The Kings Chronicle in Two Sections, Chapter 5
THE ACTS OF JOASH. CHAP. V.
JOASH a good Prince, for he was under an excellent Tutour but a bad King; He proved himſelfe unthankefull, and ſo diſproved all his beſt actions: He gave abloody command for a bloody execution, and hath a full cup of blood meaſured out unto him.
IOASH had a loving and tender Nurſe, Jehorams Daughter, his Aunt; and as carefull a Tutour, her 2 Chro. 24.Husband, that honourable man Iehojadah the Prieſt, his Protectour under GOD: It muſt needs follow, that, youth ſo ſeaſoned in its minority, will doe ſomething worthy of ſuch a Tuterage; So he did, and the firſt act, he tooke in hand, was the reparation of Faire beginnings give faire hope, but no ſound proof of good proceedings and ending well.the Temple aver. 4., fallen into decay through the wickedneſſe of ungodly Tyrants. There was the greateſt reaſon in the world, that ſo he ſhould doe, repaire the breaches there, which Athaliah that wicked woman b, with her Sonnes cver 7., had made there, taking the dedicate things of the LORDS Houſe, and beſtowing them upon Baalim; for the Temple, by GODS appointment, had preſerved him to make-up the many breaches made alſo upon the houſe of David: And indeed, the King followed the buſineſſe with ſo earneſt a zeale, That, not only the Levites were more ſlack then he bver. 5.: but even Iehojada his Tutour, was faine to be quickned by his admonition cver. 6.. He would uphold that place with the greateſt zeale, which he had learnt, by good information, had upheld him. But his zeale was fained; and the good precepts his good guardian diſtilled into him, did not ſinke downe into his he art: they made no other impreſſion there, but what a ſhort time could weare out. Iehojada, that good Councellour, dies full of dayes, and the people buried him (who had preſerved the race of the Kings, and reſtored the true Religion) among the Kings of Judah dver. 15, 16..
That excellent Prieſt is gone from the Court to his Crowne; he had the gaine, the Court and Kingdome had the loſſe, a loſſe unſpekeable: for then the Princes of Iudah acted their parts, flattered their King (able enough to flatter himſelfe) drawed him-on to their ſide, who ſtood bent before by his own inclination; ſo he hearkned unto them ever. 17., and left the houſe of the Lord, and ſerved Idolls. What then? Then wrath came upon Judah and Jeruſalem; WRATH CAME: Ai, ver. 18.A Land-waſting wrath comes powring down upon a King and Kingdom, when they fall down before Idols; then wrath comes and will not ſpare, for it is the wrath of the LORD, whoſe Glory they have given to ſtocks and ſtones. They were ſerved in their kind, for they ſerved Idols; Prince and people, they all choſe new gods; Then was warre in the gates; (as we heard before) and their Militia could not keepe it off: yet the Lord appointed meanes, which could have done it, for he ſent Prophets unto them gver. 19.; but they would not give care: As a wayward and impatient ſick-man they were angry with the remedy, and at the Commandement of their King (who ever ſaw an Idolater that was not cruell) they ſmote their Phyſitian, They conſpired againſt GODS Meſſenger, and ſtoned him with ſtones hver. 21., What had he done? the beſt ſervice that is imaginable; hee conteſted with the King and people (and yet not he, but the Spirit of GOD upon him) ſaying, why doe you ſtand in your own light, why goe you croſſe to your own happineſſe? Why tranſgreſſe you the Commandement of ver. 20.the LORD, that you cannot proſper? All the wayes you take to thrive and proſper in the world, is loſt labour, or labour in the fire: You tranſgreſſe the Commandements of the LORD, yee cannot prosper: you have forſaken the LORD, He hath alſo forſaken you. This was all the good man had done; in theſe words he had ſpoke unto the people: And they, after their manner, and lot evermore befalling faithfull Prophets, anſwer him with ſtones; They conspired againſt him, and ſtoned him with ſtones, at the commandement of the King. What a King is this! ver. 21.The likeſt to the ungratefull ſnake, that ever was heard of: His Son is ſlaine at the commandement of the King, whoſe Father (and Mother) was the Kings Nurſe in his infancy; was his Guardian when he was young; his faithfull Councellor when he was growne up; The Son of ſuch a Father, that had done ſo much for the King, was ſtoned at the commandement of the King. What will not that King doe, that has left the houſe of the LORD GOD of his Fathers! Serveth Idolls! we ſee by Joaſh what he will doe; he will ſhed blood to his power; but that is not all; if he can make his choice, it ſhall be the blood of thoſe, who are moſt faithfull, and therefore muſt croſſe him in his way. Whoever ſaw an Idolater that was not a moſt ungratefull man, to GOD and Man both! I will not adde, and cruell too, for he, that hath ſaid, ƲNGRATEFƲLL, hath ſaid all. Note withall; A counterfet zeale will degenerate into the deadlieſt hatred; and no ſuch enemies to the houſe and Quod later in herba manifeſtatur in spica, &c. Chryſ Ser. 97. p. 342.houſhold of GOD, as friends once, but now turned adverſaries; Such an adverſary was Joaſh, and the moſt unthankfull man, that ever we reade of, I cannot except one, for his ingratitude did exceed Benhadads King of Syria: Fight not againſt ſmall or great, ſave only with the King of Iſrael g2 Chron 18. 