tryals of God are many times not more grieuous for their sharpnesse, then for their continuance.
[Page 5] This scarcity shall not come alone; God shall call for it: what euer be the second cause, he is the first. The executioners of the Almighty (such are his iudgments) stand ready waiting vpon his iust Throne; and doe no sooner receiue the watch-word, then they flye vpon the world, and plague it for sinne; Onely the cry of our sinnes moues God to call for vengeance: And if God once call, it must come; How oft, how earnestly are we called to repentance, and stir not? the messengers of Gods wrath flye forth at the least becke; and fulfill the will of his reuenge vpon those, whose obedience would not fulfill the will of his command.
After so many proofes of fidelitie [Page 6] the Shunamite cannot distrust the Prophet; not staying therfore to be conuicted by the euent, she remoues her family into the Land of the Philistims: No nation was more opposite to Israel, none more worthily odious; yet, there doth the Shunamite seeke, & finde shelter; Euen the shade of those trees that are vnwholsome, may keepe vs from a storme; Euery where will God finde roome for his owne. The fields of Philistins flourish, whiles the soyle of Israel yeelds nothing but weeds and barrennesse: Not that Israel was more sinfull, but that the sin of Israel is more intolerable. The offers of grace are so many aggrauations of wickednesse: In equall offences those doe iustly smart [Page 7] more, who are more obliged. No pestilence is so contagious as that which hath taken the purest ayre.
These Philistine neighbours would neuer haue endured themselues to be pestered with forrainers; especially Israelites, whom they hated (besides religion) for their vsurpation: neyther were they in all likelihood pressed with multitude: The rest of Israel were led on with hopes; presuming vpon the amends of the next haruest, till their want grew desperate, and irremediable; onely the forwarned Shunamite preuents the mischiefe; now she findes what it is to haue a Prophet her friend: Happy are those soules that vpon all occasions consult with Gods Seers; they shall be freed from the [Page 8] plagues, wherein the secure blindnesse of others is heedlesly ouertaken.
Seauen yeares had this Shunamite soiourned in Palestine, now she returnes to her owne; and is excluded: She that found harbour among Philistines, findes oppression and violence among Israelites: Those of her kinred, taking aduantage of her absence, had shared her possessions. How oft doth it fall out that the worst enemies of a man are those of his owne, house? All went by contraries with this Shunamite; In the famine she had enough, in the common plenty she was scanted; Philistines were kinde to her, Israelites cruell: Both our feares, and our hopes doe not seldome disappoint [Page 9] vs; It is safe trusting to that stay which can neuer faile vs; who can easily prouide vs both of friendship in Palestine, and of iustice in Israel. Wee may not iudge of the religion by particular actions; A very Philistine may be mercifull, when an Israelite is vniust; The person may be faulty, when the profession is holy.
It was not long since the Prophet made that friendly offer to the Shunamite, out of the desire of a thankfull requitall; VVhat is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the King, or to the Captaine of the Host? and she answered; I dwell among my brethren. Little did she then thinke of this iniurious measure; else she might haue said; I dwell amongst mine enemies, I [Page 10] dwell amongst robbers. It is like they were then friendly, who were now cruell, and oppressiue; There is no trust to be reposed in flesh and blood: How should their fauors be constant, who are in their nature, and disposition, variable? It is the furest way to relye on him, who is euer like himselfe; the measure of whose loue is eternitie.
Whither should the Shunamite goe to complaine of her wrong, but to the Court? There is no other refuge of the oppressed, but publike authoritie: All Iustice is deriued from Soueraignty: Kings are not called Gods for nothing; They doe both sentence and execute for the Almighty.
Doubtlesse, now the poore [Page 11] Shunamite thought of the courteous profer of Elisha; and missing a friend at the Court, is glad to be the presenter of her owne petition.
How happily doth God contriue all euents for the good of his! This suppliant shall fall vpon that instant for her suit, when the King shall bee talking with Gehezi; when Gehezi shall bee talking of her, to the King; The words of Gehezi, the thoughts of the King, the desires of the Shunamite shall be all drawne together by the wise prouidence of God into the center of one moment, that his oppressed seruant might receiue a speedy iustice. Oh the infinite wisedome, power, mercy of our God, that insensibly [Page 12] orders all our wayes, as to his owne holy purposes, so to our best aduantage.
What doth Iehoram the King talking with Gehezi the Leper? That very presence was an eyesore.
But if the cohabitation with the infectious were forbidden, yet not the conference. Certainly, I begin to thinke of some goodnesse in both these: Had there not beene some goodnesse in Iehoram, he had not taken pleasure to heare, euen from a leprous mouth, the miraculous acts and praises of Gods Prophet; Had there not beene some goodnesse in Gehezi, he had not after so fearfull an infliction of iudgment, thus ingenuously recounted the [Page 13] praises of his seuere Master; Hee that told that deare-bought lye to the Prophet, tells now all truths of the Prophet, to the King: Perhaps his leprosie had made him cleane; If so: Happy was it for him that his forhead was white with the disease, if his soule became hereupon white with repentance. But wee may well know that the desire, or report of historicall Truths, doth not alwayes argue grace. Still Iehoram, after the inquiry of the Prophets miracles, continues his Idolatry. He that was curious to harken after the wonders of Elisha, is not carefull to follow his doctrine; Therefore are Gehezi and the Shunamite met before him, that hee may be conuicted, who will not [Page 14] be reformed: Why was it els that the presence of the persons should thus inexpectedly make good the relation, if God had not meant the inexcusablenesse of Iehoram; whiles he must needs say within himselfe; Thus potent is the Prophet of that God, whom I obey not; Were not Elishaes, the true God, how could hee worke such wonders? And if he be the true God, why is he not mine? But what? Shall I change Ahabs God for Iehosaphats? No; I cannot deny the miracles, I will not admit of the author: Let Elisha be powerfull, I will be constant. O wretched Iehoram; how much better had it been for thee neuer to haue seene the face of Gehezi, and the son of the Shunamite; then to goe [Page 15] away vnmoued with the vengeance of leprosie in the one, with the mercifull resuscitation of the other? Therfore is thy iudgment fearfully aggrauated, because thou wouldst not yeeld to what thou couldst not oppose. Had not Ahabs obduratenesse beene propagated to his sonne, so powerfull demonstrations of diuine power could not haue been vneffectuall. Wicked hearts are so much worse by how much God is better; This anvile is the harder by being continually beaten vpon, whether with iudgments, or mercy.
Yet this good vse will God haue made of this report, and this presence, that the poore Shunamite shall haue iustice; That sonne, whose life was restored, shall [Page 16] haue his inheritance reuiued; His estate shall fare the better for Elishaes miracle: How much more will our mercifull God second his owne blessings, when the fauors of vniust men are therefore drawne to vs, because wee haue beene the subiects of diuine beneficence.
It was a large, and full award, that this occurrence drew from the King; Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field, since the day that she left the land, euen vntill now. Not the present possession onely is giuen her, but the arerages.
Nothing hinders, but that outward iustice may stand with grosse Idolatry. The Widow may thanke Elisha for this; His miracle [Page 17] wrought still; and put this new life into her dead estate; His absence did that for the preseruation of life, which his presence did for the restoring it from death. Shee that was so ready to expostulate with the man of God, vpon the losse of her sonne, might perhaps haue beene as ready to impute the losse of her estate to his aduice; Now, that for his sake shee is enriched with her owne; how doth shee blesse God for so happy a guest? When we haue forgotten our owne good turnes, God remembers and crownes them: Let vs do good to all whiles we haue time, but especially to the houshold of faith.
Could Israel haue beene sensible of their owne condition, it [Page 18] was no small vnhappinesse to lose the presence of Elisha: Whether, for the Idolatries, or for the famine of Israel, the Prophet is gone into Syria; No doubt Naaman welcomd him thither; and now would force vpon him those thankes for his cure, which the man of God would not receiue at home.
How famous is he now grown that was taken from the Teame? His name is not confined to his owne Nation; Forraine countries take notice of it; and Kings are glad to listen after him, and wooe him vvith presents: Benhadad the King of Syria, whose counsells he had detected, reioyeeth to heare of his presence; and now, as hauing forgotten that he had sent a [Page 19] vvhole host, to besiege the Prophet in Dothan, sends an honorable messenger to him, laden with the burden of fourty Camels, to consult with this Oracle, concerning his sicknesse, and recouery.
This Syrian belike in his distresse dares not trust to his owne gods; but hauing had good proofe of the power of the God of Israel, both in Naamans cure, and in the miraculous defeats of his greatest forces, is glad to send to that seruant of God, whom he had persecuted. Wicked men are not the same in health and in sicknesse: their affliction is worthy of the thankes, if they be well-minded; not themselues.
Doubtlesse the errand of Benhadad was not onely to inquire of [Page 20] the issue of his disease, but to require the prayers of the Prophet for a good issue: Euen the worst man doth so loue himselfe, that hee can be content to make a beneficiall vse of those instruments, whose goodnesse he hateth.
Hazael, the chiefe Peere of Syria is designed to this message; The wealth of his present striues with the humility of his cariage, and speech: Thy sonne Benhadad King of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recouer of this disease? Not long since, Iehoram King of Israel had said to Elisha, My father, shall I smite them; and now Benhadad King of Syria, sayes, My father, shall I recouer: Lo how this poore Meholathite hath Kings to his sons: How great is the honor of Gods [Page 21] Prophets with Pagans, with Princes? Who can bee but confounded to see Euangelicall Prophets despised by the meanest Christians?
It is more then a single answer that the Prophet returnes to this message: One answer he giues to Benhadad, that sent it; another hee giues to Hazael, that brings it: That to Benhadad, is, Thou maiest surely recouer; That to Hazael, The Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely dye: What shall we say then? Is there a lye, or an equiuocation in the holy mouth of the Prophet? God forbid: It is one thing what shall be the nature, and issue of the disease; Another thing what may outwardly befall the person of Benhadad: The question [Page 22] is moued of the former; wherto the answer is direct; The disease is not mortall; But withall an intimation is giuen to the bearer, of an euent beyond the reach of his demand; which hee may know, but eyther needs not, or may not returne: The Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely dye; by another meanes, though not by the disease.
The Seer of God descries more in Hazael, then hee could see in himselfe; hee fixes his eyes therefore stedfastly in the Syrians face, as one that in those lines read the bloody story of his life.
Hazael blushes, Elisha weepes; The intention of those eyes did not so much amaze Hazael, as the teares; As yet he vvas not guilty to [Page 23] himselfe of any wrong that might straine out this iuyce of sorrow: Why weepeth my Lord?
The Prophet feares not to foretell Hazael all the villanies which he should once do to Israel; How he should fire their forts, and kill their yong men, and rip the mothers, and dash the children. I maruell not now at the teares of those eies which foresaw this miserable vastation of the inheritance of God; The very mention whereof is abhorred of the future author: What is thy seruant a dog, that I should doe this great thing? They are sauage cruelties whereof thou speakest; It were more fit for mee to weepe that thou shouldest repute mee so brutish; I should no lesse condemne my [Page 24] selfe for a beast, if I could suspect my owne degeneration so farre. Wicked men are caryed into those heights of impiety, which they could not in their good mood haue possibly beleeued; Nature is subiect to fauourable opinions of it selfe; and will rather mistrust a Prophet of God, then her owne good disposition: How many from honest beginnings, haue risen to incredible licentiousnesse, whose liues are now such, that it were as hard for a man to beleeue they had euer beene good, as to haue perswaded them once they should proue so desperately ill.
To giue some ouerture vnto Hazael of the oportunitie of this ensuing mischiefe; the Prophet [Page 25] foretells him from God, that hee shall be the King of Syria.
He that shewes the euent, doth not appoint the meanes; Far was it from the spirit of Gods Prophet to set, or encourage a treason: whiles hee said therefore, Thou shalt be King of Syria; he said not, Goe home, and kill thy master: The wicked ambition of Hazael drawes this damnable conclusion out of holy premises; and now hauing fed the hopes of his Soueraigne with the expectation of recouery; the next day he smothers his Master. The impotent desire of rule brookes no delay: Had not Hazael been gracelesly cruell, after hee had receiued this prediction of the Seer, hee should haue patiently awaited for [Page 26] the crowne of Syria, till lawfull meanes had set it vpon his head; now, he will by a close execution make way to the throne; A wet cloth hath stopt the mouth of his sicke Soueraigne; No noyse is heard; the carcasse is faire; Who can complaine of any thing but the disease?
O Hazael, thou shalt not thus easily stop the mouth of thine owne conscience; that shall call thee Traytor, euen in thy chaire of state; and shall checke all thy royall triumphs, with, Thou hast founded thy throne in blood. I am deceiued if this wet cloth shall not wipe thy lips in thy iollyest feasts, and make thy best morsells vnsavory: Soueraignty is painfull vpon the fairest termes; but vpon [Page 27] trechery, and murder, tormenting: Wofull is the case of that man whose publike cares are aggrauated with priuate guiltinesse; and happy is he, that can inioy a little with the peace of an honest heart.
IEHV with IEHORAM and IEZEBEL.
YEt Hazael began his 2 Kings 9. cruelty with losse: Ramoth Gilead is won from him; Iehoram the son hath recouered that, which Ahab his father attempted in vaine; That City was dear-bought of Israel; it cost the life of Ahab, the blood of Iehoram; Those wounds were healed with victory; The King tends his health at Iezreel, whiles the Captaines were enioying, and seconding their successe at Ramoth.
[Page 29] Old Elisha hath neither cotage, nor foot of land, yet sitting in an obscure corner, he giues order for Kingdomes; Not by way of authority (this vsurpation had been no lesse proud, then vniust) but by way of message, from the God of kings; Euen a meane Herald may goe on a great errand: The Prophets of the Gospell haue nothing to doe but with spirituall Kingdoms; To beate downe the kingdomes of sinne and Satan; to translate soules to the Kingdome of heauen.
Hee that renued the life of the Shunamites sonne, must stoope to age; That blocke lies in his way to Iehu; The aged Prophet imployes a speedier messenger, who must also gird vp his loynes, for [Page 30] hast: No common pace will serue vs when we goe on Gods message; The very losse of minutes may be vnrecouerable. This great Seer of God wel saw a present concurrence of all oportunities: The Captaines of the Host were then readily combined for this exploit: the Army was on foot; Iehoram absent; a small delay might haue troubled the work; the dispersion of the Captaines, and Host, or the presence of the King, might eyther haue defeated, or slacked the dispatch: He is prodigall of his successe, that is slow in his execution.
The directions of Elisha to the young Prophet, are full, and punctuall: whither to goe; what to cary; what to doe; where to doe [Page 31] it; what to say, what speed to make, in his act, in his returne: In the businesses of God it matters not how little is left to our discretion; There is no important businesse of the Almighty, wherin his precepts are not strict, and expresse; Looke how much more specialty there is in the charge of God, so much more danger is in the violation.
The young Prophet is curiously obedient; in his haste; in his obseruation and cariage: and finding Iehu, according to Elishaes prediction, set amongst the Captaines of the Host, he singles him forth, by a reuerent compellation; I haue an errand to thee, O Captaine; Might not the Prophet haue stayed till the table had risen, and then [Page 32] haue followed Iehu to his lodging? Surely, the wisdome of God hath purposely pitcht vpon this season, that the publike view of a sacred messenger, and the hasty euocation of so noted a person, to such a secrecy, might prepare the hearts of those Commanders of Israel, to the expectation of some great designe.
The inmost roome is but close enough for this act; Ere many houres, all Israel shall know that, which yet may not bee trusted with one eye; The goodnesse of God makes wise prouision for the safety of his messengers, and whiles he imployes their seruice, preuents their dangers.
But how is it that of all the Kings of the Ten tribes, none [Page 33] was euer anointed but Iehu? Is it for that the God, who would not countenance the erection of that vsurped throne, would countenance the alteration? Or is it, that by this visible testimony of diuine ordination, the courage of the Israelitish Captaines might be raised vp to second the high and bold attempt of him, whom they saw destin'd from heauen to rule?
Together with the oyle of this vnction, here was a charge of reuenge; A reuenge of the blood of the Prophets, vpon Iezebel; of wickednesse and Idolatry, vpon Ahab: neither was the extirpation of this leud family fore-prophesied onely to Iehu, but inioyned.
Elijah foretold, and the world [Page 34] expected some fearfull account of the abhominable cruelty, and impiety of that accursed house; Now it is called for, when it seemed forgotten: Ahab shall haue no posterity, Iezebel shall haue no toomb, but the doggs. This woful doome is committed to Iehues execution.
Oh the sure, though patient, iustice of the Almighty: Not only Ahab and Iezebel had beene bloody, and idolatrous, but Israel was drawne into the partnership of their crimes; All these shall share in the iudgment: Elijahs complaint in the caue now receiues this late answer; Hazael shall plague Israel; Iehu shall plague the house of Ahab and Iezebel; Elishaes seruant thus seconds Elishaes master: [Page 35] When wickednes is ripe in the field, God will not let it sheed to grow againe, but cuts it vp by a iust, and seasonable vengeance: Ahabs drouping vnder the threat hath put off the iudgment from his owne dayes; now it comes, and sweepes away his wife, his issue; and falls heauy vpon his subiects. Please your selues, ô ye vaine sinners, in the slow pace of vengeance; it will be neither lesse certaine, nor more easie for the delay; rather it will pay for that leasure in the extremitie.
The Prophet hath done his errand, and is gone. Iehu returnes to his fellowes, with his head not more wet with oyle, then busied with thoughts: no doubt, his face bewrayed some inward tumults, [Page 36] and distractions of imagination; neyther seem'd hee to returne the same he went out. They aske therefore, Is all well? Wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? The Prophets of God were to these idolatrous Israelites, like comets; who were neuer seene without the portendement of a mischiefe: When the priests of their Baal were quietly sacrificing, all was well; but now when a Prophet of God comes in sight, their guiltinesse askes, Is all well? All would be well but for their sinnes; they feare not these, they feare their reprouer.
Israel was comne to a good passe, when the Prophets of God went with them for mad men: Oh ye Baalitish Ruffians, whither [Page 37] hath your impiety and profanenesse caryed you, that ye should thus blaspheme the seruants of the liuing God? Ye that run on madding after vaine Idols, taxe the sober guides of true worship, for madnesse. Thus it becomes the godlesse enemies of truth, the heralds of our patience, to mis-call our innocence, to reuile our most holy profession: What wonder is it that Gods messengers are mad men vnto those, to whom the wisedome of God is foolishnes?
The message was not deliuered to Iehu for a concealment, but for publication: Silence could not effect the word that was told him; common notice must; Yee know the man, and his communication: The habit showes you the man; [Page 38] the calling showes you his errād: Euen Prophets were distinguished by their clothes; Their mantle was not the common weare; why should not this sacred vocation be knowne by a peculiar attyre? These Captaines had not calld him a mad-man, if they had not knowne him a Prophet: By the man therefore they might guesse at his message; Prophets doe not vse to appeare, but vpon serious errands; whether of reproofe, or of prediction.
Nice ciuilities of denialls were not then knowne to the world; They said, It is false, tell vs now: Amongst these Captains no combat, no vnkindnesse followes vpon a word so rudely familiar.
Iehu needs not tell them, that [Page 39] the man was a Prophet; hee tels them the prophesie of the man; what he had said, what hee had done.
Their eies had no sooner seene the oyle; their eares had no sooner heard, Thus saith the Lord, I haue anointed thee King ouer Israel, then they rise from their seates, as rapt with a tempest, and are hurled into armes; So doe they hast to proclaime Iehu, that they scarce stay to snatch vp their garments, which they had perhaps left behind them for speed, had they not meant with these rich abiliments to garnish a state for their new Soueraigne; To whom hauing now erected an extemporall Throne, they doe by the sound of Trumpets giue the style of [Page 40] Royalty, Iehu is King.
So much credit hath that mad fellow with these gallants of Israel, that vpon his word they will presently aduenture their liues, & change the Crowne. God giues a secret authority to his despised seruants; so as they which hate their person, yet reuerence their truth: Euen very scorners cannot but beleeue them; If when the Prophets of the Gospell tell vs of a spirituall Kingdome, they be distrusted of those which professe to obserue them, how shamefull is the disproportion? how iust shall their iudgment be?
Yet I cannot say whether meer obedience to the Prophet, or personall dislikes of Iehoram, or partiall respects to Iehu, drew the Captaines [Page 41] of Israel; The will of God may be done thanklesly, when fulfilling the substance, we faile of the intention, and erre in circumstance.
Onely Ramoth is conscious of this sudden Inauguration; This new prince-dome yet reaches no further then the sound of the trumpet: Iehu is no lesse subtile, then valiant; he knew that the notice of this inexpected change might worke a busie, and dangerous resistance; he therfore giues order that no messenger of the newes may preuent his personall execution, that so he might surprise Iehoram in his palace of Izreel, whether tending his late wounds, or securely feasting his friends, and dreaming of nothing [Page 42] lesse then danger; and might be seene, and felt at once. Secresie is the safest gard of any designe; disclosed proiects are either frustrated, or made needlesly difficult.
Neither is Iehu more close, then swift; That very trumpet with the same wind sounds his march; from the toppe of the staires, he steps downe into his charet; That man meanes to speed, who can bee at once reserued in his counsels, and resolute and quicke in his performances.
Who could but pity the vnhappy and vnseasonable visitation of the grand-childe of Iehosaphat, were it not that hee was degenerate into the family of Abab? Ahaziah King of Iudah is comne to visit Iehoram King of Israel; the [Page 43] knowledge of his late receiued wounds hath drawn thither this kind ill-matched allie: He who was partner of the warre, cannot but be a visitor of the wounds.
The two Kings are in the height of their complement, and entertainments, when the watchman of the Tower of Izreel espies a troupe, a farre off. For ought was knowne, there was nothing but peace in all the Land of Israel; and Iudah was now so combined with it, that both their Kings were feasting vnder one roofe; yet, in the midst of this supposed safety, the watch-tower is not vnfurnished with heedy eyes: No securitie of peace can free wise Gouernors from a carefull suspition of what may come, and a [Page 44] prouidence against the worst. Euen whiles we know of no enemies, the watch-tower of due intelligence may not be empty.
In vaine are dangers fore-seen, if they be not premonished; It is all one to haue a blind and a mute watch-man; This speakes what he sees; I see a company.
Doubtlesse Iehorams head was now full of thoughts; neither knew hee what construction to put vpon this approching troupe; Perhaps, the Syrians (hee thinkes) may haue recouered Ramoth; and chased the garison of Israel; neither can hee imagine whether these should be hostile victors, or vanquished subiects, or conspiring rebells. Euery way this rout was dreadfull. Oh Iehoram, thou [Page 45] beginst thy feares too late; Hadst thou beene afraid to prouoke the God of Israel, thine innocency had yeelded no roome to these terrors.
