Diuell our aduersarie walketh about like a roaring Lion 1. Pet. 5.8 seeking about whom he may denoure And therefore the Apostle willeth vs to watch and be sober a verie necessarie admonition for vs seeing the nature of man is so inclinable vnto that which is euill But if it be demaunded why these Princes did not goe about to put this matter in practise before I answere according to the prouerbe there was a hatch before the doore that is Iehoiada was liuing and therefore they knew that Gods high Priest would not suffer so vild a thing to be attempted but rather would resist their enterprise And therefore they watched their time when there was a doore opened vnto them by the death of Iehoiada Thus for the most part the enemies of the Gospell waiteth their seasons when they may do most hurt vsing also the meanes by the which they may best preuaile against the trueth The which practise of theirs I meane their forwardnesse in wickednesse should teach vs to be the more watchfull ouer our selues and others then we are For if Sathan and his instruments to wit the aduersaries of the grace of God will vse the benefite of the time against the Trueth how much more ought we that are Christians to take heed that wee suffer not so precious a thing as time to be pretermitted but rather we should stirre vp our selues while it is called to day to make our saluation sure least wee be shut out of the Lordes rest and the doore of his mercy bolted vp against vs and we knocking to be let in it shal be said vnto vs Depart from me ye that worke iniquitie Againe Matth. 7.23 let vs consider when it was that the children of Israel fel away to grosse Idolatrie and worshipped the goldē calfe which they constrained Aaron to make and we shall find it was euen in the absence of Moses Exod. 32. hee being vpon Mount Sina with the Lord to receiue the two Tables of the Testimonie a fit oportunitie for Sathan to bring them to Idolatrie When was it that the tempter came to our Sauiour Christ and willed him to commaund stones to be made bread Matth. 4.2.3 euen when our Sauiour had fasted fortie dayes and fortienights and was at the last hungrie When was it that Dauid committed adulterie with Bethshaba not when he followed Gods enemies and his in battaile 2. Sam. 11.2 but euen then when he tooke his ease at home in his pallace and walked vpon the roofe thereof So long as Sampson fought with the vncircumcised Philistines Iudg. 16.2 and imployed his time against his enemies he could not be taken of them but after he gaue himselfe to idlenesse and slept in the lappe of Dalilah his harlot hee was taken and made blind by the Philistines King Salomon 1. King 19. after he had left off to build the Temple hee was seduced and brought to Idolatrie by women When was it that Simon Peter denied and forsware his Master not so long as he was in his companie Mat. 16. Mark 14. Luke 22. but after our Sauiour Christ was taken by the high Priests and hee bathing and warming himselfe in the high Priests hall he had soone forgot his promise vnto Christ and before the cocke crew he denyed him thrice And therefore let vs watch ouer our selues and keepe good watch and ward at all times and in all places least we be found of our Arch-enemy vnarmed and let vs buckle on our armour of proofe that the dangerous blowes of Sathan do not pearce it for as I haue said before he watcheth his time when he may best take vs at an aduantage like a cunning master of Fence who will be sure to giue a venie if at any time we lie open vnto him These examples which we haue shewed of the fal of good men may be looking glasses for vs all wherein we may see what flesh and blood is without Gods spirit assisting vs. For who is more holier then was Dauid of whom the Lord said he was a man after his own hart or who more stronger then Sampson or who more wiser then Salomon or who loued Christ more then Peter and yet all these slipped and troad awrie So that there is not any man that can assure himselfe of standing no not the holy father the Pope himselfe And therefore truely is it said from hence commeth all mischiefe euen when men slept Mat. 13.25 the enemie came and sowed tares among the wheate and went his way when men runne not forward in the race of their saluation the diuell laboureth to worke their destruction as afterward it may appeare by the fall of this King which by Gods iust iudgement was slaine by his owne seruants and the Princes destroyed and the people deliuered vp into the handes of the Aramites and so the land was depriued of their gouernours and peaceable gouernement Thus beloued we shal heare that the taking away of gouernours and the want of godly gouernement is one of the