The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 5 · Section 19 · Concurrent kings · Judah · Josiah
IOSIAH The 16th. King that reigned in Judah was JOSIAH.was eight years old when he began to reign (the youngeſt King that ever ſat upon the Throne of Judah) and reigned thirty one years in Jeruſalem. He did that which was right in the ſight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of David his Father. In the eighth year of his reign (and ſixteenth of his life) he began to ſeek after the God of David his Father, and to inquire how he might ſerve the Lord aright, and did openly declare and manifeſt his Religious care to ſet up and further the true worſhip of God; and in the twelfth year of his reign (and twentieth of his life) he began to purge Judah and Jeruſalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved and molten images, and from all that filth of Idolatry wherein they had ſo long lain; which he did with a great deal of zeal and fervency of ſpirit.
2 Chron. 34.1, 2, 3.
2 King. 22.1, 2.
In the thirteenth year of his reign the Prophet Jeremy began to Propheſie [Jer. 1.2.] by whom doubtleſs Joſiah was much encouraged in the ways of Piety. The Collector of his Propheſies did not ſet down all things in the order of time as they were done, but poſſibly as they came to his hands. Jeremy Propheſied eighteen years in Joſiah's time, eleven in Iehoiakim's, and eleven in Zedekiah's; ſo that he bore the iniquity of the houſe of Iudah forty years, [ſee Ezek. 4.6.]
In the eighteenth year of his reign and twenty ſixth of his life, he began to ſet upon repairing of the Temple, and ſent Shaphat the Scribe, and Maaſeiah, and Ioah, (great officers of State, 2 Chron. 34.8.) to Hilkiah the High Prieſt, that the money that had been collected for that uſe might be delivered into the hands of the overſeers of the work (who were faithful men) therewith to buy materials to repair the Temple (a)We do not read of any ſolemn repairing of it ſince the days of Joaſh, 2 King. 12.2, 5. and now above two hundred years had paſſed between Joaſh and Joſiah. So that the Temple might well ſtand in need of repair at this time. See 2 King. 12.15., and the Chambers of the Prieſts and Levites, (which ſome of the Idolatrous Kings of Iudah had ſuffered to run to decay) and to pay the workmen that ſo the work might go on. Hilkiah doing accordingly, and going in hand with the work, as he was ſearching into thoſe parts of the Temple that needed repair, he found the original copy of the Law written by Moſes, (which was at firſt laid up in the ſide of the Ark of the Covenant, Deut. 31.24, 25, 26. which ſeemeth to have been miſſing ever ſince the beginning of Manaſſeh's reign, who poſſibly at firſt endeavoured to burn all the Books of the Law, and ſo this Book was hid in ſome ſecret place of the Temple by ſome faithful Prieſt that it might be preſerved for future times. Hilkiah having found it, he ſent it by Shaphan the Scribe unto the King, who having heard it read all over to him was exceedingly affected therewith, and rent his clothes, and more eſpecially (as 'tis likely) at thoſe dreadful threatnings againſt Idolatry which are written in Levit. 26. & Deut. 28. Hereupon he immediately ſent to(b)Miriam and Deborah, and Anna were all Propheteſſes. Thus the Lord is pleas'd to endue ſome women with the spirit of Propheſie, to ſhew that he is not tyed to any ſex. Huldah a famous Propheteſs, (who dwelt in Ieruſalem in the ſuburbs or ſecond part) and deſired her to ask counſel of the Lord for him; Ieremy poſſibly being not then at Ieruſalem, but at Anathoth. For Ioſiah hearing thoſe curſes in the Law denounced againſt Idolatry, and knowing how much ſome of his Predeceſſors had been guilty thereof, he much ſeared leſt the judgments threatned in that Book might fall upon him and his people, and deſired to know whither there might be any means to pacifie Gods wrath, and prevent thoſe judgments. Huldah returned this anſwer, Thus ſaith the Lord, Behold I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curſes written in the Book, which the King of Judah hath read, becauſe they have forſaken me, and burnt incenſe to other gods, and have provoked me to anger with the works of their hands, (viz. their idols and altars) therefore my wrath ſhall be kindled againſt this place, and ſhall not be quenched; (intimating the utter extirpation of the Jews out of that good land) but to the King of Judah who ſent you, ſay to him, Thus ſaith the Lord, as touching the words and threatnings which thou haſt heard read out of the Book, becauſe thy heart was tender, (and ſoon moved at the hearing of my threatnings) and thou haſt humbled thy ſelf before me when thou heardeſt what I ſpake againſt this place, and the inhabitants thereof, that they ſhould become a deſolation and a curſe, (that is have the curſes written in this Book executed upon it) and haſt rent thy clothes, and wept before me, Behold I will gather thee unto thy pious anceſtors in heaven before theſe dreadful calamities ſhall fall upon this place and people, and thou ſhalt be gathered unto thy grave in peace.
