The Kings Chronicle in Two Sections, Chapter 6
THE ACTS OF AMAZIAH. CHAP. VI.
Amaziah begins well, does that which is good, but not with a good heart; He executes Judgement and Juſtice; He expects ſtrength by thoſe, from whom the GOD of Power is departed; and helpe from helpleſſe things; So hee provokes GOD; invites and haſtens his owne deſtruction.
AMAZIAH begins well, for he did that which 2 Chro. 25. 1.was right in the ſight of the LORD. But there was one grace wanting, the chief grace ver. 2.of a Chriſtian, that was SINCERITY or truth of heart, which we may call a Christians perfection in this life; his Perfection is a ſtriving after perfection, in ſincerity, and with an upright heart; This Sincerity the King wanted, and that is all, which GOD accounts of; He did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD; no fault for the matter and ſubſtance of his work. Where was the fault then? In the manner of performance, and that is all in all with the LORD; He did right, but not with a perfect heart. This requires our marke; Actions may be very faire, and the heart may be foule: Actions may be ſtrait and right, when the heart ſtands crooked and perverſe: Looke we to our hearts, what ſincerity and truth is there: for that is greatly to be regarded; not what I doe, but with what heart I doe it. What ſay we then to thoſe men, who regard neither the matter, nor manner of their worke, neither what they doe, nor how they doe it: Mighty Hunters before the LORD, who ſhed blood to their power, and with a rage that reacheth up unto Heaven: What ſay we to ſuch bloody men? Not a word; The LORD will ſpeake unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His ſore diſpleaſure: He will require of them, what they have done, and how they have done it. We reade on.
So ſoon as Amaziah felt himſelf ſtrong, and his Kingdom eſtabliſhed, He ſlew thoſe ſervants, that had killed the King his Father. A good beginning, in the execution of judgement, and juſtice upon ſuch murtherers, that had killed the LORDS annoynted, and their Maſter. I may aske here, as the LORD doth in another place, Did not the Sonne doe judgement and juſtice dJer. 22. 15.? We muſt needs anſwer, he did ſo; he ſlew his ſervants that killed the King his Father. It followes, Then it was well with him dJer. 22. 15.. The note is, The ready way a King can take, to eſtabliſh himſelfe and his Kingdome, is to ſeatter the wicked from his Throne, and to bring the wheele over them: Then by the rule of contraries, To take the wicked 2 Chro. 25. 3.by the hand; to countenance them; To delight in them, is the moſt compendious way to deſtroy the Throne, to ſpread Prov. 20. 26.confuſion over it.
Amaziah do's otherwiſe, cleares his way to his Throne, not only in point of juſtice, but of wiſdome and found diſcretion; and that muſt be noted; The people might have ſome jealouſies touching the old Kings death; he was a diſeaſed man, a very burden to himſelfe: he lay languiſhing, his bones full of the ſinnes of his youth: might not the ſervants know their young Maſters mind, who was ready for the Crowne, and they looked now upon the Sun-riſing, for it was night with the Father? Amaziah now, according to the counſell of the Heathen (but it is good counſell) will quit himſelfe from the ſuſpition of wickedneſſe; all Iſrael ſhould know, That, what ever Joaſh the King was, yet he was his Father; and he honoured him as a Father. All Iſrael ſhould ſee how his heart roſe up againſt thoſe bloudy villains, that ſlew his Father, by ſeeing him lift up his hand againſt them to cut them off from the Earth. He was now ſtepping to his Throne, and ſitting down there: He had had an uneaſie ſeat of it, had any drop of his Fathers blood bin there for his Cuſhion: And there doubtles it had bin, even the blood of his Father, if he had not waſhed it clean out, by cutting off ſuch notable murtherers: and ſo he cleared his owne Innocency, his diſcretion, and his Throne altogether.
And now this is not inconſiderable which follows; he waited for a Crown twenty five years; and in all that time it appears not, That he was ſick of the Father; And he wore his Crown four years longer then he waited for it. It is true, The beauty of his Crown withered 15. years before he died, as we ſhall reade anon, he might thanke himſelf for that.
But this is it, which I would put to the conſideration of any man, whether he has not obſerved ſome remarkable bleſſing accompanying an obedient child, that had this good in him, if no more, he did honour his Parents. Certainly the experience of all ages will evidence this truth, That a dutifull child never went away without a Bleſſing, nor a child ſtubborn, and undutifull without a Curſe.
