Contemplations. LIB. XX. Thegrave Prie!t, the karned Scribe, the honourable Cou11iers do not difdaine A to knock atthedoore ofa Propheteffe : Neither dorh any of them fay; It were hard if we thould not have as much acquaintance with God, as a Wom•n; but in an humble acknowledgement of her Graces, they come to le•rn the will of God, from her mouth : True piety is mode!t, and !tands not upon rermes ofrepucation, in the bufineffes ofGod; bot willingly honors his gifts in any fubjeet, !call of all in it fdfr. The fexe is not more noted in Huldah,then the condition; As the was 3 woman,fo a wife; the wife of S haUt~m: Holy marrimony was no hinderanceto her divine revelations1!he was.at once a Propheretfein her colledge,an hufwife in her family1Ir was never the pradtee of God to confine his graces ro virginity : At this vory rime .the famous Prophet Immy flourifbcd;fome yeares had he already fpent in this publike B fervice;why wJsnor he rather conluhed by Iofiah? lt is nor unlike that fome prophericall imploymems called him away at this rime from ]erufalem: His prefcnce could not have been h•lked : purpofely, doubtletfe doth God call his mdfage upon the point ofthat abfence, that he might honour the weaker vdfdl wirh his di. vine oracle;and exercife the humility offo great clients: In the anfwers ofGod, it is not to be regarded, who fpeakes, but from whom : Tbe injury redounds to God, ifthcweaknetfesofrhepetfon caufe us rounder-value the authority of the fundion. As Iofiah and his metfengers doe not cefpi!e H11/dah , becaufe fh« was a womao;fo Huldah doth nor flatter /ofiah,becaufe a King : Gilt reil tht man that jinty10, Tb"' .foiththe Lord: Beh•IJ, I willbring wiUupmthis place. Lo,he that was as God C to his fubjeCls, is but as man to the Prophetctfe: neith<r is the mdf.•ge evor the fweeter,becaufe it is r<quired by a Prince :No circumflancc may vary the forme of divine truth. Evillmufr befall Jerufalemand Judah;yea,all thewordsofthatbook,mu!t allight upon the inhabitants ofboth: In how bad a cafe we may be, and yet think our felves not fafe only,but happy~ Thefe Iewes had for~otten theirold rel'olrs ; and now having framed themfelves to holy courfes, promifed themfelves nothing but peace, when the PropheteO'e forefees,and foretells their approaching ruine : Even their old fcore muft be paid, afterthe opinionof a cleere agr<ement. In vaine !hall we hope toquit our arrerages by prorogation.This Prophetdfe had immediate vi!ions from God,yct the mu!t fpeak out oftheBook; There was never any revelation from the D Lord that crotfed his.writings: His hand,and his tongue agroeeteroally: Ifthat book have curfed Iudah,flJe may not abfolve it. Yet,what agracious mixture was hereofmercy,with fev<rity; feverityro Iudah, tlltrcy to Iojiah; Iudah fhall beplaguedand !hall brcome a defolation, and a curfe; rojiab !hall be quietly houfed in his grave,before this !torme fall upon ludah: His eye {hall not fee, whar his people thall feele: Iris enough that the expetbtion of thefe evils af!liCl him,the!Cnfe thall not. Whence is this indulgence~ Brca•fi thine htm w.u ttndtr,and tho• haft h•mbtedlhJ folft6tfort tht Lord. How happy a thing it is to be a r<ed unto Gods judgmenrs,rather then an oak; the meek and geode reed /loops, and therefore !tands, the oak !tands !tiff<ty out again!t the llronge!t ~u!t, aod thmfore is turned up by the roots : Ar E lea!t,let us lament thofe fins we have not avoided;and mourne for the fins of ot~eu, whiles we hare ourown. He that found himfelfe exempted from this vengeance, by his repentance and deep humiliation, would fain find the fame way for the deliverance of his people: Thefame words <'fthe Law therefor~,rbat had wrought upon his heort, are by him cauled to be publikely read in the eares ofludah and Ierufalem ; Th,e a,lfembly is univerfall, ofPrie!ts, Prophets, people, both fmalland great 1 becaufe the fin was fuch, the danger was fuch: that no man may complain to want informati. on the Law of God founds in every eare. !four carebethut to the Law, the !in 'is ours; butifthe Law be flJUt tooureares, the fione is of oMr governours:Woe be to themthat hide Gods Booke from the the people, as they would do rats·bane frotn
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