This anſwer of Huldahs being brought to the King, his heart was ſo affected with it that to prevent (if it were poſſible) this judgment threatned, he called together the Elders of Judah and Jeruſalem, together with the Prieſts and Prophets, (viz. Jeremy, Baruck, Zephany and Ʋriah) and the people both ſmall and great, and cauſed one of the Levites to read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant *The Law is called a Cove ant becauſe obed…ence was therein requir'd on the peoples part, and a bleſſing thereupon promiſed on Gods part., ſo called becauſe it contained the Covenant that God made with the people of Iſrael. See 1 King. 8.9.
And the King ſtood by the Pillar on the Braſen Scaffold, (or on ſome Throne erected by a pillar in the Temple for him to ſtand upon at that time), and there ſolemnly made a Covenant before the Lord in his own name, and the name of the people to walk after the Lord, that is, to obſerve what he preſcrib'd unto them, and to keep his commandments, teſtimonies and ſtatutes with all their heart, and with all their ſoul, and to perform the words of the Covenant written in that Book, and he cauſed all that were preſent to give their conſent to it, and the inhabitants of Jeruſalem were the moſt forward to engage themſelves to walk according to the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers, and did accordingly ſo walk.
Then the King commanded Hilkiah the High Prieſt and the Prieſts that were next unto him, and the Levites to bring forth out of the Temple *Joſiah did begin to purge Judah and Jeruſalem of Idols in the twelfth year of his reign, ſix years before the Book of the Law was found, but upon hearing thoſe dreadful threatnings in the Law againſt Idolatry, he now proceeded further, and perfected that reformation which was then begun. Therefore the Penman of the Sacred Hiſtory of the Chronicles relating the Reformation that Joſiah wrought in the twelfth year of his reign, adds alſo what was done afterwards when the Book of the Law was found, and ſpeaking how he ſuppreſſed Idolatry upon the hearing of the Law read to him, he joins many things of the ſame nature that were done in the twelfth year of his reign, that all his zealous acts in rooting out Idolatry might he related together.all the veſſels that were made for Baal, and uſed in his worſhip, or in the Idolatrous worſhip of the Groves, or of the Hoſt of Heaven, and he burnt them in the field by which the river Kidron did run, and carried the aſhes of them to Bethel, therewith to defile the prime ſeat of Jeroboams Idolatry. Theſe things had been us'd by Manaſſeh and Amon, but were ſet aſide (as it ſeems) in ſome by-place of the Temple in Joſiah's time, and ſeeing ſtill they remained there, this good King's zeal would not permit them to be there any longer. And he put down the Idolatrous Prieſts or Chemarim whom the Kings of Judah had ordained to burn incenſe in high places in the Cities of Judah, and in places round about Jeruſalem. He put down thoſe alſo who burnt incenſe to Baal, or to the Sun, Moon, and the Planets and hoſt of heaven, and he brought out the Image whereon a grove was engraven, which (it ſeems) was hung up in the Temple, and ſtampt it to powder, and caſt the duſt thereof upon the graves of thoſe that had worſhipped Idols, and ſacrificed unto them, 2 Chron. 