The Kings Chronicle in Two Sections, Chapter 9
THE ACTS OF FIVE KINGS. CHAP. IX.
Five other Kings of Judah, as bad as the former, did as ill, and fared as ill as they; walking after their own counſels, in their own way, to the utter ruine of themſolves, and the Kingdome.
FIve other Kings of Judah yet remaine, which I will but Name, as exemplary for wickedneſſe and judgment as the former 1. Amon a2 Chro. 33. 12., Son of Manaſſeh, who did evill as his Father did, but was not humbled for it as his Father was bver. 2….: he trespaſſed more and more, ſo his raigne was ſhort, but two yeares; then his ſervants conſpired againſt him, and ſlew him in his owne houſe.
2. Jehoahaz the Son of Joſiah, is made King inſtead of ſo lamented a Father: his reigne is very ſhort, but three Moneths; 2 Chr. 36. 2.then the King of Egipt depoſed him, condemned the Land in an hundred Talents of Silver, and a Talent of Gold, and made ver. 3.Eliakim his Brother King over Judah; turned his Name to Jehojakim, ver. 4.and tooke Jehoahaz his Brother, and carried him into Egipt.
3. Jehojakim reigned eleven yeares, did that which was ver. 5. ver 8.evill, after the abominations of his Fathers: then the King of 2 King. 24. 1. This was hee that cut the R…ll, and then caſt it into the fire. Jer. 36. 23.Babilon came up, diſtreſſed Jehojakim, and he became his ſervant three yeares; Then hee turned and rebelled againſt him; broke covenant with the King of Babell, (which he ſhould not have done, though an Heathen King.)
But ſee the retaliation of the Lord! Jehojakim, like the man poſſeſſed with a Devill, as thoſe in our dayes, infamous this way all over the world, breakes the band of his covenant; That band, though the greateſt binder on earth, cannot bind him; he breakes that ſacred band, the Oath of GOD. Does he carry it away ſo? does he eſcape? I pray you marke what followes, and reſolve your ſelfe, He ſhall have bands enough, which ſhall hold him faſt, and breake him too, that will breake ſuch ſacred bands; It followes, the LORD ſent againſt him BANDS of the Chaldees, and BANDS of the SYRIANS, and BANDS of the Moabites, and BANDS of the children of Ammon. Looke you there! The Band of a Covenant could not hold him; theſe 2 Chron. 36.Bands held him faſt. But Nebuchadnezzars Bands were the ſtrongeſt, they bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon; But his burden of ſorrow was too heavy for him, ſo as his ſpirits fainted under it, and died in the way; was Buried with the buriall of an Aſſe, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jeruſalem cIer. 22. 19. Non autem eo uſ que dedactus eſt, ſed in itinere moriuus. Irem..2 Chro. 26. 6.
The Acts of Iehojakim, and his abominations, that he did, and that which was found in him, are written in the Bookes of the ver. 8.Kings, but more fully by Jeremiah in the fore-mentioned place.Chap. 22. 17. 18.
4. And Jehojachin his Son reigned in his ſtead, a very ſhort time, three Moneths and ten Dayes; In that time, he did that, which was evill in the ſight of the LORD; And when the yeere 2 Chro. 36. 9, 10.was expired, the King of Babylon ſent and brought up the young King in iron bands to him; His attendance thither ſhall adde to his miſery; for the Kings Mother, and his Wives, his 2 King. 24. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.Servants, his Princes, his Officers, all the mighty men of valour (none remained ſave the pooreſt ſort of the people) accompany him, manacled and chained, to their perpetuall bondage.
