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Show 468 The fecondBooke of the fortpart Cuar2r.98 Whether it werefo,that the great Prophet E4i/ba, w ho liued in thofetimes,did fore. tell the profperity of the Ifraelites v nder the reigne of Jods 5 OF W hethet Iehoabaz, wea ried and broken with long aduerfity, thought it the wileft way , to difchargehimfelfe in part of the heauiecares attending thofe vnhappy Syrian Warr s, by layiug the bir. 2-King.1 3.10. then vpon his hopeful fonne ; wee finde that inthe thirtie fenenth yeere of loas, King of Inda, loas thefonne of Tehoahaz began torcigne oucr dfraelin Samaria ; which was in the15-yeere ofhis fathers reigne,and fometwo orthreeyeeres befor chis death, Itappeares thatthis yongue Prince,euenfrom the beginningof his Rule, didfo well husband that poore {tock that he receiued fromhis Father, of ten ( shariots, fifty Horfe. mén, and ten thoufandFoot,that he might feeme likely to proueathriuer. Amongfto.10 2 King-13.14- thercircumftances,the words whichhe {pake to E/ifba the Prophet sargueno leffe, For Joas vifiting the Prophet,wholay ficke,{pake vnto himthus ; O my fatherwy father,thes Chariotof ifrael,and the horfemen of thefame :by which maner of {peech hedid acknow. ledge,that the prayers of this holy man had ftood his Kingdomein more ftead, thanall theHorfes and Chariots could doe. This Prophet who fucceeded vnto Elias, about the firft yeere of Joram the fonne of Ahab king ofIfracl, died (as fome haue probably collected) about the third or fourth yeere ofthis Jezs,the Nephewof /ehs. To thew howthefpirit of E/ies was doubled,or did reft vpon him; it exceedeth my facultie. This is recorded of him, that hee did not onelyraife a dead childe vntolife, as E/ias had done, but when hee himfelfe was dead,it pleafed Godthat his dead bonesfhould reftorelife vnto aca reafs,which touch. edthemin the graue.In fine, hee beftowedasa legacie, three victories v pon King /oa, whotherebydid fet Ifraelina faire way of recouering all that the Aramites had vii ped,and weakning the Kings of Damafcoin fiuch fort, that they were neuerafter tert ble to Samaria. VFI: Of Amazia bis warre againit Eden 3 His Apoftsfie; and overthrow by oas. &% He happyfuccefle which seashad foundin his war againft the Aramites,was! A fuch as mightkindle in Amezia a defire of vadertaking fome expedition, wherin himfelfe might purchafe thelike honour.His kingdome could fiurnith b7@ three hundred thoufandferuiceable men for the Wars; & his treafureswete fufficient forthe paymentofthefe, & the hire ofmany more. Canfe ofwar hehadvety luft againft the Edomites,who hauing rebelled in the timeofhis grand-father Ieboram, had aboutfifty yeeres been voreclaimed, partly by reafonof the troubles happening in luda, partly through the floth and timeroufnefle ofhis fatherJoas-Yet, forafinuchasthe men of Iuda had in many yeeres beene withoutall exercife of Warre(c xcepting that vnhappy fight wherein they were beaten by afewbands ofthe Aramites) hee held itay point ofwifedome to increaft his forces,with fouldiers wagedout ofIfrael, whencehe hired for an hundred talents of filuer,a hundred 2.Chron.21.6. theufand valiant men, asthe Sctiptute dof-Antig.ind, telleth vs, though loféphus diminifn the number, faying that they were Gib.906110. but ewentié thoufand. This great Armie,whichwith fo much cot Amaziahad hired out of Iftael, hee W* faine to difmiffe before he had imployed it, being threatned by aProphet with ill {uc celle, if he ftrengthenedhimfelfe with the helpe ofthoie men, whom God(though1 mercyhee gaue them victory againft the cruel] Aramites) didnot loue, becaufe they were Idolaters. The Ifraclites therfore departed in great anger Palin iniill part thisdil- miffion,as an high difgrace; which to reuenge,they fell vpon a pieceof Iudain their turne,and fhewedtheir malice in the le flaug2hterofthree thoufand men; and is mir, eae ; fome carried away. But 4mazia* with ee 3 ee ae his owne force 5 youd s, know ingtha t God wou : =< peu their iourney, entered Couragioufly into the Edomites Count rie; . patty taining victory,he flew ten Curia8. of the Fiiftory of the World, Seit, Amaziatook,as appeares byhis Carrying awaytheIdols the were the placts-mroft indefenfible,in that he left no gartifons Forthis when he wis rebuked by aProphetfent from God, hee ro threatning anfwer'; asking