Contemplations. LI B.XX. ----. tweruythoufandwhom Ptk•hthe King of Ifr•tlflew in one day. Takeouttwo A. hundredthoufandrhatwerecariedawaycaptlve to S•m•ri•; Take out thofe that weretranfported into the bondageofthe Eu,.itts; and thofe that were fubdued in theSouth parts,by the Philiflim~;a_las what an handfull was ldito the King ofl•tl•h fcarce wort~ the name ~fa d~mm1on _! Yet, even now, our ofthe gleeds of I•tl•h, dodi God ra1fe up aglouous hghtto h1s forloro,e Church; yea, from the wretched · ' loynesof Ah•z,doth God fetch an holy HtztkiAh. It had been hard to conceivethe lbte of INti•h worfe then it ~as;neither was it more miferable , then finrull, and in regard ofboth, defper.ate; w~en beyo_nd hope,God reviveschis dying frock of DA· vitl,aad out ofvery tomes bu1lds up h1s own houfe. <.Ah•Z was not more the ill £on ofa good f~ther, then he was the ill father ofa good fon. He was the ill fon of good Illh.,, the ill fatllerof good Htztki•h: Good Ht'{fki•h makes amends for his fa. B thers impiety; and puts a new life into the,heardeffe remnant ofGods people. . The wifdome ofourgood God knowes when his aid will bee moll feafonable, moll welcome;which pc then loves togive, when hefindes us lefcofall our hopes : That !ll'ercifall hand is referved for adead lift; then,he f•iles us nor. Now,you might have feen this pious Prince bufily bellirring himfdfe, in folate and needfull a reformauon,removing the high places, baccering and burning the 1. dols,demolifhing their Temples,cutting down their groves, opening rhe Temple, purging the alrars,and velfdls,fandifying thePridls, rekindling the Lampes, renuing the incenfe,re-inllitoting the facrifices , ellablifhing the order of Gods fervice, appointing the courfes,fetling the maintenanceofche Minillers, publithing the decrees for the long-negleded Palfe-over; celebrating it,and the other fealls, witb.due C folemniry,incouraging the people,contributing bountifully to rhe offerings , and, ia oneword,foordering all the affJires of God,as ifhe had been fent down from heaven to reilore Religion ; as if DAvid himfelfe had be<n alive again in this blelfed heyre;not fo much ofhis Cown,asofhis piety. Oh /Nti•h, happy in thy Rtuki•h! Oh Htztki•h,happy !n the graciousreltauration of thy INd•h ! <.Ah•" fhall have no thank for fuch a fonne; The God that is able ofthe very ftvnes to raife children to Ahr•h•m,raifes-a true feed ofD•..,idout ofthe corrupt loynes of an Idolater: That infinite mercy is not tyed to the termes ofan immediate propagation: For the [pace of three hundred yeers, the man after Gods own heart had no perfed heir till now1 Till now did the high places lland: the devotions ofthe bell Princes of IuJ•h were blemifl1ed with fome \Yeak omiffion'; Nowthe zeal of good HtztkiAh cleares all thofe defeas,and worksan entire change. D Howfeafonably bath the providence of God kept the bell man for the worll times~ When God bath a great work to doe, hekoowes to fithimfelfc with inllrumc:nts. No marvel! irthe Paganifh Idols goeto \vrack,when eventhebrazenSerpentthat <.Mifis had made by Gods own appointment, is broken ia peeces : The lfrAt/itts were llung with fiery Serpents,this brazen Serpent healed them, which they did no foonor fee,then they recovered: But now, fuch was che vcnome of the Ifraeli· rifh ldolacry,thatthis Serpentofbralfc, llung worfethen the fiery; That, which firll cured by the eye, now by theeye poyfoned the foule ; Thatwhich was at fitft, the type of aSaviour, is now, the deadly Engineof the enemy. Whiles ;it helped, it llood1 it llood whiles it hurt not;butwhen once wicked abufc bath turned it into E an !dolt, what was it but Nthll{/riAn l The holinelfoofrhe firll inllitution cannot priviledge ought from the danger of a future prof•nation;nor,as thecafe may lbnd,from an utter abolition: What antiquity,what authority,what primary fervice might this Serpent have pleaded! All that cannot keep it outofthedult Thole thingswhich are necelfary in their being, , beneficiall in their continuance, may llill remain when their abufe is purged; but thof< things wbofe ufe is but temporary,a•d wbofe duration is netdlelfe and unprofitable,may ceafe with the occafion,&much more peri(b with an infepar~ble abuf~. Htz tki•hwilltingly forgets who madetheSerpent,w~eo he fc_csthe IfrA<I~Itl make tt an !doll: ltis no lelfeiacolerable for God,tohavea nvall ofh1s own mak•ng. Since
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