5. The King of Babylon made Mattaniah his Fathers Brother, 2 Kin 24. 17.changing his Name to Zedekiah, King in his ſtead; taking an Oath of him, That he ſhould be Tributary and ſervant 2 Chro. 36. 13.unto him. Zedekiah conſidering not (though Jeremiah had put it upon his thoughts againe and againe) That he had bound Ier. 27.himſelfe with the Oath of GOD; he alſo rebelled againſt Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Chro. 36. 13.who had made him ſweare by GOD; he ſtifned his neck, and hardned his heart from turning to the LORD, and rebelled againſt the King of Babylon, to whom he had ſworne obedience. He ſhall pay deare for this breach of covenant; (Marke that) An Iron yoake is put upon his neck, and his ſtiffe neck is made to bow to it; he is brought before Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, where his eyes ſhall behold the ſlaughtering his Sons before him; then thoſe lights are put out, after they had let in that ſight, which would never goe out, till his ſpirits went-out; ſo he is left in the darke, to contemplate in his ſaddeſt thoughts, the ſaddeſt ſpectacle, that ever Father looked upon. And it is the complement of his miſery there: That, though his eyes are out, yet he cannot but behold that woefull ſlaughter in the darke. No more ſorrow can come in by the windowes of his body; more ſhall come-in at his doores; he heares that, which will make his eares tingle; That Jeruſalem is taken, and Judah caſt out from the preſence 2 King 24. 20.of the LORD.2 Chro. 36. 17.
We can proceed no farther; we are come to the utmoſt of evils; a caſting out from the preſence of the LORD: It is next to the caſting into Hell, the very ſuburbs, the brim of that bottomleſſe pit. And who is caſt out I pray you? Judah. Give us leave to aske one queſtion more; Why was Judah caſt-out; wherefore did the LORD doe ſo and ſo unto Judah? The Nations asked this queſtion ſome thouſand yeares ago, and where they asked, there they have an Anſwer given them, which will ſatisfie all the world. I profeſſe Deut. 29 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.unto you, we had need ſtand ſtill indeed, and cauſe enough to ſtand aſtonied. If we reade on, we muſt reade a miſerable deſtruction by fire, ſword and captivity. O terrible example of vengeance on that City, which GOD had choſen to ſet His Name there! How is it become like one of us, might the Heathen ſay, even like the Cities, which God overthrew Ier. 10. 16.and repented not. It was ſo, becauſe they ſinned worſe then the Heathen, when Judah humbled themſelves before Devils, ſtocks and ſtones.
This was a City, the Lord had choſen for Himſelfe out of all the world: All the world were witneſſes of their favours, their miraculous deliverances and protections: All the world ſhould be witneſſes, and ſtand aſtonied at their juſt confuſion. Her ſiſter Samaria was not mentioned by her mouth in the day of her pride: Her Kings alſo would walke in the wayes of the houſe Ezech. 16. 56.of Ahab, and after their counſels, to provoke the LORD. Therefore the LORD hath done to her as He threatned; I will stretch over Jeruſalem, &c. And now we have a great 2 King. 21. 13, 14, 15.example of wrath before our eye, and it ſtrikes ſadly to our hearts; that wee may heare and feare, and doe no more ſo preſumptuouſly. If after ſuch a deſtruction as this, and beholding of it with our eyes, we doe as Iudah did, how great and ſwift will our judgement be!
The end muſt anſwer the beginning; The wayes of Iſrael, and the counſels of the houſe of Ahab, were to the deſtruction of Iudah. He that ſowes the wind, reapes the whirle-wind. We cannot gather grapes of thornes or figgs of thiſtles. Prov. 11. 19.As Righteouſneſſe tendeth to life: ſo hee that purſueth evill, purſueth it to his owne death.
The Copy being ſomewhat ſcattered, this was omitted which ſhould have beene inſerted, pag. 82. line 32.
Then there was an hot contention; The King ſtriving with the Prieſts, they with their King. What incivility is this? Was not Ʋzziah King? why might not he meddle with the Prieſts office? He will doe the Prieſts an honour, if they will ſee it; he will ſtoope ſo much below his Crowne as to take then Cenſer into his hand. But if the Prieſts will not take it for an honour, yet they muſt not take it for a wrong; Ʋzziah was King, he tooke the Cenſer into his hand, he might have taken away their Cenſer, their Sacrifice, and Sabbath, and all, and have bidden the people goe dance the while, for he was King, and might take the liberty of a King, ſo he was perſwaded.
He is anſwered; for God hath made anſwer to him by Himſelfe, as in ſuch caſes, concerning His worſhip, He uſeth to doe; The Prieſts had done Ezech. 14.enough at that time, &c.
FINIS.
End of the text · Hezekiah Woodward, The Kings Chronicle in Two Sections (1643)