the Prophet, Whomade hima Counfe hold his peace for feare ofthe worft' Tfeitherthe coftlyftuffe;wh erof made,orthe curious wo rkemanfhip and beautie With which they we tificersyhadyauithed the kings fanicie methinkes,'he {ouldha tetat to:matter ofprofit, oi Kept them as houfe-holdornaments ind things o thereby hatefuffered himfelf tobe blinded, with fuch vnreaf onabled Ott them. If the fuperftitious aécount wherein the Edomites had held them: Worke much vpon his imagination 3 much morefh ould the bad feruice wh done'to theirold Clientshaue moued himthere uponto laus andthem. Whereforeit {eemes to me, that the fame rcabléeto ithey had om God 20 vntothe feritice oF 1d6ls) which'afterwards moued himto talké fo roughly to the Prophetteprehending him?' He had already obeyed the warnin g of God by‘a Prophet, & fent away fuch auxiliarie forces a8 He had gathered out ofIftael'. which doneit is { that he was encouraged, and ledforth his people, thinking belike, that God would now3 thet aii hitn by miraclé; than let‘himfaile ofobtai ning all his hearts defire. But with better reafOn he fhouldhauelimited: his defires by the will of God, whofe pleafure it Was, that E/au hauing broken theyoke of/acob from his necke, accordinglyas 7/2: fore-told, fhould no tore become his feruant: Ifthérfore aneazia did hopetoreconquerall the Countrey of Edomn, lice failed of his expecta tic ns yet fo, that he brought homeboth profit and hénour,which might hate well'contentedh im. ' : 39 But thereis.afoolith'and 4 wretched pride,wherewi th endure to afcribe vato Godthe honorof thofe actions, menbeing tranfported, canill in whichit hath pleafed him to vie theirowwne induftiie, courage)or fore-fight. ‘Pheref oreit is commonly feene, that t who entring into battell, ‘are carefiill to ptayforaide from heaven, with dueac1owledgement of hig power,whois the giuet of vidtorie; when the field is won,doe vaunt oftheir owne exploits :-one telling howhe got fuch a ground ofaduantage; another, how Hie gaue checke to fuch 2 battalion 32 third, howhe feized on the enemies Canon'; Cuiety‘one ftriuing to magnifie himfelf whileft all forget God,as one that had not peene pretent in the action. ‘To aferibeto fortune the effects oFanother mans vertue,is, t confiffe Sumentofmalice. Yet this is ttue, thatas he whichfindethbetterfic. 49 Ccfie,thanhe did, or inteafo n might expect, is deepely bound to acknowledge Godth e Author of his happineffe ; fo he whofe meere'w ifdome andlabour hath brought things to a profperousifltie, is doubly bound'to thewhimfelfe thankefull,bot hforthevictory, andfor thofe vertues by whichthe victory was gotten. Andindeed fofarfrom weakenefleis the nature of{ich thankefgiuing.thatit maywe l be called the height ofmagna3 No vertuebeing fotruly herdicall,as that by which thefpirit of man aduanc eth ¢ vvith confidence of acceptation, ynto the Ioue of God. In which fenfe itis a peech that Exender in Pireil, vfeth to -#eas,none but aChriftian being capable of the admonition : " 50 Ande hofpes contemucre obes, rte quogue dignum Finge Deo, byhis cariage)troublédnot‘his head:he had thoufand,andt at fo deare a fate, as the lofof their owne libertie. Some townes in ah at 1. that hee? them vp to be hisgods, and wor[Dipped thensand buynedinc ooke otherten thoufand prifones : which hethrew from an high rocke ; holding them , it feeme s,rather as Tray i eaes Crown fubivied! Edomynderichthe was reduceee feem vict This B fher :ofth em ee ory; did evt pete rt tits se n migh t benot the caufeto e of: that feu erity , whic h we ‘ nds 3 Ecomitesthat had efcaped, refufing to buyth e liverof theit i at {x &kinfmen ; butit is like th oy he mix nother yeerethe better hae purfuedthe conqueft ofthe whole it were,he got both honour by theiovirney,andgaines enough, had he not loft Among other‘{poyles ofthe Edomites, were carried away the 1s, vanquifhed andtaken prifonersdid deferuewell'to be led in tri tiwife, Uknow not by what ftrange witchcraft, fo befotted this yn 1y king ofIuda, fincethe time ofseho/aphar, us peoplefhouldthink himlittle inferior to Dawéd:ot hy theProphets fhouldrob him,vvhohad madehim nts,anddone himno p! he hauing preuailed byplaineforce ; > Vvithoutany miracle That hee vvas diftempered wvith fuch « thoughts as thefe (befides the wvitneffe ofhis impietyfollowing) lofephus dothtop nt.to.c Aaa teftific |