greatest punishments that the Lord vseth to inflict vpon the land Esay 3.4 as it appeareth in Esay where the Lorde threatneth that for the sinne of the people he will appoint children to be their Princes and babes to raigne ouer them and the people shal be oppressed one of another which punishment the Lord in his mercy hath kept from vs vntill this day For the which wee haue iust cause to giue laude and praise vnto God who hath so myraculously defended our gratious Queene from the hands of all her enemies in despight of their beards whom the Lord still continue amongst vs that she may be an old noursing mother in Israel for his Christ his sake God we must needs confesse hath taken away many good Iehoiadaes out of this land I meane godly and sage Counsellours which no doubt is an argument of his displeasure against vs for sinne and yet what people or nation vnder the heauens haue enioyed that peaceable and christian gouernement so long time as wee haue done and at this present do enioy by the meanes of our blessed Debora Thus we haue seene what hath fallen out in their times which may be sufficient motiues vnto vs not to detract the time any longer but as we are forward in the obseruation of the times and seasons in our outward trauaile and labours so let vs make benefite of this precious time of the Gospell that thereby wee may be made fitte for Gods kingdome when we shall be called hence Thus I will conclude this circumstance in a worde obseruing this that as the Angels of God could do nothing in punishing of Sodom Gen. 19 2◠vntill Lot was gone out vnto little Zoar no more could these Princes seduce Ioash vntill Iehoiada was gone to God after which time they preuailed with the King and brought him to Idolatrie as wee shall afterwards heare And thus much for the first circumstance concerning the time wherein these
A GODLY SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE RIGHT Worshipfull EDVVARD COOKE Esquier Atturney Generall vnto the Queens most excellent Maiestie and others of Worship in Tittleshall in Norfolke by F. B. Babes it is the last time and as ye haue heard that Antichrist shall come euen now are there many Antichrists wherby we know that it is the last time Ioh. 1. Chap. 2. Vers 18. Babes keepe your selues from Idols Ioh. 1. Chap. 5. Vers 21. Imprinted at London by Felix Kingston for Thomas Man 1600. To the Right Worshipfull Edward Cooke Esquier Atturney Generall to the Queens most excellent Maiestie grace mercie and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ AMong the sinnes in generall Right Worshipfull possessing our peruersenature ingratitude chalengeth to hir selfe a speciall propertie in vs a thing repugnant to reason disagreeing to humanitie and contrarie to the expectation of man that it disagreeth with humanitie Nature her selfe may best be Iudge who hath not dealt so sparing in bestowing of her gifts but she will censure him as most vnkind whom shee taketh tardie in this sin of ingratitude Which sinne as it is common so it is contagious and hath infected many and yet for my own part I desire to be asmuch as may be free frō it which I should hardly be if I should burie so many fauours receiued from your worship in the graue of forgetfulnesse wherefore in token of my dutie I haue presumed to publish this my poore talent vnder your good acceptance desiring your fauourable pardon for the same I must confesse I stoode long in suspence with my selfe vnto whom I should commit this small trauell but your wonted affection and zeale towards the word soone stirred me vp to present it vnto you not being much dismaied hauing so many reasons to induce me thereunto among the rest this being one of the chiefest namely your patient and godly attention when it was preached of whom I may say as Paul saith to the Thessalonians you receiued it not as it was the word of man but as it was indeede the word of God 1. Thess chap. 2. vers 13. Thus with my heartie prayer vnto Almightie God that it will please his Maiestie to blesse you with many prosperous yeares and daies in this life and in the end eternall life with eternall ioyes I humbly take my leaue Your worships most bounden to commaund Francis Bradley 2. CHRON. 