30.; this was Benhadads charge; A moſt unkind requitall of Ahabs (fooliſh) pitty to him, giving him his life at an eaſie rate h1 King. 20. 34. Benhadad returnes that kindneſſe with that bloody charge, touching the taking away Ahabs life; and it was done accordingly; but according to the threat of the LORD, becauſe Ahab had: let Benhadad goe, whom He had appointed to utter destruction. I looked into that place to ſee whether it could be a paralell for this 1 Kin. 20. 42.mans ingratitude; but it cannot be; the like is not to be found in all the Records of Time. Good Zechariah, and the Son of as good a Father, to whom Joaſh was more beholding then to all the men in the world; and no leſſe to his Son, for he told him the truth, which is the greateſt kindneſſe a Prophet can doe unto a King: This true Prophet was ſtoned with stones … the commandement of the King, whom his Father had done ſuch a kindneſſe unto, ſaved his life and his Crowne both.
Where was he ſlaine? In the Court of the Houſe of the LORD. Oh! he ſhould have ſpared him there, for it was neare the place, which was Ioaſh his ſanctuary; but when a man is reſolved to doe wickedly, he will make no choice of places; or, if he does, that place pleaſeth beſt, which is moſt before the LORD, and in the face of the whole Congregation of Prophets, conſulting about a way, and reſolving upon it, how they may eſtabliſh his Crowne, and make his Kingdome ſure for ever. This place pleaſed Ioaſh beſt, in the Court of GODS Houſe, the place for that great aſſembly. And yet it was well for Zechariah, that he was ſlaine there, where he had done ſo much ſervice to God and His people: So he removed with comfort enough, from one Court to another, from that on earth to that in Heaven.
I ſhall be the longer upon this bloody execution, purpoſely, and, with the more enlargement, That it may ſparckle and flaſh in the face of him, or them (for there are ſuch ſnakes in the world) that would burne downe that houſe, which hath preſerved him: would conſume them and their houſes, who would have kept his, not from fire only, but from ſmelling of the ſmoake: would ſhed the blood of thoſe to his power, who lay-out themſelves, all they have, and all they are, for the building-up and eſtabliſhing of him and his houſe for ever.
We proceed, So Ioaſh did, ſo bloody was his command. How ſo? the Spirit of GOD gives us the reaſon of that unnaturall and moſt unkingly act; Ioaſh the King remembred not the kindneſſe, which Jehojada his Father had done unto him, but ſlew his Son kver. 22.There was never any wicked, cruell, miſchievous, rebellious, Idolatrous (to ſay all in one word) unthankfull perſon in the world, but he was a forget ſtill perſon, he remembred not the kindneſſe of the LORD (That great Benefactor) nor the kindneſſe of the ſervants of the LORD, that ſpake good for him before the LORD, and did him all the good that was Iudg. 8. 34, 35.in their power: And ſo, forgetting all this, he will not care how he deales with GOD; nor how injuriouſly with the faithfull ſervants of GOD. Oh that we could conſider, not only what defilement, and provocation is in ſinne: but alſo what unkindneſſe and unthankfulneſſe againſt God, the fountaine, that fills all our ciſternes; and if we forget this, can make holes in them, ſo as they ſhall hold no comfort; did we remember this, we would be thankfull to GOD, and not forget the kindneſſe of Man towards us, as Ioaſh did, he remembred not the kindneſſe which Jehojadah his Father had done to him, but ſlew his Son.
Not he, the people did it, and that is legible in the ſame place: True, and ſo is this, at the commandement of the King; what the King commands he does, and ſo did wrong and violence to the blood of his beſt ſervant. And what ſhall be done to him now? The word indeed, is gone out againſt him, though a King; A man that doth violence to the blood of any Pro. 28. 17. Nemo homicidae miſeretur, Iun. Gen. 9. 6. Exod. 29. 14.perſon, ſhall flie to the pit, let no man ſtay him d; That is, let no man pitty him, ſaying, It is a thouſand pitties ſuch a brave man ſhould die. No, he has ſhed mans blood, his blood muſt be ſhed, and quickly too; there muſt be no delay, in the execution of judgement and juſtice, he ſhall flee to the pit. But it was Ioaſh the King, that gave this command, and he is accountable to none but GOD.
