REHOBOAM.

WHo would not but haue looked that se­uen hundred wiues, and three hundred concubines, should haue furni­shed Salomons Palace with choise of heires, and haue peo­pled Israel with royall issue? and now behold, Salomon hath [Page 2]by all these but one Sonne; and him by an Ammonitesse: Many a poore man hath an house-full of children by one wife; whiles this great King hath but one sonne by many house-fulls of wiues; Fertility is not from the meanes, but from the author; It was for Salomon that Dauid sung of old; Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the wombe is his reward; How oft doth God deny this heritage of heires, where he giues the lar­gest heritage of lands; and giues most of these liuing possessi­ons, where he giues least of the dead? that his blessings may bee acknowledged free vn­to [Page 3]both; entayled vpon nei­ther.

As the greatest persons can­not giue themselues children, so the wisest cannot giue their children wisdome; Was it not of Rehoboam that Salomon said; I hated all my labour which I had taken vnder the Sunne; because I should leaue it vnto the man that shall bee after mee; and who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man, or a foole; Yet shall he rule ouer all my labour, wherein I haue laboured, and shewed my selfe wise vnder the Sunne? All Israel found that Salomons wit was not propagated; Many a foole hath had a wiser sonne, than this wisest father; Amongst [Page 4]many sonnes it is no newes to finde some one defectiue; Salo­mon hath but one sonne, and he no miracle of wisdome; God giues purposely so emi­nent an instance, to teach men to looke vp to heauen, both for heires, and graces.

Salomon was both the King of Israel, and the father of Re­hoboam, when hee was scarce out of his childhood; Rehobo­am enters into the kingdome at a ripe age; yet Salomon was the man, and Rehoboam the childe; Age is no iust mea­sure of wisdome; There are beardlesse sages, and gray-hea­ded children; Not the ancient are wise, but the wise is anci­ent: [Page 5]Israel wanted not many thousands that were wiser than Rehoboam: Yet because they knew him to be the sonne of Salomon, no man makes questi­on of his gouernment; In the case of succession into King­domes we may not looke in­to the qualities of the person, but into the right. So secure is Salomon of the peoples fide­lity to Dauids seed, that he fol­lowes not his fathers example in setting his sonne by him, in his owne throne; here was no danger of a riuality to inforce it; no eminency in the sonne to merit it; It sufficeth him to know that no bond can bee surer than the naturall alle­geance [Page 6]of subiects; I doe not finde that the following Kings stood vpon the confirmation of their people; but as those that knew the way to their throne, ascended those steps without aid; As yet the soue­raignty of Dauids house was greene, and vnsetled; Israel therefore doth not now come to attend Rehoboam, but Reho­boam goes vp to meet Israel. They come not to his Ierusa­lem, but he goes to their She­chem: To Shechem were all Israel come to make him King; If loy­alty drew them together, why not rather to Ierusalem? there the maiestie of his fathers Tem­ple, the magnificence of his [Page 7]palace, the verie stones in those walles, (besides the strength of his guard) had pleaded strong­ly for their subiection; Shechem had beene many waies fatall, was euery way incommodious: It is an infinite helpe or disad­uantage that arises from cir­cumstances; The very place puts Israel in minde of a rebel­lion; There Abimelech had rai­sed vp his treacherous vsurpa­tion ouer, and against his bre­thren; There Goal against Abi­melech; There was Ioseph sold by his brethren: As if the very soile had beene stained with perfidiousnesse. The time is no lesse ill chosen; Rehoboam had ill counsell ere he bewrayed it; [Page 8]For had hee speedily called vp Israel, before Ieroboam could haue beene sent for out of E­gypt, he had found the way cleere; A little delay may leese a great deale of opportunity; what shall we say of both, but that misery is led in by infa­tuation.

Had not Israel beene some­what predisposed to a mutinie, they had neuer sent into Egypt for such a spokesman as Ierobo­am; a fugitiue, a traitor to Salo­mon; long had that crafty con­spirator lurked in a forraine court; The alliances of Princes are not euer necessary bonds of friendship: The brother in law of Salomon harbours this snake [Page 9]in his bosome, and giues that heat, which is repaid with a sting to the posterity of so neere an allye: And now Salo­mons death calls him backe to his natiue soile: That Israel would entertaine a rebell, it was an ill signe; worse yet that they would countenance him; worst of all that they would imploy him: Nothing doth more be­wray euill intentions, than the choise of vicious Agents: Those that meane well will not hazard either the successe, or credit of their actions vpon offensiue instruments; None but the sluttish will wipe their faces with foule clothes. Vp­right hearts would haue said, [Page 10]as Dauid did to God, so to his anointed; Doe not I hate them that hate thee? Yea I hate them with a perfect hatred. Ieroboams head had beene a fit present to haue ten­dered vnto their new King; and now in stead thereof they tender themselues to Ieroboam, as the head of their faction.

Had not Rehoboam wanted spirits, hee had first (after Salo­mons example) done iustice to his fathers traytor, and then haue treated of mercy towards his subiects; The people soone found the weakenesse of their new Soueraigne, else they durst not haue spoken to him by so obnoxious a tongue; Thy father made our yoke grieuous, make thou [Page 11]it lighter and wee will serue thee; Doubtlesse the crafty head of Ieroboam was in this suit, which his mouth vttered in the name of Israel; Nothing could haue beene more subtill; It seemed a promise, it was a threat; that which seemed a supplication was a complaint: humility was but a vaile for discontentment; One hand held a paper, the o­ther a sword: Had they said, Free vs from Tributes, the capi­tulation had beene grosse, and strongly sauoring of sedition; now they say Ease vs, they pro­fesse his power to impose, and their willingnesse to yeeld; on­ly crauing fauour in the weight of the imposition; If Rehoboam [Page 12]yeeld, he blemisheth his father; If he deny, hee indangers his kingdome; His wilfulnesse shall seeme worthily to aban­don his scepter, if he sticke at so reasonable a suit; Surely Israel came with a purpose to cauill; Ieroboam had secretly troubled these waters, that he might fish more gainefully; One male-content is enough to embroile a whole kingdome.

