Llll.XX. Ahaz witb..h.itne.TP Altar. A Andnow,tomakeupthefullm.o.afcrcofhis impiety., this idohtrous King will himfclfc befacri6cing upon his now altat,£., hiscew god.sl the gods of D•m•fc114 .- An u(urped priefthood well becomes a falfc Deity. Bwuft (faith he) tht g1ds •ftht Ki•ts •JSyri• btlp thtm,t/,mfm.,iU I J.rrijicttblhtm,thAt tht7 "''J http mt. Oh blinde fuperfiition! how did the gods of Syrra hdp their J(ings, wben both tbofe Kings,and theirgods were vaoquilhed,anduken by the King of Ajfiri•? £. venrhisD.ama./(114,aDdthisaltarwerethefpoikof a fortaigne enemy 1 How then did the gods of S7ri• bel~ their Kings,auy otl)er, then to tl:eir ruine ~ whu do'tage is this to make choyce ofaloyled pro:el!lion~ Butbad the SyriAns profpered. mun rheirgodshavethcthankes~ Arethere noauthors good but blockes or DevillH p r is an outward profperiry the only argument of truth, the onely motive ofdeB votion~ 0 foolilh Ab•=-, it is the God thou haft forfaken, that plagues thee, under whofe only arme thou mightdt have prevailed. His Power beates thofc Pagan fiockes, one againft anmher, fo. a-5 onewhilr, ooc fccmesviltorious,anorhervan• quifhr; and at lafi he confOunds both, together with their proudefi clients : Thy fclfe lhallbethe befi inflane<. Ofall the Kings of Jud•h hitherto, there is none fo droadfull an example eitherof fin,or judgemem,as this fon ofgood lDtf,.,.. I abhorrc ro think that fuch amonller fl10uld defcend from the loynes of Da1Jitl; where fhould berhe period ofthis wickednelfe? Hebegan with the high places,rhencc he dcfcends to the Calves of D•n and Btthtl; from thence he falls toa Syri•• alrar,to the Syrimgod;then from a partnerfllip he falls roan utter exclufion ofthe true God,and blocking up his Temple; C and rheo to the [Jcrificc of his own fon;aod at lall,as ifhdl were bro~en loofeupon G;ds inheritance,every feverall Ciry,every high place of TMdAh hath a new god: No mJtvdl if he be branded by rheSpiritofGod,with,7hli tit hAt Kiwg AhAz. Whar a fearefull plaguedid this noyfome deluge of fin leave behinde it, in the landof Iud•h? who can cxprdfe the horrar of Gods revenge upon a people that fl1ould have been his~ Ptlc•h the King of TfrAtl, flew an hundl;l'd and twenty thou. fandofthem inone day: amongfl whom was M•.fii•h tbefon of Ah•z-.- 0 jufl judg· menr ofrhe Almighty! <.A hA"- fhedsthe blood ofone fonne roan Idoll: The true God fheds the blood ofanother ofhis fons,in revenge. Yer,che hand of the Lord is flrerched our flill: Two hundred thoufand ofthemwere caried away by the Ifrulitts captive, to D SotmAriJS... The Ed•nsiw came,andcariedawayanother pmof!llem for bondlldves, to their country: The Phliflims cameup and fhared the Cities ofrhe South of l•I.W,. and the villages thereof;Shorrly,whar other is miferable I•d•h, then the prey, and fpoile ofall the neighbourinl! Nations? Forth< L~rl br,.ghti•d•b ,.,., ~'""fi •f I(rMI, f~r hu m•dc I•d•h w•lctd,•ndtr•nfgrtffid firt •g•i•Jitht Lmi:As for thegreat Kingof Ajl11w, whom A~•:o purchafed with the fae.rilegious pillage of the houfc of (>od, in. !lead ofan ayde,he proves a burden; However he fped in his fir(\ onfets, now, htt dif/rtjftdl•d•h, ~•t jl11ngth•td it n11 : The charge Wa< as great, as the bencfitfmall: foooer !hall he eat themour, then refcue them. No arme of Acfh .:an. lhelter AhUE from a vengeance. ·· Be wife, 0 yee Kings ,be inflruCied 0 yce Judges of the earth; ferve the Lord with fe>re, and rejoycc with rremblillgl KilferhcSon left he be angry, and yea pe• rifl1 from theway,when his wrath is kindled but a little. . His{ubjeds complaine,rhat he dyed fo late,and, as rcpentmg that he ever was, deny him a roomc in the fepulchers ofKings: as if they faid ; t.he common earthof Itr•f•ltm is too good for him that degenerated from his1Progenitors, mar.rtd his Kingdome,depraved his peopk,forfooi. his God. · Qqqqq ..
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