LIB. XX. Jofiahs 'R,efotmation. A full in doing the work, and the high-Prieftin the directing ir,and the King ininjoyn• -:---- ing it,Gods houfe cannot fail of an happy perfection:but when any of thefe Oackens the bufineffe muft needs languiih. ' · HowGod bleffes the devout indeavours ofhis fervanrs!Whiles Htlkij•b was dili~ gently furvayingthe breaches and the reparation ofthe Temple, he lights upon the book ofthe Law: Theauthenrick and originall Book of Gods Law was by a fpeC!all charge appointed to be carefully .kept within a fafe ihrine, in the Sanduary : In °'"'·l 1 ·' &. the depraved timesof!dolatry, fome faithfull Prieft (tomake fure work) bad locked it faftup infome corner ofthe Temple,ftomthereach ofall hands, of all eyes: as knowing bow impollible it was, that divine monument could otberwife efcapo the fury ofprophane guiltincffe : Some few tranfcripts there were doubtleffe , (parcels B ofthisfacrcd Book)inother hands1neither doubt !,but as Helkijah had been formerly well acquainted with this holy volume (now of long time hid) fo the cares of good Io{iah had been inured to fome paffages thereof, but the whole body of thefe awful! Records,fincethelate nightofldolatrous confufion ond perfecmion, faw no light till now;this precious treafure doth Htlkijah find, whiles he digs for the Tern· pi<: Never man laboured to the reparation ofGods Church, but he met with a blef• fing morethenhelooked for. . Htlkijahthe Prieft,and sh.pban the Scribe do not ingroffc this invaluable \Vealth mto thetr own hands, nor fuppreffe thefe more then facred rol<s, for their owne advantage; burrranf-mirrhem, firft to theeares ofthe King, then by him , to the people:lt is not thepraifeofagood Scribo,to lay up,but ro bring forth , both old and C new:AndifthePrieftslips ihallkeep knowledge, they keepitto impart, not to fmoother, Theptoplt fb•H ftek the L•"' at bil ,.oth; for ht is the mejftngrr •f tht Lml ojHDAj/1. So foone as the good King hearcs the wordsof the bookof the Law,and in fpeci• all,thofedreadfull threats ofjudgement, denounced againlt the Idolatrks ofhis Iu. dah, he rends his cloathes, to thewhis heart rent with farrow, and fearfull expecta. tion ofthofe plagues; andwathes his bofome with teares. Oh gracious tendernelf• of I•fi•h: hedoth butonce heare the Law read, and is thus humbled; humbled for his fothers fios,for the fins ofhis people: how many of us, after a thoufand hamme· dogs of!he menaces ofGods Law,upon our guilty foules, continue yet infenfible ofour danger~ The very reading ofthis Lawdoth thusaffedhim; thepreaching ol D itftirs not us; The finsofothersftruck thus deep with him; our own are lleighted by us: A foft heart is the beft tempered for God: So Phyfitiaos are wontto like thofe bodies beft,which are eafieft to \vork upon : 0 God make our clay, waxe, and our w•xe pliable to thine hand1fo thall we be fore to be free either fromfin, or from the hurt offin. · It is no holy farrow that fends us notto God; Is(lab is not moaped with a diftra. aivegriefe,or an aftoniihing feare, but in the height ofhis pallion' fends five choife meffengers to Holdah the Propheteffe to inquire ofthe Lord,for himfelf, for Judah: It is an bappytroublcthat drives us to this refuge. I doe not heareonyofthef• Courciers reply to this godly motion oftheir yong J(ing: Alas, Sir, what meons this deep perplexity! What needs all this bufie inquifition ! If your father were idolaE trous,whatis that to you, who have abandoned his fins~ If your people wete<>nce idolarliOus, what is that to you, yea to them ; who have expiated thefe crimes by theit repentance~ Have you notcarefully reformed all thofe abufes! bath not your happy reformation made an abundantamends for thofe wroogs~ Spare your teares, and fave thelabour ofyour meffengers1AII is well, all th1ll be \Yd!; thefe judgments arc for the obftinate, had wee been ftill guilty, thefe feares had been juft : were wee ftill in dan~er, what had wee gained by our converfion ! Rather, as glad to fecond the rehgious cares oftheir young King, they feed his holy anxieties with a juft aggravation ofperil!; and by their good counfdl, whet thefc his zealous defiresofa fpeedy refoiution : That State cannot but be happy, whofe Prielh and Peeres are ready as to fuggeft,fo to cherifu, anolcxecute the devour projectsof their Soveraignes, The
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=