How harshly must it needs sound in the eares of Rehoboam, that the first word hee heares from his people, is a querulous challenge of his fathers go­uernment; Thy father made our yoke grieuous; For ought I see the suggestion was not more [Page 13]spightfull than vniust: where was the weight of this yoke, the toyle of these seruices? Here were none of the turmoyles of warre; no traynings, marchings, encampings, entrenching, wat­chings, minings, sieges, fortifi­cations; none of that tedious world of worke that attends hostility; Salomon had not his name for nought; All was calme during that long reigne: And if they had paid deare for their peace, they had no cause to complaine of an hard match; The warlike times of Saul and Dauid had exhausted their bloud, together with their sub­stance; what ingratitude was this to cry out of ease? Yea but [Page 14]that peace brought forth costly and laborious buildings: Gods house, and the Kings, the walls of Ierusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer, the cities of store, the cities of defence, could not rise without many a shoulder: True, but not of any Israelites; The remainders of Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hiuites, and Iebusites, were put to all the drudgery of these great workes; the taskes of Israel were easie, and inge­nuous; free from seruility, free from painfulnesse. But the charge was theirs, whose-soeuer was the labour: The diet of so endlesse a retinue, the atten­dance of his Seraglio, the pur­ueyance for his forty thousand [Page 15]stables, the cost of his sacrifices, must needs weigh heauy; Cer­tainly, if it had layne on none but his owne; But wherefore went Salomons Nauy euery three yeeres to Ophir? to what vse ser­ued the six hundred threescore and six Talents of Gold, that came in one yeare to his Exche­quer? wherefore serued the large tributes of forraine nati­ons? How did hee make siluer to be in Ierusalem as stones, if the exactions were so pressiue? The multitude is euer prone to picke quarrells with their Go­uernours; and whom they fea­red aliue, to censure dead; The benefits of so quiet and happy a reigne are past ouer in silence; [Page 16]the grieuances are recounted with clamour; Who can hope that merit or greatnesse can shield him from obloquie, when Salomon is traduced to his owne loynes?

The proposition of Israel puts Rehoboam to a deliberation; De­part yee for three daies, then come againe to me: I heare no other word of his that argued wis­dome; Not to giue sudden resolutions in cases of impor­tance was a point that might well beseeme the sonne of Salo­mon; I wonder that hee who had so much wit as to call for leisure in his answer, should shew so little wit in the im­prouing of that leisure, in the [Page 17]returne of that answer; Who cannot but hope well to see the grey heads of Salomons se­cret Counsell called to Rehobo­ams Cabinet? As Counsellors, as ancient, as Salomons, they can­not choose but see the best, the safest course for their new So­ueraigne: They had learned of their old master, that a soft an­swer appeaseth wrath; wisely therefore doe they aduise him, If thou wilt be a seruant to this peo­ple this day, and speake good words to them, they will be thy seruants for euer; It was an easie condi­tion; with one mouthfull of breath to purchase an euerlast­ing homage: with one gentle motion of his tongue, to binde [Page 18]all his peoples hearts to his al­legeance for euer. Yet (as if the motion had beene vnfit) a new Counsell Table is called: well might this people say; What will not Rehoboam grudge vs, if he thinke much to giue good words for a Kingdome. There is not more wisdome in taking variety of aduice, where the matter is doubtfull, than folly, when it is plaine: The young heads are consulted; This very change argues weakenes; Some reason might bee pleaded for passing from the younger Counsell to the aged; none, for the contrary; Age brings experience; and, it is a shame, if with the ancient be not wis­dome; [Page 19]Youth is commonly rash, heady, insolent, vngouer­ned, wedded to will, led by hu­mour, a rebell to reason, a sub­iect to passion, fitter to execute than to aduise: Greene wood is euer shrinking and warping, whereas the well-seasoned holds a constant firmenesse: Many a life, many a soule, many a flou­rishing state hath beene ruined by vndisciplined Monitors: Such were these of Rehoboam; whose great stomach tells them that this conditionating of sub­iects, was no other than an af­front to their new master, and suggests to them, how vnfit it is for Maiesty to brooke so sau­cie a treaty; how requisite and [Page 20]Princely, to crush this presump­tion in the egge; As scorning therefore to be braued by the base Vulgar, they put words of greatnesse, and terror into their new Prince, My little finger shall be thicker than my fathers loynes; My father made your yoake hea­uy, I will adde to your yoake; My father hath chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with Scorpions. The very words haue stings; Now must Israel needs thinke; How cruell will this mans hands be, when he thus drawes bloud with his tongue? Men are not wont to speake out their worst; who can endure the hopes of him that promiseth tyranny? There can [Page 21]bee no good vse of an indefi­nite profession of rigor and se­uerity; Feare is an vnsafe guar­dian of any state, much lesse of an vnsetled. Which was yet worse, not the sinnes of Israel were threatned, nor their pur­ses, but their persons; neither had they desired a remission of iustice, but of exactions; and now, they heare of nothing but burdens, and scourges, and Scorpions.

Here was a Prince and peo­ple well met; I doe not finde them sensible of ought, saue their owne profit; They doe not say; Religion was corrup­ted in the shutting vp of thy fa­thers daies; Idolatry found the [Page 22]free fauour of Priests, and Tem­ples, and Sacrifices; Begin thy reigne with God; purge the Church, demolish those piles of abomination; abandon those Idol-mongers, restore deuotion to her purity; They are all for their peny, for their ease; Hee on the other side, is all for his will, for an imperious Soue­raignty; without any regard either of their reformation or satisfaction; They were wor­thy of load that cared for no­thing but their backs; and hee worthy of such subiects, who professed to affect their misery and torment.

Who would not but haue looked any whither for the [Page 23]cause of this euill, rather than to heauen? yet, the holy God challenges it to himselfe; The cause was from the Lord, that he might performe his saying by Abijah the Shilonite to Ie­roboam; As sin is a punishment of sin, it is a part of Iustice; The holy one of Israel doth not ab­horre to vse euen the grossest sins to his owne iust purposes; whiles our wills are free to our owne choice, his decrees are as necessary, as iust; Israel had for­saken the Lord, and worshipped Ashtaroth, the goddesse of the Zidonians, and Chemosh, and Milchom: God owes them, and Salomon a whipping; The fro­wardnesse of Rehoboam shall [Page 24]pay it them; I see Ieroboams plot, the peoples insolence, the young mens mis-aduice, the Princes vnseasonable austeritie, meeting together (through the wise prouidence of the Al­mighty) vnwittingly to accom­plish his most iust decree; All these might haue done other­wise for any force that was offered to their will; all would no more doe otherwise, than if there had beene no predetermi­nation in heauen; that God may bee magnified in his wis­dome, and iustice, whiles man wittingly perisheth in his folly.

