The court and temple were near together: however it was with Athaliah, and the late revolted princes of Judah, according to the common word, the nearer to the church, the farther from God: their religious predecessors held it the greatest commodity of their house, that it neighboured upon the house of God. From her palace might Athaliah easily hear the joyful shouts of the multitude, the loud noise of the trumpets, and, as astonished with this new tumult of public gratulations, she comes running into the temple. Never had her foot trod upon that holy pavement till now, that she came to fetch a just revenge from that God whose worship she had contemned.

It fell out well, that her sudden amazedness called her forth, without the attendance of any strong guard, whose side-taking might have made that quarrel mutually bloody. She soon hears and sees what she likes not her ear meets with, God save the king; her eye meets with the unlooked-for heir of the kingdom, sitting on his throne, crowned and robed in the royal fashion, guarded with the captains and soldiers, proclaimed by the trumpeters, acclaimed and applauded by the people.

Who can say whether this sight drove her more near to frenzy or death? How could it be otherwise, when those great spirits of hers, that had been so long used to an uncontrolled sovereignty, find themselves so unexpectedly suppressed?

She now rends her clothes, and cries, Treason! treason! as if that voice of hers could still command all hearts, all hands; as if one breath of hers were powerful enough to blow away all these new designs. O Athaliah! to whom dost thou complain thyself? They are thy just executioners wherewith thou art encompassed: if it be treason to set up the true heir of Ahaziah, thou appealest to thy traitors: the treason was thine; theirs is justice. The time is now come of thy reckonings for all the royal blood of Judah, which thine ambition shed; wonder rather at the patience of this long forbearance, than the rigour of this execution.

There needs no formal seat of justice in so apparent offence. Jehoiada passes the sentence of death upon her: "Have her forth of the ranges, let her not be slain in the house of the Lord; and him that followeth her, kill with the sword."

Had not this usurpation been palpable, Jehoiada would not have presumed to in

God, and uncle and protector to the lawful king, he doth that out of the necessity of the state, which his infant sovereign, if he could have been capable of those thoughts, would have desired.

Violent hands are laid upon Athaliah, whom, no doubt, a proud and furious disdain of so quick a charge, and of so rough a usage, made miserably impatient. Now she frowns and calls, and shrieks and commands, and threatens and reviles, and entreats in vain, and dies with as much ill-will from herself, as she lived with the ill-will of her repining subjects.

I see not any one man, of all her late flatterers, that follows her, either for pity or rescue. Every man willingly gives her up to justice; not one sword is drawn in her defence, not one eye laments her. Such is the issue of a tyrannical misgovernment; that which is obeyed not without secret hate, is lost not without public joy.

How like is Athaliah to her mother Jezebel! as in conditions and carriage, so even in death: both killed violently, both killed under their own walls, both slain with treason in their mouths, both slain in the entrance of a changed government; one trode on by the horses, the other slain in the horse-gate; both paid their own blood for the innocent blood of others.

How suddenly, how easily, is Judah restored to itself, after so long and so fearful a deprivation! The people scarce believe their own eyes, for the wonder of this happy change: neither know I whether they be more joyed in the sight of their new king thus strangely preserved, or in the sight of Jehoiada that had preserved him.

No man can envy the protection of the young king unto him by whose means he lives and reigns. That holy man cares only to improve his authority to the common good." He makes a covenant between the Lord, and the king, and the people ;" and, after so long and dangerous a disjunction, re-unites them to each other. Their revived zeal bestirs itself, and breaks down the temples, and altars, and images of Baal, and sacrifices his idolatrous priests. Shortly both Ahab and Baal are destroyed out of Judah.

The sceptre of Judah is changed from a woman to a child; but a child trained up and tutored by Jehoiada. This minority, so guided, was not inferior to the mature age of many predecessors. Happy is that land, the nonage of whose princes falls into holy and just hands; yet, even these holy and just hands came short of what they

might have done. The high places remained still; those altars were erected to the true God, but in a wrong place. It is marvel if there be not some blemishes found in the best government: I doubt Jehoiada shall once buy it dear, that he did not his ut

most.

