LII!.XX. Uzziah leprous. A ceremonies;yet even then, <M•fos was privilcdged. The perfons of Princes (if yee know not) are no lelfe, facred then your own. tr is your prefumptioo toaccount the Lords anointed, prophaoe: Contd! with thofe, whofe dry aod unhallow<d heads are fubjetl to your power; For me, I will ooc a• k your leave to be devout. LookycctoyourownCenfures,prcfume nottomeddlewith mine; In the mea~ time, can ye thir.k this infolence of yours lhall efcapc unrevenged f Can it lland with the bonourofmy foveraigmy, to be thus proudlychecked by fubjet!s! God doe fo to me and more alfo, if. Whiles r=iAh y<r fpeakes, God llrik<!: Ere the words ,offury can come fortb of his mouth, the leprofie appears in his forehead: _Leprofiewas amoll loathfome difeafe; theforehead isthemoll confpicuous part: HJd this fhamefull fcurfbroken forth upon his hand , or foot , Of breall, it might B have bin hid from the eyes ofmen ; now the farebead is fmitten with this judg· ment, that God may proclaim to all beholders, Thus {hall it be done to the man ,whofe arrogance bath thru(! himupon a facrcd charge. Publique offencesmull have openlhame. Itisadangerousthingtoput our fdves into the affaires, into the prcfence of God,uowarranted; There cannot be a more foolilh mifprifioll,then,becaufe we are great on earth, to think we may be bold with heaven : When Gods meffengers cannot prevail by counfds, imrcatics, threats, it is time for God to lhow his immediate judgements.Wilful! offenders can expe61 nothing buta feufull rcvenee. Now begins Yz-:c.i.sh to be confounded in himfelf; and lhame llrivcs with leprofic, for a place in hisforchead1The hand ofGod bath done that in an inllant which C allthetonguesofmenhad attempted in vain: There needs no further folicitor of his egrdfe ; the ftnfe ofhis plogu• fends him forth alone. And now he tbinkes, Wrcrched man that lam,how havel angredGod; and undone my fclf! I would needs come in like a Prie(!, aod now go forth a ~eper : the pr~de ofmy hem made me think my fe1fworthytheprcfenceofaGod; Go4sjulldifpleafure bath now made me unworthy ofthe prefencc ofmen:whiles I alfetted the alrar, I have loftmy throne; whiles I fcornfully rejelled the advice and cenfures ofGods Minilltrs,l am nowb<eome a fpettacle ofhorror,and defvrmity, to my own fervanu; I rhat would be fending up perfumes to heaven, hanmade my nafiin<trc hatefull to my own fenfes. What doe I under this facrcd roof(Neither is Gods houfe now,forme, nor mine own; what cell, what dungeon is clofcenough for me, wherein to wear D out the refidue ofmine unhappy and uocomfoctable dayes! 0 God thou art jutr, and lam miferabk. Thus with a deje61ed countenance, and fad heart, doth Yu.i•h hallc. to retire himfdfe;and wilhes,that hr could be no leffe hid from himfclfe, then from others: How rafie is ir for the God of hraven to bring ,down tbe highell pitch of earthly grtarneffc,and to humble rhc llobbomell pride! Upon the lcifwrc offecond thoughts, Yz '{j•h cannot hut adnowledge much fa· vour inth!scorrel:lion, and confeffeto have efcaped well; Others, he knew, had been llruckdead, or fwallowed up quick for fo prefumptoous an imrufion: It is happy for him if his forehead may excufe his foul. Yz:.'{j•h ccafed not to be a King, when he began to be a leper, the difeafe of his E forehead did not remove his Crown: his [onnclllhAm raigoed for him, under him, andwhiles hewas not feen,yer be was obeyed. The chsratler of Sovcraillnty is in· ddeble, whether by bodily infirmity, or by fpirituallccnfure : Ndthem it otherwife, 0 God,betwixt rhceaod us,ifwcbo ooce a royall generation unto thee, our lcprofies may deform us, they lhall not dethrone us : flill !hall we haverhe right, Rill the poffdlionofthll glorious kingdomc, wh"cin we are invelled from eter· nity. Qqqqq Ahaz
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=