34.4. And he brake down the Tents of the Sodomites that were in the grove by the houſe of the Lord, and where the women wove hangings for thoſe filthy tents; ſo that in that grove they not only worſhipped Idols but (as it ſeems) defiled themſelves alſo with all manner of abominable uncleanneſs. And he brought all the Prieſts that were the Sons of Aaron (and had ſerved the true God in high places) out of the Cities where they had exerciſed that falſe worſhip and would not ſuffer them to live there, and he defiled the high places even from Geba the North border of the Kingdom of Judah to Beerſheba the South-border, and beat down their Altars, and burned dead mens bones on them, v. 14. to make them unclean; and brake down the high places that were erected at the entring of the Gates by Joſhua the Governour of the City (whither it ſeems many of the people uſed to reſort) ſo that in his reformation he ſpared neither the high places of great or ſmall. And the Prieſts of theſe high places he permitted not to offer ſacrifice at the Altar in the Temple, yet he permitted them to eat of the unleavened bread, that is of the ſhew-bread, and ſuch proviſions *Species hic Synecdochice ponitur pro genere, q.d. participes erant omnium illorum, quibus alii ſacerdotes veſci poterant. Tirinus.as were allotted for the maintenance of the Prieſts. Alſo he defiled Tophet an high place in the valley of the Son of Hinnon near Jeruſalem, [Joſh. 15.8. by caſting dead mens bones into it, that none might hereafter ſacrifice his Son to Molech in that place as they had us'd to do. Moreover he took away the horſes that had been nouriſhed and kept to carry men with ſpeed from the Gate of the houſe of the Lord †Equitabant ab ingreſſa Templi ad cameram Nathan-Melech vel ad ſuburbia. Munſter.to the chamber or houſe of Nathan-Melech the Chamberlain, which was in the ſuburbs of the City of David, where they might ſee the Sun riſe, and ſo might worſhip it at its firſt appearing, which was an Idolatrous practice of the Perſians, and (it ſeems) the Iſraelites had learned it from them. And he burnt the Chariots wherein the worſhippers of the Sun were carried (by the help of thoſe horſes) to ſee the Sun riſe; or perhaps the Idolatrous. Iſraelites might ſet a glorious image of the Sun in one of thoſe Chariots which at ſometimes was drawn up and down by thoſe horſes for all ſorts of people to ſee and adore. And therefore he is ſaid to have burnt the Chariots but to have taken away the horſes. Furthermore the Altars that were on the flat roof of an upper Chamber of Ahaz, which poſſibly he made to ſacrifice thereon to the Sun, Moon and Stars, [ſee Jer. 19.13. & Zeph. 1.4, 5.] And the Altars which Manaſſeh had made in the two Courts of the Lords houſe did he break to pieces. For though Manaſſeh after his repentance did caſt out of the City all the Idolatrous Altars that he had made, [ſee 2 Chron. 33.15.] yet poſſibly Amon his Son might reſtore them to their places again, and ſo they might have continued until now, but Joſiah now tumbleth them down, breaks them to pieces, and beats them to powder, and caſts the duſt of them into the brook Kidron. And the high places which were near Jeruſalem on the right hand of the mount of corruption, (viz. Mount Olivet ſo called becauſe it was ſo full of Idols in the days of Solomon *See 1 King. 11.7., wherewith the people corrupted themſelves, Deut. 32.5.) he defiled, as he had done other high places before. 'Tis like thoſe high places were defac'd by Aſa or Jehoſhaphat, or Hezekiah, but Amon might put them to thoſe Idolatrous uſes for which they were before erected, and thereupon Joſiah took occaſion utterly to demoliſh them, that they might never again be uſed for any ſuch purpoſe. Thus we ſee how zealouſly this good King endeavoured a thorough reformation by breaking in pieces Idolatrous Images, and cutting down Idolatrous Groves, and defiling thoſe thoſe places with dead mens bones, that they might never be uſed for thoſe purpoſes again.
2 King. 22. from 3, to the end.
Chap. 23. from 1, to the 15.