But for the main, all was well with Judah, in all the days of Jehoiada, even after that Joash was grown past his pupilage. He that was the tutor to his infancy, was the counsellor of his ripe age, and was equally happy in both. How pleasing was it to that good high priest, to be commanded by that charge of his in the business of God! The young king gives order to the priests, for the collection of large sums, to the repairing of the breaches of God's house. It becomes him well to take care of that which was the nursery of his infancy: and now, after three and twenty years, he ex postulates with his late guardian, Jehoiada, and the rest of his court, "Why repair ye not the breaches?"

O gracious and happy vicissitude! Jehoiada the priest had ruled the infancy of king Joash in matters of state, and now Joash the king commands aged Jehoiada the priest in matters of devotion. In the affairs of God, the action is the priest's, the oversight and coaction is the prince's: by the careful endeavour of both, God's house is repaired, his service flourisheth.

But alas! that it may too well appear, that the ground of this devotion was not altogether inward, no sooner doth the life of Jehoiada cease, than the devotion of Joash begins to languish; and, after some languor, dies.

The benefit of a truly religious prelate, or statesman, is not known till his loss.

Now, some idolatrous peers of Judah have soon miscarried the king, from the house of the Lord God of their fathers, to serve groves, and idols. Yea, whither go we wretched men, if we be left by our Maker? King Joash is turned, not idolater only, but persecutor; yea, which is yet more horrible to consider, persecutor of the son of that Jehoiada to whom he owes his own life. Zechariah, his cousin-german, his foster-brother, the holy issue of those parents by whom Joash lives and reigns, for the conscionable rebuke of the idolatry of prince and people, is unjustly and cruelly murdered by that unthankful hand. How possible is it for fair and saint-like beginnings to shut up in monstrous impieties! Let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall. When did God ever put up so foul ingratitude to himself, to his ser

vants? O Joash! what eyes can pity the fearful destruction of thee and thy Judah? If ye have forgotten the kindness of Jehoiada, your unkindness to Jehoiada shall not be forgotten: "An army of Syrians shall come up against Judah and Jerusalem, and destroy all the princes of the people, and send all the spoil of them to Damascus." Now Hazael revenges this quarrel of God and his anointed, and plagues that people which made themselves unworthy to be the Lord's inheritance.

And what becomes of Joash? He is left in great diseases, when his own servants conspired against him "for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada, and slew him on his bed, and he died; and they buried him not in the sepulchre of the kings." Dying Zechariah had said, in the bitterness of his departing soul, "The Lord look upon it, and require it." I confess, I had rather to have heard him say, The Lord pass it over, and remit it." So said Stephen: such difference there is between a martyr of the law and of the Gospel; although I will hope the zeal of justice, not the uncharitable heat of revenge, drew forth this word: God hears it, and now gives an account of his notice. Thus doth the Lord require the blood of Jehoiada's son, even by the like unthankful hand of the obliged servants of Joash. He that was guilty of abominable idolatry, yet, as if God meant to wave that challenge, is called to reckoning for his cruel unthankfulness to Jehoiada: this crime shall make him odious alive, and shall abandon him dead from the sepulchre of his fathers; as if this last royalty were too good for him, who had forgotten the law of humanity. Some vices are such, as nature smiles upon, though frowned at by divine justice. Others are such, as even nature itself abhors; such is this of ingratitude, which, therefore carries so much more detestation from God, as it is more odious even to them that have blotted out the image of God.

CONTEMPLATION V. JOASH WITH ELISHA

DYING.

THE two kingdoms of Judah and Israel, however divided both in government and affection, yet loved to interchange the names of their kings: even Israel had their Joash, no better than that of Judah; he was not more the father of the latter J boam, than. in respect of miswors was the son of the first Jerobo made Israel to sin. Those calves

and Bethel, out of a politic misdevotion, besotted all the succession of the ten usurped tribes. Yet even this idolatrous king of Israel comes down to visit the sick bed of Elisha, and weeps upon his face.

