23.13.

Chap.1. The estate of the Church under Fofiah. 41 Solomon had built for his wives Idols, as 2 King. alfo fome other corruptions of Ahaz, ver. 12. and befides, he made all the people to worship the Lord onely, and to serve him *.

*

*2 Chron.

2 Chr. 34.

Yea pleafant.] It being more then faire, 34-32,33. fo young a man to work fo great 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 fpoufe, and the him.

I.-7.

Thefe in Fofiahs time flourished in greatest purity, t so that there was not Chron Paffeover like unto his.

Our bed is green.] It is an allufion to the fpring time, when the worship of God began to flourish againe, after a winter time of miry and dirty pollutions.

The beames of our houfe are cedar, and our rafters (or walls,or galleries) of firre.] These words fet out the beauty of the Church, in regard of the repaires of the Temple made by Fofiah.

The ufe is to obferve the feverall beauties and ornaments of the Church, which are,

First,

35.18.

Verfe 17:

2 Chro.34

14.

ufe 1.

42 Good Lawes hinder not Christian liberty. Ch.1.

ufe 2.

* 2 Chro.

15.13.

† 2 Chro.

34.33.

ufe 3.

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 Priefts of the baseft of 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 Christian liberty as Anabaptifts dote, but an ornament to their beauty, making their necks comely as with chaines of gold. It was the commandement of Afa,* Whosoever would not feek the Lord God of Ifrael, fhould be put to death. † And Jofiah took 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 folemn covenant and oath to keep fuch Lawes, and to affift their Princes in cleanfing their uttermost borders and corners of the kingdome from Super

Chap.1. Minifters fent out and countenanced.
Superftition and Idolatry; and it is no
impeachment of Chriftian liberty to bow
to Chriftian Lawes : yea, it is the beauty
of a Christian Church to weare thofe
chaines, thofe Lawes, which were made
for the good of the Church, and it was
their profaneneffe and rebellion that say,
* Let us break their bands asunder, and caft
away their cords from us.

43

* Pla.2.3.

Fourthly, Princes to fend forth favou- ufe 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 Christian Princes fo provide,that all places may be furnished with preaching Minifters this is to open a box of spikenard that the fmell thereof may flow forth;but to leave them relished with the dregs of Superstition, this is a blemish.

Fifthly,to fee that the Nobles and Magiftrates countenance Priefts and Levites, and by their authority to give the free paffage to the Word, and to prevent difturbances which elfe might be offered to Ministers in their Churches, yea, all Magiftrates to prevent corruptions in

matters,

ufes.

Verse 13.

44

ufe 6.

* 2

Chro.

Inveterate abuses to be removed. Chap.1. matters, whether of Religion or civill Juftice, is as if a bundle of Myrrh should lodge in the breafts of the Church.

*

Sixthly, the Lord Jefus to refresh and ftrengthen the hearts and fpirits of his people in publicke calamities; and to fave them from the malignity and venome thereof,he is then as a cluster of camphire to the Church in the vineyards of Engedi, as he was to Iehofaphat and his people 20.12. when they knew not what to do. Christ is an ornament, and encourageth both Priest, Prophet, and Prince, to fing a Pfalme of Thankefgiving. And fuppofe enemies fhould be as a cluster in the border of the Church, how eafie a thing is it for God to strengthen, and be as a cluster of camphire,to ftrengthen and encourage them against thefe biting ferpents.

Verse 22.

ufe 7.

2 King.

18.4.

Seventhly, not to fofter and tolerate inveterate corruptions, though received from worthy Ancestors, but to hate all abufes in Gods worship, even the very monuments of Idolatry, and to take them away, as Hezekiah did the brażen Serpent,and to let each ordinance of God in his place: the Church then is very fair, The hath doves eyes. Eightly,

Chap.1. God can purge a corrupt Church.

Eightly, young Princes to begin be- | ufe 8. times to lift up their hearts to redreffe abufes in the Church, to imitate the best of their predeceffors; yea, and to go beyond them,as Fofiah did, and to restore Gods worship to her native beauty and integrity. It is a faire, yea, a pleafant thing to behold this forwardneffe in any; much more in young Princes.

Ninthly,to enjoy the worship of God, ufe 9. purged from all Superftition, Idolatry, and from all devices of men; it is as if a bed were greene, fresh, flourishing and fruitfull: in fuch worship Chrift delights to reveale and communicate himselfe familiarly with his people, and loveth not to come into a harlots bed, decked with the laces of tapestrie of Egypt.

45.

Pro. 7.16.

Tenthly, fuppofe the Church againe ufe 10. and againe be laid waft,so that in stead of camphire is Maffe and Idolatry, it is an cafie thing with God to fend a Fofiah, to root out fuch Superftitions, that though abufes crept into the Church for three or four Princes lives, yet God can cleanse and reform her, as he did in Fofiahs time. God lookes not at the corruptions of his Church, thereby to loath her,but to heal

her..