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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97343	The Kings chronicle in two sections wherein we have the acts of the wicked and good kings of Iudah fully declared, with the ordering of their militia and grave observations thereupon : this section containes the wayes and works of the bad kings, with marks the Holy Ghost hath set upon them, for the terrour of all those who walke in the wayes of Israel, and after the counsels of the house of Ahab which was to the destruction of Iudah / published by Hezekiah Woodvvard.	Woodward, Ezekias, 1590-1675.	1643 (1643)	Wing W3494; ESTC R1678	91,401	115

of Governement they aske a King are shewen the manner of their King Saul is given them He is well advised and ruled by Samuell and is prosperous An Ammonite deales proudly with Israel and is accordingly dealt with and confounded GOD gives Saul a glorious victory over the Philistines and his sonne fullfills a Prophecy He is charged concerning Amaleke and does contrary Then he heares of his rejection David gaines him another victory as wonderfull as the former therein gives the Church assured confidence for ever he is ill requited for it Saul envied him to the day of his death bent the strength of his Militia against David Sauls life was all along contrary to the rule of grace and his death contrary to the light of Nature SAmuell is Israels last Judge and Saul their first King called to that high office and inabled thereunto by GOD Himselfe raised quickly in his thoughts and disposition to the pitch of a King Samuell doe's not rule now though well read and experienced in that Art but orders and directs gives Saul the honour of that hardest worke The ruling of the people but tels him how to doe it Samuell speakes and Saul hearkens and all this while it was well So long as Samuell ruled-out the way of government to Saul and he followed the Rule it was well with Saul and with all the people The Lord made their Militia strong and successefull to a wonder When he transgressed that Rule his spirits fell and he from his princely dignity thrusting himselfe besides the throne with his own hands Notwithstanding the LORD wrought a wonderful deliverance for Israel by the hand of David for which David was ill requited for therefore Saul envied him and turned the edge of his Militia against him Saul should have fought the battels of the Lord and have strengthened himselfe against the Lords and Israels enemies he does the contrary fights against the Lord and his servant David Quickly after his sinne finds him out and the Philistines who gathered strength while Saul strengthened himselfe against the LORD drove Saul into the straits and being there he sought for Death from anothers hands and obtaines it not his owne hand shall doe him that favour since he counts it so and so is his own Executioner Thus I have this once for I shall doe so no more hudled-up and crowded together a large and famous Story which contains many Remarkables of infinite use That is it I intend Therefore I will draw them out one after another if at more length then is expected the intent is good that we may put the more observations upon them The History begins AGe bath overtaken Samuell and his carefull government which is a burden too heavy for him he puts off from himselfe laying the weight thereof on his Sonnes shoulders Joel and Abiah a 1 Sam. 8. 1 2. who judged the people at Bersheba the very utmost City towards the South of Judea The place was inconvenient and very remote so were these two brothers no lesse removed from the justice and virtue of their Father They turned aside after lucre and tooke bribes Bribes in the plurall ver 3. number he that opens his hand to a bribe once seldom shuts it afterwards for the thirst of covetousnesse the more it swalloweth the more it drieth and desireth finding taste in nothing but gaine and so for in-comes that way they set the Law at a price and sold Judgement and Justice to the best Chap-men them that would give the best bribes for it it follows tooke bribes and perverted judgement This injustice in their Judges makes the Elders of Israel very earnest with Samuell to give ver 4. them a King they might justly ask a King now they thought an alteration and change in government now that their Judges were so changed from what they were and so wicked had quite perverted judgement and justice And so importunate they are that they are resolved upon it and will have no denyall They might aske a King but they should not have been so importunate their request was good but it was too hasty and then good things may be ill desired GOD purposed to raise up a King to his People the People after the manner out-pace GOD they will have a King when they please The government by Judges was of GODS institution and at this time setled amongst them they shall have a change of government but they are over-forward to a change and they shall be well check'd for that The Request is put up to Samuell with much importunity he knowes what to doe he enquires of his Oracle asketh the LORDS ver 6. mind in this matter The LORD resolves him saying I was indeed their King before and it was well with them They have reiected Me and not thee that I should not reigne ver 7. over them Now therefore hearken to their voyce but tell them moreover the manner of their King he will know himselfe to be King and then thinke hee may doe what hee listeth The People must know this then perhaps they will understand that ever to be the best kind of Government which God appoints over a people and that if the government be heavy as an yron yoake upon the necks of the People it is but meet for their neckes which are stiffe as an Iron sinnew and because their iniquity is heavy upon them whereof they stand charged to complain and not of the government which the Lord hath set over them Samuell does according to his charge speakes unto the people in the same words And they like themselves turned a deafe eare to all the perswasions and threats which Samuell used and they said Nay but there shall be a King over us e ver 19. The people will not be denied As before so they might have a god of their owne chusing and so soone as they pleased if it were a Calfe they cared not They were as indifferent about their King give them a King that they may be like the Nations and then they were well enough for the manner of their King no matter at all for that Men like their owne time best and their owne choise then Samuell hearing the People say so tooke a viall of oyle and powred it upon Sauls head who was gone forth to seeke Asses and such was the Providence found a Kingdome and said The Lord hath annointed thee to be Captaine over His inheritance a 1 Sam. 10. 1. Then shortly after having well rebuked and disciplined the people b ver 18. he shews them their King openly And all the people shouted and said GOD save the King c ver 24. Then Samuell told the People the Law and Statutes of the Kingdome and wrote it in a book d ver 25. and laid it up before the LORD so dismissed the People and they whose hearts GOD had touched went home with their ver 26. King others but they were children of

m ver 26. That was well for seeing they had charged themselves with an Oath and about abstaining from food a few houres I thinke they did well not to be rash in breaking of it though it was Saules Oath But Jonathan heard not the charge and so meeting with a sweet commodity put his hand to his mouth and found a great comfort from it It was Honey before but how sweete it was to Jonathan now no man knowes but the hungry soule as was Jonathans who had scrabled up the hill and done such exploits there surely water out of a Rock had been honey to him what was this honey to him at such a time but he will heare that anon which will ver 27. make him disrelish all No sooner Jonathan had tasted the honey but he heares of his Fathers charge Then said Jonathan my Father hath troubled the Land for see what a refreshing I have ver 28. had from a taste of honey how much more if happily the ver 29. people had eaten freely of the spoile surely then there had beene a greater slaughter Behold yet a greater mischiefe for the ver 30. people flew upon the spoile tooke Sheep and Oxen and did eate them with the blood ver 32. They that bind themselves when they need not will be loose when they should not They that will put a restraint Wee love yoakes of our owne making and can thinke them easie on themselves where God gives them a liberty will take a liberty there where God gives them a restraint They might have tasted of the honey yea and have eaten of the spoile freely for God gave them a liberty They would not take Gods allowance they did eate with the bload and there was Gods restraint Saul has a way now to make amends for all And truly were it not that we must judge of Actions by the line and rule of Gods word and will we might thinke very well of Saul now and of his Actions he calls for a great stone that shall be an Altar and then the people shall slay the Sheepe before the Lord and him a good way to make the people doe things decently and in order then Saul will pursue the Enemy ver 36. but said the Priest let us draw nearer hither unto GOD. What to doe to enquire of him BVT HE ANSWERED HIM ver 37. NOT THAT DAY Marke that If thou art in earnest and dost expect That God shall answer thee thou must not then goe thine own way according to the answer of thy own heart but after the line of Gods word and will Saul had done that day as his own counsell had suggested then he asked counsell of GOD but God answered him not that day Yet Saul goes on asketh counsell when he pleaseth and when he pleaseth he forbeareth he had taken an Oath of the people he should have asked counsell before and then he had not done it But now it was done he might have advised whether he should now doe as he had sworne Though indeed I