Amaziah has cleared his Innocency and his honour at this point, and how much he honoured his Father. Nor was it poſſible for him to make all this cleare any other way to all Iſrael, but by ſlaying thoſe wicked Servants, who ſlew their Maſter. It follows.
Amaziah orders his MILITIA, gathered JUDAH together a2 Chron. 25. 5, made them Captaines over thouſands, &c. He hired a hundred thouſand mighty men out of Iſrael bver. 6., to ſtrengthen his MILITIA. But they could not ſtrengthen him, for GOD WAS NOT WITH ISRAEL cver. 7.. We muſt ſet a mark there; It is GODS being with a people, that ſtrengthens them; Mighty men out of Iſrael, could not ſtrengthen JUDAH, for GOD WAS NOT WITH ISRAEL, no, NOT WITH ALL THE CHILDREN of EPHRAIM: Therefore, if Ephraim ſtood with Judah, Judahs King muſt fall before the enemy dver. 8.; for GOD do's all; He hath power to HELPE AND TO CAST DOWNE ever. 9., as the good Prophet ſaid, and ſo he adviſed.
Note the words well before we paſſe them over, The LORD is not with ISRAEL, not with ALL the children of EPHRAIM. Why not with all them? Becauſe Ephraim willingly walked after the Commandement. They ſerved Devils; 2 Chron. 25. 7.They humbled themſelves before Calves; They liftedup their eyes and hearts to lying vanities (as we to Crucifixes) Hoſ 5. 11.therfore not with ALL the children of EPHRAIM. And therfore ſaid the good Prophet to the King, Take Ephraim to thee, if thou wilt; make thy ſelfe ſtrong with Ephraims Arme, if it be thy will to doe it, and BEE STRONG (in thy own conceit) FOR THE BATTELL; but know, ô King, GOD IS NOT WITH ISRAEL, for Iſrael is ſlidden backe, as a back-ſliding heifer dHoſ. 4. 16.: NOT WITH ALL THE CHILDREN OF EPHRAIM; for they are ioyned to Idols, therefore ſhall they be oppreſſed ver. 17.and broken in iudgement. Doe not thinke then to ſtrengthen thy ſelfe with a broken arme, with thoſe from whom GOD is departed. Remember ſtill, That GOD, He only, makes a people ſtand or fall, He has Power to helpe or to caſt downe. So Amaziah hearkning to the man of GOD, though not content to looſe the hundred Talents, ſeparated them, to wit, the Army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to goe home againe fver. 10.. So they returned home in great anger, fell upon the Cities of Judah in the way, ſmote three thouſand of them, and tooke much spoyle gver. 13.. See how miſchievous idolatrous Iſrael is to Judah! They are a curſe to Judah, if they ſtay with him; if, according to the charge, they be ſent away, they will pillage Judah, and take away much ſpoyle. You can never come fairly off from an idolatrous people!
Notwithſtanding Amaziah, hearkning to the Prophet, and diſmiſſing thoſe Souldiers, is the better ſtrengthened for the warr; he led forth his people, ſmites his enemies, ten thouſand of them at a blow: and prevailes over as many more, carrying them away captives to the top of a Rock, and thence he broke them to peeces hver. 11, 12.. That was a cruell execution.
Then, returning from the flaughter, he brought the gods along with him, and ſet them up to be his gods, bowed before ſuch things, which could not deliver their owne out of his ver. 14.hands, and ſo he broke himſelfe and his Kingdome; for this the Prophet rebuked this beſotted King, and the King reproached the good Prophet, giving him a churliſh and threatning anſwer; Asking the Prophet, who made him a ver. 16.Counſellour; and bidding him forbeare, elſe he ſhould feele his hand. See how mad this King is upon his gods! The Ier. 50. 38.Prophet reproved him from the Lord for falling downe before ſtocks and ſtones; and he riſeth up againſt the Prophet, ready Eccleſ. 4. 13.to ſtrike him in the face. Then the Prophet forbare: and yet, he will ſpeake out his words; If thou art ſuch a fooliſh King, that thou wilt no more be admoniſhed: it is becauſe thou muſt certainely be deſtroyed: If thy eare be ſhut againſt good counſell, ſo as it cannot enter: The judgements of GOD ſhall enter, and thou ſhalt lay thy ſelfe and thy Kingdome open unto them. As the Prophet ſaid, ſo it fell out, as the Lord had determined, and the Prophet had threatned from His Mouth.
