[ontemplationr. LIB. XX. -=~-:--:-----c-.,::--~ Violrnt hands are laid upon Athaliab, whOm no doubt a proud and furious dif. A dainoffo quick a chargc,an~ of lo rough an ufage made mifcrably imparicnr; Now fhe frowncs,and cals,and fhncks,and commands, and threatens, and reviles and intreats in vain; and dics with asmuch ill will from her fdfr, as fhclived with the ill ,will ofher repining fubjeets. I fee not any one m a~ ~fall h~r late flatterers, t~at foilowes her, either for pity, or refcue;Every man wdhngly giVes her up to JUlhce; Not one fword is drawn in her defence; Not o.n• ~ye lamrnts her: Such is the ilfut?fatyrannicallmif.government; that whtch IS obeyed not without fecret hare, 1s loft not without pub- !iquejoy. . How like is A_thAli"_h to her moth~r lt'{thtl, as in.conditions and carriage, fo even 10 death;Both ktled vtokmly, both kdled undrrthmown wall!; both fl1ine with B Tuafon in their m.Quths; both flain inthe entrance ofa changrd government : One trodonbythehorfes,theotherfllin inthehorfe-gate. Both paid their own bloud for theinnocent bloud ofothers. How fuddenly, how eafilyis Judah reftored toit fdf, afterfo long, and fo fear. full a depravation; The people fcarce bdeeve their own eycs, for the wonder of this happy change; neith<r know I whethor they be more joyed in the fight of their new King thus ftrangdy preferved, or in the fight of Ith•i•tl•, that had prefcrved him. No man canenvy tbe profellion ofthe young King unto him, by whofe means ne lives and raignes: That holy man cares ondy to improve his authority, to the common good: Ht rnakts a<lvtn•mhttwttn tht Lortl,•ntltht King,and thtpt~plt,and C after fo long and dangerous adisjunllion, reunites them to each 01hor. Their revived +<ale bellirs it felfe, and breaks down the Temples, and-4\tars,ao9 Images of Baa/,and facrifices his idolatrousPrie!ls;Shonly,both ~h•b andBul is dFilro~ owt ofJudah. The Sccpter ofJudah is changcd from awomao,to achild;but,a Childttained up and tutored by Iehoiad1 ; This minority fo guided was not inferiour to the matur~ age ofmany predecelfors.Happy is that land,tbe non-age ofwhofe Princes falls in. to holy and jull hands. Yet even thefe holy and juft hands camelhort ofwhst they might have done; The high places remained ftill: Thofe altars were ercded to the true God,butina wrong place: It is marvdl ifthere be not fome blcmilhes found in the belt govcrnmem: I doubt Ieh•i•d• flull once abuy it deare, that he did nor his D I utmoft. But for the main,all wosw<ilwith Judah,in all the dai:s of Ithliad•;cven afrerthat rufo was grown paft hispupillage: Herhatwasthe Tutor to hi5 infancy, was the cownfcllour ofhis ripeage; and was oqually happy in both: Howpleafing was it to that good High Prieft, to be commanded by that charge ofhis in the bufinelfe of God~The yong King givcs ordor to the Priefts,for the colledion of 13rge fums ; to the repairing of the br<achrsot Gods houfe. It becomes himwell to take care of that,which W3S the nurferyofhis infancy: And now,atter three and twcnty yeares he expoftulat<s with his late Guardian,T•h•i•d•,and the reil: of his coat, Why repair Jl noli he hrtacJJtJ? Oh gracious and happy vicillirude; Tth•i•d• the Prieft had ruled the infancy of E King r,.p, in matters ot Stat<; and now l1ajh theKing commands aged Ith1iada the Prie!l in martor ofdevotion.In theaffaires ofGod, the allion is the Priefts, the O· ver-lighr-and coadion is the Princes: By the carefullindeayour ofboth, Gads houfe is r<plired,his fervice flouriflJeth. . . . . Bur alas, th:>t itmay too wellappeare, .that the g~ound of thrs devotion \V!lS not alrogethcr inward, no fooner dorh the hfe of Ith111ula ccafe then the devo.tton ot lo4{b begins to languith: and after fome languor,dyes. . . . The benefit of a truly religiousPrel;ue, orStatef-man, IS not known tdl h1s lolfe. Now fome Idolatrous P~rs of Iudah have foone mif-caried the King from theHoufe ofthe Lord God oftheir Fathers toferve Groves aod.IiioJs. Y ea,whither goe
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