An horseman is dispatcht to discouer the meaning of this descryed concourse: Hee meets them, and inquires of peace; but receiues a short answer, What hast thou to doe with peace? turne thee behind mee? A second is addressed; with the same successe: Both attend the traine of Iehu in stead of returning; Indeed, it is not for priuate persons to hope to rectifie the publike affaires, when they are growne to an height of disorder, and from thence to a ripenesse of mis-cariage: Sooner may a well-meaning man hurt [Page 46] himselfe, then redresse the common danger.
These messengers were now within the mercy of a multitude, had they but indeuored to retire, they had perished as wilfully, as vainly: Whosoeuer will be striuing against the torrent of a iust iudgment, must needs bee caried downe in the streame: Sometimes there is as much wisdome in yeelding, as courage in resistance.
Had this troupe beene farre off, the watchman could not haue descryed the arriuall of the messengers, their turning behind, the manner of the march; Iehu was a noted Captaine, his cariage and motion was obserued more full of fire, then his fellowes; The [Page 47] driuing is like Iehues, for hee driueth furiously: God makes choyce of fit instruments, as of mercy, so of reuenge; These spirits were needfull for so tragicall a scene, as was now preparing in Israel.
Iehoram and Abaziah, as netled with this forced patience of expectation, can no longer keepe their seates; but will needs hasten their charets; and fetch that costly satisfaction, which would not be sent, but giuen.
They are infatuated, which shall perish; otherwise Iehoram had beene warned enough by the forceable retention of his messengers, to expect none but an enemy. A friend, or a subiect could not haue beene vnwilling to bee knowne, to be lookt for; Now; [Page 48] forgetting his wounds, he will go to fetch death.
Yet when he sees Iehu, whom he left a subiect, hopes striue with his doubts, Is it peace, Iehu? what may be the reason of this sudden iourney? Is the army foyled by the Syrians? Is Ramoth recouered? or hath the flight of the enemy left thee no further worke? or is some other ill newes guilty of thy hast? What meanes this vnwished presence, and returne?
There needs no stay for an answer; The very face of Iehu, and those sparkling eyes of his spake fury, and death to Iehoram; which yet his tongue angerly seconds: What peace, so long as the whordomes of thy mother Iezebel, and her witchcrafts are so many?
[Page 49] Wicked Tyran, what speak'st thou of peace with men, when thou hast thus long waged warre with the Almightie? That cursed mother of thine hath nursed thee with blood, and trained thee vp in abominable Idolatries.
Thou art not more hers, then her sinne is thine; thou art polluted with her spirituall whoredomes, and inchanted with her hellish witchcrafts: Now that iust God whom thou, and thy parents haue so hainously despited, sends thee by me this last message of his vengeance; which whiles hee spake, his hand is drawing vp that deadly arrow, which shall cure the former wounds with a worse.
Too late now doth wretched [Page 50] Iehoram turne his charet, and flee; and cry Treason, ô Ahaziah; There was treason before, ô Iehoram; thy treason against the Maiesty of God, is now reuenged by the treason of Iehu against thee.
That fatall shaft, notwithstanding the swift pace of both the charets, is directed to the heart of Iehoram; there is no erring of those feathers which are guided by the hand of destinie.
How iust are the iudgments of God! It was in the field of Naboth, wherein Iehoram met with Iehu; That very ground called to him for blood; And now this new auenger remembers that prophesie which he heard from the mouth of Elijah, in that very place, following the heeles of Ahab; [Page 51] and is carefull to performe it. Little did Iehu thinke, when he heard that message of Elijah, that his hands should act it; now, as zealous of accomplishing the word of a Prophet; hee giues charge to Bidkar his Captaine, that the bleeding carkasse of Iehoram should be cast vpon that very platt of Naboth: Oh Naboths blood well paid for! Ahabs blood is licked by dogs, in the very place where those dogs lickt Naboths; Iehorams blood shall manure that ground, which was wrung from Naboth; and Iezebel shall adde to this compost. Oh garden of hearbes dearly bought, royally dunged.
What a resemblance there is betwixt the death of the father, [Page 52] and the sonne; Ahab and Iehoram? Both are slaine in their charet; Both with an arrow; Both repay their blood to Naboth; and how perfit is this retaliation? Not only Naboth miscaried in that cruell iniustice, but his sonnes also; else the inheritance of the vineyard had descended to his heires, notwithstanding his pretended offence; and now not onely Ahab forfaits his blood to this field; but his sonne Iehoram also: Face doth not more answer to face, then punishment to sinne.
It was time for Ahaziah King of Iuda, to flee: Nay it had beene time long before to haue fled from the sins, yea from the house of Ahab; That brand is fearfull which God sets vpon him; Hee [Page 53] did euill in the sight of the Lord as did the house of Ahab; for he was the 2 Kings 27 sonne in law of the house of Ahab; Affinity is too often guilty of corruption; The son of good Iehosaphat is lost in Ahabs daughter.
Now hee payes for his kinde alliance; accompanying the son of Ahab in his death, whom hee consorted with in his Idolatry: Yong Ahaziah was scarce warme in his throne, when the mis-matched blood of Athaliah is required from him; Nothing is more dangerous then to be imped in a wicked family; this relation too often drawes in a share both of sin, and punishment.
Who would not haue lookt that Iezebel hearing of this bloody [Page 54] end of her son; and pursuit of her allye; and the fearfull proceedings of this prosperous conspiracy, should haue put her selfe into sack-cloth and ashes; and now finding no meanes either of defence, or escape, should haue cast her selfe into such a posture of humiliation, as might haue moued the compassion of Iehu; Her proud heart could not suddenly learne to stoope: rather she recollects her high spirits; and in stead of humbling her soule by repentance, and addressing her selfe for an imminent death; she pranks vp her old carkasse, and paints her wrinkled face, and as one that vainly hopes to daunt the courage of an vsurper, by the sudden beames of Maiesty; she [Page 55] lookes out, and thinks to fright him with the challenge of a traitor, whose either mercy, or iustice could not be auoided: Extremitie findes vs such as our peace leaues vs; Our last thoughts are spent vpon that wee care most for; those that haue regarded their face more then their soule, in their latter end are more taken vp with desire of seeming faire, then being happy: It is no maruell if an heart obdured with the custome of sinne shut vp gracelesly. Counterfait beauty agrees well with inward vncleannesse.
Iebues resolution was too strongly setled to bee remoued with a painted face, or an opprobrious tongue; He lookes vp to the window, and sayes, Who is on [Page 56] my side, who? There want not those euery where, which will be ready to obserue preuailing greatnesse: Two or three Eunuchs looke out; He bids them, Throw her downe: They instantly lay hold on their lately adored Mistris, and notwithstanding all her shrieks and prayers, cast her downe headlong into the street.
What heed is to be taken of the deepe professed seruices of hollow harted followers; All this while they haue with humble smiles, and officious deuotions fawned vpon their great Queene; now vpon the call of a prosperous enemy, they forget their respects, her royalty; and cast her downe, as willing executioners, into the iawes of a fearfull death: [Page 57] It is hard for greatnesse to know them whom it may trust: Perhaps the fairest semblance is from the falsest heart; It was a iust plague of God vpon wicked Iezebel, that shee was inwardly hated of her owne; He whose seruants she persecuted, raised vp enemies to her from her owne elbow.
Thus must pride fall; Insolent, idolatrous, cruell Iezebel besprinkles the walls, and pauement with her blood; and now those braines that deuised mischiefe against the seruants of God, are strawed vpon the stones; and she that insulted vpon the Prophets, is trampled vpon by the horses heeles: The wicked is kept Iob 21. for the day of destruction, and shall be [Page 58] brought forth to the day of wrath.
Death puts an end commonly to the hyest displeasure. He that was seuere in the execution of the liuing, is mercifull in the sepulture of the dead; Goe see now this cursed woman, and bury her, for she is a Kings daughter; She that vpbrayded Iehu with the name of Zimri, shall be interred by Iehu as Omries daughter in law, as a Sydonian Princesse; Somewhat must bee yeelded to humanity; somewhat to State.
The dogs haue preuented Iehu in this purpose, and haue giuen her a liuing toomb more ignoble, then the worst of the earth; Onely the scull, hands, and feet of that vanished carkasse yet remaine; The scull which was the roofe of [Page 59] all her wicked deuices, the hands and feet which were the executioners; these shall remaine as the monuments of those shamefull exequies: that future times seeing these fragments of a body, might say, The dogges were worthy of the rest; Thus Iezebel is turned to dung, and dogs-meat; Elijah is verified, Naboth is reuenged; Izreel is purged, Iehu is zealous, and in all, God is iust.
IEHV killing the sonnes of AHAB, and the Priests of BAAL.
THere were two 2 Kings 10. prime Cities of the Ten Tribes, which were the set Courts of the Kingdome of Israel; Samaria and Iezreel; The chiefe palace of the King was Iezreel, the mother City of the Kingdome, was Samaria; Iehu is possessed of the one, without any sword drawne against him; Iezreel willingly changes the master, yeelding it selfe to the [Page 61] victor of two Kings, to the auenger of Iezebel; the next care is Samaria; Either policy, or force shall fetch in that head of the Tribes.
The plentifull issue of Princes is no small assurance to the people; Ahab had sonnes enough to furnish the Thrones of all the neighbour nations, to maintaine the hopes of succession, to all times; How secure did he think the perpetuation of his posterity, when he saw seuenty sons from his owne loynes? Neither was this Royall issue trusted, either to weake walls, or to one roofe; but to the strong bulwarkes of Samaria, and therein to the seuerall guards of the chiefe Peeres; It was the wise care of their parents [Page 62] not to haue them obnoxious to the danger of a common mis-cariage, or, of those emulations which wait vpon the cloyednesse of an vndiuided conuersation; but, to order their separation so, as one may rescue other from the perill of assault, as one may respect other out of a familiar strangenesse. Had Ahab and Iezebel beene as wise for their soules, as they were for their seed, both had prospered.
Iehu is yet but in his first act; If all the sonnes of Ahab bleed not, the prophesie is vnanswered; There shall be no need of his sword, his penne shall worke all this slaughter. He writes a Challenge to Samaria, and therein to the guardians of the sons of Ahab; [Page 63] daring them, out of the confidence in their defenced City, in their charets, and horses, in their associats and armes, to set vp the best of their masters sonnes, on his fathers throne, and to fight for his succession.
All the Gouernours of Ahabs children conspire in one common feare; no doubt there wanted not in that numerous brood of Kings, some great spirits that if, at least they attained to the notice of this designe, longed for a reuenge, and suggested counsels of resolution to their cowardly guardians; Shall an audacious vsurper runne thus away with the Crowne of Israel? Shall the blood of Iezebel be thus traiterously spilt, thus wilfully forgotten? O Israelites, [Page 64] can ye be so base, as to be ruled by my fathers seruant? Where are the merits of Ahab, and Iehoram? What is becomne of the loyall courage of Israel? Doubtlesse, ye shal not wāt able seconds to your valour; Do ye thinke the royall and potent alliances of our mother Iezebel; and the remayning heyres of Iudah, can draw back their hands from your aide? will they indure to swallow so cruell an indignity? Stir vp your astonished fortitude, ô ye Nobles of Israel; redeeme your bleeding honour, reuenge this trecherous conspirator, and establish the right of the vndoubted heires of your Soueraignes; But as warm clothes to a dead man, so are the motions of valour to a fearfull [Page 65] heart: Behold two Kings stood not before him, how then shall we stand?
Feare affrights it selfe rather then it will want bugs of terror: It is true: Two Kings fell before Iehu; but, two Kings vnarmed, vnguarded; Had not the surprizall of Iehu taken aduantage of the vnsuspitious nakednesse of these two Princes, his victory had not beene thus successfull, thus easie. Halfe one of those two Kings, vpon aduertisement and preparation, had abated the fury of that hot Leader. It is the fashion of feare to represent vnto vs alwaies the vvorst, in euery euent: not looking at the inequality of the aduantages, but the misery of the successe: as contrarily, it is the guise of faith, and valour, by the [Page 66] good issue of one enterprise to raise vp the heart to an expectation and assurance of more.
These mens hearts are dead with their Kings, neither dare entertaine the hope of a safe and prosperous resistance, but basely returne, We are thy seruants, and will doe all that thou shalt bid vs, we will not make any King; doe thou that which is good in thine eyes.
Well may Iehu think, these men which are thus disloyall to their charge, cannot be faithfull to me; It is their feare that drawes them to this obseruation: Were they not cowards, they would not be traitors to their Princes, subiects to me: I may vse their hands, but I will not trust them: It is a thanklesse obedience that is grounded [Page 67] vpon feare; there can be no true fidelity without loue, & reuerēce. Neyther is it other betwixt God and vs; if out of a dread of hel we be officious, who shall thanke vs for these respects to our selues?
As one that had tasted already the sweetnesse of a resolute expedition, Iehu writes backe instantly, If ye be mine, and if ye will harken vnto my voyce; take ye the heads of the men your Masters sonnes, and come to me to Iezreel by to morrow this time. Valiant Iehu was so well acquainted with the nature of feare, that he well knew this passion once growne desperate, would be ready to swallow all conditions: so far therefore doth his wisedome improue it, as to make these Peers his executioners; who presently [Page 68] vpon the receit of his charge turne cruell, & by a ioynt consent fetch off the seauenty heads of those Princes, whom they vndertooke to guard, vvhom they had flattered vvith the hopes of greater honour.
No doubt, but amongst so many sonnes of Ahab, some had so demeaned themselues, that they had wonne zealous professions of loue from their guardians: Except perhaps death stole vpon them in sleepe, what teares, what intreaties, what cōiurations must here needs haue beene?
What haue wee done, ô yee Peeres of Israel, that might deserue this bloody measure? We are the sonnes of Ahab, therefore haue ye hitherto professed to obserue vs; [Page 69] what change is this? vvhy should that which hath hitherto kept you loyall, now make you cruell? Is this the reward of the long peaceable gouernment of our father? are these the Trophees of Ahabs victories against Benhadad, Iehorams against Hazael? If wee may not raigne, yet at least, let vs liue: Or if vve must dye; why will your hands bee imbrued in that blood, vvhich ye had vvont to terme royall, and sacred? vvhy will ye of Tutors turne murtherers? All pleas are in vaine to them that are deafned with their owne feares. Perhaps these expostulations might haue fetched some dewes of pity from the eyes, and kisses from the lips of these vnfaithfull Tutors, but cannot preuent [Page 70] the stroke of death; These Crocodiles vveepe vpon those, vvhom they must kill: & if their owne sonnes had beene in the place of Ahabs, doubtlesse they had beene sacrificed to the vvill of an vsurper, to the paients safety: It is ill relying vpon timerous natures; vpon euery occasion those crazie reeds vvill breake, and runne into our hands. How vvorthy were Ahab and Iezebel of such friends? They had been euer false to God, how should men be true to thē? They had sold themselues to vvorke wickednes, and now they are requited with a mercenary fidelity: for a few lines haue these men sold all the heads of Ahabs posterity: Could euer the policy of Iezebel haue reacht so farre, as [Page 71] to suspect the possibility of the extirpation of so ample an issue in one night, by the hands of her trustiest subiects?
Now she that by her letter sent to the Elders of Iezreel, shed the blood of Naboth and his sonnes, hath the blood of all her sonnes shed by a letter sent from Iezreel, to the Elders of Samaria. At last, God will be sure to come out of the debt of vvicked sinners, and will pay them with that coyne, which is both most proper, and least lookt for.
Early in the morning, in that gate of Iezreel where Ahab had passed many an vniust sentence, is presented vnto Iehu, the fearfull pledge of his soueraignty, seuenty gastly heads of the sons of Ahab.
[Page 72] Some carnall eye that had seene so many young and smooth faces besmeared vvith blood, would haue melted into compassion, bemoning their harmlesse age, their vntimely end: It is not for the iustice of God to stand at the barre of our corrupted iudgment. Except we include some grandchildren of Ahab within this number, none of these dyed before they vvere seasoned vvith horrible Idolatry; or if they had; they were in the loynes of Ahab when hee sold himselfe to worke wickednesse; & now it is iust vvith God to punish Ahabs vvickednesse in this fruit of his loynes. The holy seuerity of God in the reuenge of sinne sometimes goes so farre that our ignorance is ready to mistake [Page 73] it for cruelty.
The vvonder and horror of those two heapes hath easily drawne together the people of Iezreel: Iehu meets them in that seat of publique iudgment; and finding much amazednes & passionate confusion in their faces; he cleares them, and sends them to the true originall of these sudden and astonishing massacres.
Howeuer his owne conspiracy, and the cowardly trechery of the Princes of Israel had been (not vvithout their hainous sinne) the visible meanes of this iudgment, yet he directs their eyes to an hyer authoritie; the iust decree of the Almighty, manifested by his seruant Elijah; vvho euen by the vvilling sinnes of men can most [Page 74] wisely, most hostilely fetch about his most righteous and blessed purposes.
If the Peers of Samaria out of a base feare, if Iehu out of an ambition of raigning shed the foule blood of Ahabs posterity; the sin is their owne, but in the meane time the act is no other then what the infinite iustice of God would iustly worke by their mis-intentions. Let these Israelites but looke vp from earth to heauen, these tragicall changes cannot trouble thē; thither Iehu sends them; wiping off the enuy of all this blood, by the warrant of the diuine preordination: In obedience whereunto he sends after these heyres of Ahab, all his kinsfolkes, fauourites, priests that remained in Iezreel: [Page 75] and now hauing cleared these coasts, he hasts to Samaria: whom should he meet with, in the way, but the brethren of Ahaziah King of Iudah; they are going to visit their cozens the sonnes of Ahab: This young troupe was thinking of nothing but iollity, and courtly intertainment, when they meet with death: So suddenly, so secretly had Iehu dispatched these bold executions, that these Princes could imagine no cause of suspition: How could they thinke it might be dāgerous to be knowne for the brethren of Ahaziah, or friends to the brethren of Iehoram? The iust prouidence of the Almightie hath brought all this covie vnder one net; Iehu thinkes it not safe to let goe so many auengers [Page 76] of Ahaziahs blood; so many corriuals of his Soueraignty. The vnhappy affinitie of Iehosaphat with Ahab is no lesse guilty of this slaughter, then Iehues ambition; This match by the inoculation of one bud, hath tainted all the sap of the house of Iudah. The two & fourtie brethren of Ahaziah are therefore sent after the seuentie sonnes of Ahab; that they may ouertake them in death, whom they came to visit; God will much lesse brooke Idolatry from the loines of a Iehosaphat: Our intirenesse with wicked men feoffs vs both in their sinnes and iudgments.
Doubtlesse, many Israelites that were deuoted to the family and allies of Ahab, lookt (what they [Page 77] durst) awry at this cōmon effusion of royal blood; yet in the worst of the deprauednes of Israel, there were some which both drouped vnder the deplored Idolatry of the times, and congratulated to Iehu this seuere vindication of Gods inheritance: Amongst the rest, Ionadab the son of Rechab was most eminent. That man was by descent deriued from Iethro; a Midianite by nation, but incorporated into Israel; a man, whose piety, and strict conuersation did both teach, and shame those twelue Tribes to which he was ioyned; He was the author of an austere rule of ciuility to his posterity; to whom he debarred the vse of wine, cities, possessions: This old and rough friend of Iehu, (out of [Page 78] his mouing habitations) meets him, and applauds his successe; He that allowed not wine to his seed, allowes the blood of Ahabs seed poured out, by the hand of Iehu; He that shun'd the city, is caryed in Iehues charet, to the palace of Samaria.
How easily might Iehu haue beene deceiued? Many a one professes vprightnesse, who yet is all guile: Ionadabs cariage hath been such, that his word merits trust: It is a blessing vpon the plainehearted, that they can be beleeued: Honest Ionadab is admitted to the honor of Iehues seat; and called (in stead of many) to witnesse the zeale of the new-anointed King of Israel.
Whiles Iehu had to doe with [Page 79] Kings, his cunning and his courage held equal pace together; but now that he is to deale with idolatrous priests, his wile goes alone, and preuailes: He calls the people together, and dissembling his intentions, sayes, Ahad serued Baal a little, but Iehu shall serue him much: Now therefore call vnto me all the Prophets of Baal, all his seruants, and all his priests, let none be wanting: for I haue a great sacrifice to doe to Baal: whosoeuer shall be wanting, he shall not liue.
What a dead palenesse was there now in the faces of those few true-harted Israelites, that looked for an happy restauration of the religion of God? How could they choose but think; Alas, how are we fallen from our hopes? Is [Page 80] this the change we lookt for? was it only ambition that hath set this edge vpon the sword of Iehu? It was not the person of Ahab that we disliked but the sins: If those must still succeed, what haue we gained? Woe be to vs, if onely the author of our misery be changed, not the condition, not the cause of our misery.
On the other side, what insultations and triumphs sounded euery where of the ioyfull Baalites? What glorying of the truth of their profession, because of the successe? what scornes of their deiected opposites? what exprobrations of the disappointed hopes, and predictions of their aduerse Prophets? what promises to thē selues of a perpetuity of Baalisme? [Page 81] How did the dispersed priests of Baal now flock together, and applaud each others happinesse, and magnifie the deuotions of their new Soueraigne? Neuer had that Idoll so glorious a day as this for the pompe of his seruice; Before, he was adored singlely in corners, now solemne sacrifices shall bee offered to him by all his clients, in the great Temple of the mother Citie of Israel. I can commend the zeale of Iehu, I cannot commend the fraud of Iehu; We may come to our end euen by crooked wayes: He that bad him to smite for him, did not bid him to lie for him: Falshood, though it be but tentatiue, is neither needed, nor approued by the God of truth: If policy haue allowed officious [Page 82] vntruths, Religion neuer.
By this deuice, the house of Baal is well furnished, well filled; not one of his Chemarim eyther might, or would be absent: not one of those which were present, might be vnrobed: False Gods haue euer affected to imitate the true. Euen Baal hath Temples, Altars, Priests, vestments: All religions haue allotted peculiar habits to their hyest deuotions. Those Vestments which they mis-called sacred are brought forth, and put on for the glory of this seruice.
Iehu and Ionadab are first carefull that this separation be exact; they search, and see that no seruant of the Lord be crept into that thrōg: What should a religious Israelite [Page 83] doe in the Temple of Baal? Were any such there, hee had deserued their smart, who would partake with their worship; but if curiosity should haue drawne any thither, the mercy of Iehu seekes his rescue: How much more fauourable is the God of mercies in not taking aduantage of our infirmities.
Well might this search haue bred suspition, were it not that in all those Idolatrous sacrifices, the first care was to auoid the profane: Euen Baal would admit no mixture, how should the true God abide it?
