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Chap.1. The Church faire under Hezekiah. 41 Seir gathered themselves together a gainst the children of Ifrael in Engedi, for by the miniftry of Fehaziel, he made Fehofaphat and his people,

Firft, more ftrong in faith, to reft on 2 Chron. God and his word.

Secondly, more lively and heartily to praife God: yea, and hee faved them from their enemies, themselves not striking a ftroke; though their enemies the breed of the old Serpent put them before in great feare.

20.14,15, 16.

20.

verse 21.

22,23,24.

verfe 3.

-I 2.

Ver. 15.

Behold thou art faire my love, behold thou art faire: ] The doubling of the words expreffeth the fuperlative degree, by an ufuall Hebraifme, faire, faire, that is, very faire; which fheweth the estate of the Church in Hezekiahs time, who returned and fet the Priests and Levites in their courses, reftored their burnt fa crifices and oblations, fanctified the Priefts,called all the people to the Paffe-2 over, prayed for their healing, tooke away all the Images, groves, and high places.

Chron.

29. & 30.

& 31. ver.

1, 2.

[Thou haft Doves eyes:]That is, chaft Ver. 15. and loathing uncleaneffe, as Pliny re- Plin. lib. ports the Doves to be. Hezekiah loa-10.cap.34. thed

42. The eftate of the Church under Jofiah. Ch.1.

2. King. 18.4..

thed even the monuments of Idolatrie, even the brazen Serpent, (though fometimes Gods ordinance,) when once the people went a whoring after it: So by this means,abufes crept into the Church, in the dayes of foram, Uzziah, Fotham, Ahaz, are not recorded till they come to be cleanfed, left the joy of the marriage fong fhould be darkened by the mention of fo fad occurrences, whence also it is, that the abuses that crept in after the death of Hezekiah, in the dayes of Manaffeth and Ammon, are not mentioned till their cleanfing came, recorded in the dayes of fofiah.

Ver. 16. Behold thou art faire my beloved, yea pleafant alfo our bed is greene] This is the estate of the Church in the dayes of good Fofiah, who reformed it to the like eftate of purity and beauty as in the daies of Hezekiah, yea, in this hee exceeded him, in taking away the high places which Salomon had built for his wives Idols, as alfo fome other corruptions of Abaz, ver. 12. and befides, hee made all the people to worship the Lord onely, 2 Chro- and to ferve him.*

2 King. 23.13.

*

32,33.

[ Tea pleafant, ] It being more then

Ch.1. The eftate of the Church under Jofiah. 43 faire, fo young a man to worke fo great | 2 Chr.34 a worke of reformation.

Our bed is greene, ] The house of God was the temple, the bed in the house were the ordinances of God, wherein God was wont familiarly to embrace his spouse, and she him.

I.-7.

Thefe in Fofiahs time flourished in greaterft purity, † fo that there was not 2 Chro. Paffeover like unto his.

Our bed is greene, ] It is an allufion to the fpring time, when the worship of God began to flourish againe, after a winter time of myrie and dirtie pollu

tions.

35.18.

The beames of our house are Cedar, and Ver. 17. our Rafters, or Walls, or Galleries of Firre,] Thefe words fet out the beauty of the Church, in regard of the repaires of the Chr.34. Temple made by Fofiah.

8.-14.

The ufe is to obferve the feverall Ufe 1. beauties and ornaments of the Church,

which are,

First, to enjoy each ordinance of God in his ranke and place: It is as if the cheekes, or open face of the Church were decked with rowes of jewels. Feroboam made Priests of the baseft of

the

44 Good Laws hinder nòt Christian liberty..Ch.1.

Ufe.2

*2 Chro.

15.13.

† 2 Chro.

34.33.

ufe 3.

the people; and fuch defect or corruption of Gods ordinances, is a blemish confpicuous in the face of the Church.. Secondly, good Kings ought to put upon their people wholefome Lawes, and ftrait binding to the purity of Religion and the worship of God: It is no impeachment to their Chriftian liberty as Anabaptifts dote, but an ornament to their beautie, making their neckes comely as with chaines of gold: It was the commandement of Afa* Whosoever would not feeke the Lord God of Ifrael,fhould be put to death. And Jofiah tooke away all the abominations out of all the Countries that pertained to the Children of Ifrael, and made all that were prefent to ferve, even to ferve the Lord their God.

Thirdly, people to be ready to binde themselves by folemne covenant and oath to keepe fuch Lawes, and to affift their Princes in cleanfing their uttermoft borders and corners of the kingdome from Superftition and Idolatrie, and it is no impeachment of Christian liberty to bow to Chriftian Lawes: yea, it is the beauty of a Chriftian Church to weare thofe chaines, thofe Lawes, which

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Chap. 1. Minifters fent out and countenanced. 45 were made for the good of the Church, and it was their profaneffe and rebellion that fay,* Let us breake their bands afun⋆ Pla.2.3. der, and caft away their cords from us.

Fourthly, Princes to fend forth favou-use 4. ry and gracious Minifters into all quarters of their dominions, that all their people may taste and feele how sweet the preaching of the word is: This is the ornament of a Church, when Chriftian Princes fo provide,that all places may be furnished with preaching Minifters, this is to open a box of Spikenard that the smell thereof may flow forth, but to leave them relifhed with the dregs of Superstition, this is a blemish te nd Fifthly, to fee that the nobles and Magiftrates countenancePriefts and Levites, Ver. 13. and by their authority to give the free paffage to the word, and to prevent diffturbances which elfe might be offered to Ministers in their Churches, yea all Magiftrates to prevent corruptions in matters, whether of Religion or Civill Juftice,is as if a bundle of Myrrhe fhould lodge in the breafts of the Church.

ufe 5.

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4.8

Sixthly, the Lord Jefus to refresh and ufe 6. ftrengthen the hearts and fpirits of his people

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