24. CHAP. 17.18 VERSES And after the death of Ichoiada came the Princes of Iudah and did reuerence to the King and the King harkened vnto them And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers and serued groues and Idols and wrath came vpon Iudah and Ierusalem because of this their trespasse IN this portion of Scripture Right worshipfull and beloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the spirit of God setteth downe the lamentable fall of King Ioash vnto Idolatrie which was by the malice of Sathan effected by his Princes but before we come to speake of the wordes set downe in this Text it shall not bee amisse to consider diuers circumstances going before which are verie pertinēt to this place In which circumstāces first we may obserue the prouidēce of God in preseruing this yong king Ioash from the cruell tyrannie of Athalia who after the death of Ahaziah his father caused all the kings lynage to be slaine to the ende that she might vsurpe the kingdome and so raigne as Queene ouer Iudah and Ierusalem Which thing she brought to passe for a time but the Lord who ouerthroweth the practises of the wicked whē it pleaseth him deliuered this yong infant out of her bloodie hands by the good policie of Iehosheba his fathers sister who did steale the child away that he might not be put to death according to the commandement of that blood thirstie woman and caused him to be kept secretly in the bedchamber of the house of the Lord All which time wicked Athalia raigned ouer the people But when the appointed time was come and that Ioash being of the age of seuen years that Grandcaptaine and holy high priest of the Lord Iehoiada brought forth this child with great solemnitie and caused him to be crowned king ouer the people and commaunded the vsurping Queene to be put to death which thing was performed accordingly by the iust iudgement of God she being troaden vnder the feete of horses And Iehoiada made a couenant betweene him and the people 2. Chro. 23.16 and the king that they should be the Lords people all which time the land inioyed her peace And Iehoiada was protector to the king from time to time teaching him the feare of the Lord insomuch that the young king grew to be more forward in the Law of God giuen by Moses as also in repairing of the Temple then any of the Priests or Leuites which zeale and forwardnes of his continued all the lifetime of Iehoiada which forwardnes of King Ioash in religion and repairing of the Temple as also the bloodie Tragedy of Athalia with the courage and boldnes of Iehoiada I will referre you to the chapter going before as also this out of which I haue chosen my Text with the 11. and 12. chapters of the 2. booke of the Kings where the holy Ghost hath most largely and amplie set downe this historie vnto vs. Now let vs come to the words as they lie in order to be handled and after the death of Iehoiada c. In these words I obserue fiue speciall circumstances the three first are contained in the 17. verse the other two in the 18. verse In the first there is offered vnto our considerations by the holy Ghost the time when these princes came to seduce Ioash and that is set down in these words After the death of Iehoiada came the princes of Iuda c. In the second we are to consider the manner of their comming in these words And they did reuerence vnto the King In the third the willing and readie consent of the King vnto their counsell in these words And the King hearkened vnto them In the fourth is set downe the matter wherein the king obeyed them in these words And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers and serued groues Idols In the fift and last is set downe the iust iudgement of God against the king Princes and people for their rebellion and disobedience in these words And wrath came vpon Iuda and Ierusalem because of this their trespasse Concerning the first which is the time wherin Sathan stirred vp his instruments to wit these princes of Iuda to alienate and withdraw the heart of this yong king from the true feare and seruice of God wherin he was trained vp by Gods high Priest it is said to be after that death of Iehoiada By which practise of Satā we may see that to be verified in this king which Peter speaketh of in his first Epistle and last chapter The
Angel from heauen preach vnto you otherwise then that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed Thus we haue heard what flatterers haue been in the Church of God from time to time labouring to seduce and draw Gods children from true religion and his seruice which may be a sufficient warning vnto vs as we haue shewed before lest we be carried away vnto falsehood and become irreligious and profane imbracing the doctrine of diuels for the doctrine of Christ Which many times falleth out amongst vs for want of due care had ouer our selues and therefore it will not be amisse for vs to auoid as much as may be the company of the wicked least by our societie with them we be drawne to ioyne with them in their corrupt religion as also in a profane conuersation Let vs take heed that we lend not our eares to the inchanted melodie of those Sytens whose songs may