Chap-t. Secb. 1loolting unto 'jjefus. Book IV. H3.. All the difference that I find betwixt Shimei and Chrift in this, is,_ iu that Shimeiwas but a wicked man, and yet he died an honourable death, not for hts fervants, but for I1is own tranfgreffion; but Chrifl, being a jufl man (fo Pi/ate's ':V'fe fe~t. her Husband word, H~verhollnothingtq do with that juftman) he d_ied a mofltgnommtous lhameful .death, even the death of the Crofs, and that not for lumfclf, but for us; HewtU wound- Ha. s3;· 1~ ed for ourt ran(greJlions, he WIU brui{edfor our iniquities. . 3 . When the good Kings, Heukjah, and Afa, and Jofiah purged the Cny and the Temple of Idolatry, they burnt the curfed things at the Brook Kidron, and call: them therein. And Afa cut down the Idol, and he brought ollt the Grow from th_e H81<fe of the >King.'~·~. Lord without Jemfalemunto the Brook.. Ktdron, andburnt .rat the Brook.. Xtdron ;-·and '<lhc, '9· 16• the Priefts went into the inner part of the houfe of the Lord, to .~leanfe it, and brought all the . uncleannefs that they fcund ittthe Temple ofrhe Lord, into thtCourt of thehoufe of the Lord; .and the Levim took_ it to carry it oHt abr.oadinto the Brook_Kidron.--and they arofe and took.,awaythe Altars thdt were in Jerufalem, and all the Altars for lncenfe took.. they away, 'Chr. >Ool4 andcajfthem into rhe Brook.. Kidron, or Cedron. All thefe note unto us, that the Brook was as it were the link of the Temple, into which all thepurgamenta, and uncleanndfes of Gods houfe, and all the accurfed things were to be cafl: and here again was a type of Chrift; upon him was call: all the filths of our fins, that as a River or Fountain he might cleanfe us from them; in this refpect he is faid to be made fin for m who knew no fin, that 1 «or. f· u. we might be made the righteeufnefs of God in him: he was made fin for us, and a curfe for us, that fo he might fwa!Jow up· Sin and Death, and might be deflruction of Hell, and all. .. I cannot pafs over this palfage of the Brook without fome Ufe or Application to our ~~ . . . z. It informs. Methinksthis Valley, and this Brook of Cedronisaright reprefema~ Vfo: tion of a Chri!l:ians Life; Jefus went forth with his Difciples over the Brook Cedron: What is our life if we are Chrift's, but a palfage through a vale of tears, and over a Brook of feveral aiHictions? Many are the troubles of the ri,ghtcoU4. The very word Pfal.' J4·'ll; Ccdron which fignifies darknefs, denotes this flate, an horror •f great darkne{s was faid to fall dn Abraham, and then faid God, IQ<owof ~ [urery that thy feed jhallbe a ftran,ger in GcA.t5ol1,13l aLandthatt5not theirs, and (hallferve them, and they ]hall ajflifl them four h~tndred y ears. As God made the ev~ning and the ~or~ing the firft_day, andfecondday, and third day, &c. See, 0 the bfe of Gods Samts ts as the eventng of troubles, and thdr happinefs hereafter is as the morning of Glory; God's worft is firft, with thofe that are his; the way to Canaan is through the wildernefs; the way to Sioll is through the valley of l'fal.s 4 • 6, Baca. Through much t~ibulatio_n we mnft enter into the Xingdom·of God. In the world ye Afu '4· 1 z, Jhall havetrib~tlation, fa1th Chnft ; yea, all that will live godly in Chrift 'jef"' muft fu!for Jo~n t6. ~J·. perfmttion, faith tl1e Apofile ;--Our reil: is not h.ere in this worlil; what is this : l'tm, 'I• 12 ' world, but an Ark of travel ', a fchool of vanities , a fear of deceits , a Labarinth of errour, a barren wildernefs, a flrong field, a tempefluous fea, a fwelling ' brook, avale of tears full of all miferies? . 2. It reproves. It is the firfl palfage of Chrifl when he begins his fufferings, to go over the Brook Cedron, lnd it is the A, B, C of Chri!lianity (a; Bradfordfaid) to learn the Le!fon of takmg up the Crofs and following Chrift. Sure!y this world is no place, and thi> life it is no time for pleafure; God hath' not cafl man our of Paradife, that he lhouldfindanother Paradifcon thisiideheaven. Oh why do we feekthe living among the dead? why do we feek for living comfortS, where we mull: expect to die daily ? it is only heaven that is above all winds, and florms and tempefls, and feas, and brooks, and waves: Oh why do we look for joyes in aval~ oftears? It was an heavy charge that the Apoflle r~mes laid uponfome, that they lived in pleafure upon earth, q. d. Earth is Jam. 5· s. notth_e place for pleafure ; earth is the place of forrow, of trouble, of mourning, of aflltch?n; Remember that rholt in thy life-time receiwdft thygood things, "nd Laz:.arr« Luke t6! 'So ev<,l thmgs; bu; ~owhe u comforted, and thou art tormented. All the pleafure that wicked fflen hav~, lt ts upon _earth; but the condition of the godly is dean contrary: Oh 'tis fad to out-hve our happmefs, and when we lhould live indeed, then to want our comforts and our iores. Vcr~ly I {ay unto you, they have their rewnrd; faid Chrifi of Mat. 6 , , ; Hypocntes; thetr Heaven ts pafl; they Jpend their daies in wealth, or in mirth (faith Job) of the WICked, ani;,., a moment go down ro the Grave: Alas, their befl: daies Job u. 13; are then pafl, and they mu[\ never be merry any more. Ab fond Fools of Adam's feed , to lofe Heaven !or a l!ttle c~rthly contentment! Ho!V J4o~ld1 th!s fowl' your
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