2 Chron. 34. from 8, to the end.
Joſiah now proceeds further in his reformation even to the Cities of the Ten Tribes, which he had any power over; and firſt he went to Bethel, where coming to the high-place which Jeroboam the firſt had there made, and ſeeing many ſepulchres in the mount of the Idolatrous Prieſts that had been there buried. He (undoubtedly by a ſpecial inſtinct from God) cauſed their bones to be taken up, and burnt them on that Altar, and thereby polluted it according to the word of the Lord which the man of God ſpake, 1 King. 13.2. Who cried againſt that Altar in the word of the Lord, and ſaid, O Altar, Altar, thus ſaith the Lord, Behold a child ſhall be born unto the houſe of David, Joſiah by name, and upon thee ſhall he offer the Prieſts of the high places that burn incenſe upon thee, and mens bones ſhall be burnt upon thee. Then looking about he ſaw an inſcription upon a monument, and inquiring what it ſignified, the men of the City told him it was the ſepulchre of the man of God, who came from Judah and foretold that Joſiah ſhould do theſe things. And the old Prophet that ſeduced him buried him in that ſepulchre; and gave order that he himſelf ſhould be there buried alſo, and that there ſhould be an inſcription made, declaring that there the man of God was buried, that when the time came that the things which he had propheſied ſhould be fulfilled, his ſepulchre might hereby be known from the reſt, and ſo neither the bones of the man of God, nor his own bones might be diſturbed. Joſiah being ſatisfied by the inſcription whoſe ſepulchre it was, he gave order that the bones of thoſe two Prophets ſhould not be diſturbed, and ſo the old Prophets deſire was fulfilled, ſee 1 King. 13.31, 32. Then he brake down the high place, and the Altar, and ſtampt it ſmall to powder, and burnt the Grove where the high place was. Then he proceeded to the Cities of Manaſſeh, Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, and cauſed the Altars and graven Images to be broken down with mattocks, and did unto them as he had done at Bethel. And ſuch Idolatrous Prieſts as he met with, who ſacrificed to falſe gods, and oppoſed him in this reformation, he ſlew upon their Altars, and therein fulfilled what was long ſince propheſied, 1 King. 13.1, 2. And Joſiah took away all the abominations out of the Countries that belonged to the children of Iſrael (over which he had power) and cauſed all of them (as much as he could) to ſerve the Lord their God, and all his days they departed not from following the Lord God of their Fathers, 2 Chron. 34.33. Whereby it appears that though the Ten Tribes were carried away captive into Aſſyria, yet there were ſome both of the Prieſts and people, that either were left behind, or return'd *Abeuntibus Aſſyriis, multi profugi & exules (qui antea fuga, alio & alio dilapſi ſunt) ad ſuas ſedes redierunt cum ſuis ſacerdotibus, ibi que ut ante idola ſua coluerunt.again into the land of Samaria. It appears alſo that the greateſt part of the Kingdom of Samaria was at this time under the power of Joſiah, which poſſibly the King of Babylon (who ſet Manaſſeh at liberty) might give him with his liberty on condition that he ſhould defend his Territories againſt the Egyptians, who began in thoſe times with great power and ſucceſs to oppoſe the Babylonians.
