LIB. XX. Joaili '¥Pith Eli£ha dying. A go we wretched men,il we be left by our Mal<er~ King l .. jb is turned, not Idolater only,but perfccutor; yea(which is yet more horrible to coo6dcr) perfecutor of the [on ofthat !thoi•d• to whom he ow• his.own life;Ztch.ri•h his Cofen,gcrman, his fotler-brother, the holy ilfueo( thofe plrenrs,by whom Io•Jb lives, aod raigns, for the confcionable rebuke of tho Idolatry ofPrioce ·~~ peopl~,is unjuA!Y• a~d crutlly munhered by that uothan'<full hand: Howpoflible 15 It for fatre and Satnt-hke beginnings to Otut up io montlrous impieties~ Let him that thioks he !lands, take he<d letl befall . When did God ever plitup fo foule ingratitude to himfdfe, to his fer. vanrs ~ 0 !oafh, what eyes c~n pity the fearf~ll detlrutiion o_fthe< and rhy Judah ~ Ifye have forgotten the kmdneffe of Ielm.J•, your unktodneffe to Tthoi•tl• lhall not be forgotten: A fm•O ArmJDfSyri•ns e~me •P •t•inj/ Iu•h And !"ufile•,anddtB Jlroyed •0 the Prinusofthe peoplt, And fi••.•O th~(jolle •fthelllt• Dnuftw, Now HA· z.el revenges thiS quarrell of God,and hts anomted; and plagues that peoplewhich made themfdves unworthy to be tbe Lords inheritance; And wbat becomes of 11Af" l Heis left in great difea(es, when his O\vn fervants confpired againtlhimfirtht 6/.,d •fthtfins •flthoi.Ja,•ndJltw him •• hu6ed,•ntl he diet/, ••d thty ~•rietl him n01 i•tht Sepolcher•ftht Kings. Dying Z tchATIAh had faid in the bitterneffc ofhisdeparring foule, The Lordl.,k itp•n it,'"'' req•ire it : I confdfe I hJd rJtherto have heard him fay, The L"'lp•Jft it wtr •ntl remit it;fo faidSitven: fuch differ<nce there is bctw«oaMartyr oftheLaw, and ofthe Gofpell : although I will hope the zeale of jul!ice, not the uncharitable heat of r<venge dr<~v forth this word:God heares ir,and now gives an account ofhis notice; Thus aoth the Lord reC quir< thebloud of Ieh1iadm fon, even by the like unthankfull hand ofthe obliged fervantsof loa {b. He that was guilty of abominable Idolatry, yet(as ifGod meant to wave that challenge) is called to reckoning for his cruel unthaokfulndfe to Ieh•i · .J,1 This crimelhall make himodious alive, and (hall abandon him dead from the fepulcher of his bthers; as if this latl royalty were too good for him, who bad forgotten thelaw ofhumanity. Some vices are fuch, os Nature fmiles upon,though frowned atby divine jutlice: O'hers are fuch,as evenNature it fdfeabhorres ; fuch is this of ingratitude, whichtherefore carries fo much moredetetlatic;>n from God, as it is more odious even to them that haye blotted out th<image ofGod, D Joa£h with Elifha dying. two Kingdomesof}udahand Ifrael how ever divided both in , Jling.•J· governmenr,and affection, yet loved to inrerchange the names of their King' ; Eveo Ifracl alfo bad their l••Jii, no betterrhen that of Judah;he was not morethe father ofalaterier•hw", then (in re· lpect ofmif.wmlhip)he was the fon ofthe firtl Imh~am, whomade lfracl to fin;Thofe Calvesof D•n and Btthtl, out ofa politick mifdevotion,bdotted all the fucceflion ofthe ten ufurped Tribes: yet even this idolatrous King of !fuel comes down to vifit the fick bed of Elifb•, and w«ps upon his face. Tkat holy Prophet was never any flatterer ofPrinc.s,neither fpared he invectives againtl theirmoll plaufiblefios: yet King I••P> , that was beaten by his reptoofes, walh~ that face with the teares of love,and forrow,which had often frowned upon hiswickedneffe. How much difference there was beewixt the I••fb of lfrael, and the IIAjb of Judah! Tharof Judah having been pr&rved and nurtured by Ieh1lui the Prietl, after all profeflions of dcarneffe lhuts up in the unkind murder of his Sonne; and that mcerly for the juft rcproofe of his own Idolatry : Thil of lfrael ha. ving
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=