Well, be it ſo; but he finds an heavy reckoning there, he has ſlaine the faithfull ſervant of GOD, the Sonne of Iehojada, who was his Nurſe, his Father, his Uncle, his Guardian, his Tutour, his Councellour; he was All to him, next to GOD: and he has ſlaine him in the Court of GODS Houſe; The Lord has ſmitten His Hand aEzek. 22 13.at this, which the people have done, at the commandement of the King: And there is a prayer put up to Heaven againſt Ioaſh the King, juſt at the time this blood was ſhedding; The LORD looke upon it, and require it bver. 22.. The Lord is juſt, He will doe it, He will take the matter into His owne Hand; He will reckon with Ioaſh for this, and ſpeedily, for blood never continues long upon the ſcore. Thus it was, and ſo the LORD began with him, afflicting him lightly at the firſt, afterwards more grievouſly, as His manner is. We paſſe over now the expedition of Hazael againſt Iudah, when Ioaſh was ſore afraid, and redeemed his peace at a deare rate m2 King. 12. 18.; We will fixe our eye rather upon this; That the LORD would now over-match him by a deſpicable enemy; He ſent a handfull of Syrians n2 Chro. 24. 24againſt him (few or many is all one, if the LORD leades the Hoaſt) theſe made an in-rode upon his Land, and ſlew the Princes of Judah: The PRINCES (marke that) at whoſe perſwaſion the King had become a Rebell to the King of Kings; they ſlew the PRINCES; they hurried and pillaged the People; notwithſtanding their MILITIA, and left the King in great diſeaſes, to be cured thereof, by his owne mercileſſe Vaſſalls, who murthered him upon his bed: So, which is obſervable alſo, The end of his time came then upon him, then was the laſt yeare of his Reigne, when he thought himſelfe but beginning to live as he liſted, without controlement in the exerciſe of meere Power: Suppoſing belike, That he was no free PRINCE, unleſſe he did what hee liſted; and, as long as one durſt tell him the plain truth, how great ſoever that mans deſervings were, that did ſo; yea, though GODS Commandement required it.
We will gather up ſome obſervations from hence, and then conclude; We obſerve,
1. That Ioaſh his Militia had no power. The Army of the Syrians come up, a ſmall company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great Hoſt into their hand. Was not that ver. 24.ſtrange? No, there is a mighty reaſon why it was ſo, becauſe they had forſaken the LORD GOD of their Fathers. He that forſakes God is as a man, who, in time of warr, forſakes his Rock, Caſtle, or ſtrong hold, and expoſeth himſelf to the mouth of the Cannon. This forſaking of GOD, is like the cutting of Samſons locks, his ſtrength goes preſently from him and he becomes weake cJudg. 16. 19,. Forſake GOD, and ye forſake your ſtrength, and become weaker then women, and ſhall not doe ſo much as wounded men. Let ſinners in Sion be afraid; let fearfullneſſe ſurprize the Hypocrites; the Church cannot feare an Army of Papiſts, though never ſo great an Hoſt, for they have forſaken GOD; and are of no power. But yet here is cauſe enough from this Scripture to make a revolted Nation bethinke themſelves, for;
2. Here was more then a bare forſaking of GOD; here was a ſerving of Idols; they provoked him with their Images and ſtrange vanities; Then it was not poſſible they could be in any better Poſture of Defence now, the enemies are entred upon them, then are ſo many naked men, for we have read long ſince, Idols make a People NAKED dExo 32. 25..
3. Nor was this all, the worſt is; The guilt of innocent blood lyeth upon the people; they had ſhed it, they were inſtruments 2 Chron. 28. 19in that horrid execution: Then in-come the Syrians upon Iſrael, a ſmall company of Rovers, intending to pillage, and away againe; but finding the doores of the Kingdome wide open (for the defence was gone) this ſmall company marchon Numb. 22. 4.againſt Joaſh his huge Army, bigg enough to lick up that handfull of Syrians, as an Oxe licketh up the graſſe; But what diſaſter or amazement happened amongſt the Iſraelites, I know not, but they had for ſaken GOD, and blood was upon them, and theſe handfull of Syrians gave the Army of Judah a notable overthrow: So that great Host was delivered-up into their hands.