2 King. 23. from 15, to 21.
2 Chron. 34. from 4, to 8.
In the ſame 18th. year of his reign, on the 14th. day of the firſt Month, in the preſence of the people of Judah and Iſrael, and the inhabitants of Jeruſalem, he kept the Feaſt of the Paſſover. And he ſet the Prieſts in their charges, and encouraged them to perform the ſervice of the houſe of the Lord. And he ſaid to the Levites, (that is, to the Prieſts of the Tribe of Levi, who prepared the holy things of the Lord) Put the holy Ark in the houſe of the Lord. It ſeems the Ark in Amon's reign had been carried out of the moſt holy place, poſſibly that ſome Idol might be ſet up in its room. Or elſe it had been purpoſely carried out by ſome pious Prieſts, that it might not ſtand there among thoſe heatheniſh Idols that were brought into the Temple; and now Joſiah orders it to be reſtored to its proper place again, telling the Prieſts that it would not now be a burden unto them ; it muſt abide in the Temple, and not be carried from place to place upon their ſhoulders as formerly it had been before the Temple was built; and they being now delivered from that burden ſhould ſerve the Lord their God more faithfully and cheerfully, and ſhould ſerve his people alſo by diligently inſtructing them,and performing thoſe ſervices for them that tended to their ſpiritual good. And becauſe ſeveral families of the Levites were appointed to attend upon the ſacrifices and offerings of ſeveral families of each Tribe, ſome being to be imploy'd in that holy ſervice for ſuch and ſuch families, V. 6. Prepare for your brethren: Praeparate agnos pro fratribus veſtris. J. T.and others for others, therefore he appoints them to ſtand in the holy place and to attend the ſervice that was to be done, according to the diviſions of the families of the people, and according to the diviſion of their own families.He exhorts them alſo to ſanctifie themſelves, and to prepare the ſacrifices for the Prieſts to offer, that they might do their duty as God had enjoyn'd them. Then Joſiah gave to the people for Paſſover offerings, viz. of lambs and kids (for either of theſe kinds might be offered) thirty thouſand; and for other offerings three thouſand bullocks, all of the herds and flocks that belonged to the King, [ſee 2 Chron. 30.24.] and his Princes gave alſo willingly and liberally to the Prieſts, Levites, and the people; and Hilkiah the High Prieſt, and Zachariah, and Jehiel, (who with the High Prieſt were Rulers over other Prieſts and Levites in the houſe of God) gave to the inferiour Prieſts two thouſand, and ſix hundred ſmall cattle, and three hundred oxen. And ſix eminent Levites (who were Fathers, and Rulers over the reſt of the Levites) gave unto the inferiour Levites for Paſſover-offerings five thouſand ſmall cattel, and for other offerings five hundred oxen. So all things fit and requiſite for a ſolemn Paſſover were provided and made ready, and the Prieſts ſtood in their place, and the Levites in their order, according to the Kings Commandment. So they kill'd the Paſſover, every father of a family for himſelf and his family, and the Levites for themſelves, and for other Levites, who were otherwiſe imployed, and the Prieſts ſprinkled the blood on the Altar which they received from their hands, and the Levites flayed the ſacrifices; and they ſeparated ſuch ſacrifices as were to be eaten from the burnt-offerings which were wholly to be conſumed on the Altar, that ſo of the reſt they might give to the people partly for Paſchal lambs, partly for peace-offerings, whereof both Prieſts and people were to have a ſhare. And they roſted the Paſſover with fire, but ſo much of the peace-offerings as was to be prepar'd for the offerers to eat before the Lord, they ſod in pots and chaldrons, and pans, and ſo divided them among the people. Afterwards the Levites made ready for themſelves,V. 15. Jeduthun is call'd the Kings Ster. Heman & Aſaph alſo had this Title, the reaſon of which ſee 2 King. 17.13. and for the Prieſts who being imployed even until night in offering the burnt-offerings, and the fat, &c. had no time to provide for themſelves. And the Singers ſtood in their places to perform their ſervice according to the commandment of David.The Porters alſo attended at the Gates, and did not depart from their ſervice during that ſolemnity, and thereupon the Levites prepared for them as they had done for the Prieſts. Thus all things that appertained to the ſervice and worſhip of God, and to the keeping the