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was a mercy, because it prevented bim from seeing tbe evil to come, and so bkewise brongbt bim sooner to beaven. It is a strange tbing to see bow tbe wisdom of beaven can mingle crosses and favours, corrections and mercies togetber ; tbat tbe same tbing sbould be botb a mercy to Josiali to be taken away, and yet a correction also for bis error, in going to figbt against Necbo, king of Eg}-pt, as we see 2 Cbron. xxxv. 23. We may bavo mercies and afflictions upon us at tbe same time, as God, by tbe same deatb, corrected Josiab's folly, and rewarded bis bumility.
Mark bere again anolber mystery, //( the carriage of divine providence : bow be brings bis promises to pass strangely above tbe reacb of man ; as bere, be baving promised Josiab tbat be sbould die in peace, one would bavo tbougbt tbat Josiab sbould bave died in pomp and state. No. Tbou sbalt die in peace, altbougb tbou be slain by tbe band of tby enemies ; tbou sbalt come to beaven, altbougb it be by a strange way. Tbus God brings bis cbildren to beaven by strange ways, yea, by contraiy ways, [by] afflic- tions and persecutions. Paul knew be sbould come to Eome, although it were by a strange way ; tbougb be suffered shipwreck, and was in great danger, as we may see Acts xxvii. 2, seq. God bath strange ways to bring bis counsels to pass, which he doth so strangely, as we may see his own hand in it.
Again, Here we may see another mystery in divine providence, concern- ing tbe death of Josiab, in that he vas taken away hei)u/ a yoinuj man, but thirty-nine years old, who was tbe flower of bis kingdom, and one upon whom the flourishing estate of such a kingdom did depend. Now, for such a gi'acious prince to be taken away in such a time, and at such an age, when he might have done much good, a man would hardly believe this mj'stery in divine providence. But ' our times are in God's hand,' Ps. xxxi. 15. His time is better than ours. And therefore he, seeing the sins of the people to be so great, that he could not bear with them longer, — for it was tbe sins of the people that deprived them of Josiab. It was not the king of Egypt who was the cause of his death, but tbe sins of the land — those caused God to make this way, to take away their gracious king.
Use. Here we may admire tbe wisdom of God, who doth not give an account unto us of bis doings, why he suffers some to live, and takes away others ; why he suffers the wicked to live, and takes away bis own. We can give little reason for it, because it is a mystery ; but God best knoweth the time when to reap bis own corn.
' Neither shall tby eyes see all the evil I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of tbe land.'
Boct. 11. Here the Holy Ghost doth insinuate unto us tbat whilst Josiab was alive, God would not bring this judgment upon the land, but after bis death, then it sbould come upon them. So here we learn this comfortable point of instruction, that the lives of God's children do keep back judgment and evil from the place where they live, and their death is a forerunner of jiidrpnent. Their life keeps back ill, and their death plucks down ill. While thou art alive, I will bring no evil upon this place, but when thou art gone, then I will bring it down, saith God. The reasons of this are,
Eeaso7i 1. Because yracious men do make the times and the p)laces good where they live. It is a world of good that is done by their example and help. While they live the times are the better for them.
Reason 2. And again, they keep hack ill, because gracious men do bind God by their prayers. They force, as it were, a necessity upon God, that he
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must let the world alone. They bind his hands, that he will do nothing while they are in it ; as to Lot in Sodom, ' I can do nothing while* thou art gone, saith the angel,' Gen. xix. 22. They stand in the gap, and keep God from pouring down the vials of his wrath. But when they are gone, there is nothing to hinder or stop the current of divine justice, but that it must needs have his course. As when men have gathered their corn into their barns, then let their beasts, or whatsoever else go into the field, they care not; and as when the jewels are taken out of a rotten house, though the fire then seize upon it, men regard not. So when God's jewels are gathered to himself, then woe to the wicked world, for then God will break forth in wrath upon them. Woe to the old world when Noah goes into the ark, for then follows the flood. Woe to Sodom when Lot goes out of it, for then it is sure to be burned. Luther prayed that God would not bring war upon the people in Germany all his time, but when he died, the whole land was overspread with war. So, before the destructiou of Jeru- salem, God did gather the Christians to a little city called Pella, near Jerusalem, then came Titus and Vespasian and ruinated the city of Jeru- salem.f So there are many gracious parents that die, after whose death comes some miserable end to their wicked children, but not before. God takes away the parents out of the world, that they might not see the ruin of their children. So then we see that it is clear, that good men keep back judgment from the places where they live.