breed a sweet delight in vs and yet our destruction may be at hand Thus we will conclude this second point that as Absolon by the courteous carriage of himselfe stale away the hearts of his fathers subiects so these Princes by their reuerent behauiour stole away the heart of this king from his God And so much for the second circumstance Now foloweth the three circūstance in these words And the King harkened vnto thē Which is as much as if the holy Ghost had said he accepted of their counsell and being deluded by them he declined from the true seruice of God wherein he had been trained vp all his life time by Iehoiada the high Priest and was now fallen away We must not thinke that it was vnlawfull for the King to heare them for in that he heard their counsel he sinned not but in that he obeyed them and was contented to be led by them vnto Idolatrie thereby he incurred the wrath of God and brought a heauie iudgement vpon himselfe and his subiects And therfore it is the part of all good christians and louing subiects to pray vnto God and that continually that it would please his Maiestie so to inlighten all christian kings and princes of the earth with the spirit of wisedome and discerning that they may auoid and slie the dangerous allurements of the wicked whom the Lord sometime suffereth to sit in the place of Magistracie enen to be a rod for the people For Salomon saith I haue seen seruants on horses Princes walk as seruats on the groūd which saying of Salomon may be thus vnderstood Prou. 10.7 that somtime both in the Church and Commonwealth the vnworthie and vnfit ones are preferred before the worthie and being set at the sterne of the ship they like vnskilfull Pylots suffer the ship to go to wracke But in this thing we must not thinke the hand of God to be wanting but that hee by his prouidence vseth them as a scourge to correct his people as he vsed Nabucadnezer and Senacherib and diuers others to afflict and persecute the stubborne and disobedient Iewes and therefore Dauid his counsell is to be listned vnto whereas he exhorteth all kings and rulers of the earth to submit themselues vnder the hand of God in these words Be wise now therefore ye Kings be learned yee Iudges of the earth Psal 2.10 serue the Lord in feare And therefore if there be any that wil learne true wisedome and be truly wise they must be Gods schollers they must bee contented to he are him speaking vnto them out of his word And so soon as they know that it is the voice of God their answer must be obedience and must say with Samuel speake on Lord 1. Sam. 3.10 thy seruant heareth Thus we must bend our eares vnto God when he speaketh vnto vs by his ministers whom he hath placed ouer vs for our instruction When the people of Israel were to inioy that good land which the Lord had promised them by the right of inheritance and had destroyed many nations kings for their sakes what did the Lord require of them in lieu of his wonderous workes which he wrought vpon Pharao the Aegyptians Sheon king of the Amorits which dwelt at Heshbon and Og the king of Basan and tooke their Cities and diuided them among the tribes of Israel as we may read in Deut. Deut. 3. Truly hee requireth this that they would harken vnto his lawes ordinances and statutes which he gaue them by the hand of Moses his seruant whom he had placed ouer them in authoritie as appeareth further in the next chapter of this booke where hee thus speaketh vnto the people from the Lord. Now therefore hearken O Israel vnto the ordinances Deut. 4. and to the lawes which I teach you to doe them that ye may liue and go in and possesse that land which the Lord God of your fathers giueth you And again he saith Keepe them therfore and do them for that is your wisedome and your vnderstanding in the sight of the people which shall heare of all these ordinances and shall say onely this people is wise and of vnderstanding and a great nation c. Thus euerie one from the highest to the lowest must hearken to the lawes of God set downe vnto them in his word to do them for this is true wisedome and true vnderstanding both before God and men Yea other nations shall be constrained to acknowledge and confesse that this our people nation is a wise people and of vndestanding yea further the Lord maketh most sweet promises vnto thē if they wil hearken vnto his lawes to do them Deut. 28. as we may read in the same booke where also he doth denounce threaten to lay his curses vpon them which do the contrarie And againe in the fifth of this booke when Moses was to deliuer the law written in Tables of stone which he had receiued of the Lord to deliuer vnto Israel he called all the people together and said vnto them