LIB.XVIII. ksA. _ ~~ A The ftnnes ofhis Prince wero no lef!C emineor then his obligations, therefore his , judgements fhall b< no letfe eminent then his finnes: How bitterly doth God ex- I prcifc that,which fhall be more birrerin the ~x<eution: Bthold I will briPgtvill upon I the h111[e1[] eroboam,•nd will cutofffmn Jcroboa111,him that pi{fithagainjf the ruB; •nlhtm tbAt 16 fttut t~p,•ndleft in Ifr4t[, andwill take arv•y the remnant ofthe h111(e of1 \ joroboam,.u am•nt•keth aJfla) dnng,tiB it be a/1 gone: Him thAt Jitth of jeroboam in I the CitJ fha/1 thttiogs eatt, andhi,. thM ditth in t/;e field,Jha!l thefowlts ojtheAyre eatt: Oh heavy loade thatthisdifguifed Princetfe muft carry to her Husband;but b<eaufe thefe evil!, though grievous, yet might be remote; therefore for a prefent hanfell 1 ofvengeance, fi1e is difmitfed with the fad rydings ofthedeath ofher fonnc; Whm thy Jut ent<r into the City,the Chi/defoal/ dyer Iris heavy newes for a mother that fhe B mu!! lcefc her fonne, but worle yet char fhe may nor fee him: In thefccafes of our final! depmures, our prdence giv<S fomc mitigation to our griefe: might lhe bur have clofed thccyes, and have received the !aft breath of her dying fonnc, the lotfe had been more tolerable: I know not how our pcrfonall farewell cafes our heart even whiles ir increafes our paflion ; but now fi1e fhall no more fee, nor be fecn of her Abijah : She 01all no fooncrbein r·he City, then he !ball be out of rht wodd: Yet, tMrc to perfeCt h<r forrow, lhcc heares th•rin him alonechercis found fomc good; rhereft ofher itfue, arc gracclctfe;fhemuft lccfc the good,and hold the grace- i lctfc; he fhall die eo •fllia her, they fhllllivcro afllid her. Yet what a mixture is here of fcvcriryand favour in one atl? favour ro the fonne, fcveriry ro the f•rhcr: Severity to the father, that hemull lcefc fuch a fonne,favour C rotbe fonne rbar he fhall be takcnfrorrt fucha father: I<robw, is wicked,and threefore he fhall not enjoy an Abij•h; Abijah harh fomegood things, therefore he fh>ll be removed from thedanger of the depravationof Ierobum:Somcrimes God ftrikes in favour,bur more ofcen lorbcarcs our of fcverity :The belt are litre!! for heaven ; the earth is fittdHorrhe worft; this is the region of finne, and mifcry ; thatof immortality:It is no argument ofdif-favour to be taken early from a well-led life; as not ofapprobation to age in finne. r. ' A ' As the foule of v!bij•h is favoured in the rcmoval,~o is his body with abutiall;hc flnll have aloneboth rcarcs and romb;all the rcft of.hiS brethren fhall have no grave bur dogs and fowlcs; no forrow bur for their life : Though rhc carkalfe be infcnfi. blc ofany pofitioR, yet honeft Sepult~rc,is a_blcf!iog : it is lit the body fhould bee D duely refpettcd on carrh, whofe foule ts glonouun heaven. As A. ~~~~IHc two houfes ofJudah,& lfraol,grow up now together in an ambiti· ou• rivalitJir~is fplirre~ plant ~ranches-our fa fevmlly,as ifir had for. gotrcn char ever tr was Joyncd tn the r<,lof: The throne of D•vltl oft changet!lr!ic potfefforsl and more camplainerhof ~heir iniquity, then their remave : Abij•m inherits the fins of his father Rthoboam, no lcffe then hi~ Crown: &(o fpcttds his three! :rearcs, as if he had been no whir a kin ro his § grandfathers vcrrues.JI~ iS'no news char-grace is nor traduced,whiles vice is : Therefore is his i'eignc fhorr b~caufC:ir was'wkkcd: It was a fad cafe when both theKiogs of]udali'and lfr3cl(rhiiu$li enemies) Y.er_confpired' in fianc:I1tho61•m( like his farher s.tomon) \Jc!g:tngrac,otl•ty,bur fcll'ro Idolarry:ls he followed his father; fo his fon, fo ms r.<nt¥ folfowc,d=biin.bh,wh:lt a lace ofa Chlrrch was fie re,when Jfrad wor· fbippeil•ftf•6uws F?lvc~, when Judah built thctjl high places, and Images,& groves on evdyl!qg'h Hill, '~68 under ;v~rygrecnerr~c, ) Qn b,orb_hands G 0 D is iorfakcn, h~"''emp\e tleglecflcd, bts worlli1p adulterate i . and rhts, nbr for fome !!tort brunc,qut durin~ the fuccdlion of rwo Kings i fi)r, after the firfl three ycares Rehlb,..,cbarl$ed his fathm Religion (as his lhiclds) from gold ro bratfc; the refl of ~iS'fC'ten{tenc ycarts wcrelcddcin i.mpiery: His fo'nne ...& bijam rrod in the fame 1 miricft<ps, and Judah wirh rhein bcrh : If there were any (doubtlctfc there were lomc)
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