The Kings Chronicle, Title page – Preface
THE KINGS CHRONICLE Latter SECTION.
WHEREIN The way, the good Kings, Prieſt and People have taken for the well-poſturing the Kingdome, is fully d…clared, and made glorious before the Eye of the Beholder by GODS own Right Hand, for the encouragement of all, who will walk in the ſame way, obſerve the ſame ſteps and motions there; and fixe their Eye upon the ſame Marke, The Glory of GOD; Their owne and the Peoples ſafety.
By HEZEKIAH WOODWARD.
JER. 32. 39. I will give them one heart and one way.
PROV. 12. 28. In the way of Righteo…ſneſſe there is life: And in the path way thereof there is no Death.
DAN. 11. 32. The People, that doe know their GOD ſhall be ſtrong and doe exploits.
LONDON, Printed by G. M. for George Miller and Thomas Ʋnderhill, and are to be ſold at the Signe of the Bible in Wood-street, 1643.
TO THEIR EXCELLENCIES ROBERT Earle of ESSEX Lord Generall of his Majeſties Army by Land:
ROBERT Earle of VVARWICK High Admirall of his Navy by Sea, for the Defence of the KING and KINGDOME; his Crown, their life, Religion, Lawes, Liberties, GRACE and PEACE be multiplied.
WHen I looked upon the ſubject matter of this Book▪ the Hiſtory of the good Kings their good way, good Ayms, good ends; The glory of God, Their owne and their peoples ſafety: I thought ſo honourably of it, as that it would become the hand of the higheſt Perſon in the Kingdome. But conſidering again, That my ſelfe, the loweſt of ten thouſand, has his hand in it, my thoughts fell very much in my own ſenſe, and much alſo in my Dedication, from a King to his Subjects; notwithſtanding, I think ſo honourably of it ſtill, and ſtill ſhall ſo thinke (not as it comes from my hand, but) as it comes from Gods mouth, That the Dedication will become two Perſons, though Subjects, yet the moſt Excellent in three Kingdoms. Such are You, who, feeling the weight of Duty to Your Prince and Country, doe wiſh from an entire and ingenuous heart, O King live for ever: And to his Kingdom, That it may be the Lords Kingdom. VponUpon this, The nobleſt deſign that ever was on foot, You do move, laying out Your ſelves and jeoparding your lives, To maintaine the Cauſe of God, His Goſpell, The Crowne of Your King, The Glory of the Kingdome.
You will find a mighty reſiſtance, All the Powers of darkneſſe againſt you, the King of the bottomles pit, and all his Subjects aſſociated now and folden together like thornes. But You cannot be diſcouraged, The God, Whom You ſerve is Great, The Cauſe You Owne and Appeare for, is His Cauſe▪ The way You are in, is troden before You, by all the truly Noble of the world, who made themſelves and their people a Bleſſing. You can ſuffer no more from the tongue and hand, then what all the good Kings and Princes have ſuffered before You in this way, not more hard words, nor more ungodly deeds. You cannot be brought to greater ſtraits, then theſe Nobles have bin in before You: A Ship toſſed with Tempests, is the Embleme of the Church: So He ſuffers the Cauſe of His Church to be carried as a Ship in a Storme, now VP, and yet the Righteous are where they were, not raiſed above the height of an holy confidence and humble dependance, knowing the manner how GOD brings His People to a wealthy place; Then DOWN, That the wicked may riſe in their hope, may be lifted▪up, and made lively and ſtrong to proſecute their owne way, and to haſten their owne ruine. But ſtill GOD is the ſame, as wakefull as ever; His Cauſe the ſame, and it ſhall be as victorious as ever, and the more oppoſition has or ſhall be made againſt Him, by the Aſsemblies of the wicked; The more glorious the victory ſhall be▪ And the more weight ſhall be added unto Your Crown of Glory, who have not forſaken their Maſter in the houre of Temptation, but have ſtood by Him, have owned His Cauſe, laid out Your Selves for Him.
So You have done; ſurely the Lord remembers this, and will let You know, What a good Master You have choſen, His Attributes ſhall be laid out for You; His VViſedome, Power, Goodneſſe; As You have laboured to advance His Name, He will make Your Name to ſpread, and to caſt a ſavour, ſweeter then the moſt precious oyntment to all Generations, when the Name of the wicked ſhall rot, and their memoriall be as the Cities, GOD over-threw and repented not.
Now bleſſed be GOD, Who hath inſtructed You to Diſcretion, giveth Courage and Might, that You can be valiant for the Cities of Your GOD, and can reſigne all into His Hands, to doe that, which is good in His Eyes. That which He do'… is good ſtill, and will be beſt at the laſt. In the meane time You know You ſerve a good Maſter, and have a good Cauſe in hand; And therfore can ſay with the whole Family of GOD; The LORD is our Iudge, The LORD is our King, He will ſave us. Amen ſay all, That love and feare the Lord all the world over, Amen and Amen.
THE PREFACE to the CHRONICLE.
WEe have ſeene the wayes of Ahabs Houſe, whether they led, and their counſels whether they tended, To the Deſtruction of all Judah; A Deſtruction at which the Nations ſtood aſtonied, for it was A caſting out of Judah from out of GODS ſight, A removing of them farre off, whom He had brought ſo neare, by ſo many engagements. If we have let this ſinke downe into our hearts, This Deſtruction from the LORD upon His owne people, will be a Terrour to us, ſo as we ſhall reade and feare, and doe no more preſumptuouſly.
We come now to behold the way of the good Kings; one and the ſame ſtill, not varied, not any turnings or windings there, (The wayes of the crooked Serpent:) But direct … and forward, By the ſame Rule; To the ſame end; In the uſe of the ſame meanes. This requires all obſervation: That theſe good Kings, all and every one, had a ſingle eye, and ſuch were their Aymes: They ſet before their eyes, honeſt and good ends, The GLORY of GOD: And the advancement of His Kingdome: They were reſolute, conſtant, and true unto thoſe ends (not …, not off and on) And they moulded and ſhaped their actions thereunto, by love, which formes a Perſon nothing more dexterouſly; Love to GOD, Love to His Truth, Love to His People, Love to their Peace. To ſumme▪up their Actions here▪ That we may, with more underſtanding, enlarge upon them afterwards. The firſt and prime worke was, The removing of all Abominations from out of GODS ſight, which abominable Idolaters had ſet-up before Hi…eyes.
2. Then they ASSOCIATED themſelves, came up to GOD and His …earmes, entred into Covenant with Him, and kept cloſe unto Him.
3. And all this with a perfect heart: and ſo they made themſelves and their People, as a brazen wall, and an Iron Pillar; The blaſt of the Terrible-ones could not move them. The purpoſe and tendency of all that followes, is, to cleare all this for the inſtruction of the living, That they may doe ſo alſo: But I must cleare Davids intentions towards his Maſter Saul firſt, to be Loyall and Legall.