Nothing wanted now, but the sacrifice: No doubt whole heards and flockes were ready for a pretence of some royall hecatombs; [Page 84] whereof some had now already smoked on their Altars. O Iehu what meanes this dilation? If thou abhorrest Baal, why didst thou giue way to this last sacrifice? why didst thou not cut off these Idolaters before this vpshot of their wickednesse? Was it that thou mightst be sure of their guiltinesse? was it that their number, together with their sinne, might be complete? What acclamations were here to Baal, what ioy in the freedome of their reuiued worship: when all on the sudden, those that had sacrificed, are sacrificed; The Souldiers of Iehu by his appointment rush in with their swords drawne, and turne the temple into a slaughter-house. How is the tune now changed? [Page 85] What shrieking was here? what out-cries? what running from one sword, to the edge of another? what scrambling vp the walls and pillars? what climbing into the windowes? what vaine endeuors to escape that death which would not be shunned? whether running, or kneeling, or prostrate, they must dye.
The first part of the sacrifice was Baals, the latter is Gods: The blood of beasts was offered in the one, of men in the other; the shedding of this was so much more acceptable to God, by how much these men were more beasts, then those they sacrificed. Oh happy obedience; God was pleased with a sacrifice from the house of Baal; The Idolaters are [Page 86] slaine, the Idols burnt, the house of Baal turn'd to a draught (tho euen thus lesse vncleane, lesse noysome, then in the former perfumes;) and in one word, Baal is destroyed out of Israel.
Who that had seene all this zeale for God, would not haue said; Iehu is a true Israelite. Yet, he that rooted out Ahab, would not be rid of Ieroboam: He that destroyed Baal, maintained the two Calues of Dan and Bethel. That Idolatry was of a lower ranke; as being a mis-worship of the true God, whereas the other was a worship of the false: Euen the easier of both is haynous; and shall robb Iehu of the praise of his vprightnesse.
A false heart may laudably quit [Page 87] it selfe of some one gross sin, & in the meane time hugg some lesser euill that may condemne it: As a man recouered of a Feuer, may dye of a Iaundis, or a Dropsie. We lose the thanke of all, if wee wilfully fault in one.
It is an intire goodnes that God cares for: Perhaps (such is the bounty of our God) a partiall obedience may be rewarded with a temporall blessing; (as Iehues seuerity to Ahab shal cary the crown to his seed for foure generations) but we can neuer haue any comfortable assurance of an eternall retribution, if our hearts & wayes be not perfit with God. Woe be to vs, ô God, if wee bee not all thine: wee cannot but euerlastingly depart from thee, if wee [Page 88] depart not from euery sinne: Thou hast purged our hearts from the Baal of our grosse Idolatries, oh cleare vs from the golden Calues of our pety-corruptions also; that thou maist take pleasure in our vprightnesse; and wee may reape the sweet comforts of thy gracious remuneration.
ATHALIAH and IOASH.
OH the wofull ruines 2 Kings 11, & 12. And 2 Chron. 23. & 24. of the house of good Iehosaphat: Iehu hath slain two and fourty of his issue; Athaliah hopes to root out the rest: This daughter of Ahab was not like to be other then fatall to that holy Line; One drop of that wicked blood was enough both to impure, and spill all the rest which affinity had mixed with it.
It is not vnlike that Ahaziah betaking himselfe to the society of [Page 90] Iehorams warres, committed the sway of his Scepter to his mother Athaliah. The daughter of Iezebel cannot but be plotting: when she heares of the death of Ahaziah, and his brethren, inflicted by the heauy hand of Iehu, shee straight casts for the Kingdome of Iudah: The true heires are infants, their minority giues her both colour of rule, and oportunity of an easie extirpation. Perhaps, her ambition was not more guilty then her zeale of Baalisme: she saw Iehu out of a detestation of Idolatry, trampling on the blood of Iehoram, Iezebel, Ahaziah, the sonnes of Ahab, the brethren of Ahaziah, the priests and prophets of Baal; and in one word, triumphing in the destruction both of Ahab, and his Gods [Page 91] out of Israel: and now she thinks, Why should not I destroy Iehosaphat, and his God out of Iudah?
Who euer saw an Idolater that was not cruell? Athaliah must needs let out some of her owne blood, out of the throat of Ahaziahs sonnes; yet she spares not to shed it out of a thirst of soueraignty. O God how worthy of wonder are thy iust and mercifull dispensations? In that thou sufferest the seed of good Iehosaphat to bee destroyed by her hand, in whose affinity he offended, and yet sauest one branch of this stock of Iehosaphat, for the sake of so faithfull a progenitor.
Wicked Athaliah, couldst thou thinke God would so farre forget his Seruant Dauid (though no [Page 92] other of those loynes had seconded his vertues) as to suffer all his seed to be rooted out of the earth? This vengeance was for thy father Ahab; The man according to Gods owne heart shall haue a lineall heyre to succeed in his Throne, when thou and thy fathers house shall haue vanished into forgetfulnesse.
For this purpose hath the wise prouidence of God ordained a Iehosheba, and matcht her in the priestly Tribe: Such reuerence did Iehoram, King of Iudah (though degenerated into the Idolatry of his father in law Ahab) beare to this sacred function, that he marries his daughter to Iehoiada the Priest. Euen Princesses did not then scorne the bed of those that [Page 93] serued at Gods Altar: Why should the Gospel poure contempt vpon that which the Law honoured?
That good Lady had too much of Iehosaphat in her, to suffer the vtter extirpation of that royall seed; She could not doubtlesse, without the extreme danger of her owne life, saue the life of her nephew Ioash; With what a louing boldnesse doth she aduenture to steale him from amongst those bleeding carkasses, in the chamber of death? Her match gaue her oportunity to effect that, which both nature, and religion moued her to attempt: neyther know I, whether more to wonder at the cunning of the deuice, or the courage of the enterprise, or the secresie of the concealment, or [Page 94] the happinesse of the successe: Certainly, Athaliah was too cruelly-carefull to forget this so late borne sonne of Ahaziah; of all the rest, his age would not suffer him to be out of her eye: In all likelihood therefore, shee must needs haue missed so noted a corps, had there not beene a substitution of some other dead chyld in his roome: In that age, the fauour is not so distinguishable; especially of a dead face. Without some pious deceit this worke could neuer haue beene effected; Else, had the chyld beene secretly subduced, and missed by his bloody grandmother, her perpetuall iealousie had both expected a suruiuing heyre, and continued a curious, and vnauoydable search: both [Page 95] which were now shunned at once, whilst Athaliah reckons him for dead, whom Iehosheba hath preserued. Mischiefe sometimes failes of those appointments, wherein it thinkes to haue made the surest worke; God laughes in heauen at the plots of Tyrans; and befooles them in their deepest proiects. He had said to Dauid, Of the fruit of thy body will I set vpon thy seate; In vaine shall earth and hell conspire to frustrate it.
Sixe yeares hath Ioash, and his nurse beene hid in a close cell of the Temple: Those roomes were destin'd onely to the holy Tribe; yet now reioyce to harbour such a guest; The rigour of the ordinary Law must yeeld to cases of so important necessity.
[Page 96] All this could not possibly be done and continued without the priuity of many faithfull Priests & Leuites; who were as carefull to keepe this counsell, as hopefull of the issue of it: It is not hard for many honest hearts to agree in a religious secresie; Needs must those lips bee shut, which God hath sealed vp.
Iudah had not been vsed to such a yoke; long had it groned vnder the tyranny not of a woman onely, but an Idolatrous Sydonian: If any of that sexe might haue claimed that Scepter, none had so much right to it, as Iehosheba her selfe; But good Iehoiada the Priest, who had rather to bee a loyall guardian to the King, then an husband to a Queene, now findes [Page 97] time to set on foot the iust title of Ioash; and to put him into the misvsurped throne of his father Ahaziah.
In the seuenth yeare, therefore, he sends for the Captaines, and the Gard; and hauing sworne them secrecy; by vndoubted witnesses makes faith vnto them of the truth of their natiue Prince, thus happily rescued from the bloody knife of his mercilesse Grandmother; marshals the great businesse of his Inauguration; giues euery one his charge; sets euery one his station; and so disposes of his holy forces, as was most needfull for the safety of the King, the reuenge of the Vsurper, the preuention of tumults, the establishment of the Crowne [Page 98] vpon the owners head in Peace and Ioy.
There was none of all these agents who did not hold the businesse to bee his owne; Euery true subiect of Iudah was feelingly interessed in this seruice; neither was there any of them, who was not secretly heart-burned all this while, with the hatefull gouernment of this Idolatrous Tyrannesse: And now this inward fire is glad to find a vent; How gladly do they address themselues to this welcome imployment? The greatest part of this secret band were Leuites, who might therefore both meet together with least suspition, and be more securely trusted by Iehoiada, vnder whom they serued; Euen that [Page 99] holy Priest of God in stead of teaching the Law, sets the gard, orders the Captaines, ranges the troupes of Iudah; and in stead of a Censer, brings forth the Speares and Shields of Dauid; the Temple is for the present, a Field, or an Artillery-yard; and the Ephods are turned into harnesse. That house, in the rearing whereof not the noyse of an hammer might be heard, now admits of the clashing of armour, and the secret murmurs of some military atchieuement: No circumstances either of place, or calling, are so punctuall, as that publique necessity may not dispense with their alteration.
All things are now ready for this solemnity: Each man reioyces [Page 100] to fixe vpon his owne footing; and longs to see the face of their long-concealed Soueraigne; and vowes his blood to the vindication of the common liberty, to the punishment of a cruell intruder: Now Iehoiada brings forth vnto them the Kings Son, and presents him to the Peeres, and people; Hardly can the multitude containe it selfe from shouting out too soone: One sees in his countenance the features of his Father, Ahaziah; another of his Grandfather, Iehoram; a third professes to discerne in him some lines, and fashion of his greatgrandfather Iehosaphat; all find in his face the naturall impressions of Maiesty; and reade in it the hopes, yea the prophesies of their [Page 101] future happinesse. Not with more ioy, then speed, doth Iehoiada accomplish all the rites of the Coronation. Before that young King could know what was done to him, hee is anointed, crowned, presented with the booke of the Law: Those ceremonies were instructiue; and, no doubt, Iehoiada failed not to comment vpon them in due time, to that royall Pupill.
The Oyle, wherewith he was anointed, signified his designation to that high seruice; and those indowments from heauen that might inable him to so great a function.
The Crowne, wherewith he was adorned, signified that glorie and maiesty which should [Page 102] both incourage, and attend his Princely cares.
The booke of the Testimony signified the diuine rules and directions, whereto he must frame his heart and actions, in the weilding of that Crowne, in the improuement of that oile.
These three, the oile, the Crown the Testimonie, that is, inward powers, outward magnificence, true pietie and iustice make vp a perfect Prince; None of these may be wanting; If there be not a due calling of God, and abilities meet for that greatnesse, the oile faileth: If there be not a Maiesticke grace and royaltie, that may command reuerence, the Crowne is missing; If there be not a carefull respect to the law of God, as the absolute [Page 103] guide of all counsells, and determinations, the Testimonie is neglected; all of them concurring, make both King and people happy.
Now, it is time for the people to clap their hands, and by their lowd acclamations to witnesse their ioy; which must needs break forth with so much more force, by how much it was longer, vpon feares and policy, suppressed.
The Court and the Temple were neere together; Howeuer it was with Athaliah, and the late reuolted Princes of Iudah, according to the common word, the neerer to the Church, the further from God; their religious predecessors held it the greatest commodity of their house, that it neighboured [Page 104] vpon the house of God; From her palace might Athaliah easily heare the ioyfull shouts of the multitude, the lowd noise of the Trumpets; and as astonished with this new tumult of publike gratulations, she comes running into the Temple: Neuer had her foot trod vpon that holy pauement, till now that she came to fetch a iust reuenge from that God whose worship shee had contemned.
It fell out well, that her sudden amazednesse called her forth, without the attendance of any strong guard; whose side-taking might haue made that quarrell mutually bloody: Shee soone heares, and sees what shee likes not; her eare meets with, God [Page 105] saue the King; her eye meets with the vnlooked for heyre of the Kingdome, sitting on his throne, crowned, and robed, in the royall fashion; guarded with the Captaines and souldiers, proclaimed by the Trumpeters, acclamed & applauded by the people.
Who can say whether this sight draue her more neer to frenzie, or death? How could it bee otherwise, when those great spirits of hers, that had beene long vsed to an vncontrolled soueraigntie, find themselues so inexpectedly suppressed.
Shee now rends her cloathes, and cryes, Treason, treason, as if that voice of hers could still command all hearts, all hands; as if one breath of hers were powerfull [Page 106] enough to blow away all these new designes: Oh Athaliah, to whom dost thou complaine thy selfe? they are thy iust executioners wherewith thou art incompassed; If it be treason to set vp the true heire of Ahaziah, thou appealest to thy Traitors. The treason was thine, theirs is iustice; The time is now come of thy reckoning for all the royall blood of Iudah, which thine ambition shed; wonder rather at the patience of this long forbearance, then the rigor of this execution.
There needs no formall seat of Iustice in so apparent offence, Iehoiada passes the sentence of death vpon her; Haue her forth of the ranges; Let her not be slaine in the house of the Lord; and him that followeth [Page 107] her, kill with the sword.
Had not this vsurpation beene palpable, Iehoiada would not haue presumed to intermedle; Now being both the Priest of God, and Vnckle and Protector to the lawfull King, he doth that, out of the necessity of the state, which his infant Soueraigne (if hee could haue beene capable of those thoughts) would haue desired.
Violent hands are layd vpon Athaliah, whom no doubt a proud and furious disdaine of so quicke a charge, and of so rough an vsage made miserably impatient; Now she frownes, and cals, and shrieks and commands, and threatens, and reuiles, and intreats in vaine; and dyes with as much ill will from her selfe, as she liued with [Page 108] the ill will of her repining subiects.
I see not any one man of all her late flatterers, that followes her, either for pitty, or rescue; Euery man willingly giues her vp to iustice; Not one sword is drawn in her defence; Not one eye laments her. Such is the issue of a tyrannicall mis-gouernment; that which is obeyed not without secret hate, is lost not without publique ioy.
How like is Athaliah to her mother Iezebel, as in conditions and carriage, so euen in death: Both killed violently, both killed vnder their owne walls; both slaine with Treason in their mouthes; both slaine in the entrance of a changed gouernment: [Page 109] One trod on by the horses, the other slaine in the horse-gate. Both paid their owne blood for the innocent blood of others.
How suddenly, how easily is Iudah restored to it selfe, after so long, and so fearfull a deprauation; The people scarce beleeue their owne eyes, for the wonder of this happy change; neither know I whether they bee more ioyed in the sight of their new King, thus strangely preserued, or in the sight of Iehoiada, that had preserued him.
No man can enuy the protection of the young King vnto him, by whose meanes hee liues and raignes: That holy man cares onely to improue his authority, to the common good: He makes a [Page 110] couenant betweene the Lord, and the King, and the people: and after so long & dangerous a disjunction, reunites them to each other. Their reuiued zeale bestirs it selfe, and breakes downe the Temples, and altars, and images of Baal, and sacrifices his idolatrous Priest; Shortly, both Ahab, and Baal is destroyed out of Iudah.
The Scepter of Iudah is changed from a woman, to a child; but, a Child trained vp, and tutored by Iehoiada; This minority so guided was not inferiour to the mature age of many predecessors. Happy is that land, the non-age of whose Princes falls into holy and iust hands. Yet euen these holy and iust hands came short of what they might haue done; The [Page 111] high places remained still: Those altars were erected to the true God, but in a wrong place: It is maruell if there be not some blemishes found in the best gouernment: I doubt Iehoiada shall once abuy it deare that hee did not his vtmost.
But for the mayne, all was wel with Iudah, in all the dayes of Iehoiada; euen after that Ioash was growne past his pupillage: Hee that was the Tutor to his infancie, was the councellor of his ripe age; and was equally happy in both: How pleasing was it to that good High Priest, to be commanded by that charge of his in the businesse of God? The yong King giues order to the Priests, for the collection of large summs, [Page 112] to the repayring of the breaches of Gods House. It becomes him well to take care of that, which was the nursery of his infancy: And now, after three and twentie yeares he expostulates with his late Guardian, Iehoiada, and the rest of his coate, Why repayre ye not the breaches?
Oh gracious and happy vicissitude; Iehoiada the Priest had ruled the infancy of King Ioash in matters of state; and now Ioash the King commands aged Iehoiada the Priest in matter of deuotion. In the affaires of God, the action is the Priests, the ouersight and coaction is the Princes: By the carefull indeuor of both, Gods house is repayred, his seruice flourisheth.
[Page 113] But alas, that it may too well appeare, that the ground of this motion was not altogether inward, no sooner doth the life of Iehoiada cease, then the deuotion of Ioash begins to languish: and after some languor, dyes.
The benefit of a truly religious Prelate, or States-man, is not knowne till his losse.
Now some idolatrous Peeres of Iudah haue soone mis-carryed the King from the House of the Lord God of their Fathers, to serue Groues, and Idols. Yea, whither goe we wretched men, if we be left by our Maker? King Ioash is turned, not idolater onely, but persecutor; yea, (which is yet more horrible to consider) persecutor of the sonne of that Iehoiada [Page 114] to whom he owes his owne life. Zechariah his Cosen german, his foster-brother, the holy issue of those parents, by whom Ioash liues, and raignes, for the conscionable rebuke of the idolatry of Prince, and people, is vniustly, and cruelly murthered by that vnthankfull hand: How possible is it for faire and Saint-like beginnings to shut vp in monstrous impieties? Let him that thinkes hee stands, take heed lest he fall. When did God euer put vp so foule ingratitude to himselfe, to his seruants? O Ioash, what eye can pitty the fearfull destruction of thee, and thy Iudah?
If ye haue forgotten the kindnesse of Iehoiada, your vnkindness to Iehoiada shall not be forgotten: [Page 115] A small army of Syrians came vp against Iudah and Ierusalem, and destroyed all the Princes of the people, and sent all the spoyle of them to Damascus. Now Hazael reuenges this quarrell of God, and his anointed; and plagues that people which made themselues vnworthy to bee the Lords inheritance.
And what becomes of Ioash? Hee is left in great diseases, when his owne seruants conspired against him for the blood of the sonnes of Iehoiada, and slew him on his bed, and he dyed; and they buryed him not in the Sepulcher of the Kings. Dying Zechariah had sayd in the bitternesse of his departing soule, The Lord looke vpon it, and require it: I confesse I had rather to haue [Page 116] heard him say, The Lord passe it ouer, and remit it; so said Steuen; such difference there is betweene a Martyr of the Law, and of the Gospell: although I will hope the zeale of iustice, not the vncharitable heate of reuenge drew forth this word: God heares it, and now giues an account of his notice; Thus doth the Lord require the blood of Iehoiadaes son; euen by the like vnthankfull hand of the obliged seruants of Ioash. He that was guilty of abhominable Idolatry, yet (as if God meant to waue that challenge) is called to reckoning for his cruell vnthankfulnesse to Iehoiada; This crime shall make him odious aliue, and shall abandon him dead from the sepulcher of [Page 117] his fathers; as if this last royalty were too good for him, who had forgotten the law of humanity. Some vices are such, as Nature smiles vpon, though frowned at by diuine Iustice: Others are such, as euen Nature it selfe abhorres; such is this of Ingratitude, which therefore caries so much more detestation from God, as it is more odious euen to them that haue blotted out the image of God.
IOASH with ELISHA dying.
THe two Kingdoms 2 Kings 13. of Iudah and Israel, how euer diuided both in gouernement, and affection, yet loued to interchange the names of their Kings; Euen Israel also had their Ioash, no better then that of Iudah; he was not more the father of a later Ieroboam, then (in respect of mis-worship) he was the son of the first Ieroboam, who made Israel to sin; Those Calues of Dan and Bethel, out of a politick mis-deuotion, besotted all [Page 119] the succession of the ten vsurped Tribes: yet euen this Idolatrous King of Israel comes downe to visit the sicke bed of Elisha, and weeps vpon his face.
That holy Prophet was neuer any flatterer of Princes, neyther spared he inuectiues against their most plausible sinnes: yet King Ioash, that was beaten by his reproofes, washes that face with the teares of loue, and sorrow, which had often frowned vpon his wickednesse.
How much difference there was betwixt the Ioash of Israel, and the Ioash of Iudah? That of Iudah hauing beene preserued and nurtured by Iehoiada the Priest, after all professions of dearnesse shuts vp in the vnkinde murther [Page 120] of his sonne; and that meerly for the iust reproofe of his own Idolatry: This of Israel hauing beene estranged from the Prophet Elisha, and sharply rebuked for the like offence, makes loue to his dying reprouer, and bedewes his pale face with his teares: Both were bad enough, but this of Israel was, howeuer vicious, yet good-natur'd: That of Iudah added to his wickednesse, an ill disposition, a dogged humor. There are varieties euen of euill men; some are worse at the root, others at the branch; some more ciuilly harmlesse, others fouler in morality. According to the exercise of the restraining grace, naturall men doe eyther rise, or fall in their ill.
The longest day must haue his [Page 121] euening: Good Elisha, that had liued some ninety yeares, a wonder of Prophets, and had outworne many successions in the thrones of Israel, & Iudah, is now cast vpon the bed of his sicknesse, yea, of his death: That very age might seeme a disease; which yet is seconded with a languishing distemper: It is not in the power of any holinesse to priuiledge vs from infirmity of body, from finall dissolution: He that stretched himselfe vpon his bed, ouer the dead carkasse of the Shunamites sonne, and reuiued it; must now stretch out his owne limmes vpon his sicke bed, and dye: Hee saw his Master Elijah rapt vp suddenly from the earth, and fetcht by a fiery chariot from this vale [Page 122] of mortalitie; himselfe must leasurely wait for his last pangs, in a lingring passage to the same glory. There is not one way appointed to vs, by the diuine prouidence, vnto one common blessednesse: One hath more paine, another hath more speed: Violence snatcheth away one, another by an insensible pace drawes euery day neerer to his terme: The wisedome and goodnesse of God magnifies it selfe in both: Happy is he that after due preparation, is past through the gates of death, ere he be aware; Happy is he that by the holy vse of long sicknesse is taught to see the gates of death afarre off, and addressed for a resolute passage: The one dyes like Elijah, the other like [Page 123] Elisha, both blessedly.
The time was, when a great King sent to Elisha to know if he should recouer; now the King of Israel, as knowing that Elisha shall not recouer (so had his consumption spent him) comes to visit the dying Prophet; & when his teares would giue him leaue; breakes forth into a passionate exclamation, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsmen thereof. Yet the Calues of Dan and Bethel haue left some goodnesse in Ioash: As the best man hath something in him worthy of reproofe; so the faultiest hath somthing commendable. Had not the spirit of God himselfe told vs, that Ioash did that which was euill in the sight of the Lord, wee had [Page 124] admired this piety, this reuerent respect to the Prophet. The holiest man could not haue said more: It is possible for the clients of a false worship, to honor (out of another regard) the professors of Truth; From the hand of Elisha had Iehu the grandfather of Ioash receiued his vnction to the Kingdome: this fauour might not be forgotten.
