I Ltn.XX. Manaifeh. 1299 A No fin canbellght in Ht{!kiah: the holindfe ofthe perfon addes tc5the unholi- ---- ndfeot the aCI;Emineocy ofprofdlioo doubles bmhthe offeoce,aod the judgement. Thisglory finll end in an ignominious lotfe. - The great and holy God will not digdl pride in •ny, much lelfe in his own. That whichw3s thdubjeCI of Htztkiahs fin, fh•ll be the matter ofhis punifhmeot: thofe with whom he finned,fhall be his aveogm1 lt was his treafure and munition, wherein he prides himfelfero chef< men ofBJbylon' The men ofBabylonlhall carry away his treafure and munition; What now dorh lltztkiah but tempt them wirha glorious booty;3s fome food mvdkrrhat would (how his gold eo a Thcefe ~ Thefe worldly things are furrheretl offfrom the hem; Perhaps Ht{!kiah might nor b: much troubled with rh<irloffe: Loe,God comes dofer to him,yet. B As yet W3S Ht{!kiah childletfe1howmuch better had it bin eo continue fo tlil,then robe plagued in hrs itfue ~ He fiJall now beget children to fervirude, his loynes (hall yedd Pages to the Court ofBabylon: whiles he lees them borne Princes , he (hall forefeethem made Eunuches in a forraio Palace: What comfort can he rake in the wiihes and hopes offons, when ere they be born, he hears them dellin·J tocaptivity and bondage/ This rod was fmarr, yet good Htztkiah kilfes it;his heart llruck him nolelfc, then rhe mouth ofthe Prophet; m«kly therefore doth he yield to this divine corre.:lion;Good u tht wordoftht lArdwhith tho11 h.jl fP•km. thou hall fpoken this word, but from the Lord; itis notrhine, but his;and being his, it mull needs be, like himfelte, good : Good, bc:caufe it iS juft, for I havedtferved more , and worfe ~ Good, be. C caufc mercifull; for I fuffer not according to my dtferts. Is it nil g80d,ifthtrtbee ptatt andtruth in my dayts? I have deferved a prefent paymenl, f.) God thou deferreil it; I h•v< dcfervcd it in perfon, thou refervellir torrhofe wh6m I cannot yet fo fecle becaufe they are oot; I have defcrved war and tumult, thou favourell me wirh peac;; 1 have deferved eo be over:run wirb fuperllitioa , and Idolatry, thou blelfcll me with truth; ihould!l: thou conunue truth unromc,(rhough upon the moll unquiet rermcs) rhe bldling were roo good for me; but now thou hall pron'ftfed,and wilt n·or rcverfe lt, that both truth and pcacethall be in my dayes; Lord, Iadorerhy ju!l:ice, I blelfcthy mercy. Gods children are neither wafpilh nor fullen when they are chid or bearea,bur patientlyhold their backs to the llripesofadifpleafed mercy;kaowinghow much more D Gcd is to bemagnified, for whar he might have done, then repined ar, for what he h3Ch done1re!igning thcmfdves over into the hand ofrhat gracious jullice, which in their fmart fceks their reformation and giDry. Manaffeh. T lall,fome three yearcs after his recovery ,H<{!ki•h bath a fon; . bur fuch a one, a; ifhe could have forefccn , orbiry had bccn a blcffing. Still in the throne of Judah there is a fucccffion, and inrer. change of good and evill Good lltbam is fuccecded by wiCked Aha:o;wicked Ah•z isfuccceded bygood Htuki<h; good Ht{!· ~~~f§i~li kia/, is fucce<dcd by wicked M•waffih: Evill Princes fuccced to good,for rh< cxercife ofrhcChurch, and good fucceed roevill, for the comfort of the Church. Theyong yearcs of Manaffth give advantage eo his miC-carriage; Even whiles he mrghr have been under the Ferule,he fwayed the Scept<r: Whither may not a child be drawn,cfpecially to agarilh, and pupper.likc fuperllirion? As infJncy is capable ofall imprcffions,fo moll of rh< worll. Ndrher did Manaffih begin moreeardy,chen he held outlong; He raigaed more yeares then his good tather lived, nocwithllanding rhe miCJculous addition to his age; Morerhenever any Kingofiudah,befides,could reach: Length ofdayesis no R rrrr%. true 1 Kings a1: md 1 chcon.n.
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