36

1 2 Chro. 14.2,3,4, 5.& 15. 12.-15. Verse 11.

Three things in Afa's Reformation. Chap.1) fubmitted themselves to enter into a covenant or law,that upon pain of death all the people should feek the Lord onely.

We will make thee.] This fheweth the forwardneffe of the people to joyne with Afa in reforming Religion, and adorning m2 Chro. the Church, as is recorded m.

15.10, 16.

Verse 11.

Borders of gold.] That is,the borders of the kingdome, pure as gold by cleanfing and putting away all the Idols out of all quarters of Judah, yea, and of Benjamin alfo,and mount Ephraim, the very skirts, and frontiers, and borders of the kingn 2 Chro. dome n.

15.8.

Verse 11.

Studs of filver.] In workes of gold, are fuch eminent knobs as adorne the workes with variety of colours, and metall, and o Pro. 15. workmanship.

II.

3. Things.

p 2 Chro. 15.8.

Such like eminent works which did adorn Afa's reformation of the Church, even to the very borders, were these three. First, his renewing of the Altars of the Lord before the Porch P.

Secondly, the depofing of his mother from her Regency, for her Idolatrie fake,

q 2 Chro. and defacing her Idoll 4.

15.16.

Thirdly,the confecrating,and bringing into Gods house, his fathers and his own

37

r 2 Chro.

Verse 12.

Chap.1. The word like to fpikenard. dedicated Veffels of gold and filver 1. While the King fitteth at his table.] That is, whiles Fehofaphat fits at reft and refreshing himselfe at home, God efta-2 Chro, blishing his kingdome in his hand,and giving him riches & honors in abundance.

peace,

17.15.

Idem ibid.

My fpikenard. ]An ointment of all others Verse 12: most precious,* of all other spices spike-Plin.lib nard is of greatest estimation. This the A-ca. 12. postle John calleth very coftly, wherewith our Saviour Chrift was anointed by Mary. By Spikenard is here meant the preaching of the Word, which is of all favours the most precious, even the favour of life unto life.

When Jehofaphat was established in reft and peace, he fent forth the Priests and Levites, to carry the fweet favour of the word throughout all the cities of Judaht. A bundle of myrrh.] Myrrh is an odoriferous tree, that fweateth out a fweet gumme called Stacte, which is preferred before all others. This gum is alfo called from the tree Myrrh, his fmell is ftrong and fragrant; and fit to preferve from putrefaction; and it is of much ufe in embalming, and God

2 Cor. 2. 16.

t 2 Chro. 17.8,9. Plin. lib. 12. ca. 16.

Verse 13.

t

himfelf recounteth it amongst the princi- Exod.30. pall spices.

C4

Be-23.

38

Verse 13. I let. 2.2.

Who the Churches breafts. Chap.1. Betweene my breafts.] The breafts are thofe that give milk, the fincere milke of the Word to the Churches children, to wit, the Priefts and Levites. These when Fehofaphat fent forth to give milke to the cities of Judah,he fent with them a company of Noblemen, religious Princes, who added the more authority to the Priests and Levites, and are therefore themselves faid to teach in the cities of t 2 Chro. Judah. Thus thefe Princes were as a

17.7.

19.5

-12.

bundle of Myrrh amongst the Priests and the Levites, to decide all controverfies amongst the people, both in matters concerning God and the King; to preferve the people, and one another free from corruption in all matters, whether of Reu 2 Chro. ligion or civill Juftice". Yea, and 7eho. faphat himfelfe representing Chrift the Churches welbeloved upon earth, he refted in the bofome of the Church as a bundle of Myrrh, fweet, and ftrongly preferving the people from corruption: from Beersheba to mount Ephraim hee went about, throughout all the people,to Chro. bring them backe againe to the purity of Gods worship*.

19.3.4. Verfe 14.

As a cluster of camphire.] Camphire is

a

Chap.1. Chrift as camphire to his Church.

39

21. ca. 18.

a fhrub for smell like unto spikenard, wafting the obstruction of the spleene, and by the very fmell of it making men vegegetiores, and firmiores, more lively and Plin. lib. more ftrong; yea, and available also against the biting of ferpents: fuch was Chrift to his Church, when the children of Moab and Ammon, and mount Seir, gathered themselves together against the children of Ifrael in Engedi; for by the miniftry of Fehaziel, he made Fehofaphat and his people,

First, more ftrong in faith, to rest on God and his Word.

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

Behold, thon 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 Priefts and Levites in their courses,reftored their burnt facrifices and

obla

Chron. 20.12.

2 Chron. 20.14,15, 16.-20. verse 21, 22,23,24.

verse 3,12

Verfe 15.

40

29.& 30.

The Church faire under Hezekiah. Chap.1.

oblations, fanctified the Priefts,called all

2 Chron. the people to the Paffeover, prayed for their healing,tooke away all the Images, Groves, and high Places.

& 31. ver.

1,2,

Verfe 15.

Plin. lib.

Thou hast doves eyes.] That is, chaft and loathing uncleanneffe,as Pliny reports the 10.cap.34. doves to be. Hezekiah loathed even the monuments of Idolatry, even the brazen Serpent, (though fometimes Gods ordinance) when once the people went a whoring after it: fo by this means,abuses 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 should 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 Manaffeh and Ammon,are not mentioned till their cleanfing came, recorded in the dayes of Iefiah.

2 King.

18.49

Verfe 16.

Behold thou art faire my beloved, yea pleafant,alfo our bed is green. ]This is the eftate of the Church in the dayes of good Iofiah, who reformed it to the like estate of purity and beauty as in the dayes of Hezekiah, yea, in this he exceeded him, in taking away the high places which

Solomon