Deut. 5. Heare O Israel the ordinances and lawes which I propose to you this day And againe in the next chapter he hath the like words saying Heare therfore O Israel and take heed to do it And again he saith Deut. 6. heare O Israel the Lordour God is Lord onely And thus as Moses laboured that the people of Israel should apply their eares hearts to heare and to do that which he taught them from the Lord euen so should we apply the same and lay them vp in our hearts with blessed Marie Luke ◠and ponder them to our further comfort But it is the nature of man to haue his eares open to heare the counsell of men many times before the counsel of God and according to the affection we beare vnto them we are contēted to suffer our selues to be led by them whether it be with or against the truth whereby many times it falleth out to our ouerthrow destruction as we shal hereafter
heare Now let vs consider the manifold dangers which we make our selues subiect vnto by lending our eares to the counsell of wicked men Salomon saith Can a man carrie fire in his bosome not be burnt Prou. 6.27 No more can we imbrace wicked counsell but we bring dammage vnto our selues As appeareth by the example of Roboam the king of Israel who refused the counsell of the graue and wise ancients who willed him to speake kindly and deale louingly with those that came vnto him but not regarding their counsel he took the aduice of wicked and desperate youths who aduised him to speake roughly or churlishly vnto them saying My least part shal be heauier then my fathers loynes if my father did chastice you with rods 1. Reg. 12. I wil correct you with scourges or scorpions But what followed a lamentable sequell The kingdome of Dauid was rent a sunder and the Tribes of Israel diuided Also we read of the young Prophet being perswaded to eate bread by the old Prophet where the Lord had commanded the contrarie and by that meanes he procured to himselfe a fearefull death 1. King 13. being slaine with a Liō So Michaiah was perswaded by the kings Chamberlaine to speak vnto the king like vnto all the rest of the Prophets who said vnto him by these words let thy words be like vnto theirs and surely he had many reasons to moue him thereunto among the which this might be one speciall reason 1. King 22. that there was 400. Prophets that consented and ioyned together to speake good vnto the king 2. Another reason was this that he was aduised by a great courtier and a man of account but this aboue all might be a sufficient motiue to induce him that to contradict the counsel of so many prophets might cost him his life Exod. 13.2 But Michah had learned this lesion that he must not follow a multitude to do euill and therefore hee returned this answere as the Lord liueth what the Lord speaketh vnto me that will I speake And therfore we are not to follow high nor low young nor old friend nor kinsman any further then is agreeable to the word of our eternall God Nay we are not to follow the godly any further then they follow Christ Phil. 3.17 For Paul biddeth vs to follow him as he was a follower of Christ Then much lesse may we follow the counsel of wicked and prophane men Further let vs heare what that Lord saith by Moses vnto Israel If thy brother Deut. 13. the sonne of thy mother or thine owne sonne or thy daughter or thy wife that lieth in thy bosome or thy friend that is vnto thee as thine own soule intice thee secretly saying Let vs go and serue other Gods c. thou shalt not consent vnto him nor heare him neyther shall thine eye pitie him thy hand shall be first vpon him meaning to see him punished So that we see that wicked counsell specially in the seruice and worship of God must not go scot-free or vnpunished how much lesse are we to suffer our selues to be ledde as captiues by them howsoeuer they seeme to affect vs for it is the policie of Sathan many times to vse those that are neere vnto vs to alienate and draw our hearts from God and that wee should not perfourme those things which the Lord hath commanded vs as it appeareth by the practise of Sathan who vsed Peter the Apostle to stay our Sauiour Christ from Ierusalē as the Euangelist recordeth that when our Sauiour begā to tel his Disciples of his going to Ierusalē and of his suffering there Peter tooke him aside and began to rebuke him saying Master pitie thy selfe this shall not be vnto thee then our Sauiour looked back said vnto him Get thee behind me Sathan thou art an offence vnto me Mat. 16.12.23 because thou vnderstādest not the things that are of God but the things that are of men Againe we may reade in Amos of politike Amazia who gaue counsell vnto the Prophet Amos to flee into the land of Iuda