That holy prophet was never any flatterer of princes, neither spared he invectives against their most plausible sins: yet king Joash, that was beaten by his reproofs, washes that face with the tears of love and sorrow, which had often frowned upon his wickedness.

How much difference there was betwixt the Joash of Israel, and the Joash of Judah! That of Judah, having been preserved and nurtured by Jehoiada the priest, after all professions of dearness, shuts up in the unkind murder of his son, and that merely for the just reproof of his own idolatry; this of Israel, having been estranged from the prophet Elisha, and sharply rebuked for the like offence, makes love to his dying reprover, and bedews his pale face with his tears. Both were bad enough; but this of Israel was, however vicious, yet good-natured: that of Judah added to his wickedness an ill disposition, a dogged humour. There are varieties even of evil men: some are worse at the root, others at the branch; some more civilly harmless, others fouler in morality. According to the exercise of the restraining grace, natural men do either rise or fall in their ill.

The longest day must have its evening. Good Elisha, that had lived some ninety years, a wonder of prophets, and had outworn many successions in the thrones of Israel and Judah, is now cast upon the bed of his sickness, yea, of his death. That very age might seem a disease, which yet is seconded with a languishing distemper. It is not in the power of any holiness to privilege us from infirmity of body, from final dissolution. He that stretched himself upon his bed, over the dead carcass of the Shunamite's son, and revived it, must now stretch out his own limbs upon his sick bed, and die. He saw his master Elijah rapt up suddenly from the earth, and fetched by a fiery chariot from this vale of mortality; himself must leisurely wait for his last pangs, in a lingering passage to the same glory. There is not one way appointed to us by the divine Providence, unto one common blessedness: one hath more pain, another hath more speed: violence snatcheth away one; another, by an insensible pace, draws every day nearer to his term: the wisdom and goodness of God magnifies itself in both. Happy is he, that, after due preparation, is passed through the

gates of death, ere he be aware! Happy is he, that, by the holy use of long sickness, is taught to see the gates of death afar off, and addressed for a resolute passage: the one dies like Elijah, the other like Elisha, both blessedly.

The time was when a great king sent to Elisha, to know if he should recover: now the king of Israel, as knowing that Elisha shall not recover, so had his consumption spent him, comes to visit the dying prophet; and, when his tears would give him leave. breaks forth into a passionate exclamation: "O my father! my father! the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof!" Yet the calves of Dan and Bethel have left some goodness in Joash: as the best man hath something in him worthy of reproof, so the faultiest hath something commendable. Had not the Spirit of God himself told us, that Joash did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, we had admired this piety, this reverent respect to the prophet: the holiest man could not have said more. It is possible for the clients of a false worship to honour, out of another regard, the professors of truth. From the hand of Elisha had Jehu, the grandfather of Joash, re ceived his unction to the kingdom; this favour might not be forgotten.

Visitation of the sick is a duty required both by the law of humanity, and of religion. Bodily infirmity is sad and comfortless; and therefore needs the presence and counsel of friends to relieve it; although, when we draw the curtains of those that are eminently gracious, we do rather fetch, with Joash, than bring, a blessing.

How sensible should we be of the loss of holy men, when a Joash spends his tears upon Elisha! If we be more affected with the foregoing of a natural friend, or kinsman, than of a noted and useful prophet, it argues more love to ourselves, than to the church of God, than to God himself.

What use there was of chariots and horsemen in those wars of the ancients, all histories can tell us; all the strength of the battle stood in these; there could be neither defence nor offence but by them: such was Elisha unto Israel. The greatest safeguard to any nation is the sanctity and faithfulness of their prophets, without which the church and state lie open to utter desolation.

