The Kings Chronicle in Two Sections, Chapter 4
THE ACTS OF AHAZIAH. CHAP. IV.
Ahaziah his ſhort reigne; he walked in the wayes of Ahabs-houſe, and after wicked counſels; the end therof: The good old King, the grand-father is at rest in his bed, but in his life time, joyning in affinity with Ahab, he made Judah reſtleſſe, till all his houſe and Kingdome was deſtroyed.
IEhoahaz called alſo Ahaziah, the youngeſt of Iehorams ſonnes, (for the Arabians had ſlain all 2 Chro. 21. 17.the eldeſt) began to raigne when he was•• 42 a2 Kin 8. 26.. years old, and ended his raigne within the year 2 Chro. 22. 1, 2.after.Vid. Tremel.
He had a great example before his eyes, in a ſore wrath powred downe upon his Father, his children, his 2 Chro. 21. 14.wives and all his goods; which bad him look well to his ſtepps, and yet he was not warned: He walked alſo in the wayes of the houſe of Ahab, and was guided by the ſame spirits, that had 2 Chro. 22. 3.been his Fathers evill Angels. His Story is ſhort, but very lamentable, very exemplary alſo, to bid others beware they tread not in the wayes, nor after the counſels of the houſe of Ahab.
The firſt yeare of his raigne was the laſt of his life: for he haſted-on in the moſt compendious wayes to his deſtruction. What wayes? In the wayes of the houſe of Ahab, ver 3.and after the Counſels of his Mother (that wicked woman c2 Chron. 24. 7) to doe wickedly; So in one yeare, he loſt himſelf and his Kingdome; I meane, not Ahaziah only, but the King was deſtroyed, for the houſe of Ahaziah had no power to keep ſtill the Kingdom. ver. 9.His ſtory is ſhort, but the collection thence is large, & of the ſame uſe; I will make it as ſhort as I can, & conclude it: That all Kings and Princes may be warned, not to joyn in Affinity with Ahab, norwalkafter the counſels of the houſe of Ahab. Good Iehoſhaphat joyns in Affinity a2 Chro. 18 2.with Ahab, matched his Son Iehoram to Athaliah, Ahabs Siſter, the Daughter of Omri b2 Chron. 22. 2, moved thereunto by politick reaſons, no doubt, to ſtrengthen his Kingdome by joyning in Affinity with a Neighbour King. Iehoram walkes after his Wives counſells, commits folly in Iſrael, and compells Judah thereunto; is ſmitten with plagues, as we heard, and ſo died.2 Chron. 21.
Ahaziah his Son walked-on after the Father, and according to the counſell of his Mother, to doe wickedly; Commited the Scepter into his Mothers hands, and went with his brother King Jehoram, the Son of Ahab, King of Iſrael, to warre 2 Chro. 22. ….againſt Hazael King of Syria, where the Syrians ſmote Joram (there is a letter taken from his Name, which ever more implyes, that the Lord takes away His defence from that Perſon: as the putting to of a letter, notes the adding of a Bleſſing) and he returned to be healed in Jezreel, where Ahaziah viſits him, and there meets with his deſtruction, which was of GOD, by comming to Joram dver. 7.: for Jehu, being Annointed cver: 6.of the LORD, to cut off the houſe of Ahab, and, while he was executing judgement, there he finds the Princes of Judah, and ſlew them ever. 8.: Then Ahaziah hid himſelfe in Samaria, but they found him out and ſlew him there. Looke ye there, and then ye looke through to the end; Ahaziah walked in the wayes of Ahab: followes after the counſels of the houſe of Ahab; Now he muſt periſh in the very ſame way with the houſe of Ahab. He thought to out-run the vengeance, and to hide himſelfe; It cannot be, the executioner of wrath finds him out, and he is ſlaine. See againe, what a ſlaughter here is; Jehoſhaphat the Grandfather joyned houſe to houſe, to make his houſe the ſtronger by Affinity with Ahab; It was the means to root out all his Poſterity: here Iehu ſlew at one blow two and Forty of his Iſſue Male: And then Athaliah the Mother of 2 King. 10. 13, 14.Ahaziah, ſeeing her Sonne was dead, hoped to make cleane 1 Chro. 22. 10.riddance, for She aroſe and destroyed all the ſeed Royall of the houſe of Judah: And yet not all; he that ſuffered the ſeed of ver 10.good Jehoſhaphat to be deſtroyed by her hand, in whoſe affinity he offended; will have a branch of Jehoſhaphats ſtock ſaved, Doct. Contem.for the ſake of ſo faithfull a progenito…; and for His promiſe 2 Kin 8. 19,ſake: The decree of the LORD muſt ſtand; not one word from 2 Cro. 21. 7. 22. 11.His Mouth ſhall faile: Athaliah did to her utmoſt to reverſe c Ioſh 23. 14, 15.that Decree, and to make the promiſe void, but it could not be; But ſhe made a foule way to the Throne, and there ſhe ſate till c 2 Kin 8 56.the appointed time.