and there to eate his bread and to prophecie vsing these words as a reason to perswade him that it was the Kings chappell and the Kings court Amazia fearing that his prophecying there might be a meanes to turne the King but the Prophet was so farre from hearkening vnto him that hee thundred Gods iudgements against him Amos 7.12.13 saying Thus sayth the Lorde thy wife shall be a harlot in the citie and thy sonnes and thy daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be diuided by lyne and thou shalt die in a polluted land and Israel shall surely go into captiuitie forth out this land Thus if wee will be Christs souldiers and stand for him and the glory of our God let vs set our selues against Sathan and his instruments putting vpon vs our spirituall armour and not fearing them but as Christ commanded vs to learne of him humilitie Matth. 11. so let vs also learne of him courage and boldnesse to resist and reprehend as hee did Peter their wicked counsell who speake vnto vs from Sathan that sent them or els their counsel is carnal 1. Pet. 2. but as Peter saith that fleshly lusts fight against the soule so fleshly counsel fights against the soule and as Salomon saith An angrie countenance driueth away a slaundering tongue Pro. 25. so an angrie rebuke and a sharpe reprehension driueth away a worldly fleshly and diuellish counsellour What gayned Ahab by following the counsell of Iesabel 1. Reg 22. in taking away the vineyard of Naboth surely his reward was death the Lorde meeteth with his wickednesse that he being in his chariot notwithstanding his armour hee was slaine with an arrow which pearced the ioyntes of his brigandyne the like iudgement the Lord inflicted vpon Iehoram his sonne by Iehu 2. Reg. 17. whom the Lord vsed further in the punishing of Iesabel Ahabs counsellour whom he commanded to be cast out of the window and the bellies of hungrie dogs became the sepulchre of her corps And as the Lord recorded the wickednesse of Amelech for opposing himselfe against Israel Exod. 27. so the Lord hath recorded the wickednesse of Ahab Ioram and Iesabel 1. Reg. 21. and sent his Prophet to foretell the iudgements that should ensue What successe had Absolon in following the counsell of Achitophel notwithstanding the scripture reporteth of him to be a man of singular beautie and louelinesse and yet the earth refused any longer to beare him and the heauens would not receiue him and therefore he hanged betwixt heauen earth by the haire of the head whose example may be a looking glasse for all such monsters 1. Reg. 18. who are so in loue with their locks that they bestow more time in trimming of them then in any exercise of religion 2. Sam. 17. and Achitophel his counseller hanged himselfe a iust reward
for rebels and traytors The Prophet Dauid foreseeing the manifold dangers and mischiefes that men fall into by walking in the counsell of wicked men beginneth thus Psal 1. Blessed is that man that walketh not in the counsell of the vngodly which blessednes the Lord graunt vnto all them that feare him Now as we haue heard how dangerous outward enemies are vnto vs and how they labour by all wayes and meanes to ouerthrow religion both generally and particularly so we must also be very watchfull ouer our home-bred enemies which is our owne concupiscence and the vntowardnes of our corrupt nature which maketh continuall warre against the spirit and therefore it is very necessary that wee should labour to expell those traytors out of vs or els it will little boote vs to fight against the enemies abroad Gregorie in moral And therefore one saith it is in vaine to fight against the enemie in the field if we harbour a traytor within the wals There is no worse counseller then that which we carie about with vs which are as dangerous vnto vs as the counsellours of Ahab and Herod which is our corrupt affections which is well called of one a domesticall traytor and a seditious counseller for that it walketh standeth sitteth sleepeth and dwelleth with vs. The Apostle S. Gal. 5. Paul willeth the Galathians to walke in the spirite and then you shall not saith he fulfill the lustes of the flesh for the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh But the holy Apostle in his Epistle to the Romaines doth most notablie handle at large this combate betweene the spirite and the flesh Rom. 7. where the Apostle bringeth in his owne deeds to be contrary to the will of the spirit Now if this blessed Apostle and elect seruant of God who was regenerate by the power of the spirite did find in himselfe this imbecillitie and weakenesse how much more may we behold in our selues our grosse impieties and manifold rebellions against our