That three daies expectation had warmed these smoking Is­raelites, and made them ready [Page 25]for a combustion; vpon so per­emptory a resolution of rigor, the flame bursts out, which all the waters of the well of Bethle­hem could neuer quench; The furious multitude flies out into a desperate reuolt; What porti­on haue we in Dauid, neither haue we inheritance in the sonne of Iesse; To your Tents ô Israel; now, see to thine owne house Dauid.

How durst these seditious mouthes mention Dauid in de­fiance? One would haue thought that very name had beene able to haue tempered their fury, and to haue contai­ned them within the limits of obedience; It was the father of [Page 26] Rehoboam, and the sonne of Da­uid that had led Israel into Ido­latry; Salomon hath drawne contempt vpon his father, and vpon his sonne: If Israel haue cast off their God, is it maruell that they shake off his anoin­ted? Irreligion is the way to disobedience; There can be no true subiection but out of con­science; They cannot make conscience of ciuill duties, who make none of diuine.

In vaine shall Rehoboam hope to preuaile by his Officer, when himselfe is reiected: The per­sons of Princes carry in them characters of Maiesty; when their presence workes not, how should their message? If Adoram [Page 27]solicit the people too late with good words, they answer him with stones. Nothing is more vntractable and violent, than an enraged multitude; It was time for Rehoboam to betake himselfe to his charet; he saw those stones were throwne at him, in his Adoram: As the mes­senger suffers for his master; so the master suffers in his messen­ger; Had Rehoboam beene in Adorams clothes, this death had beene his: Only flight can deli­uer him from those that might haue beene subiects: Ierusalem must be his refuge against the conspiracy of Shechem.

Blessed be God for lawfull gouernment; Euen a muti­nous [Page 28]body cannot want an head: If the rebellious Israelites haue cast off their true Soue­raigne, they must choose a false; Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat must be the man; He had need be skilfull, and sit sure, that shall backe the horse which hath cast his rider; Israel could not haue any where met with more craft, and courage, than they found in this leader.

Rehoboam returnes to Ierusa­lem lighter by a crowne than he went forth; Iudah and Ben­jamin stick still fast to their loy­alty: the example of a generall rebellion cannot make them vnfaithfull to the house of Da­uid; God will euer reserue a [Page 29]remnant free from the common contagion; Those tribes, to ap­proue their valour, no lesse than their fidelity, will fight against their brethren, for their Prince; and will hazard their liues to reduce the crowne to the sonne of Salomon; An hundred and fourescore thousand of them are vp in armes, ready to force Israel to their denied subiecti­on: No noyse sounded on both parts but military; no man thought of any thing but bloud; when suddenly God sends his Prophet to forbid the battle; Shemaiah comes with a message of cessation; Yee shall not goe vp, nor fight against your brethren, the children of Israel, [Page 30]returne euery man to his house, for this thing is from mee, saith the Lord; The word of one silly Prophet dismisses these mighty armies; He that would not lay downe the threats of his rigor, vpon the aduice of all his ancient Counsellers, will lay downe his sword, vpon the word of a Seer; Shall we enuy, or shame to see how much the Prophets of the old Testament could doe; how little those of the new? If our commission be no lesse from the same God, the difference of successe can­not goe away vnreuenged.

There was yet some grace in Rehoboam, that hee would not spurne against that, which [Page 31]God challenged as his owne worke: Some godlesse ruffian would haue said; whosoeuer is the Author, I will be reuen­ged on the instruments; Reho­boam hath learned this lesson of his Grandfather; I held my peace because thou Lord hast done it; If he might striue with the mul­titude, he knew it was no stri­uing with his Maker; quietly therefore doth hee lay downe his armes, not daring after that prohibition to seeke the re­couery of his kingdome by bloud.

Where Gods purposes are hid from vs, wee must take the fairest waies of all lawfull remedies; but where God hath [Page 32]reuealed his determinations, we must sit downe in an hum­ble submission; our strug­ling may aggrauate, cannot redresse our miseries.

Jeroboam.

AS there was no pub­lique and vniuersall conflict betwixt the Ten Tribes, and the two, so no peace; Either King found reason to fortifie the bor­ders of his owne territories; Shechem was worthy to bee deare to Ieroboam; a citie as of old seasoned with many trea­sons, so now auspicious to his new vsurpation. The ciuill defection was soone followed [Page 34]by the spirituall; As there are neare respects betwixt God, and his anointed, so there is great affinity betwixt treason and I­dolatry: there is a connexion betwixt, Feare God, and Honour the King; and no lesse betwixt the neglects of both: In vaine shall a man looke for faith in a mis-religious heart.

Next to Achitophel, I doe not finde that Israel yeelded a craf­tier head than Ieroboams; so hath he plotted this conspiracy, that (what euer fall) there is no place for a challenge; not his owne intrusion, but Israels Ele­ction hath raised him to their throne; neither is his cunning lesse in holding a stolne scepter; [Page 35]Thus he thinkes in himselfe; If Israel haue made me their king, it is but in a pang of discontent­ment; these violent thoughts will not last alwaies: Sudden fits haue commonly sudden re­coueries; their returne to their loyalty shall forfeit my head to­gether with my Crowne; They cannot returne to God, and hold off from their lawfull So­ueraigne; They cannot returne to Ierusalem, and keepe off from God; from their loyalty; Thrice a yeere will their deuo­tion call them vp thither; be­sides the exigence of their fre­quent vowes; How can they be mine, whiles that glorious Temple is in their eye; whiles [Page 36]the magnificence of the royall Palace of Dauid and Salomon, shall admonish them of their natiue allegeance; whiles (be­sides the solicitation of their brethren) the Priests and Le­uites shall preach to them the necessity of their due obedience, and the abomination of their sacrifices in their wilfull diso­bedience; whiles they shall (by their presence) put themselues vpon the mercy, or iustice of their lawfull, and forsaken Prince; Either therefore I must diuert them from Ierusalem, or else I cannot liue and reigne. It is no diuerting them by a direct restraint; such prohibition would both endanger their vt­ter [Page 37]distaste, and whet their de­sire to more eagernesse: I may change religion, I may not in­hibit it; so the people haue a God, it sufficeth them; they shall haue so much formality as may content them; their zeale is not so sharpe, but they can be well pleased with ease; I will proffer them both a more compendious, and more plausi­ble worship; Ierusalem shall be supplied within mine owne borders; naturally men loue to see the obiects of their deuoti­on; I will therefore feed their eies with two golden represen­tations of their God, nearer home; and what can bee more proper than those, which [Page 38] Aaron deuised of old to humor Israel?