Visitation of the sicke is a duty required both by the law of humanity, and of religion; Bodily infirmity is sad, and comfortlesse; and therefore needs the presence, and counsell of friends to relieue it; Although, when wee draw the curtaines of those that are eminently gracious, wee doe rather fetch (with Ioash) then [Page 125] bring a blessing.
How sensible should wee bee of the losse of holy men, when a Ioash spends his teares vpon Elisha? If we be more affected with the forgoing of a naturall friend, or kinsman, then of a noted and vsefull Prophet, it argues more loue to our selues, then to the Church of God, then to GOD himselfe.
What vse there was of charets and horsemen in those warres of the Ancient, all Histories can tell vs: All the strength of the battell stood in these: There could bee neither defence, nor offence, but by them: such was Elisha vnto Israel; The greatest safegard to any nation is the sanctity, and faithfulnesse of their Prophets; without [Page 126] which, the Church and State lyes open to vtter desolation.
The same words that Elisha said of his master Elijah, when he saw him taken vp from the earth, doth Ioash now speake of Elisha, neere his dissolution: O my father, my father, the charets of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. The words were good; the teares were pious; but where are the actions? O Ioash, if the Prophet were thy father, wher was thy filiall obedience? he cry'd downe thy Calues, thou vpheldst them; he counsell'd thee to good, thou didst euill in the sight of the Lord.
If the Prophet were the charets and horsemen of Israel, why didst thou fight against his holy doctrine? If thou weepest for his [Page 127] losse, why didst thou not weepe for those sinnes of thine, that procured it?
Had thine hand answered thy tongue, Israel had been happy in Elisha; Elisha had beene happy in Israel, and thee; Words are no good tryall of profession: The worst men may speake well: Actions haue onely the power to descry hypocrites.
Yet euen a Ioash thus complying, shall not goe away vnblessed: This outward kindnesse shall receiue an outward retribution; These few drops of warme water shed vpon the face of a Prophet, shall not lose their reward; The spirit of prophesie forsakes not the death-bed of Elisha; Hee calls for bow, and arrowes, and [Page 128] puts them into the hand of Ioash, and putting his hands vpon the Kings hand, hee bids to shoot Eastward: and whiles the shaft flyes, and lights, he sayes, The arrow of the Lords deliuerance from Syria; for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou haue consumed them: If the weake and withered hand of the Prophet had not beene vpon the youthfull, and vigorous hand of the King, this bow had been drawn in vaine; the strength was from the hand of the King, the blessing from the hand of the Prophet: He whose reall parable hath made the earth to be Syria, the arrow, reuenge, the archer, Ioash, hath obtained for his last boone from God to Israel, that this archer shall shoot this arrow [Page 129] of reuenge, into the heart of Syria, and wound it to death. When the hand of the King, and of the Prophet drawes together, there cannot choose but successe must follow.
How readily doth Elisha now make good the words of Ioash? How truly is he the Charets, and Horsemen of Israel? Israel had not fought without him, much lesse had been victorious; If theirs be the indeuour, the successe is his: Euen the dying Prophet puts life, and speed into the Forces of Israel, and whiles hee is digging his owne graue, is raising Trophees to Gods people.
Hee had receiued kindnesse from the Syrians; amongst them was hee harbour'd in the dearth; [Page 130] and from some of their Nobles, was presented with rich gifts; but their enmity to Israel drowns all his priuate respects; he cannot but professe hostility to the publique enemies of the Church: Neither can he content himselfe with a single prediction of their ruine. Hee bids Ioash to take the arrowes, and smite vpon the ground; hee sets no number of those strokes; as supposing the frequēce of those blowes, which Ioash might well (vpon his former parabolicall act) vnderstand to bee significant. The slacke hand of the King smites but thrise. So apt we are to be wanting to our selues; so coldly doe wee execute the commands of God: The sick Prophet is not more greeued, [Page 131] then angry at this dull negligence; Doubtlesse God had reuealed to him (for his last gratification) that vpon his feruent prayers, so oft as Ioash should voluntarily (after his generall charge) smite the earth, so oft should Israel smite Syria. Elishaes zeale doth not languish with his body: with a fatherly authoritie hee chides him, who had styled him father; not fearing to spend some of his last winde in a myld reproofe, Thou shouldst haue smitten fiue or six times, then thou hadst smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it, whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrise. Not that the vnchangeable decree of the Almighty meant to suspend it selfe vpon the vncertaine issue of Ioashes will; but, hee that put this [Page 132] word into the mouth of his Prophet, puts this motion into the hand of the King, which did not more willingly stay, then necessarily obey that prouidence wherby it was stirred. Euen whiles wee haue our freest choyce, wee fall vpon those actions and circumstances, whereby the iust and holy will of our God is brought about. Our very neglects, our ignorances shall fulfill his eternall councells.
Elisha dyes, and is buried; his miracles doe not cease with his life: Who can maruell that his liuing prayers raised the sonne of the Shunamite, when his dead bones raise the carkasse that touched them. God will bee free in his works; he that must dye himselfe, [Page 133] yet shall reuiue another; the same power might haue continued life to him, that gaue it by his bones. Israel shall well see that he liues, by whose vertue, Elisha was both in life, and death, miraculous: Whiles the Prophet was aliue, the impetration might seeme to be his, though the power were Gods; now that he is dead, the bones can challenge nothing, but send the wondring Israelites to that almighty Agent, to whom it is all one to worke by the quicke, or dead. Were not the men of Israel more dead then the carkasse thus buryed, how could they choose but see in this reuiued corps, an embleme of their owne cōdition? how could they choose but thinke, If wee adhere to the [Page 134] God of Elisha, he shall raise our decayed estates, and restore our nation to the former glory.
The Sadduces had as yet no being in Israel, with what face could that heresie euer after looke into the world, when before the birth of it, it was so palpably conuinced, with an example of the resurrection? Intermission of time, and degrees of corruption adde nothing to the impossibilitie of our rising: The body that is once cold in death, hath no more aptitude to a reanimation, then that which is moldred into dust; Onely the diuine power of the Maker must restore eyther, can restore both: When wee are dead, and buryed in the graue of our sinne; it is only the touch of Gods Prophets, [Page 135] applying vnto vs the death and resurrection of the Sonne of God, that can put new life into vs; No lesse true, though spirituall, is the miracle of our raising vp from an estate of inward corruption, to a life of grace.
Yet all this preuailes not with Israel: No bones of Elisha could raise them from their wicked Idolatry: and, notwithstanding their grosse sins, Ioash their King prospers: Whether it were for the sake of Iehu, whose grand-chyld he was; or for the sake of Elisha, whose face hee wept vpon, his hand is notably successfull: not onely against the son of Hazael, King of Syria, whom hee beates out of the Cities of Israel; but, against Amaziah King of Iudah, [Page 136] whom he tooke Prisoner, beating downe the very walls of Ierusalem, and returning laden with the sacred, and rich spoyle both of the Temple, and Court, to his Samaria.
Oh the depth of the diuine Iustice, and wisedome in these outward administrations! The best cause, the best man doth not euer fare best: Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord; Ioash, euill: Amaziah followes Dauid (though not with equall paces) Ioash followes Ieroboam, yet is Amaziah shamefully foyled by Ioash; Whether God yet meant to visit vpon this King of Iudah, the still-odious vnthankfulnes of his father to Iehoiada; or, to plague Iudah for their share in the blood [Page 137] of Zechariah, and their late reuolt to Idolatry; or, whether Amaziahs too much confidence in his own strength (which moued his bold challenge to Ioash) were thought fit to be thus taken downe, or what euer other secret ground of Gods iudgment there might be, it is not for our presumption to inquire: Who so by the euent shall iudge of loue, or hatred, shall be sure to run vpon that woe, which belongs to them that call good euill, and euill good.
What a sauage peece of Iustice it is to put the right, whether of inheritance, or honor, to the decision of the sword, when it is no newes for the better to mis-cary by the hand of the worse?
The race is not to the swift; the [Page 138] battell is not to the strong; no, not to the good: Perhaps, God will correct his owne by a foyle; perhaps he will plague his enemy by a victory. They are only our spirituall combats wherein our faithfull courage is sure of a crowne.
VZZIAH Leprous.
EVen the Throne of 2 Chro. 26 And 2 King, 15. Dauid passed many chāges of good, and euill: Good Iehosaphat was followed with three successions of wicked Princes; and those three, were again succeeded with three others godly, and vertuous; Amaziah for a long time shone fair, but at the last, shut vp in a cloud; The gods of the Edomites marred him; his rebellion against God, stirr'd vp his peoples rebellion against him: The same hands that [Page 140] slew him, crowned his sonne Vzziah; so as the yong King might imagine it was not their spight, that drew violēce vpō his father, but his owne wickednesse; Both early did this Prince raigne, and late; he began at sixteene; and sat fifty two yeares in the Throne of Iudah: They that mutined in the declining age of Amaziah, the father; are obsequious to the childhood of the sonne, as if they professed to adore souerainty, whiles they hated lewdnesse: The vnchanged gouernment of good Princes is the happinesse, no lesse of the subiects then of themselues: The hand knowes best to guide those reines to which it hath beene inured; and euen meane hackneyes goe on cheerfully in [Page 141] their wonted rode; Custome, as it makes euils more supportable, so where it meets with constant mindes, makes good things more pleasing and beneficiall.
The wise and holy Prophet Zechariah, was an happy Tutor to the minority of King Vzziah; That vessell can hardly mis-cary where a skilfull steres-man sits at the helme: The first praise of a good Prince is to be iudicious, & iust, and pious, in himselfe; the next is, to giue eare, and way, to them that are such: Whiles Zechariah hath the visions of God, and Vzziah takes the counsels of Zechariah, it is hard to say whether the Prophet, or the King, or the State be happier.
God will be in no mans debt; [Page 142] so long as Vzziah sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. Euen what we doe out of duty cannot want a reward: Godlinesse neuer disappointed any mans hopes, oft hath exceeded them. If Vzziah fight against the Philistims, If against the Arabians, and Mehunims; according to his names, the Vzziah, Azariah. strength, the help of the Almighty is with him: The Ammonites come in with presents, and all the neighbour nations ring of the greatnesse, of the happinesse of Vzziah; His bounty and care makes Ierusalem both strong, and proud of her new Towers; yea the very Desert must tast of his munificence.
The outward magnificence of Princes cannot stand firme, vnlesse [Page 143] it be built vpon the foundations of prouidence and frugality; Vzziah had not beene so great a King, if he had not been so great an husband; he had his flockes in the deserts, and his heards in the plaines; his plowes in the fields, his vine-dressers vpon the mountaines, and in Carmel: neither was this more out of profit, then delight, for he loued husbandry. Who can contemne those callings for meannesse, which haue beene the pleasures of Princes?
Hence was Vzziah so potent at home, so dreadfull to his neighbours; his warres had better sinewes then theirs; which of his predecessors was able to maintaine so setled an army, of more then of three hundred and tenne [Page 144] thousand trained souldiers, well furnished, well fitted for the suddenest occasion? Thrift is the strongest prop of power.
The greatnesse of Vzziah, and the rare deuices of his artificiall Engines for war, haue not more raised his fame, then his heart: so is hee swolne vp with the admiration of his owne strength, and glory, that he breaks againe; How easie it is for the best man to dote vpon himselfe; and to bee lifted vp so high, as to lose the sight both of the ground, whence he rises, and of the hand that aduanced him: How hard it is for him that hath inuented strange engines for the battering of his enemies, to find out any meanes to beat downe his owne proud [Page 145] thoughts? Wise Salomon knew what he did, when hee prayed to bee deliuered from too much: Lest, said he, I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Vpon this Rocke did the sonne of Salomon run, and split himselfe; His full sayles of prosperity caryed him into presumption & ruine: what may he not now doe? what may he not be? Because hee found his power otherwise vnlimited; ouer-ruling in the Court, the Cities, the Fields, the Deserts, the Armies, and Magazins, therefore he thinkes hee may doe so in the Temple too: as things royall, ciuill, husbandly, military passed his hands, so why should not (thinkes hee) sacred also? It is a dangerous indiscretion for a man [Page 146] not to know the bounds of his owne calling: What confusion doth not follow vpon this breaking of rankes?
Vpon a solemne day, King Vzziah clothes himselfe in Pontifical robes, and in the view of that populous assembly, walkes vp in state, into the Temple of God, and boldly approching to the Altar of Incense, offers to burne sweet odours vpon it, to the God of heauen: Azariah the Priest is sensible of so perillous an incrochment; he therefore attended with fourscore valiant assistants, of that holy Tribe, hastēs after the King, and finding him with the censer in his hand, readie addressed to that sinfull deuotion, stayes him with a free, and graue expostulation: [Page 147] There is no place wherein I could be sory to see thee, ô King, but this, where thou art; neither is there any act, that wee should grudge thee so much, as this, which is the most sacred; Is it possible that so great an ouersight should fall into such wisedome? Can a religious Prince, trained vp vnder an holy Zechariah, after so many yeares zealous profession of piety, be either ignorant, or regardlesse of those limits, which God hath set to his owne seruices?
Oh, what meanes this vncouth attempt? Consider, ô deare Soueraigne, for Gods sake, for thy soules sake, consider, where thou art, what thou doest; it is Gods house wherein thou standest, not [Page 148] thine owne; Looke about thee, and see, whether these vailes, these Tables, these Pillars, these Walls, these Pauements, haue any resemblance of earth: There is no place in all the world whence thy God hath excluded thee, but only this; this he hath reserued for his own vse: And canst thou think much to allow one roome as proper to him, who hath not grudged all the rest to thee? But if it bee thy zeale of a personall seruice to God, that hath caried thee hither; alas, how canst thou hope to please the Almighty with a forbidden sacrifice? Which of thine holy Progenitors euer dared to tread, where thy foot now standeth? which of thē euer put forth their hand to touch this sacred Altar? [Page 149] Thou knowest that God hath set apart, and sanctified his owne attendants; wherefore serues the Priesthood, if this be the right of Kings? Were it not for the strict prohibition of our God, it could seeme no other then an honour to our profession, that a King should thinke to dignifie himselfe by our employment; but now, knowing the seuere charge of the great King of heauen, wee cannot but tremble to see that censer in thine hand; who euer, out of the holy Tribe, hath weilded it vnreuenged? This affront is not to vs, it is to the God whō we serue; In awe of that terrible Maiesty, as thou wouldst auoid some exemplary iudgement, O King, withdraw thy selfe, not [Page 150] without humble deprecations, from this presence; and lay down that interdicted handfull, with feare and trembling; Bee thou euer a King, let vs bee Priests; The Scepter is thine, let Censers be ours.
What religious heart could do other then relent at so faithfull and iust an admonition? But how hard it is for great persons to yeeld they haue offended? Vzziah must not be faulty; what is done rashly shall be born out with power; He was wroth; and thus expresses it: What meanes this saucy expostulation, O ye sons of Leui? how dare ye thus malapertly controll the well-meant actions of your Soueraigne? If ye be Priests, remember that ye are subiects; or [Page 151] if ye will needs forget it, how easie is it for this hand to awake your memory? What such offence can it be for me to come into that house, and to touch that Altar, which my royall Progenitors haue made, beautified, consecrated? Is the God of this place only yours? Why doe ye thus ambitiously ingrosse Religion? If Princes haue not intermedled with these holy affaires, it was because they would not, not because they might not; When those lawes were made for the Sanctuary, there were no Kings to grace these diuine ceremonies; yet euen then, Moses was priuiledged: The persons of Princes (if yee know not) are no lesse sacred then your owne. It is your presumption to [Page 152] account the Lords anointed, prophane: Contest with those, whose dry & vnhallowed heads are subiect to your power; For me, I will not aske your leaue to bee deuout; Looke yee to your owne Censers, presume not to meddle with mine; In the meane time, can ye thinke this insolence of yours shall escape vnreuenged? Can it stand with the honour of my soueraignty, to be thus proudly checked by subiects? God doe so to me and more also, if. Whiles Vzziah yet speakes, God strikes: Ere the words of fury can come forth of his mouth, the leprosie appeares in his forhead: Leprosie was a most loathsome disease; the forhead is the most conspicuous part: Had this shamefull scurfe [Page 153] broken forth vpon his hand, or foot, or brest, it might haue been hid from the eyes of men; now the forhead is smitten with this iudgement, that God may proclaime to all beholders, Thus shal it be done to the man whose arrogance hath thrust him vpon a sacred charge. Publique offences must haue open shame.
It is a dangerous thing to put our selues into the affaires, into the presence of God, vnwarranted; There cannot be a more foolish mesprision, then, because we are great on earth, to thinke wee may be bold with heauen: When Gods messengers cannot preuaile by counsels, intreaties, threats, it is time for God to show his immediate iudgements. Wilfull offenders [Page 154] can expect nothing but a fearfull reuenge.
Now begins Vzziah to be confounded in himselfe; and shame striues with leprosie, for a place in his forehead; The hand of God hath done that in an instāt, which all the tōgues of men had attempted in vaine: There needs no further solicitor of his egresse, the sense of his plague sends him forth alone: And now he thinks; Wretched man that I am, how haue I angred God, and vndone my selfe? I would needs come in like a Priest, I now goe forth a leper: the pride of my hart made me thinke my selfe worthy the presence of a God; Gods iust displeasure hath now made me vnworthy of the presence of men: [Page 155] whiles I affected the altar, I haue lost my throne; whiles I scornfully reiected the aduice and censures of Gods ministers, I am now becomne a spectacle of horror, and deformity, to my owne seruants; I that would be sending vp perfumes to heauē, haue made my nastinesse hatefull to my own senses. What doe I vnder this sacred roofe? Neither is Gods house now, for mee, nor mine owne; what cell, what dungeon is close enough for me, wherin to weare out the residue of mine vnhappy and vncomfortable dayes? O God thou art iust, and I am miserable.
Thus with a deiected countenance, and sad heart, doth Vzziah hast to retire himselfe; & wishes, that he could be no lesse hid from [Page 156] himselfe, then from others: how easie is it for the God of heauen to bring downe the hyest pitch of earthly greatnesse, and to humble the stubbornest pride?
Vpon the leasure of second thoughts, Vzziah cannot but acknowledge much fauour in this correction, and confesse to haue escaped well; Others, hee knew, had beene strucke dead, or swallow'd vp quick for so presumptuous an intrusion: It is happy for him if his forehad may excuse his soule.
Vzziah ceased not to be a King, when he began to be a leper; the disease of his forhead did not remoue his Crowne: his sonne Iotham raigned for him, vnder him; and whiles he was not seene, yet [Page 157] hee was obeyed. The character of soueraignty is indeleble, whether by bodily infirmity, or by spirituall censure: Neither is it otherwise, O God, betwixt thee, and vs, if we be once a royall generation vnto thee, our leprosies may deforme vs, they shall not dethrone vs: stil shall we haue the right, still the possession of that glorious kingdome, wherin wee are inuested from eternity.
AHAZ with his new Altar.
AFter many vnhappy 2 King. 16. changes of the two thrones; Ahaz succeedes Iotham in the Kingdome of Iudah: an ill sonne of a good father; not more the heyre of Dauids seat, then of Ieroboams sinne: Though Israel play the harlot, yet who can abide that Iudah should sin? It is hard not to be infected with a contagious neighbourhood: who euer read that the Kingdome of Israel was seasoned with the vicinity of the true religion [Page 159] of Iudah? Goodnesse (such as our nature is) is not so apt to spread: A tainted ayre doth more easily affect a sound body, then an wholsome ayre can cleare the sicke: Superstition hath euer bin more successefull, then truth; The yong yeares of Ahaz are soone mis-led to a plausible mis-deuotiō.
A man that is once falne from truth, knowes not where he shall stay: From the Calues of Ieroboam is Ahaz drawne to the gods of the heathen; yea, now, bulls and goates are too little for those new deities, his owne flesh and blood is but deare enough; He made his son to passe through their fire. Where doe we finde any religious Israelite thus zealous for God? Neither doth the holinesse and mercy [Page 160] of our God require so cruell a sacrifice: neither is our dull, and niggardly hand ready to gratifie him with more easie obediences; O God how gladly should wee offer vnto thee our soules, and bodies, which wee may inioy so much the more, when they are thine; since zealous Pagans sticke not to leese their owne flesh, and blood in an Idols fire?
He that hath thus shamefully cast off the God of his fathers, cannot bee long without a fearefull reuenge. The King of Israel galls him on the one side; the King of Syria on the other: To auoid the shocke of both, Ahaz doth not betake himselfe to the God whō he had offended; who was able to make his enemies at peace [Page 161] with him, but to Tiglath Pileser King of Ashur: Him doth hee wooe with suits, with gifts; and robs God of those presents, which may indeare so strong an helper. Hee that thought not his son too deare for an Idol, thinkes not Gods siluer and gold too deare for an Idolatrous abettor.
Oh the infinite patience of the Almighty! God giues successe a while to so offensiue a riuality: This Assyrian King preuailes against the King of Syria; kils him, and takes his chiefe City, Damascus; The quarrell of the King of Iudah hath inlarged the territories of his assistant, beyond hope; And now, whiles this Assyrian victor is inioying the possession of his new-won Damascus: Ahaz [Page 162] goes vp thither to meet him, to congratulate the victory, to adde vnto those triumphs, which were drawne on by his solicitation. There hee sees a new fashion'd Altar, that pleases his eye; That old forme of Salomons, which was made by the pattern showd to Moses in the Mount, is now growne stale, and despicable; A modell of this more exquisite frame is sent to Vrijah, the Priest; and must be sampled in Ierusalem. It is a dangerous presumption to make innouations, if but in the circumstances of Gods worship. Those humane additions which would seeme to grace the institution of God, depraue it; That infinite wisedome knowes best what will please it selfe, and prescribes [Page 163] accordingly; The foolishnesse of God is wiser then the wisedome of men; Idolatry and falshood is commonly more gawdy and plausible, then truth; That hart which can for the outward homelinesse despise the ordinances of God, is already aliened from true religion, and lyes open to the grossest superstition.
Neuer any Prince was so foully idolatrous, at that he wanted a Priest to second him: An Vrijah is fit to humor an Ahaz. Greatnesse neuer could command any thing, which some seruile wits were not ready both to applaud, and iustifie.
Ere the King can be returned from Damascus, the altar is finished; It were happy if true godlinesse [Page 164] could be so forward in the prosecutions of good: Neither is this strange pile reared onely, but thrust vp betwixt Gods altar, and the temple; in an apparent precedency, as if he said, Let the God of Iudah come behind the Deities of Syria.
