| + It was, as a very great, ſo a ſudden Change, that the People who but the other day were ſo ready to comply with wicked 4þaz in his Idolatrous and Impious Preicriptions, werz now ſo free and forward in Gods Service : whereby it plaialy appeared-to be the Work of the Almighcy God chayging their Hearts 'by his Holy, Spirit,
CHEAP. Xa
Hezekiah proclaimeth # ſolemn Paſſover for Judah and Iſrael, 1 ——— 12, They having, deſtroyed the Altars of Inolatry, keep the feaſt 14 days, 13 —=- 26. The Pricfts and Levites bleſs the people, 27.
Nd Hezekiah ſent to all Iſrael a and Judah, and wrote letters alſo ro Ephraim and Manaſſeh 6,
that they ſhould come to the houſe of the LORD at Jeruſalem c, to keep the paſlover unto the LORD God
of Iſrael.
a Whereby he underſtands all the Perſons ef the Ten Tribes. who were now. lettled in his Kingdom; as appears by their contra- diſtin&tion to Ephraim and Maraſth here following. bz. e- To all the remainders of the Ten Tribes, v- 5. who are here Synedochi- cally expreſſed by the names of Ephraim and Manaſſeh, as elſe-where by the name of Ephraim only. Bur he names theſe rwo Tribes, be- cauſe they were nearcſt to his Kingdom, and a great number of them had Jong ſince, and trom time to time joyned themſelves ro the Kingdom of Judah, 2 Ehron. 15.8, 9. and therefore had moſt hopes of ſucceſs amongſt them.c Admoniſhing them of their Duty to God, and perſwading them to comply with it.
CARONICLES
. the country of Ephraim and Manafſeh, even unto
; mocked them. x4
Chap. .XX
Zebulun : but they » laughed them to ſcorn, and
28. e. The Generality of the ten Tribes ; who by long want of Meat had now loſt all their Appetire to Gods Ordinances, and from Y a neglect were now fallen into a Contempt and Deriſion of them ; for which they paid dear. Forabout ſix years after their R-fuſal of this Offer of Grace, they were all carried Captive, 2 K:ngs 18. 1,10, s |
11 Nevertheleſs, * divers of Aſher, and Manafleh, * © TN and of Zebulun, humbled themſelves, and came to Je- '** | ruſalem.
12 Alfoin Judah the hand of God was to give them one heartto do the commandment of the king, and of the princes, by the word of the LORD o. A 4oe>
0 7. e God by the Power of his Grace inclined their Hearts to an unanimous compliance with Godsand the Kings Will. And this 1s mentioned as the Reaſon of this worderful Change wrought in theſe Mer, who had lately been utterly averſe from Gods Worſhip, : and wholly given up to Idolatcy ; as was noted before on ch 29. 36.
I 3 Ard there aſſembled at Jeruſalem much people, to keep the feaſt of unleavened bread in the ſecond month, a very great congregation. |
14 And they aroſe, and took away the *altars p that were 1N Jerulalem, and ail the altars for incenſe took they away, and caſt ;hem into the brogk Kidron.
p To wit, of Burnt-offerings 3 becauſe they are diſtinguiſhed | from the Altars of Incenſe here following ; both which were remos
* Ch. 28 24»
2 For the king had taken counſel, and his princes, and all the.congregarion in Jeruſalem, to keep the pal-| ſover in the ſecond * month &.
d Which was againſt the cemmon Rulz and Praftiſe, but was zuſtified by that Supreme Law of Neceſlity, and by a juſt Impediz ment, which made the doing of rhis in its proper time to wir, the: fourteenth day of the fiſt Month, impoſſible, becauſe the Temple; was not cleanſed, nor they prepared till that time was paſt, ch. 29- 3, 17- Compare Numb. 9. Icy IIs
2 For they could not keep it at that time e, becauſe the prieſts had not ſanctified themſelves ſufficiently f ,
neither had the people gathered themſelves together to
Jeruſalem g. ;
e Which God had appointed for it, Exod. 12. 6. One Reaſon whereof was evident in it ſelf, becauſe the Temple was not then purified and prepared; to which he adds twe orher Reaſons. f To Wit, in ſuch manner and degree as was fit, nor in \uch nu-nbers as were neceſſary for the ſlaying and offering of ſo many thouſands of Paſcha!eofferings, as appears, becauſe they were not ſutfficisnt for thoſe Off:rings, which were comparatively few, <. 29. v. 32 33, 34- g As they uſed and ought to dat that time from »1lpJaces: which now they could not do, becauſe neith?r the thing was agreed upon,
- nor the Peap!e ſummoned thither till the proper time was palt.
4 And the thing Þ pleaſed che king, and all thecon- Sregation.
5 So they eſtabliſhed a decree b, to make proclami- tion throughout all Iſrael, from Beer ſheba even to Dan, that they ſhould come to keep the paſſover unto the LORD God of Ifraet at Ieſuſaiem : for they had
f Heb. in not done iff of along time in ſuch ſort as it was written. 6 great h They fixed this Refolutions 7 7. e. So as God had commanded mmher, them to do it, to wit, That'all the Males in [ral ſhou'd do it: fer. 13. Waich exprzſs Command of God they oughr to have obeyed, rather Us than the wicked Commands or Edits of M:n ro the contrary : which was both the Judgment and Praftiſe of the Prieſts and Levitzs, and other godly Ifraclites, as 1s manifeſt from 2 Chron. 15. 8, &c.
6 So the poſts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Iſrael, and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, faying, Ye children of Iſrael, tusn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Iſaac, and Iſrael, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are eſcaped out of the hands of the kings of Aſſyria k
k To wit, Pul and Tilgath»pilneſsr, who had carried their Bre- ge away Captives, 2 Kings 15. 19, 29» I Chrox. 5.20. 2 Chron, 29- 20, |
7 And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which treſpaſſed againſt the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to deſolation:
tHe, as ye lee. brden ms 8 Now + be ye not ſtiff-necked as your fathers
nw necks, were, but | yield your ſelves / unto the LORD and en- by terinto his Crnttnary which he hath ſanctified for ever m, "** and ſerve the LORD your God, that the fierceneſs of
his wrath may turn away from you.
1 Heb. Give the Hand tehim; 7. e. ſubmit your ſelves to him by obeying his Commind, and renew your Covenant with him: borh which things were done amengſt Men by this Czremony of giving the Hand. Sce 1 Chron. 29+ 24. Ezra 10 19. Ezek, 17. 18. m Not for a tranſient and temporary uſe ; but as long as the State and Church ef 1/ra«! had a beeing, whatſoever Alterations ſhould hap-
*Numb-
9, I0, II
{ Heb.
ws right in the eyes of the King:
FHebs - the