Paſſover, and the offering of the burnt-offerings were duly performed that day according to the Kings command. And ſo they kept the Paſſover at that time, and the feaſt of unleavened bread ſeven days after. And there was no Paſſover like to this kept in Iſrael from the days of Samuel the Prophet, neither did any of the Kings of Iſrael either David or Solomon, or any of the Kings of Judah ſince the diviſion of the Kingdom keep ſuch a Paſſover as Joſiah now kept, if we conſider the multitude of ſacrifices that were offered and freely given by the King, Princes, Prieſts and Levites, and the exceeding joy of the good people, that Religion was reſtored again to its purity among them. Furthermore, Joſiah took away all witches and ſooth-ſayers, all images and dunghil-gods, and all abominations which were found in the land of Judah, and in Jeruſalem, that he might perform all the words that were written in the Book that was found by Hilkiah the Prieſt in the houſe of the Lord. And there was no King that was before him (in the Throne of Judah) like unto him, or that followed after him if we conſider the fervency of his zeal for the rooting out of Idolatry, and other abominations which had prevailed before his time, and if we conſider the innocence and integrity of his life, and his diligent heeding the law of the Lord. We have indeed obſerved upon 2 King. 18.5. that in ſome particulars Hezekiah excelled him, but in others Joſiah excelled Hezekiah, as in his contrition and deep humiliation for the wickedneſs that prevailed before his time, [ſee 2 King. 22.19.] His ſolemn making a Covenant with the Lord, and engaging his ſubjects therein to reform their ways; his ſolemn keeping of the Paſſover, his zealous purging not only Judah and Benjamin from Idolatry, but the Cities of Iſrael under his power; beſides he was not puft up with pride as Hezekiah was. But though Joſiah was in his own perſon ſo excellent a Prince, yet (it ſeems) the people though they yielded to his reformation out of awe and reſpect to him, yet in their hearts many of them did ſtill approve Manaſſeh's wicked ways *2 Reg. 23.26 Proptet irritationes Manaſſis, quia is Idololatriae ingentem ſaevitiam addiderat, approbante magna parte populi, and this ſoon appear'd after Joſiah's death, for all his children did quickly return to Manaſſeh's Idolatry, and followed him in his abominations but not in his repentance and converſion. The Lord thereupon ſaid, I will remove Judah out of my ſight as I have removed Iſrael, (that is, out of the land which I choſe for my habitation, and to manifeſt my gracious preſence in) and will caſt off this City of Jeruſalem which I have choſen, and the houſe of which I ſaid my name ſhall be there.
2 King. 23. from 21, to 28.
2 Chron. 35. from 1, to 20.
Now after Joſiah had prepared the Temple and ſetled the true worſhip of God therein, and made ſuch a great reformation of all things, as we have before ſhewn, yet it ſo happened that in the thirty firſt year of his reign, Pharoah Necho King of Egypt came up with his Army to fight againſt Carchemiſh a City lying upon the River Euphrates, which the King of Babylon (who was alſo now King of Aſſyria) had taken from him. He entred the Kingdom of Judah with his Army, but deſigned only to paſs thorough it to Carchemiſh without doing any injury or hurt to Joſiah; but it ſeems Joſiah thought himſelf bound in faith and honour to hinder his paſſage, and to prevent, as much as lay in him, his enterprize againſt the Babylonians to whom he was obliged either by Covenant made at the enlargement of Manaſſeh, or by their giving him that part of the Country which he held in the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes. Pharoah Necho underſtanding he intended to oppoſe him, ſent Ambaſſadours to him, one of whom perſonating their King, ſpake to him after this manner, What I have to do with thee thou King of Judah, I come not out againſt thee this day, but againſt the houſe of the Aſſyrian with whom I have war. For God hath commanded me (by ſome of his Prophets) to make haſt and to aſſault them, therefore I adviſe thee to forbear hindring me who go out with Gods commiſſion, leſt therein thou be found to oppoſe God himſelf, and he deſtroy thee for it. But it ſeems Joſiah did not believe that he had warrant from God for what he did, and therefore reſolv'd to oppoſe him, and fight with him; and being thus reſolv'd he diſguiſed himſelf that he might not be known in the battel to be the King, and