2 Kings 12

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. XII.—Old and evil customs are hard to root out; and rarely is the reformation of religion exactly answerable to the divine standard of God’s word. Fear of men, or hopes that corruptions will die away of their own accord, often make good men to stop short. What a mercy it is for youth, particularly princes, to have pious, prudent, and faithful tutors! And often, among hypocrites, under such care, manifest for a time more forwardness in the work of reformation than the aged servants of God. How hopeful it is when liberality, in contributing for sacred purposes, meets with prudence and fidelity: 47 in the disposal. But, when men are only restrained from evil by the influence of others, their wickedness readily breaks out at last, and they destroy what they have built. Hypocrites will not always call on God, but will become foolish in their imaginations, and hasten their own ruin by the means which they use to prevent it. And upon none does God more readily impint distinguished marks of his vengeance than upon apostate hypocrites, who chiefly dishonour his cause