We muſt returne once more to Ahaziah, to gather-up one obſervation from his buriall, and then a ſhort uſe of all. See what miſchiefe Ahabs houſe and their counſells did unto this poor King their Nephew, to whom they wiſhed ſo well! They counſelled him to doe wickedly, and that muſt needs be to his deſtruction; He lived a King not a full yeare, then he loſt himſelfe, and his Kingdome altogether. A diſhonour followes him to the grave alſo, for when they had ſlaine him they buried him, ſayes the Text, likely with ſome ſuch honour, as was ſutable to a King; but not in Jeruſalem, nor for his own ſake neither; They ſaid, he is the Son of Jehoſhaphat, who ſought the LORD with all his heart, THEREFORE THEY BƲRIED 2 Cro. 22 9.HIM.
A faire warning to all Kings and Princes, that they joyne not in Affinity with Ahab; if they doe, more then probable it is, that they will walke in the wayes of the houſe of Ahab; after their counſells to doe wickedly, and that is the ready way evermore to deſtruction. The wayes of Ahab, and the counſells from that wicked houſe did provoke the LORD exceedingly, they ſtirred-up the heate of His diſpleaſure, which did burne to the loweſt Hell.Deut. 32. 22.
Jehoſhaphat and his houſe found it ſo; A great example to all after him, he joyned in Affinity with Ahab, and thereby hazarded his own life, and kindled a flame, which conſumed his houſe, and all his poſterity.
Ahaziah was his only Grand-child (as was thought) that was left of his houſe, and after he was ſlaine, the houſe of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the Kingdome. The wayes of the houſe of Ahab are the ſame ſtill, their counſels the ſame, againſt the LORD and againſt His CHRIST, to doe ſo wickedly: And the end of thoſe wayes are the ſame, deſtruction to King and Kingdome: we cannot but be well aware of that, for GOD Is, and the ſame *Sicut Deus eſt ſemper, ſic juſtit…a Del ſent. per, &c. Salv. l. 2. p 60.for ever; True and Righteous are Thy wayes, LORD GOD Almighty dRev. 16. 7.: Juſt and True are Thy wayes Thou King of Saints: and Thy judgements are made manifeſt e15. 3.
Athaliah, that had the Scepter in her hand before, ſteps into the Throne over the ſhooes in blood now; and there ſhe ſate ſix yeares, and in the ſeventh the vegeance of the LORD overtooke her, and tooke her away in a whirle-wind, when this 2 Chro. 22. 9.word was doubled in her mouth, Treaſon, Treaſon, who was as fowle that way, as her hands were bloody; you will have a ſight of her in the next Chapter, and no more, and that is enough, for ſhe was the moſt hated object that ever was ſeen in Judah, and ſo ſhe periſhed: ſo we ſhall reade in the Story of Jehojada an excellent man, of whom in his own place among the Good Kings.