Vpon this pestilent ground, Ieroboam sets vp two calues in Dan, and Bethel, and perswades the people; It is too much for you to goe vp to Ierusalem, be­hold thy Gods ô Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Oh the mischiefe that comes of wicked infidelity; It was Gods Prophet that had rent Ieroboams garment into twelue peeces, and had giuen ten of them to him; in token of his sharing the ten Tribes; who with the same breath also told him that the cause of this distraction was their Idolatry, Yet now will hee institute an [Page 39]Idolatrous seruice for the hol­ding together of them, whom their Idolatry had rent from their true Soueraigne to him: He saies not; God hath promised me this Kingdome, God hath conferd it; God shall finde meanes to maintaine his owne act; I will obey him, let him dispose of me; The God of Is­rael is wise and powerfull e­nough, to fetch about his owne designes; but, (as if the deuices of men were stronger than Gods prouidence, and ordi­nation) he will bee working out his owne ends by prophane policies: Ieroboam being borne an Israelite, and bred in the Court of a Salomon, could not [Page 40]but know the expresse charge of God against the making of Images, against the erecting of any riuall altars, to that of Ie­rusalem, yet now that hee sees both these may auaile much to the aduancing of his ambi­tious proiects, he sets vp those Images, those Altars; Wicked men care not to make bold with God in cases of their owne commodity; If the lawes of their Maker lie in the way of their profit, or promotion, they either spurne them out, or tread vpon them at pleasure: Aspi­ring mindes will know no God but honour. Israel soiour­ned in Egypt & brought home a golden calfe; Ieroboam so­iournes [Page 41]there, and brought home two; It is hard to dwell in Egypt vntainted; not to sa­uor of the sins of the place we liue in, is no lesse strange, than for wholesome liquor tund vp in a musty vessell, not to smell of the caske; The best body may be infected in a contagious aire; Let him beware of Egypt that would bee free from Ido­latry.

No sooner are Ieroboams calues vp, than Israel is downe on their knees: their worship followes immediatly vpon the erection; How easily is the vn­stable vulgar carried into what­euer religion of authority? The weather-cock will looke which [Page 42]way soeuer the wind blowes; It is no maruell if his subiects be brutish, who hath made a calfe his God.

Euery accessary to sinne is filthy, but the first authors of sinne are abominable; How is Ieroboam branded in euery of these sacred leaues? how doe all ages ring of his fact, with the accent of dishonour, and indig­nation; Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, that made Israel to sinne? It was a shame for Israel that it could be made to sinne by a Ie­roboam; but, ô cursed name of Ieroboam that would draw Is­rael to sin; The followers and abettors of euill are worthy of torment, but no hell is too [Page 43]deepe for the leaders of pub­lique wickednesse.

Religion is clothed with ma­ny requisite circumstances; As a new King would haue a new God; so that new God must haue new Temples, Altars, Ser­uices, Priests, Solemnities; All these hath Ieroboam instituted; all these hath he cast in the same mould with his golden calues: False deuotion doth not more crosse, than imitate the true: Satan is no lesse a counterfeit than an enemy of God; Hee knowes it more easie to adul­terate religion, than to abo­lish it.

That which God ordained for the auoydance of Idolatry, [Page 44]is made the occasion of it; a limitation of his holy seruices to Ierusalem; How mischie­uously doe wicked men per­uert the wholesome instituti­ons of God to their sinne, to their bane?

Ieroboam could not be igno­rant how fearefully this very act was reuenged vpon Israel, in the wildernesse; yet hee dares renew it in Dan and Bethel: No example of iudgement can af­fright wilfull offenders.

It is not the mettall that makes his Gods, but the wor­ship; the sacrifices: What sacri­fice could there bee without Priests? No religion could euer want sacred masters of Diuine [Page 45]Ceremonies; Gods Clergy was select, and honourable; bran­ches of the holy stemme of Aa­ron; Ieroboam rakes vp his Priests out of the channell of the mul­titude; all Tribes, all persons were good enough for his spu­rious deuotion; Leaden Priests are well fitted to golden Dei­ties. Religion receiues either much honour, or blemish, by the quality of those that serue at her Altars; We are not wor­thy to professe our selues ser­uants of the true God, if we doe not hold his seruice worthy of the best.

Ieroboams Calues must haue sacrifices, must haue solemne festiuities; though in a day, and [Page 46]moneth of his owne deuising: In vaine shall wee pretend to worship a God, if wee grudge him the iust daies, and rites of his worship.

It is strange that hee who thought the dregs of the vulgar good enough for that Priest­hood, would grace those Gods, by acting their Priest himselfe; and yet behold where the new King of Israel stands before his new Altar, with a Scepter in one hand, and a Censer in the other, ready to sacrifice to his new Gods; when the man of God comes from Iuda, with a message of iudgement; Oh de­sperate condition of Israel, that was so far gone with impiety, [Page 47]that it yeelded not one faithfull monitor to Ieroboam; The time was, that the erecting of but a new altar (for memory, for mo­nument) on the other side Ior­dan, bred a challenge to the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Ma­nasses; and had cost much Israe­litish bloud, if the quarrelled Tribes had not giuen a seasona­ble and pious satisfaction; and now, loe how the stronger sto­mach of degenerated Israel can digest new Altars, new Tem­ples, new Gods; What a diffe­rence there is betwixt a Church and Kingdome newly brea­thing from affliction, and set­led vpon the lees of a mis-used peace?

But oh the patience, and mer­cy of our Long-suffering God; that will not strike a very Iero­boam vnwarned: Iudgement houers ouer the heads of sin­ners, ere it light; If Israel afford not a bold reprouer of Ieroboam, Iuda shall; When the king of Israel is in all the height both of his State, and superstition, ho­nouring his solemne day with his richest deuotion, steps forth a Prophet of God, and inter­rupts that glorious seruice, with a loud inclamation of iudge­ment. Doubtlesse the man wan­ted not wit to know what dis­pleasure, what danger must needs follow so vnwelcome a message: yet dares he (vpon the [Page 49]commission of God) doe this affront to an Idolatrous King, in the midst of all his awefull magnificence. The Prophets of God goe vpon many a thanke­lesse errand; He is no messenger for God that either knowes, or feares the faces of men.

It was the Altar, not the per­son of Ieroboam, which the Pro­phet thus threatens; Yet not the stones are stricken, but the founder; in both their appre­hensions: So deare are the de­uices of our owne braine to vs, as if they were incorporated in­to our selues; There is no oppo­sition whereof we are so sensi­ble, as that of religion.