What became of Joaſh the King? He did not eſcape ſure; He thought it a token of his liberty, to deſpiſe the ſervice of GOD, and a manifeſt proof of his being King, becauſe he could command to the block the Sonne of that Father, to whom he ſtood moſt deeply engaged for ſingular and unrecountable benefits. Certainly he did not eſcape; and ſo we find it in the Text; Theſe Adverſaries executed iudgement againſt Joaſh, *ver. 24.IGNOMINIOƲS iudgement, ſaith the old Tranſlation; It is evident enough, they had him in their hands, and handled him ill-favouredly, not as Ioaſh the King; but as Ioaſh the murtherer: And being not worth the carrying away (for he was a diſeaſed man, and the worſt luggage) they diſmiſſed him, leaving him in ſore diſeaſes, to be cured thereof by his mercileſſe vaſſals; and they, finding him on his bed, quickly diſpatched him out of the way, and ſo cured him of all his worldly ver 25.pain. But ſee how GOD meated forth the puniſhment to Ioaſh the King!
1. Ioaſh gave commandement to ſlay the beſt ſervant he had in the world: his owne ſervants execute judgement upon Ioaſh, for the blood of the Sonnes (whether Ioaſh had ſlain more or no, I do not well underſtand, but ſo we reade, the ſons) of Jehojada the Prieſt.
2. Ioaſh ſlew that Prophet in the Court of GODS Houſe: He defiled that houſe with the Prieſts blood; now his houſe ſhall be polluted with his own blood.
3. Ioaſh ſlew him neare that place of refuge, not long before Ioaſh his Sanctuary, In the Court of GODS Houſe: His Servants ſlay him on his bed, a place deputed for repoſe and quiet reſt. Have me to bed, ſaith the wearied ſick-man, when he is tyred out with paine and ſorrows: yet have me to bed, though he can but count the clock there, yet there he lies, waiting when the LORD will command ſleepe for him, and give him ſome refreſhment there. There, on his bed, Ioaſh feeles the hand of the murtherer. Sitting in a chaire (ſaith Austin) is a ſafe Poſture; but we know who fell out thence, 1 Sam. 4. 18.and brake his necke; He was indeed an old man, and heavy; but the newes of the Arke bowed him downe, and brake his heart firſt. The Father would aſſure us thereby, That Death may meet us, when and where we leſſe looke for it. I would Aug. de Civ. 22adde this, more pertinent to this place; A Summer parlour fJudg. 3. 20.ſeemes a ſafe place for repoſe, and quiet: And a Brothers feaſt g2 Sam 13. 23.hath no ſhew of danger; A Bed ſeemes a ſafe place alſo, ſpecially then, when the Enemy is departed, and there are none about the bed, but a mans owne ſervants; and yet the hand of Juſtice hath met with the ſinner, in all theſe places, and meeted forth unto him according to his meaſures. But that Ioaſh was ſlaine on his bed, certainly there the Holy Ghoſt hath ſet a mark. The good Prieſt thought himſelfe ſafe. Where? In the Court of GODS Houſe; and he expected no violence to be offered him there, much leſſe from Ioaſh, who found that place his Sanctuary. Yet Ioaſh his hand does execution upon the Prieſt there, (for he commanded it) in the Court of GODS Houſe. Now Ioaſh ſhall have his meaſures; he is lying upon his Bed; The Enemy is departed; thoſe of his owne houſe, his Servants are round about him: if he can ſleep, that has blood for his pillow, he lookes for it on his bed. But behold! inſtead of ſleep, he ſees the Sword reaching to his heart. Ioaſh expected his own ſervants were about him for another purpoſe; To turn him on his bed, (for he could not turne himſelf, being left in great diſtreſſes) and to make it as eaſie for his tyred body, and waſted ſpirits as they could: But they are there for another purpoſe, to execute GODS vengeance for the blood of the ſonnes of Jehojada.
They, that have ſhed blood to their power, will not conſider this, for their heart is hardned and brawned in villanies, and now they have drunke blood; their thirſt thereof cannot be quenched. But he that is wiſe layes this to heart, and ſtoppeth his eare from hearing of blood, remembring by this example; That GOD makes inquiſition for blood: He finds it out and repayes it, in a full meaſure, preſſing downe and running over: So the juſt GOD meeted forth his meaſures to Ioaſh: His owne Servants flew him upon his bed and he died. Then they buried him, nothing carefull in the choyce of the place; They would remove ſo unſightly an object from before their eyes, and find out ſome hole for him in the City there about; but they were carefull not to lay him in Bed with his good Fathers. They buried him, but not in the Sepulchers of the Kings. And Amaziah his ſonne raigned in his ſtead.