mercifull father and sweete Sauiour Christ whose sides and heart we newly pearce crucifying againe the Lord of life Let vs therefore not onely croppe the branches of sinne as to abstaine from the outward shew of euill but let vs labour rather to plucke vp sinne by the rootes in our selues so that we may wholy giue ouer our selues not as seruants to sinne but as seruants to righteousnesse praying vnto God continually for the assistance of his holy spirite so that all our thoughtes words works and wayes may be ordered by the rule and square of his blessed and reuealed word and let vs bring our actions to the touchstone which is the word of God Iob. 31. that we may trie them as gold is tryed in the furnace and let vs be like vnto Iob that as he made a couenant with his eyes so let vs make a couenant with our heartes that wee suffer them not to stray from the commandements of the Lord. For our heart is the fountaine from whence springeth all our actions whether they be good or euill And this is a generall disease among vs at this day the worser sort are not onely infected with it but many of the better sort can be content to beare a generall good liking towards the word of God and his commandements but seldome or neuer do they labor to approue their hearts before God in the performance of their seuerall duties which they owe vnto God or vnto their brethren but they rather content themselues with the very name or title of Professors of the Gospell when as in the meane time they ought to haue considered that the very neglect of any one dutie commanded vs in the worde and knowne vnto vs redoundeth to the contempt of the Lorde himselfe who is the Law-giuer and therefore the right perusing of the seueral duties commanded vs in his Law will bring vs from our pretended profession to an approued practise of such duties as are commanded vs of the Lord for the Lord beholdeth not the outward obedience alone but he looketh to the obedience of the heart Pro. 23.26 Deut 6. and therefore Salomon saith in the person of God My sonne giue me thy heart and the Lord in Deut. commandeth the children of Israel to loue him with all their heart with all their soule and all their strength Thus we haue heard how king loash hearkened with consent vnto the counsell of his Princes also how the Lord hath punished many other for following of wicked counsell and againe how the godly haue refused to be led by it and againe how wee are to set our selues against home-bred counsellers namely our owne concupiscence and fleshly affections which like traytors and rebels haue conspired our ouerthrow and lastly how we are to approue our hearts before God in the practise of those seuerall duties which he hath commaunded vs in his word and so much for the third circumstance where it is said that he hearkened vnto them Now it followeth to be considered wherein the King is said to haue followed their counsell in these words They left the house of the Lord God of their fathers and serued groues and idols By which words it appeareth that as they left off to serue God according as they had bin instructed and taught by â—ehotadâ— in the lawes and commandements giuen by Moses so also they left the place of Gods worship namely the house of God and the holy temple built by Salomon and serued their Idols in other places of their own inuention But first let vs consider how God is said to be the God of their fathers God calleth himselfe The God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob and bound himselfe by a conenant to be a God vnto them and to their seed for euer and therefore Iacob when he stood in seare of his brother Esau turneth himselfe by prayer vnto God saying Gen. 32. O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac c. As the Lorde would haue no other gods ioyned with him so he gaue commandement for the maner of his worship how it should be performed and also for the place where the Iewes should assemble themselues to offer their sacrifices and other rites and ceremonies commanded them in the Law by Moses Deut. 12.5 as appeareth in Deut. where Moses speaketh thus vnto them You shall seeke the place which the Lord your God shal chuse out of all your tribes to put his name there to dwell and thither thou shalt come And againe he saith Deut. 13. Take heede that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in euery place that thou seest but in the place which the Lord shal chuse in one of your tribes And therefore the Arke which was made did represent Gods presence and was placed in Shilo where some thinke it remayned more then three hundred yeeres and afterwards was remoued into other places till the appointed time that God