Brooks - BT750 .B7 1669

478 zek. af, al, 24 27. A Box 1 of precious Ointmentr: Or, dcne unto the houfe of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generaticn,Jhall fit on the throne of And yet becaufe his heart was not in his obedience, and be- caufe he did not purely ael for God, but for himfelf, that he might bring about his own deigns he met with a revenge in- Head of a 'reward ; as you may fee in that, Hof: 1. 4. And faid unto him,cail his ntmeJezreel,for yet a little while, and I will avenge the bloud of Jezreel upon the houfe oflehu. phtl's heart was not in his obedience, he had a ,difpenfatory confcience ; for though he rooted out Baals worfhip, yet the Golden Calves inufl.flill continue : He deftroyed Idolaters, but not Idolatry ; and this carnal policy brought down ven- geance and mifery upon him and his poiterity. Artaxerxes goesfar l Ezra 7. 2, whatfoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done. To what a highth doth this Heathen PrinCe rife ? He will do any thing for. God, he will do every thing for God that he requires. But mark, what is that which moves him to it ? Is it love to God ? is it delight in God ? 0 no ! all his obedience proceeded from nothing but fear of wrath and vengeance, as is evident in the latter part of the Nerfe ; For why fhoi.'d there be wrath ufron the Realm of the King, and of his Sons? Or, as the Hebrew runs, Why Mould there be boyling or foaming anger, great indignation? At it iS rendred and made the utmost degree of divine dif- pleafure, in that Deut.2 9.2R. Some read thefe words,Againft the Realm of the King and his Sons, as diflina one from an- other, and not depending one upon another, thus ; Againft the Realm, the Kin° b and his Sons ; and this reading the Ori- ginal will bear : And this reading thews, That as the King feared God's wrath agaird himfelf, fo alfo againff his Realm and Children ; and accordingly he was the more fludiou and careful to efcape it ; blind nature was afraid of divin wrath, and therefore vvasthe more fedulous to preventita 0 but now a true child of God, he has the Law of God writ- ten, not only in his underflanding, but alfo in his heart and affe6tions; and this is that which makes his obedience to be pleating and delightful to himj fo that if he might be free from the iniunaions and direetions of the Word (With the fer- vant

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