u86 Contempi~Ztion;, Llii:XVIliT 1 fom<) faith-full hcam,yct remaining in both Kingdomcs, during tbcfe heavy times, lA / what a corrofive it mull needs have been to them, to fee fo deplored and mifctable I adeprivation. . There was no vifible Church upon earth, but her<; and this what aone r Oh i G0 D, how low doll thou fomerimes fuffer thine owne flocke to bee driven! j Woat wofull wanes, and cclipfes hall thou ordained forrhis heavenly body~ Yet i atlarl, an v!(a fhallarifcfromrhdoyncs, fromthegraveof v~t,;;,,.: hcflull revive D•vid a•d reform< lud•b: The gloomy rimes ofcorruption fhall notlafl alwayes : The light of truth and peace fhall at length breake our, and bleffe the fad beans ofthe righreou<. 1t is a wonder bow A{• fbould begood,ofthe feed of AhijA~r>,ofthc foyle of .M4 . achah,both wicked,both Idolarrous1 God would have us fee that grace is from h<>- B ven, neither noeds the helpesof thefe earthly conveyances : Should not the children ofgood parents fometimes be rvill,and the childrenofevill parcncs,good;ver. I rue would fecme naturall,and thcgiverweuld leefe hiS!hankes. Thus we have fcen a fJire flower fpring out ofdung ; and awell-fruited tree rife out ofa fowre llocke : I Education bath noldfe power to corrupt, then nature; It is therefore thejull praife of A f• that being trained up under an Idolatrous M•.chab, be maintained his piety J I As contrarily, it is a lhame for thofe that have been bred up inthe preceptsondexamples ofvmuc and godlinclfe, to fall off to lewdnelfe, or{upcrllidon. There ar< I four< principall monuments of A{•ts vertue, as fo many rich lloncs in his Diadem: He rookc away Sodomy, and Idols our of !Rdah; Who cannotwooder morcrhar he found them there, then that he removed them ( What a llraoge incongruity i• C thi,;SodominJerufalcm(Idols ioJudah6urclydebauched profeffion proves dcfpe- · rate; Admit the Idob, yec cannq~doubt ofthe Sodomy; Ifthey ha•e changed the ! glory ofrbc uncorruptibleGod, into ag Ifl)age,Ulade hke to corruptibleman,and to I · birds,and foure-footed bealls,and creeping things,it is no marvdl,ifGod give them up to uncleannelfc through the lu(ls oftbeiro9,1'ne hearts,t~ difbonourthcir own bodies, bctw<ene thcmfdvrs; If they changed the truthof Go!l into a lye, and worfltippcd and fcrved thecre:uur~morethen thc,Cr<ator, who is blclfed for ever, no marvell, if God give thtll)'to,vilejaffettions, to change -t/le Qaturall ufo into that which isagainll uature; burning in lull onerowardsanather, men with men working that which is unfecmly. .; • Contrarily, admit the Sod'li:ny;yeecannot doubt ofthe Idols; unnarurall heafUincffe in manners,is punifbcd jullly wi(h a fottagc dotage in religion;bodily polluti()D D with fpirituall: How fhould the foulc careto be chaffc, that kcepcs a llcwc:< in rhc body (..A fA begins wirh the banifhmc11t of,both; fcouring Iudab ofrhi< double uncleanndfe: In vaine fhould he have hoped to rcllorc God to his Kingdomc,whilcs rhtfc abominations inbabired ir; It is julll~ the mainc c:uc ofworthy, and religious Princes, to cleare their C:.:oalls nftbe foulell finncs : Ob theuopartialll'<e~eof Afo! There were Idols that challenged aprerogative offavour; The Idols that his f>ther badmade,all tbcfc he defaces; lh• name of a father cannot prqted an !doll : The duty to his Parenrcannot win lli!D to alikin~; to aJorbr:aranceo,f his rriitdcvorion: Y~a,fo much thell)oredoth theliearr ofA/1 ri!"~ nainll thefe ppppct;,forthat th<J'i wir~the finne, tb~'fhamc of his_fatper: Digtlicre, want (th!nkc we) f01:q.e.Coorricr E of h•s Fathersrermue,tofay; Str; favourrbe memory offti'P that begotyou ; you I cannot demolilh thc(e llatucs, . "litboutthc,diJI;>Ono~r of tbc Eredor :_,Hide you; difiike at the !call; It will be your:glory to layyour finger upon (his b!Ql o£.y9ur fatb~rs reputation: Ifyou lift nor roallow his a~, yet jVink~ati~: .The g~1,.:c.cale o~ A {I turoes the dcafe care to thde m\)nitors, ~~d lets them fee that he ~J!'li morQ ' ho1or a farher,thcn hate an !dol1;.No dcarendfeof ~rfon•ihoul,d_,tak~ llft~hecdge ofour detellation of the fmnc: Naturois wonhy of forgerfulnene, aodJC\)Ilt<mpt, io.oppofition to the God of Namrq : Upon the fame ground, as bee remoYed the, jdolsofhis fatllcr A~ija,., fo for Idolshe removed h~s Grand-mother MAAchAh;fl1o, vlioald nor be removed from her obfccnc Idols, fhc lS therefore rcmqv~d from the llaiionofher honor:Jhar Princ~ll'chad aged both in her regency1 and fuper!lidoo :, Un~rr
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