The threatning of the King could not make void the threatning of the LORD: but muſt haſten the execution thereof, as the Prophet knew very well. Amaziah had fallen downe in his devotions before the Edomites gods, he roſe as high in the confidence of his own ſtrength; as he had dealt fooliſhly like an Idolater to provoke the LORD by his deviliſh worſhip: ſo he would deale as proudly too after the manner, in provoking an enemy: he that could place helpe in ſtocks and ſtones, the Edomites gods, would put truſt alſo in the companies of men, Cum completis iniquitatibus ſuis peccator quis meretur ut pereat providentia ab eo tollitur ne peri. turus evadat. Salv. de gub. l. 6. p. 29.for thus he does; he rings the laſt peale to call in judgement upon himſelfe: he proſecutes that way, which ſhall be to his deſtruction: he ruſheth upon his own ruine, and invites it, ſaying to the King of Iſrael (after he had taken ADVICE from his flattering Counſellours, who would flatter him, that was ſo wiſe as to flatter himſelfe firſt) come, let us ſee one another in the face. The King of Iſrael, more out of ſcorne then love, bids him forbeare, being no fitter a match for him, then ver. 17.a Thiſtle for a Cedar. This was a notable ſcorne, and ſure enough Amaziah tooke it ſo, but it was good counſell, and it had beene better if the King had taken the ſame. But Amaziahs eare was ſhut up againſt ſound counſell, he would not heare. ver. 20.How ſo? The reaſon is rendred, for it came of GOD, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, becauſe they SOƲGHT AFTER the GODS of EDOM: Let us note this; Amaziah would hearken what Idoll-gods would ſay unto him; he would ſeeke help from ſuch deſpicable and helpleſſe things, that could not wipe the duſt from their eyes; could neither ſee, nor heare, nor ſpeake, nor ſtand, ſuch deſpicable things this beſotted King ſought unto, for he ſought after the gods of Edom. Therefore he ſhould be left to his own ſeekings, to ſeeke and purſue his own deſtruction; And ſo he did, he thruſt himſelfe into his enemies hands; This enemy carried him captive, and in triumph to the gates of Jeruſalem, forceth the captive King to betray his own City; to open the gates of the ſame, that his enemy, with his Army, might enter-in. When the gates were opened, the conquering King would not enter thereby: But, the more to deſpiſe his cowardly Brother, and the more ſhamefully to deſpight his Militia, he cauſed foure hundred cubits of the Wall to be throwne downe; entred the City in his Chariot (Note how a proud Adverſary will inſult over a deſpicable coward, who had a mighty Militia now on foote; but had not an heart to uſe it; his ſinnes had taken off his ſpirit, and made him as a ſilly Dove without a heart) through that breach, carrying the King before him in triumph over thoſe ruines. The Reader muſt marke that, and withall obſerve what followes; how weake that Militia is, which hath nothing more then Charets, and Horſes, Men and Ammunition to fortifie the ſame. The King of Iſrael breaks all Judahs ſtrength, for it became as flax that was burned with fire; he ſack't the houſe of the LORD, and the Kings houſe, takes away ALL, that was pretious there; then gives the poore creature the King of Judah, his life for a prey (which he was exceeding glad of) and then returned to Samaria, ver 2. 5.but lived not long after. Amaziah out-lived his glory fifteene yeares pver. 24., after this miſerable deſtruction: but could not out-live his miſery; that followed him ſtill after he did turne away from following the Lord qver. 27.. He had Adverſaries from without, theſe ſpoiled him: and from within, theſe conſpired ver. 27,againſt him: (he that ſerves the Edomites gods muſt feele the Edomites plagues) The King thought to out-run all; ſo he fled to Lachiſh: But judgement was too quick for him, and overtooke him; we cannot out-run the judgements of GOD: They ſent to Lachiſh after him, and ſlew him there. You ſhall never reade, that an Idolater eſcaped out of the Hand of GOD; ſooner or later His Hand finds him out, and is heavy ver. 28.upon him. And now being ſlaine, he muſt be buried; they doe him this little honour, they brought him upon Horſes and buried him. I have obſerved it all along, that an Idolatrous King will have honour from his people while he lives, or he will force it from them, as he did an Idolatrous ſervice: but when he is dead, he ſhall have no more honour then what is given to a dead Lyon; ſuch as fitts very well that body, which, when that immortall thing was with it, did humble its ſelfe before the gods of the Edomites, thoſe dunghill things; They brought him upon Horſes and buried him; they cared not where; d 2 Kin, 14. 21.for when time was, he cared not how hee did diſhonour his body in a voluntary humility before the Edomites gods; They buried him; and made his Son Ʋzziah, called alſo Azariah, King in his Roome.