And now, to make vp the full measure of his impiety, this idolatrous King will himselfe be sacrificing vpon his new altar, to his new gods; the gods of Damascus: An vsurped priesthood well becomes a false Deity. Because (saith he) the gods of the Kings of Syria helpe them, therefore will Isacrifice to them, that they may helpe mee.
Oh blinde superstition! how did the gods of Syria helpe their [Page 165] Kings, when both those Kings, and their gods were vanquished, and taken by the King of Assyria? Euen this Damascus, and this altar were the spoyle of a forraigne enemy; How then did the gods of Syria helpe their Kings, any other, then to their ruine? what dotage is this to make choice of a foyled protection? But had the Syrians prospered, must their gods haue the thanks? Are there no authors of good but blocks or Deuils? Or is an outward prosperity the only argument of truth, the onely motiue of deuotion? O foolish Ahaz, it is the God thou hast forsaken, that plagues thee, vnder whose onely arme thou might'st haue preuailed. His power beats those Pagan stockes, one against [Page 166] other, so, as one while, one seems victorious, another vanquisht; and at last hee confounds both, together with their proudest clients: Thy selfe shall be the best instance.
Of all the Kings of Iudah hitherto, there is none so dreadfull an example either of sin, or iudgement, as this son of good Iotham. I abhor to think that such a monster should descend from the loynes of Dauid; where shall bee the period of this wickednesse? Hee beganne with the hie places, thence he descends to the Calues of Dan and Bethel; from thence he falls to a Syrian altar, to the Syrian god; then from a partnership hee falls to an vtter exclusion of the true God, and blocking vp [Page 167] his Temple; and then to the sacrifice of his owne sonne; and at last, as if hell were broken loose vpon Gods inheritance, euery seuerall City, euery hie place of Iudah hath a new god: No maruell if he bee branded by the Spirit of God, with, This is that King Ahaz.
What a fearfull plague did this noysome deluge of sin leaue behind it, in the land of Iudah? who can expresse the horror of Gods reuenge vpō a people that should haue beene his? Pekah the King of Israel, slew an hundred and twentie thousand of them in one day; amongst whom was Maseiah the sonne of Ahaz: O iust iudgement of the Almighty! Ahaz sheds the blood of one sonne [Page 168] to an idoll: The true God sheds the blood of another of his sons, in reuenge.
Yet, the hand of the Lord is stretched out still:
Two hundred thousand of them were caried away by the Israelites captiue to Samaria:
The Edomites came, and caried away another part of them for bondslaues, to their country:
The Philistims came vp and shared the Cities of the south of Iudah, and the villages thereof; Shortly, what other is miserable Iudah, then the prey, and spoile of all the neighbouring Nations? For the Lord brought Iudah low because of Ahaz King of Israel, for hee 2 Chr. 28. 19. made Iudah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord: As for the [Page 169] great King of Ashur, whom Ahaz purchased with the sacrilegious pillage of the house of God, in stead of an ayd, hee proues a burden; How euer he sped in his first onsets; now, hee distressed Iudah, 2 Chr. 28. 20. but strengthned it not: The charge was as great, as the benefit small: sooner shall hee eate them out, then rescue them. No arme of flesh can shelter Ahaz from a vengeance.
Be wise, ô ye Kings, be instructed ô yee Iudges of the earth; serue the Lord with feare, and reioyce with trembling: Kisse the Sonne lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.
His subiects complaine, that he died so late, and, as repenting that [Page 170] he euer was, deny him a roome in the sepulchers of Kings: as if they said; the common earth of Ierusalem is too good for him that degenerated from his Progenitors, marr'd his kingdome, depraued his people, forsooke his God.
The vtter Destruction of the Kingdome of ISRAEL.
IVdah was at a sore 2 King. 17. heaue, yet Israel shall mis-cary before it; such are the sins of both, that they striue whether shall fall first; but this lot must light vpon the ten Tribes; though the late King of Iudah were personally worse then the most of Ieroboams successors, yet, the people were generally lesse euill: vpon whom the incroachments of Idolatry were more by obtrusion, then by consent, [Page 172] besides that the thrones of Iudah had some interchanges of good Princes, Israel none at all: The same iustice therefore that made Israel a scourge to Iudah, made Assyria a scorpion to Israel.
It was the quarrell of Iudah that first ingaged the King of Ashur in this warre against Israel; now he is not so easily fetcht off; So we haue seen some eager mastiue, that hath beene set on by the least clap of the hand, but could not bee loosned by the force of staues.
Salmaneser King of Assyria comes vp against Hoshea King of Israel, and subdues him; and puts him to his Tribute: This yoke was vncouth and vnpleasing; The vanquisht Prince was neither [Page 173] able to resist, nor willing to yeeld; secretly therefore he treats with the King of Egipt for assistance, as desiring rather to hazard his liberty by the hand of an equall, then to inioy a quiet subiection vnder the hand of an ouer-ruling power; wee cannot blame Princes to bee iealous of their soueraignties; The detaining of his yearely Tribute, and the whisperings with new confederates, haue drawne vp the King of Ashur to perfect his own victories: He returnes therefore with a strong power, and after three yeares siege, takes Samaria, imprisons Hoshea, and in the exchange of a wofull captiuity, he peoples Israel with Assyrians, and Assyria with Israelites. Now that [Page 174] abused soyle hath vpon a surfet of wickednesse, cast out her perfidious owners, and will try how it can fare with heathenish strangers: Now the Assyrian gallants triumph in the Palaces of Samaria and Iezreel; whiles the Peeres and Captaines of Israel are driuen manicled through the Assyrian streets, and billeted to the seuerall places of their perpetuall seruitude: Shortly, now the flourishing Kingdome of the tenne Tribes is comne to a finall and shamefull end; and so vanished in this last dissipation, that, since that day, no man could euer say, This was Israel.
Oh terrible example of vengeance, vpon that peculiar people, whom God hath chosen forhimselfe, [Page 175] out of all the world: All the world were witnesses of the fauours of their miraculous deliuerances, and protections; All the world shall be witnesses of their iust confusion.
It is not in the power of sleight errors to set off that infinite mercy: What was it, ô God, what was it, that caused thee to cast off thine owne inheritance? What but the same that made thee to cast the Angells out of heauen? Euen their rebellious sins. Those sins dared to emulate the greatnesse of thy mercies, no lesse, then they forced the seuerity of thy iudgments: They left all the commandements of the Lord their God; and made them molten Images, euen two Calues; and made a groue and [Page 176] worshipped all the host of heauen; and serued Baal; and caused their sonnes and daughters to passe through the fire, and vsed diuination, and enchantments, and sold themselues to doe euill in the sight of the Lord to prouoke him to anger.
Neither were these slips of frailty, or ignorant mis-takings, but wilfull crimes, obstinate impieties, in spight of the doctrines, reproofes, menaces, miraculous conuictions of the holy Prophets, which God sent amongst them: Thy destruction is of thy selfe, ô Israel; what could the iust hand of the Almighty doe lesse then consume a nation so incorrigibly flagitious? A nation so vnthankfull for mercies, so impatient of remedies, so vncapable of repentance: [Page 177] so obliged, so warned, so shamelesly, so lawlesly wicked?
What nation vnder heauen can now challenge an vndefaisible interest in God; when Israel it selfe is cast off? what Church in the world can show such deare loue-tokens from the Almighty as this, now-abhorred, and adulterous spouse? Hee that spared not the naturall Oliue, shall hee spare the wild? It is not for vs sinners of the Gentiles to be highminded, but awfull.
The Israelites are caryed captiue into Assyria; those goodly Cities of the ten tribes may not lie wast, and vnpeopled: The wisedome of the victor findes it fit to transplant his owne Colonies thither; that so he may raise profit thence, [Page 178] with security: From Babylon therfore, and Cuthah, and Aua, and Hamath, and Sepharuaim, doth he send of his owne subiects to possesse, and inhabit the Cities of Samaria. The land doth not brook her new Tenants: They feared not the Lord; (how should they, they knew him not?) Therefore the Lord sent Lyons amongst them which slew some of them: Not the veriest Pagan can bee excused for his ignorance of God; Euen the deprauedst nature might teach vs to tremble at a Deity; It is iust with the Almighty not to put vp neglect, where hee hath bestowed reason.
The brute creatures are sent to reuenge the quarrell of their Maker, vpon worse beasts, then [Page 179] themselues. Still hath God left himselfe Champions in Israel: Lyons teare the Assyrians in pieces; and put them in mind, that, had it not beene for wickednesse, that land needed not to haue changed masters. The great Lord of the world cannot want meanes to plague offenders: If the men bee gone, yet the beasts are there; And if the beasts had beene gone, yet so long as there were stones in the wals, in the quarries God would be sure of auengers: There is no security but in being at peace with God.
The King of Assyria is sued to, for remedy: Euen these Pagans haue learned to know that these Lyons were sent from a God; that this punishment is for sinne; [Page 180] They know not the manner of the God of the land, therefore he hath sent Lyons among them: These blind Heathen that thinke euery land hath a seuerall God; yet, hold that God, worthy of his owne worship; yet, hold that worship must bee grounded vpon knowledge; the want of that knowledge, punishable, the punishmēt of that want, iust, and diuine: How much worse then Assyrians are they that are ready to ascribe all calamities to nature to chance? that acknowledging but one God of all the world, are yet carelesse to know him to serue him?
One of the Priests of Israel is appointed to bee caried backe to Samaria, to teach the Assyrian Colony the fashions of the God of [Page 181] the land; not for deuotion, but for impunity: vaine Politicians thinke to satisfie God by patching vp religions; any formes are good enough for an vnknowne deity: The Assyrian Priests teach, and practise the worship of their own Gods; The Israelitish Priest prescribes the worship of the true God; The people will follow both; the one out of liking, the other out of feare: What a prodigious mixture was here of religions? true with false, Iewish with Paganish, diuine with diuellish; Euery diuision of these transplanted Assyrians had their seuerall deities, high places, sacrifices; this Priest of Israel intercommons with euery of them: So as now these fathers of Samaritanisme, [Page 182] are in at all; They feare the Lord and serue their idols: No beggers cloak is more peeced then the religion of these new inhabitants of Israel. I know not how their bodies sped for the Lyons, I am sure their soules fared the worse for this medlie: Aboue all things God hates a mungrell deuotion; If we be not all Israel, it were better to bee all Ashur; It cannot so much displease God to bee vnknowne or neglected, as to bee consorted with Idols.
HEZEKIAH and SENACHERIB.
ISrael is gone, Iudah 2 Kings 18. and 19. is left standing; or rather some few sprigs of those two Tribes: so we haue seene in the shredding of some large Timber-tree, one or two boughes left at the top to hold vp the sap. Who can but lament the poore remainders of that languishing kingdome of Dauid?
Take out of the two Tribes of Iudah, and Beniamin, one hundred and twenty thousand, whom [Page 184] Pekah the King of Israel slew in one day. Take out two hundred thousand that were caried away captiue to Samaria; Take out those that were transported into the bondage of the Edomites; and those that were subdued in the South parts, by the Philistims; alas, what an handfull was left to the king of Iudah; scarce worth the name of a dominion: Yet, euen now, out of the gleeds of Iudah, doth God raise vp a glorious light to his forlorne Church; yea, from the wretched loynes of Ahaz, doth God fetch an holy Ezekiah. It had beene hard to conceiue the state of Iudah worse then it was; neither was it more miserable, then sinfull, and in regard of both, desperate; when beyond [Page 185] hope, God reuiues this dying stocke of Dauid, and out of very ruines builds vp his owne house. Ahaz was not more the ill sonne of a good father, then he was the ill father of a good sonne. He was the ill sonne of good Iotham, the ill father of good Hezekiah. Good Hezekiah makes amends for his fathers impietie; and puts a new life into the hartlesse remnant of Gods people.
The wisedome of our good God knowes when his ayd will bee most seasonable, most welcome; which hee then loues to giue, when he findes vs left of all our hopes: That mercifull hand is reserued for a dead lift; then, he failes vs not.
Now, you might haue seene [Page 186] this pious Prince busily bestirring himselfe, in so late and needfull a reformation, remouing the high places, battering and burning the Idolls, demolishing their temples, cutting downe their groues, opening the Temple, purging the altars, and vessells, sanctifying the Priests, rekindling the Lampes, renuing the incense, reinstituting the sacrifices, establishing the order of Gods seruice, appointing the courses, setling the maintenance of the ministers, publishing the decrees for the long-neglected Pass-ouer; celebrating it, and the other feasts, with due solemnity, incouraging the people, contributing bountifully to the offerings, and, in one word, so ordering all the affayres of God, [Page 187] as if hee had beene sent downe from heauen to restore Religion; as if Dauid himself had been aliue againe in this blessed heyre, not so much of his Crowne, as of his piety. Oh Iudah, happy in thy Ezekiah, Oh Ezekiah happy in the gratious restauration of thy Iudah: Ahaz shall haue no thanke for such a sonne; The God that is able of the very stones to raise children to Abraham, rayses a true seed of Dauid out of the corrupt loynes of an Idolater: That infinite mercy is not tyed to the termes of an immediate propagation: For the space of three hundred yeares, the man after Gods owne heart had no perfect heyre till now; Till now did the high places stand: the deuotions of [Page 188] the best Princes of Iudah were blemished with some weake omissions; Now the zeale of good Ezekiah cleares all those defects, and workes an intyre change.
How seasonably hath the prouidence of God kept the best man for the worst times? When God hath a great worke to doe, hee knowes to fit himselfe with instruments.
No maruell if the Paganish Idolls goe to vvracke, vvhen euen the brazen Serpent that Moses had made by Gods owne appointment, is broken in peeces: The Israelites were stung with fiery Serpents, this brazen Serpent healed them, which they did no sooner see, then they recouered: But now, such was the venome of [Page 189] the Israelitish Idolatry, that this Serpent of brasse, stung worse then the fiery; That, which first cured by the eye, now by the eye poysoned the soule; That which was at first, the type of a Sauiour, is now, the deadly engine of the Enemy. Whiles it helped, it stood; it stood whiles it hurt not, but when once wicked abuse hath turned it into an Idoll; what was it but Nehushtan?
The holinesse of the first institution cannot priuiledge ought from the danger of a future profanation; nor, as the case may stand, from an vtter abolition: What antiquity, what authoritie, what primary seruice might this Serpent haue pleaded? All that cannot keepe it out of the dust. [Page 190] Those things which are necessarie in their being, beneficiall in their continuance, may still remaine when their abuse is purged; but those things whose vse is but temporary, or whose duration is needlesse and vnprofitable, may cease with the occasion, and much more perish with an inseparable abuse. Ezekiah willingly forgets who made the Serpent, when he fees the Israelites make it an idoll: It is no lesse intolerable for God, to haue a riuall of his owne making.
Since Hezekiah was thus, aboue all his Ancestors, pright with the Lord; it is no maruell if the Lord were with him; if he prospered, whither soeuer hee went; The same God that would haue [Page 191] his iustice magnified in the confusion of the wicked Princes of Issrael, and Iudah, would haue his mercy no lesse acknowledged, in the blessings of faithfull Hezekiah.
The great King of Assyria had in a sort swallowed vp both the Kingdomes of Iudah, and Israel; yet not with an equall cruelty; He made Israel captiue, Iudah (vpon a willing composition) tributary. Israel is vanished in a transportation, Iudah continues vnder the homage wherein Ahaz left it: Hezekiah had raigned but sixe yeares when he saw his neighbours of Israel packing into a miserable captiuity; & the proud Assyrians Lording in their Cities; yet, euen then, when hee stood alone, in a corner of Iudah, durst Hezekiah [Page 192] draw his necke out of the yoke of the great, and victorious Monarch of Assyria; and, as if one enemy had not beene enough, at the same time, hee falls vpon the incroaching Philistims, and preuailes. It is not to be asked, what powers a man can make, but in what termes he stands with heauen. The vnworthy father of Hezekiah had clogged Iudah with this seruile fealty to the Assyrian; what the conditions of that subiection were, it is too late, and needlesse for vs to inquire, If this payment were limited to a period of time, the expiration acquitted him; If vpon couenants of ayd, the cessation thereof acquitted him; If the reforming of religion, & banishment of Idolatry ran vnder the [Page 193] censure of rebellion, the quarrell on Ezekiahs part, was holy, on Senacheribs vniust: but if the restipulation were absolute, and the withdrawing of this homage vpon none but ciuill grounds, I cannot excuse the good King from a iust offence: It was an humane frailty in an obliged Prince by force to affect a free and independant soueraignty.
What doe we mince that fact, which holy Ezekiah himselfe censures? I haue offended, returne from mee, what thou putst on mee will I beare? The comfort of liberty may not be had with an vnwarranted violence. Holinesse cannot free vs from infirmity: It was a weaknes to doe that act, which must bee soone vndone with [Page 194] much repentance, and more losse; This reuolt shall cost Ezekiah (besides much humiliation) three hundred yearely talents of siluer, thirty talents of gold: How much better had it beene for the Cities of Iudah to haue purchased their peace with an easie tribute, then warre with an intolerable taxation.
Fourteene years had good Hezekiah fed vpon a sweet peace, sauced only with a set pension; now he must prepare his pallat for the bitter morsels of warre. The King of Assyria is comne vp against all the defenced Cities of Iudah; and hath taken them: Ezekiah: is faine to buy him out with too many talents; The poore Kingdome of Iudah is exhaust, [Page 195] with so deepe a payment; in so much as the King is forced to borrow of God himselfe, for Hezekiah gaue him all the siluer that was found in the house of the Lord; yea, at that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doores of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which he had ouer-laid, and gaue it to the King of Assyria. How hard was good Hezekiah driuen, ere he would bee thus bold with his God? Surely if the mines, or cofers of Iudah could haue yeelded any supply, this shift had beene hatefull; to fetch back for an enemy, that which hee had giuen to his Maker: Onely necessity excuses that from sacriledge in the sonne, which will, made sacriledge in the father: That which [Page 196] is once deuoted to a sacred vse, may not be called backe to a profane: But he whose the earth is, and the fulnesse of it, is not so taken with our metals, that hee should more regard our gold, then our welfare: His goodnes cannot grudge any outward thing for the price of our peace: To rob God out of couetousnesse, or wantonnesse, or neglect is iustly damnable; wee cannot robbe him out of our need; for then he giues vs all we take; and bids vs ransome our liues, our liberties; The treasures of Gods house were precious, for his sake, to whom they were consecrated, but more precious in the sight of the Lord was the life of any one of his Saints.
[Page 197] Euery true Israelite was the spirituall house of God; why should not the doore of the materiall tēple be willingly stripped, to saue the whole frame of the spirituall Temple. Take therefore, ô Hezekiah what thou hast giuen, no gold is too holy to redeeme thy vexation: It matters not so much how bare the doores of the Temple bee, in a case of necessity, as how wel the insides be furnished with sincere deuotion. O the cruell hard hartednesse of those men which will rather suffer the liuing Temples of God to be ruined; then they will ransome their life, with farthings.
It could not bee, but that the store of needy Iudah must soone be drawne dry with so deepe an [Page 198] exaction; that sum cannot be sent, because it cannot be raised: The cruell Tyran calls for his brickes whiles he allowes no straw; His anger is kindled because Ezekiahs cofers haue a bottome; with amighty host doth he come vp a gainst Ierusalem; therefore shal that City be destroyed by him, because by him it hath bin impouerished; the inhabitants must bee slaues, because they are beggers.
Oh lamentable, and, in sight, desperate condition of distressed Ierusalem: wealth it had none; strength it had, but a little; all the Country round about was subdued to the Assyrian; that proud victor hath begirt the wals of it, with an innumerable army, scorning that such a shouell-full of [Page 199] earth should stand out but one day; Poore Ierusalem stands alone, block't vp with a world of enemies, helplesse, friendlesse, comfortlesse; looking for the worst of an hostile fury; when Tartan and Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh, the great Captaines of the Assyrians, call to a parlee. Hezekiah sends to them three of his prime officers, his Steward, his Secretary, his Recorder. Lord; What insolent blasphemies doth that foule mouth of Rabshakeh belch out against the liuing God, against his anointed seruant?
How plausibly doth hee discourage the subiects of Ezekiah, how proudly doth hee insult vpon their impotency, how doth he braue them with base offers of [Page 200] aduantage; and lastly, how cunningly doth he fore-lay their confidence (which was onely left them) in the Almighty, protesting not to bee comne vp hither without the Lord; The Lord said to me, Goe vp to this land, and destroy it; How fearfull a word was this? The rest were but vaine crackes, this was a thunderbolt to strike dead the heart of Ezekiah; If Rabshakeh could haue been beleeued, Ierusalem could not but haue flowne open; How could it think to stand out no lesse against God, then men? Euen thus doth the great enemy of mankinde; if hee can dis-hearten the soule from a dependance vpon the God of mercies, the day is his: Lewd miscreants care not [Page 201] how they be-lye God for their owne purposes.
Eliakim the steward of Hezekiah well knew, how much the people must needes bee affected with this pernicious suggestion; and faine would therefore, if not stop that wicked mouth, yet diuert these blasphemies into a forraigne expression. I wonder that any wise man should looke for fauour from an enemy: Speak I pray thee, to thy seruants in the Syrian language: What was this but to teach an aduersary hovv to doe mischiefe? Wherfore came Rabshakeh thither but to gall Ezekiah, to vvith-dravv his subiects? That tongue is properest for him vvhich may hurt most; Deprecations of euill to a malicious man [Page 202] are no better then aduices. An vnknowne idiome is fit to keepe counsell; they are familiar words that must conuey ought to the vnderstanding. Leud men are the worse for admonitions.
Rabshakeh had not so strained his throat, to corrupt the citizens of Ierusalem, had it not beene for the humble obtestation of Eliakim; Now he reares vp his voyce, and holds his sides, and roares out his double blasphemies; one while affrighting the people with the great power of the mighty king of Assyria; another while debasing the contemptible force of Hezekiah; now smoothly alluring them, with the assurances of a safe and successfull yeeldance; then, discouraging them with the [Page 203] impossibility of their deliuerance; laying before them the fearfull examples of greater nations vanquished, by that sword, which was now shaken ouer them; triumphing in the impotency, and mis-cariage of their gods: Who are they among all the Gods of the countries, that haue deliuered their Country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliuer Ierusalem out of mine hand? Where are the Gods of Arpad, and of Hamath? Where, but in that hellish darknesse, that is ordained both for them, and for thee, barbarous Assyrian, that darest thus open thy mouth against thy Maker: And can those Atheous eyes of thine see no differēce of Gods? Is there no distance betwixt a stocke, or stone, and that infinite [Page 204] Deity that made heauen & earth? It is enough that thou now feelest it; thy torments haue taught thee too late, that thou affrontedst a liuing God.
