Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

¹On the other side Ahia the Silonite saith to Jeroboam. Thus saith the Lord: Thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel. And if thou hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, that thou keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, then will I be with thee, & build thee a sure house. But the wretch despised those large promises, and rejecting Gods word, his temple at Jerusalem, and his lawful worship, refusing also the Levites, he made him priests of the dregs and rascal sort of people, he built himself new temples, which he decked, nay rather disgraced with images and idols, ordaining and offering sacrifices not taught in Gods word, by that means inventing a certain new kind of worshipping god, and a new manner of religion. And although his desire was to seem to be willing to worship God, yet is he by God condemned for a wicked man. Hearken I pray, the sentence of the Lord, which he denounceth against him: Thou hast done evil (saith Ahia as the Lord had taught him) above all that were before thee. For thou hast gone and made the other Gods, and molten images, to provoke me, and hast cast me behind thy back. Therefore I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will root out from Jeroboam even him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is in prison and forsaken in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one carieth away dung till all be gone. And all these things were fulfilled according to the saying of the Lord as the Scripture witnesseth in these words: When Baasa was king, he smote all the house of Jeroboam, and left nothing that breathed, of that that was Jeroboam's. But the very same king being nothing the better or wiser by an others mishap, & miserable example of his predecessor, sticketh not to continue, to teach the people, to publish and defend the strange and foreign religion, contrary to the word of God, which Jeroboam had begun. But what followed thereupon? Forsooth the Lord by the preaching of Hanani the Prophet doth say unto him:

¹On the other side Ahia the Silonite saith to Ieroboam. Thus saith the Lord: Thou shalt reigne according to all that thy soule desireth, and shalt be king ouer Israel. And if thou hearken vnto all that I commaunde thee, and wilt walke in my wayes, and doe that is right in my sight, that thou keepe my statutes and my commaundements, as Dauid my seruaunt did, then will I be with thee, & build thee a sure house. But the wretch despised those large promises, and reiecting Gods word, his temple at Ierusalem, and his lawfull worship, refusing also the Leuites, hée made him priestes of the dregges and rascall sort of people, hée built himself new temples, which hée decked, nay rather disgraced with images and idolls, ordeyning and offering sacrifices not taught in Gods woord, by that meanes inuenting a certain new kind of worshipping god, and a new maner of religion. And although his desire was to séeme to be willing to worshippe God, yet is he by God condemned for a wicked man. Hearken I pray, the sentence of the Lord, which hee denounceth against him: Thou hast done euil (saith Ahia as the Lord had taught him) aboue all that were before thee. For thou hast gone and made the other Gods, and moultē images, to prouoke mee, and hast cast mee behinde thy backe. Therefore I will bring euill vppon the house of Ieroboam, and wil roote out from Ieroboam euen him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is in prisōn and forsaken in Israel, and will take away the remnaunte of the house of Ieroboam, as one carieth away dunge till all be gone. And al these thinges were fulfilled according to the saying of the Lord as the Scripture witnesseth in these words: Whē Baasa was king, he smote all the house of Ieroboam, and left nothing that breathed, of that that was Ieroboams. But ye very same king being nothing the better or wiser by an others mishap, & miserable example of his predecessour, sticketh not to continue, to teach the people, to publish and defend the straung and forreine religion, contrarie to the woord of God, which Ieroboam had begunne. But what followed thereuppon? Forsothe the Lord by the preaching of Hanani the Prophete doth say vnto him: