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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	king_n	prophet_n	samuel_n	2,676	5	9.8228	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33247	A looking-glass for religious princes, or, The character and work of Josiah delivered in a sermon upon 2 Kings XXIII.XXV : the substance whereof was preached April 5 1691 at Pershore in Worcester-shire ... / by Richard Claridge ...	Claridge, Richard, 1649-1723.	1691 (1691)	Wing C4433; ESTC R2252	26,502	40

the holy Appointments of God it is a Vice as old as the Fall and therefore might plead Prescription were Antiquity in this matter a good Argument Neither is there only a Natural Inclination but some Persons are possessed with such a mighty Fondness for Additions which Custom or Inrerest hath decoy'd them into that they cannot think God well-Worshipt without the sinful Pageantry of their Ceremonious Decency and Order two Words of large Extent which when Witty and Designing Men have the Explication of they will be sure to expound to such a Latitude as shall serve their Ends upon every occasion 'T is not to be question'd but that the Idolatrous Priests had a great deal to say for their Idols and High Places they had the Examples of several Kings the approbation of Princes and People their Idols were only Symbols or Medium's through which their Worship pass'd to the Supream Being and they could tell the People they used them meerly for Decency and Order and their High Places for greater Splendour of Devotion for they look'd upon both Idols and High Places not as having any Divinity or Holiness in themselves but as things in their own Nature indifferent and yet being enjoyn'd as not to be omitted because the Magistrate's Command changes the very Nature of things and makes that which antecedent to his Sanction was indifferent become immediately after to be Necessary that is Necessary because Commanded by the Magistrate This also is the Modern Plea which has been enforc'd with all the Wit and Power of Man to defend his Innovations in the Worship of God But all his Attempts will not do for weak sinful Man is not able to stand out against the Omnipotent and most Holy God who will maintain his Cause against all Opposers and make his Truth to triumph over Errour thô back'd with the utmost Skill and power of Men. But to return to Josiah that most eminent Reformer in his day his Zeal for God manifested it self in sundry particulars First He took care about the Temple at Jerusalem that was much dilapidated through the Neglect of his Idolatrous Predecessors 2 King 22.3.4 5. and gave Hilkiah Orders to repair the Breaches thereof Secondly As soon as the Book of the Law was found and read before him and he heard the Wrath of God denounc'd against Idolatry he was mightily concern'd thereat and rent his Cloaths V. 11. he consider'd himself as obnoxious to the Threatning as his People and therefore commanded Priests and Princes to go and enquire of the Lord for him and his People 12. 13. and for all Judah about it Thirdly He sent and gathered together all the Elders of Judah and Jerusalem 2 Chron. 34.29 30. and the Priests and the Levites and all the People great and small and went up into the House of the Lord and read the Book of the Covenant unto them that they might all be made sensible of the grievous sin of Idolatry and the Wrath of the Lord against it and might be moved thereby to repent of it and renounce it Fourthly He and the People made a Solemn Covenant before the Lord 2 Kings 23.3 to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandments and his Testimonies and his Statutes with all their heart and all their Soul to perform the words of the Covenant that were written in the Book of the Law Herein the King and his Subjects prov'd themselves to be Religious indeed for all True Religion is an entring into Solemn League and Covenant with God to be true to him and his Appointments The terms League Covenant Association have a brand of Infamy put upon them by some men whose Ears are grated at the sound and their Stomachs raised at the mention of them they are as great pretenders to Knowledge as any men we discourse with and yet as blind and ignorant as the Pharisees their Forefathers for as they boasted of their being the Seed of Abraham Joh. 8.33 9.28 and Disciples of Moses but erred not knowing the Scriptures So our Modern Pharisees talk much of their being the True Sons of the Church and Lovers of the Common-Prayer when they are many of them as ignorant as the Pharisees of old in points of Real saving Knowledge and understand no Covenanting with God but that Popish Childish perfunctory and unwarrantable one of Godfathers and Godmothers for them in their Infancy which when they come to Age they are usually as careless altogether to perform as their Substitutes did at first negligently and superstitiously engage But thus it happens among all Ways of Religion thô never so highly applauded by Traditionary Professors which are destitute of Divine Authority Fifthly He and his People having taken the Covenant to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandments c. there was no delay no fear of precipitation and waiting for a more convenient Season which are too often suggested to Religious Princes by carnal Counsellors but down went the High places Groves Altars 2 Chron. 34. 2. Kings 23. Priests of Baal immediately And so universal was the Reformation that not one publick Monument of Idolatry was spared throughout Judah and Israel Sixthly He restored the Passeover to its right Observation commanding it to be kept exactly according to what was written in the Book of the Covenant 2 Kings 23.21 v. 22. from which he turned not aside by putting to or taking from Touching the celebration of this Feast it is recorded Surely there was not holden such a Passeover from the days of Samuel the Prophet nor in all the days of the Kings of Israel nor of the Kings of Judah Seventhly He took care that no Publick Idolatry should be practised in his days whatsoever some of the Priests and People did privately for 't is said 2 Chron. 34 33. he made them serve the Lord their God And all his days they departed not from following the Lord the God of their Fathers Upon consideration now of the whole matter it might well be recorded of Josiah Like unto him was there no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him In the words these three things are presented to our Meditations First Josiah's personal Eminency above all other Kings Like unto him was there no King before him c. Which is to be taken as in the Instances above mentioned and thô it includes his publick and private Deportment yet it seems mostly to relate to his extraordinary Zeal for God in a publick Reformation Secondly The Subject matter of his matchless Glory namely his own Conversion and his Peoples Reformation wherein his Love to God was very conspicuous whether we consider its Integrity or Extent for it was not only sincere but universal also he turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and