How did the fingers & tongues of these Iewish Peeres and people, itch to be at Rabshakeh; in a reuengefull answer to those impieties: All is whusht; not a word sounds from those vvalls: I doe not more wonder at Hezekiahs wisedome, in commanding silence, then at the subiects obedience, in keeping it; This rayler could not be more spighted, then with no answer; and if he might be exasperated, he could not bee reformed; besides, the rebounding of those multiplyed blasphemies, might leaue some ill impressions [Page 205] in the multitude; This sulphurous flaske, therefore, dyes in his owne smoke: onely leauing an hatefull stench behind it.
Good Hezekiah cannot easily passe ouer this deuillish oratory; no sooner doth he heare of it, thē he rends his clothes, and couers himselfe with sack-cloth, and betakes himselfe to the house of the Lord, and sends his officers, and the grauest of the Priests, clad in sack-cloth, to Esay the Prophet of God, with a dolefull and querulous message.
Oh the noble piety of Hezekiah; notwithstanding all the straits of the siege, and the danger of so powerfull an enemy; I find not the garments of this good King, any otherwise then [Page 206] whole, and vnchanged; but now so soon as euer a blasphemy is vttered against the Maiesty of his God, (though by a Pagan dog) his clothes are torne, and turned into sack-cloth: There can bee no better argument of an vpright heart, then to be more sensible of the indignities offered to God, then of our owne dangers. Euen these desperate reproches send Ezekiah to the Temple: The more we see Gods name profaned, the more shall we, if we be truely religious, loue and honor it.
Whither should Hezekiab run but to the Temple, to the Prophet? There, there is the refuge of all faithfull ones, where they may speak with God, where they may bee spoken to from God, [Page 207] and fetch comfort from both: It is not possible that a beleeuing heart should bee disappointed: Isaiah sends that message to the good King, that may dry vp his teares, and cheere his countenāce, and change his suit; Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the wordes which thou hast heard, with which the seruants of the King of Syria haue blasphemed me; Behold I will send a blast vpon him; and bee shall heare a rumor, and shall returne to his owne Land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his owne Land.
Loe; euen whiles Senacherib was in the height of his iollity & assurance; Gods Prophet foresees his ruine; and giues him for dead, whiles that Tyran thought of nothing but life and victory. [Page 208] Proud & secure worldlings little dreame of the neere approach of their iudgements: whiles they are plotting their deepest designes, the ouer-ruling iustice of the Almighty hath contriued their sudden confusion, and sees, and sets them their day.
Rabshakeh returnes, and finding the King of Assyria warring against Libnah, reports to him the silent, (and therein) contemptuous answer, and firme resolutions of Hezekiah; In the meane time God pulls Senacherib by the eare, with the newes of the approching army of Tirhakah King of Ethiopia, which was comming vp to raise the siege; and to succour his confederats: That dreadfull power will not allow the [Page 209] Assyrian King, in person to lead his other forces vp against Ierusalem, nor to continue his former Leaguer long before those walls. But now, hee writes big words to Hezekiah, and thinks with his thundering menaces to beat open the gates, and leuell the bulwarks of Ierusalem: Like the true master of Rabshakeh, hee reuiles the God of Heauen; and basely parallels him with the dunghill deities of the heathen.
Good Ezekiah gets him into his Sanctuary; there he spreads the letters before the Lord; and calls to the God that dwells between the Cherubims, to reuenge the blasphemies of Senacherib, to protect and rescue himselfe, and his people. Euery one of those words [Page 210] pierced heauen; which was no lesse open to mercy vnto Hezekiah; then, vengeance to Senacherib; Now is Isaiah addressed with a second message of comfort to him, who doubtlesse distrusted not the first: onely the reiteration of that furious blasphemy made him take faster hold, by his faithfull deuotion. Now, the iealous God in a disdaine of so blasphemous a contestation, rises vp in a stile of Maiesty, and gloriously tramples vpon this saucie insolency, Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult is comne vp into mine eares, therefore I will put my hooke into thy nose, and my beidle into thy lips: and will turne this backe by the way thou camest. Lod, Senacherib, the God of heauen makes [Page 211] a beast of thee, who hast so brutishly spurned at his name; If thou be a rauenous Beare, hee hath an hooke for thy nosthrils: If thou be a resty horse, he hath a bridle for thy mouth; In spight of thee, thou shalt follow his hooke, or his bridle; and shalt be led to thy iust shame by either.
It is not for vs to bee the Lords of our owne actions; Thus saith the Lord concerning the King of Assyria; He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a banke against it; by the way that he came shal he returne; &c. Impotent men, what are we in the hands of the Almighty? we purpose, he ouerrules; wee talke of great matters, and thinke to doe wonders; he [Page 212] blowes vpon our proiects, and they vanish with our selues: He that hath set bounds to the Sea, hath appointed limits to the rage of the proudest enemies; yea, euen the Deuils themselues are confined; Why boast yee your selues, ô ye Tyrans, that ye can doe mischiefe; yee are stinted: and euen within those lists, is confusion.
O the Trophees of diuine Iustice, That very night the Angell of the Lord went out, and smote in the campe of the Assyrians an hundred fourescore & fiue thousand; and when they arose earely in the morning, behold they were all dead corps.
How speedy an execution was this, how miraculous? No humane arme shall haue the glory of this victory; It was God that [Page 213] was defied by that presūptuous Assyrian; It is God that shall right his owne wrongs; Had the Egyptian, or Ethyopian forces beene comne vp, though the same God had done this worke by them, yet some praise of this slaughter had perhaps cleau'd to their fingers. Now an inuisible hand sheds all this blood; that his very enemies may cleare him frō all partnership of reuenge. Go now, wicked Senacherib, and tell of the gods of Hamath and Arpad, and Sepharuaim, and Hena, & Iuah, which thou hast destroyed, and say, that Hezekiahs God is but as one of these: Goe, and adde this Deity to the number of thy conquests: Now, say that Ezekiahs God in whom hee trusted hath [Page 214] deceiued him, and graced thy Tryumphes.
With shame and griefe enough is that sneaped Tyran returned to his Niniue, hauing left behinde him, all the pride and strength of Assyria, for compost to the Iewish fields. Well were it for thee, ô Senacherib, if thou couldst escape thus; vengeance waits for thee at home, and welcomes thee into thy place; whiles thou art worshipping in the house of Nisroch thy god, two of thine own sons shall be thine executioners. See now, if that false Deity of thine can preserue thee frō that stroke which the true God sends thee by the hand of thine owne flesh; Hee that slew thine hoast by his Angell, slayes thee by thy sonnes: [Page 215] The same Angell that killed all those thousands, could as easily haue smitten thee; but he rather reserues thee for the further torment of an vnnaturall stroke, that thou mayest see too late, how easie it is for him in spight of thy God, to arme thine owne loines against thee.
Thou art auenged, O God, thou art auenged plentifully of thine enemies▪ Whosoeuer striues with thee, is sure to gaine nothing but losse, but shame, but death, but hell. The Assyrians are slaine, Senacherib is rewarded for his blasphemy: Ierusalem is rescued, Ezekiah reioyces, the nations wonder and tremble. O loue the Lord all ye his Saints, for the Lord preserueth the faithfull, & plenteously rewarded the proud doer.
HEZEKIAH sicke, recouered, visited.
HEzekiah was freed 2 King. 20. from the siege of the Assyrians, but hee is surprised with a disease: he that deliuered him from the hand of his enemies, smites him with sicknesse: God doth not let vs loose from all afflictions, when he redeemes vs from one.
To thinke that Ezekiah was either not thankfull enough for his deliuerance, or too much lifted vp with the glory of so miraculous [Page 217] a fauour; were an iniurious mis-construction of the hand of God; and an vncharitable censure of an holy Prince: For, though no flesh and blood can auoid the iust desert of bodily punishment, yet God doth not alwayes strike with an intuition of sinne; sometimes he regards the benefit of our triall; sometimes the glory of his mercy in our cure.
It was no sleight distemper, that seized vpon Ezekiah, but a disease both painfull, and fierce, and in nature deadly. O God, how thou lashest euen those whom thou louest: Hadst thou euer any such dearling in the throne of Iudah, as Hezekiah? Yet he no sooner breatheth from a miserable [Page 218] siege, then hee panteth vnder a mortall sicknesse: when as yet he had not so much, as the comfort of a child, to succeed him, thy Prophet is sent to him with the heauy message of his death, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt dye and not liue. It is no small mercy of God that he giues vs warning of our end; we shall make an ill vse of so gratious a premonition, if we make not a meet preparation for our passage. Euen those that haue not an house, yet haue a soule; no soule can want important affaires to be ordered for a finall dissolution; the neglect of this best thrift is desperate. Set thy soule in order, ô man, for thou shalt dye, and not liue.
If God had giuen Ezekiah a [Page 219] son, nature had bequeathed his estate; now, hee must study to find heyres: Euen these outward things, (though in themselues worthlesse) require our carefull disposition, to those we leaue behind vs; and if wee haue delayed these thoughts, till then, our sicke beds may not complaine of their importunity; We cannot leaue to our families a better legacy, then Peace.
Neuer was the Prophet Esay vnwelcome to this good King, vntill now: Euen sad tidings must be caried by those messengers, which would be faithfull: neither may wee regard so much how they will bee taken, as by whom they are sent.
It was a bold and harsh word [Page 220] to say to a King, Thou shalt dye, and not liue: I doe not heare Hezekiah rage, & fret at the message; or threat the bearer, but he meekly turnes his face to the wall, and weepes, and prayes: Why to the wall? Was it for the greater secrecie of his deuotion? was is for the more freedome from all distraction? was it that the passion which accompanied his prayer, might haue no witnesses? Or, was it for that this wall lookt towards the Temple, which his heart and eyes still moued vnto, though his feet could not?
Howsoeuer, the patient soule of good Ezekiah turnes it selfe to that holy God, from whom hee smarts, and bleeds; and poures out it selfe into a feruent deprecation, [Page 221] I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I haue walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect hart; and haue done that which is good in thy sight.
Couldst thou feare, ô Ezekiah, that God had forgotten thine integrity? The grace that was in thee, was his owne worke; could he in thee neglect himselfe? Or dost thou therefore doubt of his remembrance of thy faithfulness, because hee summons thee to receiue the crowne of thy faithfulnesse, glory, and immortality? wherein canst thou bee remembred, if this bee to forget thee? What challenge is this? Is God a debter to thy perfection? Hath thine holy cariage merited any thing from that infinite Iustice? [Page 222] Farre, farre were these presumptuous conceits from that humble and mortified soule: Thou hadst hated thine owne brest, if it could once haue harboured so proud a thought. This perfection of thine was no other, then an honest soundnesse of hart, & life, which thou knowest God had promised to reward: It was the mercy of the couenant that thou pleadedst, not the merit of thine obedience.
Euery one of these words were steeped in teares: But what meant these words, these teares? I heare not of any suit moued by Hezekiah; onely he wishes to bee remembred, in that which could neuer bee forgotten, though hee should haue intreated for an obliuion.
[Page 223] Speake out Hezekiah, what is it that thy teares craue, whiles thy lips expresse not? O let me liue, and I shall praise thee, O God.
In a naturall man none could wonder at this passionate request; who can but wonder at it, in a Saint? whose happinesse doth but then begin, when his life ceaseth: whose misery doth but then end, when his death enters: the word of faith, is, Oh let me dye, that I may inioy thee. How then doth the good King crye at the newes of that death, which some resolute Pagans haue intertained with smiles? Certainly, the best man cānot strip himselfe of some flesh, and whiles nature hath an vndeniable share in him, he cannot but retaine some smatch of [Page 224] the sweetnesse of life, of the horror of dissolution; Both these were in Hezekiah, neither of them could transport him into this passion: they were higher respects that swayed with so holy a Prince; a tender care of the glory of God, a carefull pitty of the Church of God; His very teares said; ô God, thou knowest that the eyes of the world are bent vpon me, as one that hath abandoned their idolatry, and restored thy sincere worship; I stand alone in the midst of a wicked and idolatrous generation, that lookes thorough all my actions, all my euents; If now they shall see me snatcht away in the midst of my dayes, what will these Heathen say; how can thy great name but suffer in [Page 225] this mine vntimely extinction?
Besides, what will become of thy poore Church, which I shall leaue feebly religious, and as yet scarce warme, in the course of a pious reformation? how soone shall it be miserably ouer growne with superstition, and heathenisme; how soone shall the wild Boare of Assyria root vp this little vineyard of thine? What need I beseech thee, ô Lord, to regard thy name, to regard thine inheritance?
What one teare of Hezekiah can run wast? What can that good King pray for, vnheard, vnanswered? Senacherib came in a proud confidence to swallow vp his citie, and people: prayers and teares send him away confounded: [Page 226] Death comes to swallow vp his person, (and that not without authority) prayers and teares send him away disappointed. Before Isaiah was gone out into the midle Court, the word of the Lord came to him, saying; Turne againe, and tell Hezekiah the Captaine of my people; Thus saith the Lord, the God of Dauid thy father; I haue heard thy prayer, I haue seene thy teares; behold I will heale thee; On the third day thou shalt goe vp to the house of the Lord; and I will adde to thy dayes fifteene yeares.
What shall we say then, ô God, hast thou thus soone changed thy purpose? Was it not thy true message which thy Prophet, euen now, deliuered to Ezekiah? Is some what falne out that thou [Page 227] fore-sawst not? or, doest thou now decree somewhat thou meantst not? The very thought of any of these were no better then blasphemous impiety. Certainly, Hezekiah could not liue one day longer, then was eternally decreed; The decree of Gods eternall counsell had from euerlasting, determined him fifteene yeeres yet longer: Why then doth God say, by his Prophet, Thou shalt dye, and not liue? He is not as man that he should repent; the message is changed, the will is not changed; yea rather the message is explicated, not changed; For the signified will of God, though it sound absolutely, yet must bee vnderstood with condition; that tells Hezekiah what hee must expect [Page 228] frō the nature of his disease, what would befall him, without his deprecations: There was nothing but death in the second causes; what euer secret purpose there was in the first; and that purpose shall lye hid for a time, vnder a reserued condition: The same decree that sayes, Niniue shall be destroyed, meanes, if Niniue repent, it shall not be destroyed; hee that finds good reason to say, Hezekiah shall dye, yet still meanes, if the quickned deuotion of Hezekiah shall importune mee for life, it shall be protracted. And the same God that hath decreed this addition of fifteene years, had decreed to stirre vp the spirit of Hezekiah, to that vehement and weeping importunity, which should obtaine [Page 229] it. O God, thou workest thy good pleasure in vs, and with vs; and by thy reuealed will mouest vs in those wayes, whereby thou effectest thy secret will.
How wonderfull is this mercy? Hezekiahs teares are not dry vpon his cheekes, yea his breath is not passed his lips, when God sends him a comfortable answer. How carefull is the God of compassions, that his holy seruant should not languish one houre, in the expectation of his denounced death? What speed was here, as in the errand, so in the act of recouery? within three daies shall Hezekiah be vpon his feet; yea his feet shall stand in the Courts of Gods house; he that now in his bed sighes, and grones, & weeps [Page 230] out a petition, shall then sing out a thanksgiuing in the Temple. Oh thou that hearest the prayer, vnto thee shall all flesh come: With what cheerfull assurance shold we approach to the throne of that grace, which neuer fayled any suppliant.
Neither was this grant more speedie, then bountifull; wee are wont to reckon seuen yeares for the life of a man; and now, behold, more then two liues hath God added to the age of Hezekiah. How vnexampled a fauour is this? who euer but Hezekiah knew his period so long before? the fixednesse of his terme, is no lesse mercy, then the protraction; we must be content to liue or die at vncertainties; we are not worthy [Page 231] to calculate the date of our owne times: Teach vs, O Lord, so to number our dayes, that we may apply our hearts to wisedome.
There is little ioy in many daies, if they be euill; Ezekiah shall not be blessed onely with life, but with peace; The proud Assyrian threatens an inuasiō; his late foyle still stickes in his stomacke, and stirs him to a reuenge; the hooke is in his nosthrils, hee cannot moue whither he lists; The God of heauen will maintaine his owne quarrell: I will defend this City for mine owne sake, and for my seruant Dauids sake. Loe; for his life, Ezekiah is beholden (next vnder the infinite goodnes of God) to his prayers; for his protection, to the deare memory of his father [Page 232] Dauid; surely, for ought we find, Ezekiah was no lesse vpright, and lesse offensiue then Dauid; yet both Ezekiah and Ierusalem shall fare the better for Dauids sake, aboue three hundred yeares after.
To that man after his owne heart, had God ingaged himselfe, by his gracious promise, to preserue his throne, his seed: God loues to remember his ancient mercies: How happy a thing it is to be faithfull with God; this is the way to oblige those which are yet vnborne; and to intayle blessings vpon the successions of future generations.
It seemes it was some pestilent vlcer that thus indangered the life of Hezekiah. Isaiah is not a Prophet [Page 233] only, but a Physician. And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs: Hee that gaue an assurance of recouery, giues a receit for the recouery. The decree of God includes the meanes: neither can the medicine worke without a word; neither will the word worke without the medicine; both of them must meet in the cure: If we so trust the promise, that we neglect the prescript, we presume to no purpose. Happy is that soule, that so regards the promise of Gods Prophets, as that withall he receiues their counsells.
Nothing could bee more proper for the ripening of hard and purulent tumors, then dryed figs; Herein Isaiahs direction was according to nature; Wherefore [Page 234] should wee balke the ordinary road, when it is both fayre and neere?
The sudden contradiction of the message causes a iust difficulty in the assent. Hezekiah therefore craues a signe; not for that he distrusted, but that hee might trust the more; wee can neuer take too fast hold of those promises of God, which haue not more comfort in the application, then naturall impossibility in the performance. We beleeue, Lord, helpe our vnbeleefe.
The sicke King hath his option; His father was offred a signe and refused it; hee sues for one, and obtaines it: Shall the shadow goe for ward ten degrees, or backe ten degrees? As if heauen it selfe lay [Page 235] open to his choyce; and were ready either to mend this pace, or retire for his confirmation; What creature is not cheerfully forward to obey the faith of Gods seruāts?
Hezekiah fastens rather vpon that signe which is more hard, more disagreeing from the course of nature; not without good reason; Euery proofe must bee clearer then the thing to bee proued, neither may there want a meet proportion betwixt both; now the going forward of the shadow was a motion, no other thē naturall, the recouery of that pestilent disease was against the streame of nature; the more difficult signe therefore, the surer euidence.
Whether shall we more wonder [Page 236] at the measure of the loue of God to Hezekiah, or at the power of Isaiahs faith in God? Out of both, either the Sun goes backe in heauen that his shadow may goe backe on earth: or the shadow no lesse miraculously goes backe on earth, whiles the Sunne goes forward in heauen. It is true that the Prophet speakes of the shadow, not of the Sun; except perhaps because the motion of the Sun is best discerned by the shadow; and the motion of the shadow is led by the course of the Sunne: besides, that the demonstration of this miracle is reported to be locall in the Diall of Ahaz, not vniuersall, in the sensible length of the day; withall, the retrait of the Sunne had made a [Page 237] publike and noted change in the frame of nature, this particular alteration of the shadow in places limited, might satisfie no lesse without a confusiue mutation in the face of the world; Whethersoeuer; to draw the Sun backe together with the shadow; or to draw the shadow backe without the Sunne was the proofe of a diuine omnipotency; able therefore to draw backe the life of Hezekiah, fifteene degrees, from the night of death; towards which it was hasting.
O God, thou wilt rather alter the course of heauen and earth, then the faith of thy children shall sinke for want of supportation.
It should seeme the Babylonians finding the Assyrian power abated [Page 238] by the reuengefull hand of Gods Angell, and their owne discord, tooke this aduantage of a reuolt; and now to strengthen their part, fall in with Hezekiah King of Iudah, whom they found the old enemy to the Assyrians, & the great fauourite of heauen: him they wooe with gifts; him they congratulate with Ambassages: The fame of Hezekiahs sicknesse, recouery, forme, and assurance of cure, haue drawne thither messengers, and presents from Berodach Baladan King of Babylon.
The Chaldees were curious searchers into the secrets of nature, especially into the motions of the celestiall bodies; Though there had beene no politicke relations, [Page 239] this very Astronomicall miracle had beene enough to fetch them to Ierusalem, that they might see the man, for whose sake the Sun forsooke his place, or the shadow forsooke the Sun.
How easily haue we seene those holy men mis-caried by prosperity, against whom no miseries could preuaile? Hee that stood out stoutly against all the Assyrian onsets, clinging the faster to his God, by how much he was harder assaulted by Senacherib, melteth now with these Babylonian fauours, and runnes abroad into offensiue weaknesses.
The Babylonian Ambassadors are too welcome to Ezekiah; As a man transported with the honor of their respectiue, and costly visitations, [Page 240] he forgets his teares, and his turning to the wall; he forgets their incompatible Idolatry; so hugging them in his bosome, as if there had beene no cause of strangenesse: All his doores fly open to them; and in a vainglorious ostentation all his new-gathered treasures, all his strong armoryes entertaine their eyes; nothing in his house, nothing in his Dominion is hid from them.
Oh Ezekiah, what meanes this impotent ambition? It is not long since thou tarest off the very plates of the Temple doores, to giue vnto Senacherib; and can thy treasures be suddenly so multiplied, that they can be worthy to astonish forraine beholders? Or, if thy store-house were as rich as [Page 241] the earth, can thy heart be so vain as to be lifted vp with these heauie metals? Didst thou not see that heauen it selfe was at thy becke, whilest thou wert humbled? and shall a little earthlie drosse haue power ouer thy soul? Can the flattering applause of strangers let thee loose into a proud ioy, whom the late message of Gods Prophet resolued into teares? Oh God, if thou do not keepe vs, as well in our sunshine, as in our storme, wee are sure to perish: As in all time of our tribulation, so in all time of our wealth, good Lord deliuer vs.
Alas, how sleight doth this weaknesse seeme in our eyes, to reioyce in the abundance of Gods [Page 242] blessings? to call in forraine friēds to be witnesses of our plenty? to raise our conceits, some little, vpon the acclamations of others, vpon the value of our owne abilities?
Lay thine hand vpon thy mouth, ô foolish flesh and blood when thou seest the censure of thy Maker.
Isaiah the Prophet is sent speedily to Hezekiah, with a sharpe and heart-breaking message: Behold the dayes come that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers haue layd vp in store vnto this day, shall be caried into Babylon; nothing shall be left, saith the Lord; And of thy sonnes that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away, and they shall bee Eunuches in [Page 243] the Palace of the King of Babylon.
No sinne can bee light in Hezekiah: the holinesse of the person addes to the vnholinesse of the act; Eminency of profession doubles both the offence, and the iudgement. This glory shall end in an ignominious losse.