that he might fight the more boldly and ſucceſsfully; for he was ſenſible that if the enemy knew him they would bend their chief force againſt him. The Armies met and came to a battel in the valley of Megiddo in the Tribe of Manaſſeh near Hadadrimmon, the Archers of the Egyptians ſhot deſperately at Joſiah, either ſuſpecting him to be the King, or elſe obſerving his valour in the fight they were the more provoked to aim at him, and to endeavour to take him off as a principal enemy. But ſo it was, that he was thereby ſorely wounded in his chariot, and thereupon ſpake to his ſervants to have him out of the fight, which they did, and put him into another chariot, intending to bring him to Jeruſalem, but being mortally wounded he died in the way. Thus God puniſhed the wickedneſs of the people by taking away their good King from them. And becauſe he died before thoſe troubles and calamities fell upon that Nation which Huldah the Propheteſs foretold, and which afterwards enſued, and whilſt the Kingdom was in a flouriſhing condition, and died in the love and favour of God, therefore he may be ſaid to be gathered to his grave in peace, according to Huldahs prediction. He was buried in one of the Sepulchers of his Fathers, and the whole people wonderfully lamented his death, and the Prophet Jeremiah more eſpecially, who knew the evil that would follow after his death; and all the ſinging-men and ſinging-women ſpake of Joſiah in their lamentations, and made mention of his death, even in the mournings they made for others, inſomuch as it came to be a conſtant cuſtom, and as it were a ſetled ordinance to ſpeak of Joſiah's death in their doleful Elegies. And it grew almoſt into a common Proverb, The lamentation of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo, Zach. 12.11. And poſſibly upon the loſs of ſo good a King, a law or ordinance was enacted that ſome doleful Elegies or lamentations ſhould yearly be ſung for him, and theſe were recorded and ſet down among other mournful Elegies, which upon occaſions of publick calamity were us'd to be ſung.
2 Chron. 35. from 20, to the end.
1 King. 23. v. 29, 30.
The Prophet ZEPHANY Propheſied in this Kings reign, as Jeremy alſo did.The Propheſie of ZEPHANY. His Propheſie may be divided into four parts:
1. He denounces dreadful judgments againſt Judah and Ieruſalem, which ſhould be diſtreſſed by the Caldeans without, within, and in every corner, and there ſhould be a great ſpoiling of their goods, and ſlaughtering of their people.
2. He ſets before them the heinous ſins that were found among them, which would draw theſe judgments upon them: 1. Idolatry in worſhipping Baal, and the hoſt of heaven. 2. Corrupting of Religion, and mingling the worſhip of Idols with that of the true God. 3. Apoſtaſie after their ſolemn Covenant made with the Lord. 4. The pride of apparel among thoſe of the Court and others. 5. Oppreſſion. 6. Blaſphemy, denying Gods Providence. 7. Security in ſinning, being ſetled upon their lees. 8. Infidelity. 9. Incorrigibleneſs. 10. Stupid incogitancy, being not moved to repent by the examples of Gods judgments which they ſaw poured out upon the Nations round about them. 11. Tyranny in their Princes and Iudges. 12. Vanity and treachery in their Prophets.
3. He exhorts them to repentance, and to ſeek the Lord, to ſeek righteouſneſs, to ſeek meekneſs, and that ſpeedily before the decree bring forth. Which if they would do, he tells them it may be they may be hid in the day of the Lords anger. This he further urges upon them from the exemplary judgments that God would inflict on other Nations that were impenitent, viz. the Philiſtines, Moabites, Ammonites, Ethiopians and Aſſyrians.
4. And laſtly he gives ſome gracious promiſes from the Lord to the faithful. He tells them the Lord would leave in the midſt of them an afflicted and poor people, and they ſhould truſt in his name. He propheſies of the converſion of the Gentiles, and that they ſhall be joined to the Church. He promiſes the reſtauration of the Iews, and their return from captivity, and that God will deſtroy their afflicting adverſaries, and will ſanctifie them, protect them, and take away their puniſhments; in contemplation of which he calls upon the daughter of Zion to rejoice, and eſpecially in Gods gracious preſence and reſidence among them, and making them the ſatisfying object of his love, in ſo much he would rejoice over them to do them good, and would reſt in his love *C…eſcit in amo… ſuo erga te..