That the royall Altar should [Page 50]be thus polluted by dead mens bones, and the bloud of the Priests, was not more vnplea­sing, than that all this should bee done by a childe of the house of Dauid; for Ieroboam well saw that the throne and the altar must stand, or fall to­gether; that a sonne of Dauid could not haue such power ouer the Altar, without an vtter subuersion of the gouernment, of the succession; therefore is he thus galled with this commi­natory prediction; The rebel­lious people who had said, What portion haue we in Dauid, heare now, that Dauid will perforce haue a portion in them: and might well see, what beasts [Page 51]they had made themselues, in worshipping the image of a beast; and sacrificing to such a God, as could not preserue his owne Altar from violation, and ruine.

All this while I doe not see this zealous Prophet laying his hand to the demolition of this Idolatrous Altar; or threatning a knife to the Author of this deprauation of religion; Only his tongue smites both; not with foule, but sharpe words; of menace, not of reproach; It was for Iosias a King, to shed the bloud of those sacrificers, to deface those Altars: Pro­phets are for the tongue, Prin­ces for the hand; Prophets must [Page 52]onely denounce iudgement; Princes execute.

Future things are present to the Eternall; It was some two hundred and sixty yeares, ere this prophecy should bee fulfil­led; yet the man of God speakes of it as now in acting; What are some Centuries of yeares to the Ancient of daies? How slow, and yet how sure is the pace of Gods reuenge? It is not in the power of time to fru­strate Gods determinations; There is no lesse iustice, nor se­uerity in a delaied punishment.

What a perfect Record there is of all names in the roll of Heauen; before they be, after they are past? what euer see­ming [Page 53]contingency there is in their imposition, yet they fall vnder the certainty of a decree; and are better knowne in hea­uen, ere they be, than on earth whiles they are. He that knows what names we shall haue, be­fore we or the world haue a be­ing, doth not oft reueale this peece of his knowledge to his creature; here he doth; naming the man that should bee two hundred yeeres after; for more assurance of the euent; that Isra­el may say, this man speakes from a God who knowes what shall be: There cannot bee a more sure euidence of a true Godhead, than the foreknow­ledge of those things, whose [Page 54]causes haue yet no hope of be­ing; But because the proofe of this prediction was not more certaine, than remote; a present demonstration shall conuince the future; The altar shall rend in peeces, the ashes shall be scattered; How amazedly must the sedu­ced Israelites needs looke vp­on this miracle; and why doe they not thinke with them­selues; whiles these stones rend, why are our hearts whole? Of what an ouer-ruling power is the God whom we haue forsa­ken, that can thus teare the Al­tars of his corriualls? How shall we stand before his ven­geance, when the very stones breake at the word of his Pro­phet? [Page 55]Perhaps, some beholders were thus affected; but Ieroboam, whom it most concerned, in stead of bowing his knees for humiliation, stretcheth forth his hand for reuenge, and cries, Lay hold on him: Resolute wicked­nesse is impatient of a reproofe, and in stead of yeelding to the voice of God, rebelleth: Iust and discreet reprehension doth not more reforme some sinners than exasperare others.

How easie is it for God to coole the courage of proud Iero­boam? the hand which his rage stretches out, dries vp, and can­not be pulled backe againe: and now stands the King of Israel like some anticke statue, in a posture of impotent indeuour; so disa­bled [Page 56]to the hurt of the Prophet, that hee cannot command that peece of himselfe; What are the great Potentates of the world, in the powerfull hand of the Almighty? Tyrans cannot bee so harmefull as they are mali­cious.

The strongest heart may bee brought downe with affliction; Now the stout stomach of Ierobo­am is fallen to an humble depre­cation; Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me againe. It must needs be a great streight that could driue a proud heart to beg mercy, where he bent his per­secution; so doth Ieroboam; hol­ding it no scorne to be beholden to an enemy; In extremities, the [Page 57]worst men can be content to sue for fauour, where they haue spent their malice.

It well becomes the Prophets of God to bee mercifull; I doe not see this Seer to stand vpon termes of exprobration, and ouer­lie contestations with Ieroboam, to say, Thine intentions to mee were cruell; Had thine hand pre­uailed, I should haue sued to thee in vaine; Continue euer a specta­cle of the fearefull iustice of thy Maker, whom thou hast prouo­ked by thine Idolatry, whom thou wouldst haue smitten in my persecution; but hee meeke­ly sues for Ieroboams release; and (that God might abundant­ly magnifie both his power and mercy) is heard and an­swered [Page 58]with successe: Wee doe no whit sauour of heauen, if we haue not learned to doe good for euill.

When both winde and Sunne, the blasts of iudgement, and the beames of fauour met toge­ther to worke vpon Ieroboam, who would not looke that hee should haue cast off this cum­brous, and mis-beseeming cloke of his Idolatry; and haue said, Lord thou hast striken mee in iustice, thou hast healed mee in mercy; I will prouoke thee no more; This hand which thou hast restored shall bee consecra­ted to thee in pulling downe these bold abominations; Yet now, behold hee goes on in his old courses, and, as if God had [Page 59]neither done him good nor e­uill, liues, and dies idolatrous; No stone is more hard or insen­sate than a sinfull heart; The changes of Iudgement and mercy doe but obdure it, in stead of melting.

The Seduced Prophet.

IEroboams hand is a­mended, his soule is not; that conti­nues still drie, & in­flexible; Yet whiles hee is vnthankfull to the Author of his recouery, he is thankfull to the instrument; he kindly inuites the Prophet, whom he had threat­ned, and will remunerate him whom he endeuoured to punish: The worst men may be sensible of bodily fauours; Ciuill respects may well stand with gracelesse­nesse: [Page 61]Many a one would be libe­rall of their purses, if they might bee allowed to bee niggardly of their obedience.

As God, so his Prophet cares not for these waste curtesies, where he sees maine duties neglected; More pietie would haue done well, with lesse complement; The man of God returnes a blunt and peremptory deniall to so boun­teous an offer; If thou wilt giue me halfe thine house, I will not goe in with thee, neither will I eat bread or drinke water in this place. Kind­nesse is more safely done to an I­dolater, than taken from him; that which is done to him obli­geth him, that which is taken from him obligeth vs; his obliga­tion to vs may be an occasion of [Page 62]his good, our obligation to him may occasion our hurt; the surest way is to keepe aloofe from the infectiously wicked.