The great and holy God will not digest pride in any, much lesse, in his owne. That which was the subiect of Hezekiahs sin, shall be the matter of his punishment; those with whom he sinned, shall be his auengers; It was his treasure and munitiō, wherin he prides himselfe to these men of Babylon: The men of Babylon shall cary away his treasure and munition; What now doth Hezekiah but tempt them with a glorious [Page 244] booty; as some fond traueler that would show his gold to a Thiefe?
These worldly things are furthest off from the heart; Perhaps Hezekiah might not bee much troubled with their losse: Loe, God comes closer to him, yet.
As yet was Ezekiah childlesse; how much better had it beene to continue so still, then to bee plagued in his issue? He shall now beget children to seruitude; his loines shall yeeld Pages to the Court of Babylon: Whiles he sees them borne Princes, he shal foresee them made Eunuches in a forraigne Palace: What comfort can he take in the wishes and hopes of sonnes, when ere they bee borne, hee heares them destin'd [Page 245] to captiuitie and bondage?
This rod was smart, yet good Ezekiah kisses it; his heart strucke him no lesse, then the mouth of the Prophet; meekly therefore doth he yeeld to this diuine correction; Good is the Word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. Thou hast spoken this word, but from the Lord; it is not thine, but his; and being his, it must needs bee, like himselfe, good: Good because it is iust, for I haue deserued more, and worse; Good, because mercifull; for I suffer not according to my deserts. Is it not good, if there be peace and truth in my daies? I haue deserued a present paymēt, O God thou deferrest it; I haue deserued it in person, thou reseruest it for those whom I cannot [Page 246] yet so feele, because they are not; I haue deserued war & tumult, thou fauorest me with peace; I haue deseru'd to be ouer-run with superstition, and Idolatry, thou blessest me with truth; shouldst thou continue truth vnto me, (though vpon the most vnquiet termes) the blessing were too good for me; but now thou hast promised, and wilt not reuerse it, that both truth and peace shall bee in my dayes; Lord I adore thy iustice, I blesse thy mercy.
Gods children are neither waspish nor fullen whē they are chid or beaten, but patiently hold their backes to the stripes of a displeased mercy; knowing how much more God is to be magnified, for what he might haue done, then [Page 247] repined at, for what hee hath done; resigning themselues ouer into the hand of that gracious iustice, which in their smart seekes their reformation and glory.
MANASSEH.
AT last, some three yeares after his recouery, 2 King. 21. And 2 Chor. 33. Hezekiah hath a sonne; but such a one, as if he could haue foreseene, orbity had beene a blessing.
Still in the throne of Iudah there is a succession, and interchange of good and euill: Good Iotham is succeeded by wicked Ahaz; wicked Ahaz is succeed by good Ezekiah; Good Ezekiah is succeeded by wicked Manasseh: Euill Princes succeed to good, for the [Page 249] exercise of the Church: and good succeed to euill, for the comfort of the Church.
The young yeares of Manasseh giue aduantage to his mis-cariage; Euen, whiles he might haue been vnder the Ferule, hee swayed the Scepter: Whither may not a child be drawne, especially to a garish, and puppet-like superstition? As infancy is capable of all impressions, so most of the worst.
Neither did Manasseh beginne more earely thē he held out long; He raigned more yeares then his good father liu'd: notwithstanding the miraculous addition to his age; More then euer any King of Iudah, besides, could reach: Length of daies is no true rule of Gods fauour; As plants last longer [Page 250] then sensitiue creatures, and brute creatures out-liue the reasonable; so, amongst the reasonable, it is no newes for the wickedly great, to inherit these earthly glories, longer then the best.
There wants not apparent reason for this difference; Good Princes are fetcht away to a better Crowne; They cannot bee losers, that exchange a weake and fading honor, for a perfection and eternity of blessednesse: Wicked men liue long to their owne disaduantage; they do but cary so many more brands to their hell: If therefore there be a iust man that perisheth in his righteousnesse; and there bee a wicked man that prolongs his life in his wickednesse, farre be it [Page 251] from vs, either to pity the remouall of the iust, or to enuie the continuance of the wicked; This continues to his losse, that departs to an happy aduancement.
It is very like that Ezekiah marrying so late, in the vigour both of his age, and holinesse, made a carefull choyce of a wife sutable to his owne piety; Neither had his delight beene so much in her (according to her name) if her delight had not beene, as his, in God; Their issue swarues from both, so fully inheriting the vices of his grandfather Ahaz, as if there had beene no interuention of an Ezekiah: So wee haue seene the kernell of a well fruited plant degenerate into that crab, or willow, which gaue the originall to [Page 252] his stocke; yet can I not say that Ezekiah was as free from traducing euill to his sonne Manasseh, as Ahaz was free from traducing good to his sonne Hezekiah: Euill is incorporated into the best nature, whereas euen the least good descends from aboue.
We may not measure grace by meanes: Was it possible that Manasseh hauing beene trained vp in the religious Court of his father Hezekiah, vnder the eye of so holy Prophets and Priests, vnder the shadow of the Temple of God, after a childhood seasoned with so gracious precepts, with so frequent exercise of deuotiō, should run thus wild into all heathenish abominations; as if there had bin nothing but Idolatry in the seed [Page 253] of his conception, in the milke of his nourishment, in the rules of his institution, in the practice of his examples? How vaine are all outward helpes without the influence of Gods Spirit? and that spirit breathes where he listeth: good educatiō raiseth great hopes, but the proofe of them is in the diuine benediction.
I feare to looke at the out-rages of this wicked sonne of Ezekiah: What hauocke doth hee make in the Church of God? as if hee had beene borne to ruine Religion, as if his onely felicity had beene to vntwist, or teare, in one day, that holy web which his father had beene weauing, nine and twenty yeares? and contrarily, to set vp in one houre that offensiue pile, [Page 254] which had beene aboue three hundred yeares in pulling down: so long had the high places stood; the zeale of Ezekiah in demolishing them honored him, aboue all his predecessors; and now the first act of this greene head was their reedifiyng: That mischiefe may be done in a day, which many ages cannot redresse.
Fearefull were the presages of these bold beginnings; From the mis-building of these chappels of the Hills to the true God, Manasseh proceeds to erecting of altars to a false: euen to Baal, the God of Ahab, the stale Idoll of the heathen; yet further, not content with so few Deities; he worships all the hoast of heauen; and, that hee might despight God yet [Page 255] more, he sets vp altas to these abused riuals of their Maker, in the very house of the Lord; that holy place doth hee not feare to defile with the grauen Image of the groue, that he had made: Neuer Amorite did so wickedly as Manasseh; and, which was yet worse, it sufficed not to be thus wicked himselfe, but hee seduced Gods people to these abominations; and, that his example might moue the more, he spares not his owne sonne from the fire of the Idol sacrifices. Neither were his witcheries lesse enormious, then his Idolatry; he obserued times, hee vsed inchantments, he dealt with familiar spirits, & with wizards: Neither were either of these worse then his cruelty; Hee shed [Page 256] innocent blood till hee had filled Ierusalem from one end to another.
O Manasseh, how no lesse cruell wert thou to thine owne soule, thē to thy Iudah: What an hideous list of monstrous impiety is here; Any one of which were enough to draw iudgment vpon a world; but what hell is sufficient for all together?
What browes are not now lifted vp to an attentiue expectation of some present, and feareful vengeance from God, vpon such flagitious wickednesse? Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold I am bringing such euill vpon Ierusalem, & Iudah, that whosoeuer heareth of it, both his eares shall tingle: The person of Manasseh is not capable of [Page 257] reuenge enough; as his sin dilated it selfe by an infectious diffusion to his people, so shall the punishment. Wee are sensible of the least touch of our owne miseries, how rarely are wee affected with other mens calamities? yet this euill shall be such, as that the rumor of it shall beat no eare that shall not glow with an astonishing commiseration: What thē ô God, what shall that plague be, which thou threatnest with so much preface of horror? I will stretch ouer Ierusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Ierusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it and turning it vpside downe: And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance; and I will deliuer them into the hand [Page 258] of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoile vnto all their enemies.
It is enough ô God, it is enough: What eare can but tingle? what eye can but weepe? what haire can but start vp? what heart can bee but confounded at the mention of so dreadfull a reuenge? Can there bee a worse iudgement then desolation, captiuity, desertion, spoyle, and torture of preuailing enemies? but howeuer, other Cities and nations haue vndergone these disasters, without wonder, that all this should befall to thy Ierusalem, the place which thou hast chosen to thy selfe, out of the whole earth, the lot of thine inheritance, the seat of thine abode, whereof [Page 259] thou hast said, Here shall bee my rest for euer, it is able to amaze all eyes, all eares.
No City could fare worse then Samaria, whose inhabitants after a wofull siege, were driuen, like cattle, into a wretched seruitude; Ierusalem shall fare no better from Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon: Ierusalem, the glory of the earth, the dearling of heauen, See, ô ye vaine men, that boast of the priuiledges of Chaires, and Churches, see, and tremble. There is no place vnder heauen to which the presence of God is so wedded as that the sins thereof shall not procure a disdainfull, & finall diuorce: The height of former fauors shall be but an aggrauation of vengeance.
[Page 260] This totall vastation of Ierusalem, shall take time: onwards, God begins with the person of wicked Manasseh; against whom he stirres vp the Captaines of the hoast of the late friend, and old enemy of Iudah: Those thornes amongst which hee had shrouded his guilty head, cannot shelter him from their violence; they take him, and binde him with fetters of yron, and cary him to Babylon; There hee lyes loaded with chaines, in an vncomfortable dungeon exercised with variety of tortures, fed with such coorse pittances of bread, and sips of water, as might maintaine an vn willing life, to the punishmēt of the owner. What eye can now pity the deepest miseries of [Page 261] Manasseh? What but bondage can befit him, that hath so lawlesly abused his liberty? What but an vtter abdication can befit him that hath cast off his God, and doted vpon Deuils? What but a dying life, and a tormenting death can bee fit for a man of blood?
Who now wold not haue giuē this man for lost; and haue lookt when hell should claime her owne? But oh the height, oh the depth of diuine mercy! After all these prodigies of sin, Manasseh is a conuert; When he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God: and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers. How true is that word of the Prophet, Vexation giues vnderstanding; The viper [Page 262] when he is lashed, casts vp his poyson: The traitor when hee is racked, tells that truth which he had else neuer vttered; If the crosse beare vs not to heauen, nothing can: What vse were there of the graine, but for the edge of the sickle, wherewith it is cut downe; the stroke of the flayle, wherewith it is beaten; the weight and attrition of the mill, wherewith it is crushed; the fire of the ouen wherewith it is baken? Say now, Manasseh, with that grandfather of thine (who was, till now, too good for thee) It is good for mee that I was afflicted: Euen thine yron was more precious to thee, then thy gold; thy Gaole was a more happy lodging to thee, then thy palace; [Page 263] Babylon was a better Schoole to thee, thē Ierusalem: what fooles are wee to frowne vpon our afflictions? These, how crabbed soeuer, are our best friends. They are not, indeed, for our pleasure, they are for our profit: their issue makes them worthy of a welcome. What doe wee care how bitter that potion bee which brings health?
How farre a man may goe, and yet turne? Could there bee fouler sinnes then these? Lo, here was Idolatrie in the height, violation of Gods house, sorceries of all kinds, bloodie crueltie to his owne flesh, to the Saints of God; and all these against the streame of a religious institution, of the zealous counsels of Gods Prophets, [Page 264] of the checks of his owne heart.
Who can complaine that the way of heauen is blocked vp against him, when hee sees such a sinner enter? Say the worst against thy selfe, ô thou clamorous foule; Here is one that murdered men, defied God, worshipt Diuels; and yet finds the way to repentance; if thou bee worse then he, deny (if thou canst) that to thy selfe, which God hath not denied to thee, capacitie of grace: In the meane time; know that it is not thy sinne, but thine impenitence that barres heauen against thee.
Presume not yet, ô man, whosoeuer thou art, of the libertie of thy conuersion; as if thou couldest [Page 265] run on lawlesly in a course of sinning, till thou come to the brim or hell; and then couldst suddenly stop, and returne at leasure: the mercy of God did neuer set period to a wilfull sinner; neither yet did his owne corrupt desires; so as when he is gone the furthest, he could yet stay himselfe from another step: No man that truly repents is refused: but many a one sins so long, that he cannot repent. His custome of wickedness hath obdur'd his hart, & made it flint to all good impressions. There were Ieroboams, and Abijams, and Ahabs, and Ioashes, & Ahazes, in these sacred thrones, there was but one Manasseh: God hath not left in any mans hād the reines of his owne hart, to pace, & [Page 266] turne, and stop as hee lists; This priuiledge is reserued to him that made it; It is not of him that wils, nor of him that runs, but of God that showes mercy: and that mercy neglected, iustly binds ouer to iudgement.
I wonder not at Manasseh, either sinning, or repenting, I wonder at thy goodnesse, ô Lord; who after thy iust permission of his sinne, callest him thus graciously to repent, and so graciously receiuest him repenting: So as Manasseh was not a more loathsome and monstrous spectacle of wickednesse, then he is now a pleasing and vsefull patterne of conuersion; Who can now despaire of thy mercie, ô God, that sees the teares of a Manasseh accepted? whē [Page 267] wee haue debauched our worst; our euill cannot match with thy goodnesse; rather it is the praise of thine infinite store, that where sinne abounds, grace abounds much more; O keepe vs from a presumption of grace, that wee may repent; and raise vs from a distrust of grace when wee haue repented.
No sooner is Manasseh penitent, then he is free; his prayers haue at once loosed him from his sinnes, and from his chaines; and of a captiue haue made him a King; and from the dungeon of Babylon haue restored him to the palace of Ierusalem: How easie is it for the same hand that wounds to cure: What cannot feruent prayers doe, eyther for our rescuing [Page 268] from euill, or for our inuesting with good?
Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God. Then? and not before? Could his yonger eares escape the knowledge of Gods miraculous deliuerance of Ierusalem from the Assyrians? Could hee but know the slaughter that Gods Angell made in one night, of an hundred fourescore and fiue thousand? Could he but haue heard the iust reuenge vpon Senacherib? Could he be ignorant of his fathers supernaturall recouery? Could hee but see that euer-lasting monument of the noted degrees in the Dyall of Ahaz? Could he auoid the sense of those fifteene yeares, which were super-added to his fathers age? What one of these [Page 269] proofes doth not euince a Deity? Yet, till his owne smart, and cure, Manasseh knew not that the Lord was God.
Foolish sinners pay deare for their knowledge; neither will indure to be taught good-cheape: so we haue seene resty horses that will not moue till they bleed with the spur: So we haue seene dull and carelesse children, that will learne nothing but what is put into them with the rod.
The Almighty wil be sure to be knowne for what he is: if not by faire meanes, yet by foule; If our prosperity, and peace, and sweet experience of his mercy can win vs to acknowledge him, it is more for our ease, but, if we will needes bee taught by stripes, it is [Page 270] no lesse for his glory.
Manasseh now returnes another man to Ierusalem: With what indignation doth hee looke vpon his old follies? and now, all the amends he can make, is to vndoe what he did; to doe that which hee vndid: Hee tooke away the strange Gods, and the Idoll out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Ierusalem, and cast them out of the City. True repentance beginnes to decline at the ablatiue; destroying those monuments of shame which former errour had reared; The thornes must first be stubbed vp, ere the ground can be capable of seed; The true method of grace, is, first, Cease to doe euill; then, [Page 271] Learne to doe good.
In vaine had Manasseh professed a repentance, if the strange gods had still held possession of Ierusalem, if the Idoll had still harboured in Gods Temple, if forraigne altars had still smoked vpon the holy mountaine; Away with all this trash, when once Manasseh comes to a true sense of piety.
There is nothing but hypocrisie in that penitent, who after all vowes, and teares, retaines his old abhominations; It is that poore peece of satisfactiō which we can giue to the diuine iustice, in an hearty indignation, to fling downe that cup of wickednesse wherewith wee haue beene bewitched, and to trample vpon the [Page 272] shreads: without which, confession is but winde, and the drops of contrition, water.
The liuing God loues to dwell cleane, hee will not come vnder the roofe of Idols, nor admit Idols to come vnder his: First therfore, Manasseh casts out the strange Gods and Idols, and altars; and then, He repaires the Altar of the Lord, and sacrifices thereon peace-offerings, and thanke-offerings. Not, till he had pull'd down, might he build; and when hee had pull'd downe, hee must build: True repentance is no lesse actiue of good. What is it the better, if when the Idolatrous altars are defaced, the true God hath not an Altar erected to his Name? In many Altars was superstition, [Page 273] in no altars, Atheisme.
Neither doth penitent Manasseh build God a new Altar, but hee repaires the old, which by long dis-vse lay wast, and was mossie & mouldred with age & neglect.
God loues well his owne institutions; neither can he abide innouations, so much as in the out-sides of his seruices. It is an happy worke to vindicate any ordinance of God from the iniurie of times, and to restore it to the originall glory.
What haue our pious gouernors done other in religion? had wee gone about to lay a new foundation, the worke had been accursed; now wee haue onely scraped off some superfluous mosse, that was growne vpon [Page 274] these holy stones, we haue cemented some broken peeces, we haue pointed some crazie corners with wholsome morter, in stead of base clay, wherewith it was disgracefully patched vp: The altar is old, it is Gods altar: It is not new, not ours: If we haue layd one new stone in this sacred building, let it flye in our faces, and beat out our eyes.
On this repaired altar doth Manasseh send vp the sacrifices of his peace, of his thankfulnesse; and doubtlesse the God of heauen smels a sweet sauour of rest; No perfume is so pleasing to God, as that which is cast in by a penitent hand.
It had not serued the turne that Manasseh had approched alone to [Page 275] this renued altar; As his leud example had withdrawn the people from their God; so now he commands Iudah to serue the Lord God of Israel; Had he been silent, he could not haue been vnfollowed: Euery act of greatnesse is preceptiue; but now that religion is made Law, what Israelite will not be deuout?
The true God hath now no competitour in Iudah; All the Idolls are pull'd downe, the high places will not be pull'd downe; An ill guise is easilie taken vp, it is not so easily left. After a common deprauation of religion, it is hard to returne vnto the first purity: as when a garmēt is deeply soiled, it cannot without many lauers recouer the former cleannesse.
IOSIAH'S Reformation.
YEt, if wee must alter 2 King. 22. And 23. from our selues, it is better to bee a Manasseh, then a Ioash: Ioash beganne well, and ended ill: Manasseh began ill, and ended well; his age varied from his youth, no lesse, then one mans condition can varie from another; His posterity succeeded in both; Amnon his sonne succeeded in the sinnes of Manassehs youth; Iosiah his grandchild succeeded in the vertues of his age. What a vast differēce doth grace make in the same age? Manasseh began his reigne at twelue [Page 277] yeares; Iosiah at eight; Manasseh was religiously bred vnder Hezekiah; Iosiah was mis-nurtured vnder Amnon; and yet Manasseh runs into absurd Idolatries, Iosiah is holie and deuout. The Spirit of God breathes freely; not confining it selfe to times, or meanes.
No rules can bind the hands of the Almightie; It is in ordinarie proofe too true a word, that was said of old, Woe be to thee, O Land, whose King is a child: the goodnesse of God makes his owne exceptions; Iudah neuer fared better, then in the green years of a Iosiah: If wee may not rather measure youth, and age by gouernment, and disposition, then by yeares: Surely thus, Iosiah was older with smooth cheekes, then [Page 278] Manasseh with gray haires. Happy is the infancie of Princes, when it falls into the hands of faithfull Counsellors.
A good patterne is no small helpe for young beginners; Iosiah sets his father Dauid before him, not Amnon, not Manasseh: Examples are the best rules for the inexperienced; where their choice is good, the directions are easiest: The lawes of God are the wayes of Dauid; Those lawes were the rule, these wayes were the practice; Good Iosiah walkes in all the wayes of his Father Dauid.
Euen the minority of Iosiah was not idle; we cannot be good too early: At eight yeares it was enough to haue his eare open to heare good counsaile; to haue his [Page 279] eies & hart opē to seek after God: At twelue, he begins to act: and showes well that hee hath found the God he sought: Then he addresses 2. Chro 34. 3. himselfe to purge Iudah, and Ierusalem, from the high places, groues, images, altars, wherewith it was defiled; burning the bones of the idolatrous Priests vpon their altars; strawing the ashes of the idols vpon the graues of them that had sacrificed to them, striuing by those fires, and mattocks to testifie his zealous detestation of all idolatry.
The house must first be clensed, ere it can bee garnished; no man will cast away his cost vpon vncleane heaps; so soone as the Temple was purged, Iosiah bends his thoughts vpon the repayring, [Page 280] and beautifying of this house of the Lord.
What stir was there in Iudah, wherein Gods Temple suffered not? Sixe seuerall times was it pillaged, whether out of force, or will: First, Iehoash King of Iudah is faine by the spoile of it to stop the mouth of Hazael; Then, Ioash King of Israel fils his owne hands with that sacred spoile, in the dayes of Amaziah; after this, Ahaz rifles it for Tiglath Pileser, King of Assyria; then Hezekiah is forced to ransacke the treasures of it for Senacherib; yet after, the sacriledge of Manasseh makes that booty of it, which his later times indeuoured to restore; and now lastly, Amnon his sonne neglects the frame, embeazels the furniture [Page 281] of this holy place: The very pile began to complaine of age and vnrespect: Now comes good Iosiah, and in his eighteenth yeare (when other young Gallants would haue thought of nothing but pleasure, and iollity) takes vp the latest care of his father Dauid, and giues order for the repayring of the Temple.
The keepers of the doore haue receiued the contribution of all faithfull Iewes, for this pious vse; the King sends Shaphan the scribe to Hilkijah the Priest to summe it vp, and to deliuer it vnto Carpenters, and Masons, for so holy a worke.
How well doth it beseeme the care of a religious Prince, to set the Priests and Scribes in hand [Page 282] with reedifying the Temple? The command is the Kings, the charge is the high-Priests, the execution is the workmens; when the laborers are faithfull in doing the worke, and the high Priest in directing it, and the King in inioining it, Gods House cannot faile of an happy perfection; but when any of these slackens, the businesse must needs languish.
How God blesses the deuout indeuours of his seruants? Whiles Hilkijah was diligently suruaying the breaches and the reparation of the Temple, hee lights vpon the booke of the Law: The authenticke and originall Booke of Deut. 31. 26. Gods Law was by a speciall charge appointed to be carefully kept within a safe shrine, in the [Page 283] Sanctuary: In the depraued times of idolatry, some faithfull Priest (to make sure worke) had locked it fast vp, in some secret corner of the Temple, from the reach of all hands, of all eyes: as knowing how impossible it was, that diuine monument could otherwise escape the fury of prophane guiltinesse: Some few transcripts there were doubtlesse, (parcels of this sacred Book) in other hands; neither doubt I, but as Hilkijah had been formerly well acquainted with this holy volume (now of long time hid) so the eares of good Iosiah had beene inured to some passages thereof; but the whole body of these awfull Records, since the late night of Idolatrous confusion, and persecution [Page 284] saw no light, till now; This precious treasure doth Hilkijah find, whiles he digs for the Temple: Neuer man laboured to the reparation of Gods Church, but he met with a blessing more thē he looked for.
