Lr.e.XX. Jofiahs ~formation . A from the eyes of childre.1 : Ignorant foules cannot f"'dfh without their murder: ---- There is oofeareofknowiogcoomuch, thcreiscoo much fc::uc: ofpraltizino too little: Now, ifthe peopledoe not imitate their King in rdenring, they ate not0wor_ chy to pattake with him in his impunity. Howfoevet they fblll nor want a great exampl<,as of [orrow,foofamendment.Good I•fiah !lands by the pillar,and folemnly renues his Covenantwith his God; the people cannot for fbame refufe to fecond him: Even they that lookt for a defltuCtioa, yer doe not withdraw thdr obedience; Gods Children may not bo fullen under his correCtions, but whether .they cxpetl or fede fmarr,are no other then durifull w his awfull hand. AI a man that finds he hath done fomerhing that might indanger the forfeit of his favour, puts himfdfe into fome del<:rving aCtion, whereby he may hope tor<-indeare himfdfe, fo doth Iofiah B here; No indeavour is enough toteflifie his zealeto that name of God which was fo profaned by his peoples Idolatry; what evermonuments were yet remaining of wicked Paganifme, he defaces with indignation,be buroes the veffds of Baal, •nd puts down his Cht"!arim,deflroyes the houfes ofthe Sodornites,!lra.~es the po.wder ofrhcir Jaols i~ the brook Ktdrol!, <lefi.tes Tophith,ukes away chehorfes of the Sun, burns the charers of the Sun with fire,and omits nothin;~th~t might reconcile God, clearJudah,perfeet a.reformation. .. _ Neitheris thiscareconfined to Jerofalem, & the neighbouring Townes,but firetchesit fdfe to the utmofl coafisof Iojiahs Kingdom1 Btthtlwas the infamous feat of the pollution oflfrad;it feemes rhe,heyr<s of Imhoarn (who f~t up his golden Calle thrrr) injoyed it not long; th~ Kiogs ofJudah rrcovr:r~d it to their crowne, bur., ic ·c had not yet recovered it fdfe from that ancient infeCtion: Thither doth good Iojiah fend the unhallowedafhes of Baals Rcliques,ro llain that alrar fir !I , which he wilt foonafcer deface. _ The timewas,and it was no leffe then three hundrell and fifty yeares fince, that the man ofGod,out of)ud~h,cryed 3f!ainfl Jeroboams alr1r. o .A/t.,,Ait4r; Thtu faith the Lord;BtholdAChildJbaU bt bom, Hll/otht ho•fi of David.Tojiah by name,a•a •!"' tbtt fo•U ht •ffer tht Pritjlt of the high plaw, that h11rn ;,. ctnfi"fiN 1het1AIIdmt»S /Jonu jba0 he ~urnt upon fhCt. And now is thehoure come, wherein everyofrhofe words fhall be accomplifbed: It could nor but be a great confirmation to Io.fiab,to fee that God fo long agoe foremark< him for hisown;and fore-named him to fo zealous a fervice. D All our names are equally foreknown of that divine providence, though nor fore-fpoken : neither can anyatl paffefrom us, which was not pre-determined in that er<rnall Counfell ofrheAlmighty:neithercan any aCl that Is pre-determined be unfuiGlled upon earth : Intervention oftime breaks no fquares in the divine decrees: our pur-blindeyes feenothing,butthat which rouchech their lids; the quick Gght of Gods prefcience fees that,as prcfent,which is aworlddff: According to rhepredi<tion, the flench ofdead mens bones isa fit perfume to fend up from this alrarco hclven,whofe be!l facrifices favoured worfe in the noflrils ofGod. And the blood of the idolatrous facrificers was a meet oblation to that God, who had been difbonau· red by their burnt.offerings to his bafe corrivals. Even that Prophet who foretold this , had histoomb in Btthtl, and thattoomb E had his infcription; His weakneffe might not rob him of the honour of his fepul - ture:How palpable doe thefeIfraelites condemne themfdves, whiles they refcrve fo famous a monument oftheir ownconvitlion! It was no prejudice ro this holy Prophet,that his bones lay amongfi the fepulchers of idolaters, Hi~ Epitaph preferved thofebones from burning, upon that altar, which he had accurfed ; Asrbe Lyon might not tear his carkall'e,when he died,fo now, thefury of the multitude may nor violate the v<ry bones, in his grave. .. I do not fee lofi•h flvethem forreliques; I hetre him command they fball rdl in !"'ace; it is fit thedead bodies of Gods Saints fbould be as free from conren'rpt, as from Superflition. After the removall ofthefe rites of fllfeworfhip, it istime tobring in the true: Now a f?lemn Paifeover 01311 b: kept unto the Lord,byrhechnge oflljia6: That - book
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