THE TENDEE HEART.
SERMON I.
Aud as for the king of Judah, who sent yon to inquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the uords irhich thou hast heard, Because thine heart was tender, dc. — 2 Chkon. XXXIV. 26.
These words are a part of the message whicli the prophetess Huldah sent to good King Josiah ; for as the message was concerning him and his people, so his answer from her is exact, both for himself and them. That part which concerned his people is set down in the three foregoing verses ; that which belongs unto himself is contained in the words now read unto you, ' But to the king of Judah,' &c. The preface to her message we see strengthened with authority from God, ' Thus saith the Lord God of Israel ;' which words carry in them the greater force and power from the majesty of the author. For if words spoken from a king carry authority, how much more then the word of the Lord of hosts, the I{ing of kings ? Here is her wisdom, therefore, that she lays aside her own authority, and speaks in the name of the Lord.
"We see that waters of the same colour have not the same nature and effect, for hot waters are of the same colour with plain ordinary waters, yet more effectual ; so the words of a man coming from a man may seem at first to be the same with others, yet notwithstanding, the words of God coming from the Spu-it of God, carry a more wonderful excellency in them even to the hearts of kings. They bind kings, though they labour to shake them off. They are arrows to pierce their hearts ; if not to save them, yet to damn them. Therefore she speaks to the king, ' Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard,' &c.
Here we read of Josiah, that he was a man of an upright heart, and one who did that which was right in the sight of the Lord ; and answerably we find the Lord to, deal with him. For he, desirous to know the issue of a fearful judgment threatened against him and his people, sendeth to Huldah, a prophetess of the Lord, to be certified therein ; whereupon he receiveth a full and perfect answer of the Lord's determination, both touching himself and his people, that they being forewarned might be forearmed ; and by their timely conversion to the Lord, might procure the aversion* of so * That is, ' turuing away.' — G.
80 THE TENDER HEART.
heavy wrath. lie in uprightness sends to inquire, and the Lord returns him a full and upright answer. Whence we may learn,
Duct. 1. That (jod (loth (fraciously fit prophet.'; for jwrsonx, and his icord, to a people that are vpri(iht in their hearts. Where there is a true desire to know the will of God, there God will give men sincere prophets that shall answer them exactly ; not according to their own lusts, but for their good. Josiah was an holy man, who, out of a gracious disposition, desirous to be informed from God what should become of him and his people, sends to the prophetess Huldah. It was God's mercy that ho should have a Hul- dah, a Jeremiah, to send to ; and it was God's mercy that they should deal faithfully with him. This is God's mercy to those that are true-hearted. He will give theni teachers suitable to their desires ; but those that are false-hearted shall have suitable teachers, who shall instruct them according to their lusts. If they be like Ahab, they shall have four hundred false prophets to teach falsehood, to please their lusts, 1 Ivings xxii. 6 ; but if they be Davids, they shall have Nathans. If they be Josiahs, they shall have Huldahs and Jeremiahs. Indeed, Herod may have a John Baptist, Mark vi. 27 ; but what will he do with him in the end when he doth come to cross him in his sin ? Then off goes his head.
Use. This should teach us to labour for sincerity, to have our hearts np- rir/ht towards God ; and then he will send us men of a direct and right spirit, that shall teach us according to his own heart. But if we be false-hearted, God will give us teachers that shall teach us, not according to his will, but to please our own. We shall light upon belly-gods and epicures, and shall fall into the hands of priests and Jesuits. Where such are, there are the judgments of God upon the people, because they do not desire to know the will of God in truth. We see, Ezek. xiv. 3, 4, the people desired to have a stumblingblock for their iniquity. They were naught,* and would have idols. Therefore they desired stumblingblocks. They would have false prophets, that so they might go to hell with some authority. Well, saith God, they shall have stumblingblocks : for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, ' To every man that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire ; I the Lord will answer him that cometh, according to the mul- titude of his idols ; according to his own Mse heart, and not according to good.' What brought the greatest judgment upon the world, next to hell itself, I mean antichrist — the terriblest judgment of all, that hath drawn so many souls to hell — but the wickedness of the place and people, and his own ambition ? The sins of the people gave life to him. They could not endure the word of God or plain dealing ; they thought it a simple thing. They must have more sacrifices, more ceremonies, and a more glorious government. They would not be content with Christ's government which he left them, but were weary of this. Therefore he being gone to heaven, they must have a pope to go before them and lead them to hell. There- fore let men never excuse those sins, for certainly God saw a great deal of evil in them, and therefore gave them up to the judgment of antichrist. But let us magnify God's mercies that hath not so given us up. Thus we see how graciously God deals with a true-hearted king : ho sends him a true answer of his message.