Hilkijah the Priest, and Shaphan the scribe do not ingrosse this invaluable wealth into their owne hands, nor suppresse these more then sacred roles, for their owne aduantage; but trans-mit them, first to the eares of the King, then by him, to the people: It is not the praise of a good scribe, to lay vp, but to bring forth, both old and new: And if the Priests lips shall keepe knowledge, they keep it to impart, not to smother: The people shall seeke the Law at his [Page 285] mouth; for hee is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts.
So soone as the good King heares the words of the booke of the Law, and in speciall, those dreadfull threats of iudgement, denounced against the Idolatries of his Iudah; he rends his clothes, to show his heart rent with sorrow, and fearfull expectation of those plagues; and washes his bosome with teares. Oh gracious tendernesse of Iosiah: he doth but once heare the Law read, and is thus humbled; humbled for his fathers sins, for the sins of his people: how many of vs, after a thousand hammerings of the menaces of Gods Law, vpon our guilty soules, continue yet insensible of our danger? The very reading [Page 286] of this Law doth thus affect him; the preaching of it stirs not vs; The sinnes of others strucke thus deepe with him; our owne are sleighted by vs: A soft hart is the best tempered for God: So Physitians are wont to like those bodies best, which are easiest to worke vpon: O God make our clay, waxe, and our waxe pliable to thine hand; so shall we be sure to be free either from sin, or from the hurt of sin.
It is no holy sorrow that sends vs not to God; Iosiah is not moaped with a distractiue griefe, or an astonishing feare, but in the height of his passion, sends fiue choice messengers to Huldah the Prophetesse, to enquire of the Lord, for himselfe, for Iudah: It is [Page 287] an happie trouble that driues vs to this refuge. I doe not heare any of these Courtiers reply to this godly motion of their young King: Alas, Sir, what meanes this deepe perplexity? What needs all this busie inquisition? If your father were idolatrous, what is that to you, who haue abandoned his sinnes? If your people were once idolatrous, what is that to you, yea to them, who haue expiated these crimes by their repentance? Haue you not carefully reformed all those abuses? hath not your happy reformatiō made an abūdant amends for those wrongs? Spare your teares, and saue the labor of your messengers; All is well, all shall be well; these iudgements are for [Page 288] the obstinate; had we beene still guilty, these feares had been iust: were wee still in danger, what had we gained by our conuersion? Rather, as glad to second the religious cares of their young King, they feed his holy anxieties with a iust aggrauation of perill; and by their good counsell, whet these his zealous desires of a speedy resolution: That state cannot but be happy, whose Priests and Peeres are ready as to suggest, so to cherish, and execute the deuout proiects of their Soueraignes.
The graue Priest, the learned scribe, the honourable Courtiers doe not disdaine to knocke at the doore of a Prophetesse: Neither doth any of them say; It were hard if wee should not haue as much [Page 289] acquaintance with God, as a woman; but in an humble acknowledgement of her Graces, they come to learne the will of God, from her mouth: True piety is modest, and stands not vpon termes of reputation, in the businesses of God; but willingly honors his gifts in any subiect, least of all in it selfe.
The sexe is not more noted in Huldah, then the condition; As she was a woman, so a wife; the wife of Shallum: Holy matrimony was no hindrance to her diuine reuelations; she was at once a Prophetesse in her colledge, an huswife in her family; It was neuer the practice of God to confine his graces to virginitie: At this very time the famous Prophet [Page 290] Ieremy flourished, some years had he already spent in this publike seruice; why was not he rather consulted by Iosiah? It is not vnlike that some propheticall imployments called him away, at this time from Ierusalem: His presence could not haue beene balked: purposely, doubtlesse doth God cast this message vpon the point of that absence, that hee might honor the weaker vessell with his diuine oracle; and exercise the humility of so great clients: In the answers of God, it is not to be regarded, who speakes, but from whom: The iniury redounds to God, if the weaknesses of the person cause vs to vndervalue the authority of the function.
[Page 291] As Iosiah and his messengers do not despise Huldah, because shee was a woman; so Huldah doth not flatter Iosiah, because a King: Goe tell the man that sent you; Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will bring euill vpon this place. Loe, hee that was as God to his subiects, is but as a man to the Prophetesse: neither is the message euer the sweeter, because it is required by a Prince: No circumstance may vary the forme of diuine truth.
Euill must befall Ierusalem and Iudah, yea, all the words of that booke, must allight vpon the inhabitants of both: In how bad a case we may bee, and yet thinke our selues not safe onely, but happy? These Iewes had forgotten their old reuolts; and now hauing [Page 292] framed themselues to holy courses; promised themselues nothing but peace, when the Prophetesse foresees, and foretels their approching ruine: Euen their old score must be paid, after the opinion of a cleer agreement. In vaine shall wee hope to quit our arrerages by prorogation. This Prophetesse had immediate visions from God, yet shee must speake out of the Booke; There was neuer any reuelation from the Lord, that crossed his writings: His hand, and his tongue agree eternally: If that booke haue cursed Iudah, she may not absolue it.
Yet, what a gracious mixture was here of mercy, with souerity; seuerity to Iudah, mercy to Iosiah; [Page 293] Iudah shall be plagued, and shall become a desolation, and a curse; Iosiah shall bee quietly housed in his graue, before this storme fall vpon Iudah: His eye shall not see, what his people shall feele: It is enough that the expectation of these euills afflicts him, the sense shall not.
Whence is this indulgence? Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thy selfe before the Lord. How happy a thing it is to bee a reed vnto Gods iudgements, rather then an oake, the meeke and gentle reed stoops and therefore stands, the oake stands stiffely out against the strongest gust, and therefore is turned vp by the roots: At least, let vs lament those sins wee haue not auoyded; [Page 294] and mourne for the sins of others, whiles wee hate our owne.
He that found himselfe exempted from this vengeance, by his repentance and deepe humiliatiō, would faine find the fame way for the deliuerance of his people: The same words of the Law therefore, that had wrought vpon his heart, are by him caused to be publikely read in the eares of Iudah, and Ierusalem; The assembly is vniuersall, of Priests, Prophets, people, both small and great; because the sin was such, the danger was such: that no man may complaine to want information, the Law of God soūds in euery eare. If our eare be shut to the Law, the sin is ours; but if the Law be shut [Page 295] to our eares, the sin is of our gouernors: Woe be to them that hide Gods booke from the people, as they would doe rats-bane from the eye of children: Ignorant soules cannot perish without their murder: There is no feare of knowing too much, there is too much feare of practizing too little: Now, if the people doe not imitate their King in relenting, they are not worthy to partake with him in his impunitie. Howsoeuer, they shall not want a great example; as of sorrow, so of amendment. Good Iosiah stands by the pillar, and solemnly renewes his Couenant with his God; the people cannot for shame refuse to second him: Euen they that lookt for a destruction, [Page 296] yet doe not with-draw their obedience; Gods Children may not be sullen vnder his corrections, but whether they expect or feele smart, are no other then dutifull to his awfull hand. As a man that findes hee hath done something that might indanger the forfait of his fauour, puts himselfe into some deseruing action, whereby hee may hope to re-indeare himselfe, so doth Iosiah here; No indeauor is enough to testifie his zeale to that name of God which was so profaned by his peoples Idolatry; What euer monuments were yet remaining of wicked Paganisme, hee defaces with indignation; hee burnes the vessels of Baal, and puts downe his Chemarim, destroyes the houses [Page 297] of the Sodomites, strawes the powder of their idols in the brooke Kedron, defiles Topheth, takes away the horses, of the Sun, burns the charets of the Sun with fire, and omits nothing that might reconcile God, cleare Iudah, perfit a reformation.
Neither is this care confined to Ierusalem, and the neighboring Townes, but stretches it selfe to the vtmost coasts of Iosiahs Kingdome; Bethel was the infamous seat of the pollution of Israel; it seemes the heyres of Ieroboam (who set vp his goldē calfe there) inioyed it not long; the Kings of Iudah recouered it to their crown, but, it had not yet recouered it selfe from that ancient infection: Thither doth good Iosiah send the [Page 298] vnhallowed ashes of Baals Reliques, to staine that altar first, which hee will soone after deface.
The time was, and it was no lesse then three hundred and fiftie yeares since, that the man of God, out of Iudah, cried against Ieroboams altar;
O Altar, Altar; Thus saith the 1 Kin. 13. 2 Lord; Behold a Child shall be borne, vnto the House of Dauid, Iosiah by name, and vpon thee shall he offer the Priests of the high-places, that burne incense vpon thee, and mens bones shall be burnt vpon thee.
And now is the houre come, wherein euerie of those words shall bee accomplished: It could not but bee a great confirmation to Iosiah, to see that God had so [Page 299] long agoe fore-markt him for his owne; and fore-nam'd him to so zealous a seruice.
All our names are equally fore-known of that diuine prouidēce, though not fore-spoken: neither can any act passe from vs, which was not pre-determined in that eternall Counsell of the Almightie: neither can any act that is there pre-determined bee vnfulfilled vpon earth: Interuention of time breakes no square in the diuine decrees: Our pur-blind eies see nothing, but that which toucheth their lidds; the quicke sight of Gods prescience sees that, as present, which is a world off: According to the prediction, the stench of dead mens bones is a fit perfume to send vp from this [Page 300] altar to heauen; whose best sacrifices sauoured worse in the nosthrils of God. And the blood of the idolatrous sacrificers was a meet oblation to that God, who had beene dishonoured by their burnt-offerings to his base corriualls.
Euen that Prophet who fore-told this, had his toomb in Bethel, and that toomb had his inscription; His last weakenesse might not rob him of the honour of his sepulture: How palpablie doe these Israelites condemne themselues, whiles they reserue so famous a monument of their own conviction. It was no preiudice to this holy Prophet, that his bones lay amongst the sepulchers of idolaters. His Epitaph preserued [Page 301] those bones from burning, vpon that altar, which he had accursed; As the Lyon might not teare his carcasse, when hee died, so now, the furie of the multitude may not violate his verie bones, in the graue.
I doe not see Iosiah: saue them for reliques; I heare him command they shall rest in peace; it is fit the dead bodies of Gods Saints should be as free from contempt, as from superstition.
After the remouall of these rites of false worship, it is time to bring in the true: Now a solemne Passouer shall be kept vnto the Lord, by the charge of Iosiah: That book of the Law sets him, the time, place, circumstances of this sacrament, his zeale so carefully followes [Page 302] it, that since the dayes of Samuel, this feast was neuer so gloriously, so punctually celebrated. Ierusalē is the place, the fourteenth day of the first moneth is the time, the Leuites are the actors, a yearling and spotlesse Lambe is the prouision; no bone of it is broken, the blood is sprinkled vpon the doore-postes, it is roasted whole, eaten with sowre herbs, with bread vnleauened; the remainder is consumed by fire. The law, the sacrifices, had beene in vaine, if the Passouer had beene neglected. No true Israelite might want, whether this monument of their deliuerance past, or this Type of the Messiah to come. Rather then faile, Iosiahs bountie shall supplie to Iudah Lambs for [Page 303] their paschall deuotion: No almes is so acceptable, as that whereby the soule is furthered.
IOSIAH 'S Death; with the desolation of the Temple, and Ierusalem.
IOsiah hath now happily setled the 2 King. 23. vers 29. And 2 Chro. 35. vers 20. 2 Chr. 36. affaires both of God, & the state: and now hath sweet leisure to inioy himselfe, and his people: his conscience doth not more cheare him at home, then his subiects abroad; Neuer King raigned with more officious piety to God, with more loue, and applause of men: But what stability is there in these [Page 305] earthly things? how seldome is excellency in any kind long-liu'd? In the very strength of his age, in the height of his strength, is Iosiah withdrawne from the earth; as not without a mercifull intention of his glory, on Gods behalfe, so, not without some weaknesse, on his own. Pharaoh Necho King of Egipt comes vp to fight against the King of Assyria: What is that to Iosiah? Perhaps the Egiptians attempted to passe through the land of Iudah, towards Carchemish the seat of his war; but, as a neighbour, not as an enemy: Iosiah resists him; as neither holding it safe to admit a forraigne power into the bosome of his Countrey, nor daring to giue so faire an occasion of prouoking the [Page 306] Assyrian hostility against him.
The King of Egipt mildly deprecates this enmity, hee sends Ambassadors to Iosiah, saying, What haue I to doe with thee thou King of Iudah, I come not against thee, this day, but against the house wherewith I haue warre; for God commanded me to make hast; forbeare thee from medling with God, who is with me, that hee destroy thee not.
What friend could haue sayd more? what Prophet could haue aduised more holily? why doth not good Iosiah say with himselfe; There may bee truth in this suggestion; God may haue sent this man, to be a scourge of mine old enemy, of Ashur: If the hand of the Almighty be in this designe, why doe I oppose it? The quarrell [Page 307] is not mine, why do I thrust my finger into this flame, vnbidden? Wherefore should I hazard the effusion of blood, vpon an harmlesse passage? Can I heare him plead a command from God, and not inquire into it? How easie is it for me to know the certainty of this pretended commission? Haue not I the Priests, and Prophets of God about me? Let mee first goe and consult his oracle; If God haue sent him, and forbidden mee, why should my courage cary me against my piety?
It is strange that the good hart of Iosiah could escape these thoughts; these resolutions: Yet, hee that vpon the generall threats of Gods Law against Iudah, sends messengers [Page 308] to inquire of a Prophetesse; now, vpon these particular threats of danger to himselfe, speaks not, stirs not. The famous Prophet Ieremy was then liuing, and Zephaniah; besides a whole Colledge of Seers, Iosiah doth not so much as send out of doores, to aske, Shall I goe vp against the King of Egipt? Sometimes, both grace and wit are asleepe in the holiest and wariest brests: The best of all Gods Saints may bee sometimes miscaried by their passions, to their cost.
The wise prouidence of God hath mercifully determined to leaue Iosiah to his owne counsels, that by the weaknesse of his seruant, hee might take occasion to perfit his glory: Euen that wherein [Page 309] Iosiah was wanting vnto God, shall concurre to the making vp of Gods promise to Iosiah: when we are the most blind-folded, we run on the waies of Gods hidden decrees; and, what euer our intents be, cannot, if wee would, goe out of that vnknowne path.
Needs will Iosiah put himselfe into armes against an vnwilling enemie; and, to bee lesse noted, disguises himselfe. The fatall arrow of an Egyptian archer findes him out, in the throng, and giues him his deaths-wound; Now, too late hee calls to a retrait; his changed Charet is turned to a Biere, to carie his bleeding corps to his graue, in Ierusalem.
What eye doth not now pitie and lament the vntimely end of [Page 310] a Iosiah? Whom can it choose but affect, to see a religious, iust, vertuous Prince snatcht away in the vigour of his age? After all our foolish moane, the prouidence that directed that shaft to his lighting place, intends that wound for a stroke of mercy: The God whō Iosiah serues, looks through his death, at his glorie: and by this sudden violence will deliuer him from the view, and participation of the miseries of Iudah, which had beene many deaths; and fetches him to the participation of that happinesse, which could countervaile more deathes, then could be incident into a Iosiah. Oh the wonderfull goodnesse of the Almighty, whose verie iudgements are mercifull; Oh [Page 311] the safe condicion of Gods children, whom very paine easeth, whom death reuiues, whom dissolutiō vnites, whom lastly their verie sinne and temptation glorifies.
How happily hath Iosiah gained by this change? In stead of a froward people, he now is sorted with Saints and Angels; in stead of a fading, and corruptible crowne, he now inioyes an eternall. The orphane subiects are readie to weepe out their eyes, for sorrow; their losse cannot be so great, as his gaine: he is glorious, they, as their sins had deserued, miserable. If the separated soule could be capable of passion, could Iosiah haue seene, after his departure, the calamities of his sons, of [Page 312] his people, it could not but haue laid siege to his peace.
The sad subiects proclaime his sonne Iehoahaz, King, in stead of so lamented a father; He both doth ill, and fares ill: By that time he hath sat but three moneths in the throne, Pharaoh Nechoh King of Egypt secōds the fathers death, with the sonnes captiuity: This victorious enemy puts downe the wicked sonne of Iosiah, and lades him with chains at Riblath, in the land of Hamath; and lades his people with the tribute of an hundred talents of siluer, and a talent of gold: Yet, as if he that was vnwilling to fight with Iosiah, were no lesse vnwilling to root out his posterity, this Egyptian sets Eliakim, the second sonne of [Page 313] Iosiah, vpon the seat of his father; &, that he might be al his, changes his name to Iehoiakim: oh the woful & vnworthy successiō of Iosiah; one son is a prisoner, the other is a tributary; both are wicked. After that Iehoiakim hath been some yeares Pharaohs Bayliue, to gather, and racke the deare rents of Iudah; Nebuchadnezzar the great King of Babylon comes vp, and sweepes away both the Lord, and his Feodary, Pharaoh, and Iehoiakim.
So farre was the ambitious Egyptian from maintaining his incroachment vpon the territories of Iudah, that hee could not now hold his owne: From Nilus to Euphrates, all is lost: So subiect are the lesser powers still to bee swallowed vp of the greater; so [Page 314] iust it is with God, that they which will bee affecting vndue inlargement of their estates, should fall short of what they had.
Iehoiakim is caried in fetters to Babylon: and now in that dungeon of his captiuity, hath more leasure, then grace, to bethinke himselfe of all his abominations; and whiles hee inherits the sad lodging of his great grandfather, Manasseh, inherits not his successe.
Whiles hee is rotting in this Goale, his young sonne Iehoiachin starts vp in his throne; like to a mushrom that rises vp in a night, and withers in a day: Within three moneths, and ten dayes, is that young Prince (the meet son [Page 315] of such a father) fetcht vp in irons to his fathers prison; Neither shall he goe alone; his attendance shal adde to his misery; His mother, his wiues, his officers, his peeres, his craftsmen, his warriours accompany him, manicled, and chained, to their perpetuall bondage.
Now, according to Isaiahs word, it would haue been great preferment for the fruit of Hezekiahs loynes to bee Pages in the Court of Babylon.
One only branch yet remaines of the vnhappy stocke of holy Iosiah, Mattaniah, the brother of Iehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezar (changing his name to Zedekiah) sets vp in that forlorne, and tributary throne; There might hee [Page 316] haue liued (though an vnderling) yet peaceable; This man (to make vp the measure of Gods iust iudgments) as he was euer a rebell to God, so proues rebellious to his Soueraigne master, the King of Babylon: The Prophet Ieremy hath forewarn'd him in vain; nothing could teach this man, but smart.
Who can looke for other then fury frō Nebuchadnezzar, against Ierusalem, which now had affronted him with three seuerall successions of reuolts, and conspiracies against his gouernment; and thrice abused his bounty, and indulgence? with a mighty army doth he therfore come vp against his seditious deputy; and besieges Ierusalem, and blockes it vp with forts round about. After two [Page 317] yeares siege, the Chaldees without, and the famine within, haue preuailed; King Zedekiah and his souldiers are fled away by night, as thinking themselues happy, if they might abandon their walls, and saue their liues.
The Chaldees (as caring more for the birdes, then for the nest) pursue them, and ouertake Zedekiah, forsaken of all his forces, in the plaine of Iericho, and bring him to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. What can so vnthankfull and perfidious a vassall expect, but the worst of reuenge? The sentence is fearfull: First, the sonnes of Zedekiah are slaine before his eyes; then those eyes of his (as if they had seene enough, when they had seene him childlesse) [Page 318] are put out: His eyes are onely lent him so long, as to torment him with the sight of his owne vtmost discomfort; Had his sonnes but ouer-liued his eies, the griefe had beene so much the lesse, as the apprehension of it had beene lesse liuely, and piercing; Now, this wofull obiect shall shut vp his sight, that, euen when his bodily eyes are gone, yet the eyes of his minde might euer see what he last saw; That thus his sonnes might bee euer dying before him, and himselfe in their death euer miserable.
Who doth not now wish that the blood of Hezekiah and Iosiah could haue beene seuered from these impure dregs of their lewd issue? no man could pity the offenders, [Page 319] were it not for the mixture of the interest of so holy progenitors.
No more sorrow can come in at the windowes of Zedekiah, more shall come in at his doores; his care shall receiue what more to rue for his Ierusalem: Nebuzaradan the great Marshall of the King of Babylon comes vp against that deplored City, and breakes downe the walls of it, round about, and burnes the Temple of the Lord, and the Kings house, and euery faire Pallace of Ierusalem, with fire; driues away the remainder of her inhabitants, into Captiuity, caries away the last spoiles of the glorious Temple. Oh Ierusalem, Ierusalem, the wonder of all times, the paragon of [Page 320] nations, the glory of the earth, the fauourite of heauen, how art thou now become heapes of ashes, hilles of rubbish, a spectacle of desolation, a monument of ruine? Iflater, yet no lesse deepe hast thou now pledged that bitter cup of Gods vengeance, to thy sister Samaria; How carefully had thy God forwarned thee? Thogh Israel play the harlot, yet, let not Iudah sinne: Loe now, as thine iniquities, so thy iudgements haue ouertaken her: Both lye together in the dust, both are made a curse to all posterities: Oh God, what place shall thy iustice spare, if Ierusalem haue perished? If that delight of thine were cut off for her wickednesse, Let not vs bee high minded but feare.
[Page 321] What pity it was to see those goodly Cedars of the Temple flaming vp higher then they stood in Lebanon? to see those curious marbles, which neuer felt the dint of the pick-axe, or hammer, in the laying, wounded with mattockes, and wounding the earth in their fall? to see the holy of holies, whereinto none might enter but the high-priest, once a yeare, thronged with Pagans; the vailes rent, the sacred Arke of God vilated, and defaced, the Tables ouer-turned, the altars broke down, the pillars demolished, the pauements digged vp, yea, the very groūd, where that famous pile stood, deformed. O God, thou woldst rather haue no visible house vpon earth, then indure [Page 322] it defiled with Idolatries.
Foure hundred thirty and sixe yeares had that Temple stood, and beautified the earth, and honored heauen, now it is turned into rude heapes; There is no prescription to be pleaded for the fauour of the Almighty: Onely that Temple, not made with hands, is eternall in the heauens. Thither hee graciously bring vs, that hath ordain'd vs thither, for the sake of that glorious high-Priest, that hath once for all entred into that holy of holies,
Amen.