The Balm of the Covenant, Title page 2
A SERMON Preached for the Funeral OF THAT Excellent and Religious GENTLEMAN IOHN VPTON OF LUPTON, Esq
LONDON: Printed for I. Harris, at the Harrow against the Church in the Poultrey. 1688.
TEXT.
2 Chron. 35.24, 25.
His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Ierusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers: and all Iudah and Ierusalem mourned for Iosiah. Ver. 25. And Ieremiah lamented for Iosiah, and all the singing men, and the singing-women spake of Iosiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and behold they are written in the Lamentations.
IN this Context we have the History of the Pious Life, and Tragical Death of good King Iosiah. The History of his Life gives u… an account of both what he was, and what he did. As to his Personal Endowments and Qualifications, they were singular and eximious, as appears by the fourfold Character by which he is described in the Context: for,
First, He espoused the interest of Religion betimes, even in his Youth; cap. 34. ver. 3. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: And that under the great disadvantage of an ill Education, such a Morning promised a glorious Day.
Secondly, He hated all corruptive mixtures in the Worship of God, and was answerably zealous for Reformation; ibid. And in the twelfth year he began to purge Iuda… and Ierusalem from the high places, and the groves, &c. as knowing well he and his people might expect no more of Gods blessing on the Ordinances, than there was of his presence in them; and no more of his presence can rationally be expected, than there is of his own Order and Institution.
Thirdly, He was of a very tender impressive heart, mourning for publick sins and dangers; ver. 26, 27. Because thy heart was tender, and thou didst humble thy self before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof; and humbledst thy self before me, and didst rend thy cloaths, and weep before me, &c. He was not so intent upon his own pleasures (though in the sprightly vigour of Youth) nor on the weighty concerns of the Kingdom, as to forget the interest of God, and the greater concerns of his Glory.
Fourthly, He was exceeding careful to propagate the interest of Religion, and spread it far and wide among his People. Though he could not infuse the inward Principle, (that was the work of God) yet he did enjoyn the external practice of it upon all his Subjects, which was his part and duty; ver. 33. He made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. And all his days they departed not from following the God of their Fathers.
But yet good Iosiah had his mistakes and failings. The best of men are but men at best▪ He was too rash and hasty in resolving, and too stiff and obstinate when resolved; and this was the occasion of his ruine. The case was thus:
Pharoah Necho King of Egypt, was at that time making War upon Charchemish, a place that belonged to him, but was taken from him by the King of Assyria, so the War of Necho was a just War; and Iudah lying between him and Charchemish, and being at peace with Iudah, he requests leave of Iosiah to march his Army peaceably through his Country to the seat of the War: Iosiah takes an Alarm from this Message, and arms against him. Hereupon Necho send Embassadours to Iosiah, chap. 35. ver. 21. saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Iudah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make hast: forbear thee from medling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.
Expositors conceive Necho had this discovery of the mind of God, from the Prophet Ieremiah, Ierom à lapide. Iustin Martyr.Per oraculum non scriptum, sed viva voce editum: even by word of mouth. If so, no doubt Ieremiah also disswaded Iosiah from going out against him: However, this is clear, Iosiah did not consult the mind of God about that expedition, as he ought, and was too hasty and resolute therein; ver. 22. Nevertheless Iosiah would not turn his face from him, &c. By this means this excellent man came to a tragical end, and that in the very flower of his days. He dies in that unhappy Expedition, from which he would not be diverted; is brought home to Ierusalem in the second Chariot; dies, and is buried in the Sepulchre of his Fathers, to the universal sorrow of all good men in Israel, as you read in the Text; wherein we have these two parts to consider.
I. The Nature and Quality of the Lamentation.
II. The Cause and Ground of it.
1. For the Lamentation here made, it was extraordinary; never such cries heard before in Israel at any Funeral, whether we consider it either,
1. Extensively,
2. Intensively, or
3. Protensively.
1. Extensively, all Iudah and Ierusalem, that is, City and Country mourned that day; not every Individual, but all that had any sense of the worth of the man, the good that he did, or the evils that followed upon his removal. No doubt the Priests of Baal, their Abettors, and Associates, secretly rejoyced at his fall; but all good men mourned. But among all the Mourners, one only is specified by name, and that is Ieremiah the Prophet, in whom all the faithful Ministers of God were included. To them he was a true and faithful Friend; and in him they lost a Father, and a famous Instrument of Reformation.
2. Consider it Intensively, as to the degree of the sorrow, it was a bitter Lamentation: so pungent, intense, and deep▪ that the Mourning of the Iews for Christ, at the time of their conversion to him, is compared to this Mourning for Iosiah. Zach. 12. ver. 11. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Ierusalem, …s the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. This Hadadrimmon was a little Town in the Valley of Megiddon near the place of this fatal Battle, whose Inhabitants receiving the first tydings of the fall of Iosiah, made the Town ring with doleful Outcries and Lamentations.
3. Lastly, Consider it Protensively, in its continuance and duration, it was made an Ordinance in Israel; and accordingly the singing-men and singing-women spake of Iosiah in their lamentations to this day: i. e. Whenever any solemn Funeral or publick Calamity was solemniz'd in Israel, those persons that were skilful in Lamentations, brought in the story of Iosiah's death, as the burthen of that doleful Song or Funeral-Elegy.
II. Let us consider the Cause and Ground of this Lamentation, which certainly was great and weighty enough to justifie that sorrow, as great and bitter as it was: for in him they lost a faithful, publick, useful, zealous, and tender-hearted Instrument, whose Life had been eminently useful to the Church of God, and whose Death opened the gap to all the following Calamities upon Iudah.
Now considering Iosiah, here especially in his religious capacity, as so faithful, industrious, and useful an Instrument for the Church of God, rather than in his political capacity as a King, the Note from it will be this.