The Prophet is not vnciuil, to re­iect the fauor of a Prince without some reason; He yeelds no reason of his refusall but the command of his God; God hath charged him, Eat no bread, nor drinke no water, nor turne againe by the same way that thou camest; It is not for a Prophet to plead humane, or carnall grounds for the actions of his function: Hee may not moue but vpon a diuine warrant; would this Scer haue look't with the eyes of flesh and blood, he might haue found many argu­ments of his yeeldance. He is a King that inuites me; his reward, [Page 63]by enriching me, may benefit many; and who knowes how much my further conuersation may preuaile to reforme him? how can he be but well prepared for good counsell by my miracu­lous cure? how gainfully should my receit of a temporall courtesie be exchanged with a spirituall to him? All Israel will follow him either into Idolatry, or reformati­on; which way can be deuised of doing so great seruice to God and the Church, as by reclaiming him; what can yeeld so great likeli­hood of his reclamation, as the opportunitie of my further entire­nesse with him? But the Prophet dares not argue cases, where hee had a command; what euer be­come of Ieroboam, and Israel, God [Page 64]must be obeyed; Neither profit, nor hopes may carrie vs crosse to the word of our Maker. How safe had this Seer beene, if he had kept him euer vpon this sure ward; which he no sooner leaues, than he miscarries.

So deeply doth God detest Ido­latry, that he forbids his Prophet to eat the bread, to drinke the wa­ter of a people infected with this sinne; yea to tread in those very steps which their feet haue touch­ed. If this inhibition were perso­nall, yet the grounds of it are common. No pestilence should be more shunned than the con­uersation of the mis-religious, or openly scandalous; It is no thank to vs if their familiaritie doe not enfeoffe vs of their wickednesse.

I know not what to thinke of an old Prophet that dwels in Be­thel, within the ayre of Ieroboams Idoll, within the noyse of his sa­crifices; that liues where the man of God dares not eat; that permit­ted his sonnes to bee present at that Idolatrous seruice; If hee were a Prophet of God, what did he now in Bethel? why did hee winke at the sinne of Ieroboam? what needed a Seer to come out of Iuda, for the reproofe of that sinne, which was acted vnder his nose? why did he lye? why did his family partake with Idolaters? If he were not a Prophet of God; how had he true visions, how had he true messages from God; why did he second the menacing word of that Prophet, whom he [Page 66]seduced? why did he desire that his owne bones might be honou­red with his Sepulcher? Doubt­lesse he was a Prophet of God, but corrupt, restie, vicious; Pro­phecy doth not alwaies presup­pose sanctification; many a one hath had visions from God, who shall neuer inioy the vision of God. A very Balaam in his exta­sies, hath so cleere a reuelation of the Messiah to come, as scarce euer any of the holiest Prophets; yea, his very Asse hath both her mouth miraculously opened, and her eies; to see and notifie that An­gel, which was hid from her Ma­ster; Yea, Satan himselfe some­times receiues notice from God of his future actions; which else that euill Spirit could neither [Page 67]foretell, nor foresee. These kinds of graces are both rare, and com­mon; rare, in that they are sel­dome giuen to any; common, in that they are indifferently giuen to the euill, and to the good; A little holinesse is worth much il­lumination.

Whether out of enuy, to heare that said by the Seer of Iuda, which he either knew not or smo­thered; to heare that done by an­other, which he could not haue effected, and could not choose but admire; or whether out of desire to make triall of the fideli­tie of so powerfull a Messenger, the old Prophet hastens to ouer­take, to recall that man of God. who had so defied his Bethel; vvhom he findes sitting faint and [Page 68]weary vnder an Oake, in the way; taking the benefit of that shade which he hated to receiue from those contagious groues that hee had left behind him; His habit easily bewrayed him, to a man of his owne trade: neither doth his tongue spare to professe himselfe. The old Prophet of Bethel inuites him to a returne, to a repast: and is answered with the same words, wherewith Ieroboams offer was re­pelled; The man of God varies not a syllable from his message: It concernes vs to take good heed of our charge, when we goe on Gods errand. A deniall doth but inuite the importunate; what hee cannot doe by intreatie, the old man tries to doe by perswasion; I am a Prophet also as thou art, and an [Page 69]Angell spake to me, by the word of the Lord, saying; Bring him backe with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread, and drinke water; There is no Tentation so dange­rous, as that which comes shrou­ded vnder a vaile of holinesse, and pretends authoritie from God himselfe; Ieroboam threatens, the Prophet stands vndaunted; Iero­boam fawnes, and promises; the Prophet holds constant; now comes a gray-headed Seer, and pleads a counter-message from God, the Prophet yeelds, and transgresses. Satan may affright vs as a fiend, but he seduces vs as an Angell of light.

Who would haue look't for a Lier vnder hoarie haires, and an holy mantle? who would not [Page 70]haue trusted that grauity, when there was no colour of any gaine in the vntruth? Nothing is so apt to deceiue as the fairest semblan­ces, as the sweetest words. We can­not erre if wee beleeue not the speech for the person, but the per­son for the speech; Well might this man of God thinke, An aged man, a Prophet, an old Prophet, will not (sure) bely God vnto a Prophet; No man will forge a lie, but for an aduantage; What can this man gaine by this match, but the entertainement of an vnpro­fitable guest; Perhaps though God would not allow me to feast with Ieroboam, yet, pitying my faintnesse, he may allow me to eat with a Prophet; Perhaps now that I haue approued my fidelity [Page 71]in refusing the bread of Bethel, God thinkes good to send mee a gratious release of that strict charge; Why should I thinke that Gods reuelations are not as free to others, as to me? and if this Prophet haue receiued a counter­mand from an Angell of God, how shall I not disobey God, if I doe not follow him?

Vpon this ground hee returnes with his deceitfull host, and when the meat was now in his mouth, receiues the true message of death, from the same lips that brought him the false message of his inui­tation; Thus saith the Lord, for as much as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandement of the Lord thy God, but camest backe and hast eaten [Page 72]bread, and drunke water in the place forbidden thee, thy carkasse shall not come to the Sepulcher of thy fathers. Oh wofull Prophet, when hee lookes on his host he sees his exe­cutioner, whiles he is feeding of his body, hee heares of his car­kasse; at the table, he heares of his denied Sepulcher; and all this, for eating and drinking where he was forbidden by God, though bid­den as from God; The violation of the least charge of a God is mortall; No pretences can war­rant the transgression of a diuine command: A word from God is pleaded on both sides; The one was receiued immediatly from God, the other related mediatly by man; One the Prophet was sure of, the other was questiona­ble; [Page 73]A sure word of God may not be left for an vncertaine; An ex­presse charge of the Almighty ad­mitteth not of any checke: His will is but one, as himselfe is; and therefore is out of the danger of contradiction.