The same words that Elisha said of his master Elijah, when he saw him taken up from the earth, doth Joash now speak of Elisha, near his dissolution: "O my father! my father! the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof!" The words were good,

the tears were pious; but where are the actions? O Joash! if the prophet were thy father, where was thy filial obedience? he cried down thy calves, thou upheldest them; he counselled thee to good, thou didst evil in the sight of the Lord.

If the prophet was the chariot and horsemen of Israel, why didst thou fight against his holy doctrine? if thou weepedst for his loss, why didst thou not weep for those sins of thine that procured it?

Had thine hand answered thy tongue, Israel had been happy in Elisha, Elisha had been happy in Israel and thee. Words are no good trial of profession: the worst men may speak well. Actions have only the power to descry hypocrites.

Yet even a Joash, thus complying, shall not go away unblessed. This outward kindness shall receive an outward retribution. These few drops of warm water, shed upon the face of a prophet, shall not lose their reward. The spirit of prophecy forsakes not the deathbed of Elisha: he calls for bow and arrows, and puts them into the hand of Joash, and, putting his hands upon the king's hand, he bids to shoot eastward, and while the shaft flies, and lights, he says, "The arrow of the Lord's deliverance from Syria; for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them." If the weak and withered hand of the prophet had not been upon the youthful and vigorous hand of the king, this bow had been drawn in vain: the srength was from the hand of the king, the blessing from the hand of the prophet. He, whose real parable hath made the earth to be Syria, the arrow revenge, the archer Joash, hath obtained for his last boon from God to Israel, that this archer shall shoot this arrow of revenge into the heart of Syria, and wound it to death. When, then, the hand of the king and of the prophet draw together, there cannot choose but success must follow.

How readily doth Elisha now make good the words of Joash! how truly is he the chariots and horsemen of Israel! Israel had not fought without him, much less had been victorious; if theirs be the endeavour, the success is his. Even the dying prophet puts life and speed into the forces of Israel; and, while he is digging his own grave, is raising trophies to God's people.

He had received kindness from the Syrians: amongst them was he harboured in the dearth, and from some of their nobles was presented with rich gifts; but their enmity to Israel drowns all his private respects. He cannot but profess hostility to

the public enemies of the church, neither can he content himself with a single prediction of their ruin. He bids Joash to take the arrows, and smite upon the ground; he sets no number of those strokes, as supposing the frequence of those blows, which Joash might well, upon this former parabolical act, understand to be significant. The slack hand of the king smites but thrice: so apt we are to be wanting to ourselves; so coldly do we execute the commands of God. The sick prophet is not more grieved than angry at this dull negligence. Doubtless, God had revealed to him, for his last gratification, that, upon his fervent prayers, so often as Joash should voluntarily, after his general charge, smite the earth, so oft should Israel smite Syria. Elisha's zeal doth not languish with his body: with a fatherly authority, he chides him who had styled him father, not fearing to spend some of his last breath in a mild reproof: "Thou shouldst have smitten five or six times, then thou hadst smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it; whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice." Not that the unchangeable decree of the Almighty meant to suspend itself upon the uncertain issue of Joash's will; but he, that puts this word into the mouth of his prophet, puts this motion into the hand of the king, which did not more willingly stay, than necessarily obey the providence whereby it was stirred. Even while we have the freest choice, we fall upon those actions and circumstances, whereby the just and holy will of our God is brought about. Our very neglects, our ignorances, shall fulfil his eternal counsels.

Elisha dies, and is buried: his miracles do not cease with his life. Who can marvel that his living prayers raised the son of the Shunamite, when his dead bones raise the carcass that touched them! God will be free in his works; he that must die himself, yet shall revive another: the same power might have continued life to him, that gave it by his bones. Israel shall well see that he lives, by whose virtue Elisha was both in life and death miraculous. While the prophet was alive, the impetration might seem to be his, though the power were God's. Now that he is dead, the bones can challenge nothing, but send the wandering Israelite to that Almighty agent, to whom it is all one to work by the quick or dead. Were not the men of Israel more dead than the carcass thus buried, how could they choose but see, in this revived corpse, an emblem of their own condition? how could they choose but think, If we

adhere to the God of Elisha, he shall raise our decayed estates, and restore our nation to the former glory?