may advise about the breaking of an Oath taken rashly but no advise must be taken about the breaking of an Oath which I have taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wickedly no question about the breaking of that Saul adviseth neither before nor after but sweareth againe That as he had sworne so he would doe put that man to death that had eaten that day and so finds him out that had done it and it was his Son Jonathan and though it was even he yet since he had tasted Honey he must taste of Death too See how eager we are in pursuit of our own wayes and counsels it is because these are most pleasing in our own eyes I did but taste a little honey and loe I must die said Jonathan Yes answered Saul that thou shalt GOD doe so and more also for thou shalt surely die ver 43. Jonathan What! Jonathan die said the people he who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel God forbid as ver 44. the Lord liveth there shall not ane haire of his head fall to the ground for he hath wrought with GOD this Day so the people rescued Jonathan that he died not ver 45. Object How now now the people commanded and not Saul their King for their word was the Law Answ It was indeed and therefore it was the best reason that the peoples word should stand for their word was Law the Law of God given them from His own Mouth Thou shalt Deut. 17. 8. 19. 10. ENQVIRE and be showne the sentence of judgement betweene blood and blood that innocent blood be not shed and so blood be upon thee this was Law Now marke the judgement upon the man that shall breake this Law he that doth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit let no man stay him Prov. 28. 17. Object What was this to Saul he could make a Law and why might not he breake a law Answ He might breake a Law of his own making he might be bolder there but he must not be bold with GODS Law Object Let Saul looke to that and the people to their obedience Answ So they will they will obey the King conditionally so he commands by Law for that is his Booke and his Land-marke his directory and boundary both * Rex nihil potest nisi ia solum quod de jure potest Bract. Lex fraenum est Regis potentiae They will obey the KING of Kings absolutely for so He must be obeyed And this is His command Thou shalt rise up for the blood of the innocent thou shalt not consent to the shedding of it They must quit their eyes in this case as well as their hands our hands have not shed this blood nor have our eyes seen it d Deut. 21. 7. Had their eyes sene innocent blood shedding and not come-in to rescue the innocent they had not been innocent innocent blood had been upon them what we suffer'd to be done and could have hindered and did not we have done it and blood is upon us Object But Saul had sworne Answ What of that It may be they were sorry their master had sworne so rashly but that should not hinder them to doe according to Law for they swore too They had bound themselves a little before with Sauls coards it was about matters indifferent eating and drinking they might eate and they might abstaine Here was another case the case of innocent blood a pretious thing It is not said you may shed it or you may forbeare therefore Sauls Oath should not bind the people now they will shew Saul the sentence of the Law that is a binder and so they resisted Saul if you will call it so he shall not shed innocent blood and so they did well and their duty and he should have thanked them for that They resisted we must heare that word the perverse

end we see what is done but we doe not see what will be the issue of the act Here in this Chronicle we may behold all together The Proud Man in his Throne with his Princes about him and presently after dwelling with the beasts of the field there eating grasse as Oxen d Dan 4. 32. We may behold him here drinking wine in bowles the sacred vessells of the Temple and the same houre seeing a hand-writing upon the wall and within an houre after feeling the Sword in his bowells e Dan. 5. 4. We may behold the Man here even as a wild-Asse f Jer. 2. 24. snuffing up the wind or as the expression is sowing the wind and with the same glance of the eye behold him reaping the whirle wind g Hose 8. 7 12. 13. And then we can consider how gratious the proud Man will be in the eye of the beholder at that time when pangs come upon him the paine as of a woman in travell h Jer. 22. 23. for then we shall see him ashamed and confounded for all his wickednesse i ver 22. Of infinite use this To looke thorow the example to the end and then nothing better instructeth then the worst examples for therein we shall see wicked wayes and Idolatious counsels leading to ruine and destruction and all this together Mans heart is desperately wicked and so pursues his owne way as the two Captaines with their fifties k 2 King 1. 9. 