Me thinks I see the man of God change countenance at this sharp sauce of his pleasing morsels; his face before hand is died with the palenesse of death; me thinkes I heare him vrging many vnkinde expostulations with his iniurious host; who yet dismisses him bet­ter prouided for the ease of his iourney, than he found him. Per­haps, this officiousnesse was out of desire to make some amends for his late seducement. It is a poore recompence when he hath [Page 74]betrayed the life, and wronged the soule, to cast some curtesies vpon the body.

This old Bethelite that had ta­ken paines to come and fetch the man of God into sinne, will not now goe backe with him to ac­company his departure; Doubt­lesse hee was afraid to bee inwrap­ped in the iudgement, which hee saw hanged ouer that obnoxious head; Thus the mischieuous guides of wickednes leaue a man, when they haue led him to his bane; as familiar Deuils forsake their witches, when they haue brought them once into fetters.

The man of God returnes a­lone, carefull (no doubt) and pen­siue for his offence, when a lion out of the wood meets him, as­saults [Page 75]him, kills him; Oh the iust and seuere iudgements of the Al­mighty, who hath brought this fierce beast out of his wild ranges, into the high way, to bee the exe­cutioner of his offending seruant: Doubtlesse this Prophet was a man of great holinesse, of singu­lar fidelity, else he durst not haue beene Gods Herald to carry a mes­sage of defiance to Ieroboam, King of Israel, in the midst of all his royall magnificence; yet now, for varying from but a circum­stance of Gods command (though vpon the suggestion of a diuine warrant) he is giuen for a prey to the Lion: Our interest in God is so far from excusing our sin, that it aggrauates it; Of all others the sin of a Prophet shall not passe vnre­uenged.

The very wild beasts are led by a prouidence; Their wise and powerfull Creator knows how to serue himselfe of them: The Li­ons guard one Prophet, kill ano­ther, according to the commis­sion receiued from their Maker; What sinner can hope to escape vnpunished, when euery creature of God is ready to be an auenger of euill? The beasts of the field were made to serue vs, we to serue our Creator; When wee forsake our homage to him that made vs, it is no maruell if the beasts for­get their duty to vs, and deale with vs not as Masters, but as rebels; When an holy man buyes so dearely such a sleight frailty, of a credulous mista­king, what shall become of [Page 77]our hainous and presumptuous sinnes?

I cannot thinke but this Pro­phet died in the fauour of God, tho by the teeth of the Lion; His life was forfeited for example, his soule was safe; Yea his very car­kasse was left though torne, yet faire after those deadly graspes; as if God had said; I will onely take thy breath from thee, as the penalty of thy disobedience, a Lion shall doe that which an apo­plexie, or feuer might doe; I owe thee no further reuenge than may be satisfied with thy bloud.

Violent euents doe not alwaies argue the anger of God; Euen death it selfe is, to his seruants, a fatherly castigation.

But oh the vnsearchable waies [Page 78]of the Almighty! The man of God sinnes, and dies speedily; the lying Prophet that seduced him suruiues; Yea wicked Ieroboam enioyes his Idolatry, and treads vpon the graue of his reprouer: There is neither fauour in the de­lay of stripes, nor displeasure in the haste; Rather whom God loues, he chastises, as sharply, so speedily; whiles the rest prosper to condemnation: Euen the rod of a louing father may draw bloud; How much happier is it for vs that we die now to liue for euer; than that we liue a while, to die euer?

Had this Lion set vpon the Pro­phet for hunger, why did he not deuoure as well as kill him? Why did hee not rather kill the beast [Page 79]than the man? since we know the nature of the Lion such, that he is not wont to assaile man, saue in the extreme want of other prey. Certainely the same power that imployed those fangs, restrained them; that the world might see, it was not appetite that prouoked the beast to this violence, but the ouer-ruling command of God; E­uen so, ô Lord, thy powerful hand is ouer that roaring Lion, that goes about continually, seeking whom he may deuoure: thine hand with-holds him, that though he may shed the blood of thine e­lect, yet hee cannot hurt their soules; and whiles he doth those things which thou permittest, and orderest to thy iust ends, yet he cannot doe lesser things, which [Page 80]he desireth, and thou permittest not.

The fierce beast stands by the carkasse, as, to auow his owne act, and to tell who sent him; so to preserue that body, which he hath slaine; Oh wonderfull work of God, the Executioner is turn'd Guardian; and (as the Officer of the highest) commands all other creatures to stand aloofe from his charge: and commands the feare­full Asse, that brought this bur­then thither, not to stirre thence, but stand ready prest, to recarrie it to the Sepulcher: And now, when he hath sufficiently witnessed to all passengers, that this act was not done vpon his owne hunger, but vpon the quarrell of his Ma­ker, he deliuers vp his charge to [Page 81]that old Prophet; who was no lesse guiltie of this blood than himselfe.

This old Seducer hath so much Truth, as both to giue a right Commentarie vpon Gods inten­tion, in this act, for the terrour of the disobedient, and to giue his voyce to the certaintie of that fu­ture iudgement, which his late guest had threatned to Israel: (sometimes it pleased the wise­dome of God to expresse and iu­stifie himselfe euen by the tongues of faultie Instruments.) Withall, he hath so much faith and cou­rage, as to fetch that carkasse from the Lyon; so much pietie and compassion, as to weepe for the man of God, to interre him in his owne Sepulcher; so much loue, as [Page 82]to wish himselfe ioyned in death, to that bodie, which he had haste­ned vnto death; It is hard to finde a man absolutely wicked; Some grace will bewray it selfe in the most forsaken breasts.

It is a cruell courtesie to kill a man, and then to help him to his graue; to betray a man with our breath, and then to bedew him with our teares; The Prophet had needed no such friend, if hee had not met with such an enemy; The mercies of the wicked are cruell.

Jeroboams Wife.

IT is no measuring Gods fauour by the line of outward welfare; Ieroboam the idolatrous vsur­per of Israel prospers better, than the true heires of Dauid; He liues to see three successions in the Throne of Iuda; Thus the Iuy liues, when the Oake is dead. Yet could not that mis-gotten crowne of his keepe his head alwaies from aching; Hee hath his crosses too: God whips sometimes more than [Page 84]his owne; His enemies smart from him, as well as his children; his children in loue, his enemies in iudgement; Not simply the rod argues loue, but the temper of the hand, that weelds it, and the back that feeles it: First Ieroboams hand was striken, now his Sonne; Abi­jah the eldest, the best sonne of Ie­roboam, is smitten with sicknesse; As children are but the peeces of their Parents in another skinne, so Parents are no lesse striken in their children, than in their naturall lims, Ieroboam doth not more feele his arme, than his sonne; Not wicked men onely, but beasts may haue naturall affections; It is no thanke to any creature, to loue his owne.