The Sadducees had as yet no being in Israel. With what face could that heresy ever after look into the world, when before the birth of it, it was so palpably convinced, with an example of the resurrection? Intermission of time, and degrees of corruption, add nothing to the impossibility of our rising. The body that is once cold in death, hath no more aptitude to a re-animation, than that which is mouldered into dust; only the divine power of the Maker must restore either, can restore both. When we are dead, and buried in the grave of our sin, it is only the touch of God's prophets, applying unto us the death and resurrection of the Son of God, that can put new life into us. No less true, though spiritual, is the miracle of our rising up from an estate of inward corruption, to a life of grace.

Yet all this prevails not with Israel. No bones of Elisha could raise them from their wicked idolatry; and, notwithstanding their gross sins, Joash their king prospers. Whether it were for the sake of Jehu, whose grandchild he was, or for the sake of Elisha, whose face he wept upon, his hand is notably successful, not only against the son | of Hazael king of Syria, whom he beats out of the cities of Israel, but against Amaziah king of Judah, whom he took prisoner, beating down the very walls of Jerusalem, and returning laden with the sacred and rich spoil, both of the temple and court, to his Samaria.

O the depth of Divine justice and wisdom in these outward administrations! The best cause, the best man, doth not ever fare best. Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, Joash evil; Amaziah follows David, though not with equal paces; Joash follows Jeroboam; yet is Amaziah shamefully foiled by Joash. Whether God yet meant to visit, upon this king of Judah, the still odious unthankfulness of his father Jehoiada, or to plague Judah for their share in the blood of Zechariah, and their late revolt to idolatry; or, whether Amaziah's too much confidence in his own strength, which moved his bold challenge to Joash, were thought fit to be thus taken down; or whatever other secret ground of God's judgment there might be, it is not for our presumption to inquire. Whoso by the event shall judge of love or hatred, shall be sure to run upon that woe, which belongs to them that call good evil, and evil good.

What a savage piece of justice it is, to

put the right, whether of inheritance or honour, to the decision of the sword, when it is no news for the better to miscarry by the hand of the worse!

The race is not to the swift, the battle is not to the strong, no, not to the good. Perhaps God will correct his own by a foil; perhaps he will plague his enemy by a victory. They are only our spiritual combats wherein our faithful courage is sure of a crown.

CONTEMPLATION VI. — UZZIAH LEPROUS.

EVEN the throne of David passed many changes of good and evil. Good Jehoshaphat was followed with three successions of wicked princes, and those three were again succeeded with three others godly and virtuous. Amaziah for a long time shone fair, but at the last, shut up in a cloud: the gods of the Edomites marred him. His rebellion against God stirred up his people's rebellion against him. The same hands that slew him, crowned his son Uzziah; so as the young king might imagine, it was not their spite that drew violence upon his father, but his own wickedness. Both early did this prince reign, and late. he began at sixteen, and sat fifty-two years in the throne of Judah. They, that mutinied in the declining age of Amaziah the father, are obsequious to the childhood of the son, as if they professed to adore sovereignty, while they hated lewdness. The unchanged government of good princes is the happiness no less of the subjects, than of themselves. The hand knows best to guide those reins to which it hath been inured; and even mean hackneys go on cheerfully in their wonted road. Custom, as it makes evils more supportable,. so, where it meets with constant minds, makes good things the more pleasing and beneficial.

The wise and holy Zechariah was a happy tutor to the minority of king Uzziah. That vessel can hardly miscarry, where a skilful steersman sits at the helm. The first praise of a good prince is to be judicious and just, and pious in himself: the next is, to give ear and way to them that are such. While Zechariah hath the visions of God, and Uzziah takes the counsels of Zechariah, it is hard to say, whether the prophet, or the king, or the state, be happier.

God will be in no man's debt. So long as Uzziah sought the Lord, "God made him to prosper." Even what we do out of