10 11 12. with the Sword in his hand threatnings and menacies in his mouth thinking to command the end which he hath vainly conceited But when he lookes-on forward and considers his way to be a perishing way and that not two Captaines with their fifties but thirteene Kings with their people so many we shall reade of went traversing the same way and fier from Heaven consumed them When he considers this heartily it will check him in his way and put supplications in his mouth not only to the Man of God for he may be sought to also But to GOD-MAN The LORD JESUS CHRIST whom we persecute marching in our owne way so bespeaking mercy from the LORD in the words of that wise and considerate Captaine before him Fier from Heaven hath consumed these Kings with their People and their Land once the Eden of the World Let my life and the life of Thy servants and the peace of this Land be pretious in thy sight Amen We see the scope and purpose of this Chronicle I shall not now crave the Readers attention I know the weight and excellency of the matter will command it for I shall set before Kings and People what I must correct my selfe first els I shall spoyle all What can I set before them which the meanest man will regard Alas silly man when he saith what he will doe he doth but disadvantage himselfe and the cause I should have said the LORD the HIGH the DREADFVLL GOD Hee will this Day in the examples which follow set before Kings and their People DEATH and EVILL LIFE and GOOD If our hearts turne away so that we will not heare if we will be drawne away and worship strange Gods then behold Death and Evill For surely we shall perish But if we will love the LORD our GOD obey His voyce cleave unto Him then we choose Life and Blessing for He is our life and length of our dayes Behold Death and Evill is set before us in the following examples of the Kings who though dead yet speake much to the Instruction of the l●ving how destructive Idolatrous wayes are and he beaten pathes of humane policies as the other tell us how safe and good the holy way is wherein never any man miscarried Before we reade their doings I would say this for the length of the Chronicle That when my thoughts were first upon it I did not intend it so but more contracted and abrid ed into a narrow roome But then I considered what a worke I had in hand and what my scope therin My worke was well to ponder the wayes and workes of bad and good Kings wherin nothing can be found small or of light account Then again The Scope is as we heard the Instruction of the living Kings and their People all I thought it then my duty to ponder matters yet more and to looke over their History again and againe And the more I read the more I found even mighty things and wheron the LORD Himselfe had set a marke with His owne Hand like an hand in the road-way pointing the passenger This way thou must goe for this is the strait way and tends to life And here thou must forbeare for it is a destructive way and tends to death Truly I find so many marks in my travell here that I could not tell where to picke and chuse finding all so remarkable of so great and excellent use to marke out the way of LIFE and DEATH unto us all whether high or low great or small I would adde this also That the Chapters in this Chronicle are enlarged as the Story of the Kings there is continued where thorow two whole bookes and more as is the Story of the two first Kings there are the Chapters lengthened Where thorow three Chapters as the Story of Asa or foure as the Story of King Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah for these wrought effectually to edisie strengthen and establish themselves and their Kingdomes which is a worke evermore of difficulty labour and time accordingly are their Chapters enlarged The Story of the bad Kings is begun in one Chapter and there ended except the Story of Saul which fils a Booke and of Rehoboam which is continued through three Chapters for a King in an Idolatrous way doth not goe but runne and is quickly at the end posting-on himselfe and his people to ruine and destruction Therfore though the Story be short yet the observations therupon may be long and of infinite use It is our wisdome to set our hearts thereunto And sith DEATH and EVILL LIFE and GOOD are before us well to consider looking well before us that we chuse the good way the way of good men walke therein and keepe the pathes of the Righteous That wee love the LORD our GOD obey His voyce and cleave unto Him For it Prov. 2. 20. followes Hee is thy LIFE and length of thy Dayes Deu. 30. 19 20. Hee is thy Praise and Hee is thy GOD That hath done for thee the great and terrible things which thine eyes have seene Therefore thou shalt feare the LORD Deut. 10. 20. thy GOD Him shalt thou serve and to Him shalt thou cleave Amen THE KINGS CHRONICLE THE ACTS OF SAVL SECT I. The Chronicles of the bad Kings of Judah are read their mistakes about their Militia The contrary waies and motions to their owne ends are recorded CHAPT I. A Change in the mind and ways of the Judges makes the Elders of Israel aske a change