Nature wrought in Ieroboam, [Page 85]no grace; He is enough troubled with his sonnes disgrace, no whit bettered; I would haue heard him say; God followes me with his afflictions; it is for mine im­pietie; what other measure can I expect from his Iustice? Whiles mine Idols stand, how can I look that my house should prosper? I will turne from my wickednesse, O God turne thou from thy wrath; These thoughts were too good for that obdured heart; His sonne is sicke, hee is sorrowfull; but (as an amazed man seekes to goe forth at the wrong doore) his distraction sends him to a false help: He thinks not of God, he thinkes of his Prophet: Hee thinkes of the Prophet that had foretold him he should be a King; [Page 86]he thinkes not of the God of that Prophet who made him a King; It is the propertie of a carnall heart to confine both his Obliga­tions, and his hopes to the means, neglecting the Authour of good. Vaine is the respect that is giuen to the seruant, where the Master is contemned.

Extremitie drawes Ieroboams thoughts to the Prophet; whom else he had not cared to remem­ber. The King of Israel had Di­uines enow of his owne; Else, he must needs haue thought them miserable Gods that were not worth a Prophet; And besides, there was an old Prophet (if he yet suruiued) dwelling within the smoake of his Palace; whose vi­sions had beene too well appro­ued; [Page 87]why would Ieroboam send so farre to an Ahijah?

Certainely, his heart despised those base Priests of his high places; neither could trust either to the gods, or the Clergie of his owne making; His conscience rests vpon the fidelitie of that man, whose doctrine he had for­saken; How did this Idolater striue against his owne heart, whiles hee inwardly despised those, whom he professed to ho­nour; and inwardly honoured them, whom he professed to de­spise? Wicked breasts are false to themselues; neither trusting to their owne choice, nor making choice of that, which they may dare to trust. They will set a good face vpon their secretly-vnplea­sing [Page 88]sinnes, and had rather bee selfe-condemned, than wise and penitent: As for that old Seer, it is like Ieroboam knew his skill, but doubted of his fincerity; that man was too much his neighbour to be good; Ahijahs truth had beene tried in a case of his owne; Hee whose word was found iust in the prediction of his kingdome, was well worthy of credit in the newes of his sonne; Experience is a great encouragement of our trust; It is a good matter to bee faithfull; this loadstone of our fi­delity shall draw to vs euen hearts of iron, and hold them to our re­liance: As contrarily deceit doth both argue, and make a bankrupt; who can trust where he is disap­pointed? O God, so oft, so euer, [Page 89]haue we found thee true in all thy promises, in all thy performances, that if we doe not seeke thee, if we doe not trust thee in the sequell, we are worthy of our losse, wor­thy of thy desertions.

Yet I doe not see that Ieroboam sends to the Prophet for his aid, but for his intelligence, Curiosity is guilty of this message, and not deuotion; he calls not for the prai­ers, not for the benediction of that holy man, but for meere in­formation of the euent. He well saw what the prayers of a Pro­phet could doe; That which cu­red his hand, might it not haue cured his sonne? Yet he that said to a man of God, Intreat the face of the Lord thy God, that hee may restore my hand; saies not now, in [Page 90]his message to Ahijah, Intreat thy God to restore my Sonne: Sinne makes such a strangenesse betwixt God and man, that the guilty heart either thinks not of suing to God, or feares it; What a poore contentment it was to foreknow that euill which hee could not a­uoid, and whose notice could but hasten his misery? Yet, thus fond is our restlesse curiosity, that it seekes ease in the drawing on of torment; He is worthy of sorrow that will not stay till it comes to him, but goes to fetch it.

Whom doth Ieroboam send on this message, but his wife, and how, but disguised? Why her, and why thus? Neither durst he trust this errand with another, nor with her in her owne forme: It [Page 91]was a seceet that Ieroboam sends to a Prophet of God; none might know it but his owne bosome, and she that lay in it; if this had beene noised in Israel, the exam­ple had beene dangerous; Who would not haue said, The King is glad to leaue his counterfeit dei­ties, and seeke to the true; Why should we adhere to them whom he forsakes? As the message must not be knowne to the people; so shee that beares it must not bee knowne to the Prophet, her name, her habit must bee changed; shee must put off her robes, and put on a russet coat; she must put off the Queene, and put on the peasant; in stead of her Scepter, she must take vp a basket, and goe a masked pilgrimage to Shiloh; Oh the [Page 92]fondnes of vaine men that thinke to iuggle with the Almighty, and to hide their counsells from that all-seeing ere! If this change of ha­bit were necessary at Bethel, yet what needs it at Shiloh; though she would hide her face from her subiects, yet why would she not pull off her muffler, and shew her selfe to the Prophet? Certainly, what policy began, guiltinesse must continue; Well might shee thinke, there can be no good an­swer expected of the wife of Iero­boam; my presence will doe no lesse, than solicit a reproofe; No Prophet can speake well to the consort of a founder of Idolatry, I may perhaps heare good as ano­ther, though as my selfe I can looke for nothing, but tidings of [Page 93]euill; Wicked hearts know they deserue ill at Gods hands, and therefore they doe all they can to auoid the eies of his displeased iu­stice, and if they cannot doe it by colours of dissimulation, they will doe it by imploration of shel­ter; they shall say to the rocks, Fall on vs, and couer vs.

But oh the grosse folly mixt with the craft of wickednesse! could Ieroboam thinke that the Prophet could know the euent of his sonnes disease, and did hee thinke that hee could not know the disguise of his Wife? the one was present, the other future; this face was but wrapt vp in a clout, that euent was wrapt vp in the counsell of God; Yet this poli­tique head presumes that the grea­ter [Page 94]shall be reuealed, where the lesser shall be hid; There was ne­uer wicked man that was not in­fatuate, and in nothing more than in those things wherein he hoped most to transcend the reach of others.

Ahijah shunning the iniquity of the times, was retired to a solitary corner of Shiloh; no place could be too priuate for an honest Pro­phet, in so extreme deprauednesse; Yet euen there doth the King of Israel take notice of his reclusion, and sends his Wife to that poore cell, laden with presents; presents that dissembled their bearer: had shee offered iewels, or gold, her greatnesse had beene suspected; now she brings loaues, and crack­nels, and honie, her hand answers [Page 95]her backe; She giues as she seemes, not as she is: Something she must giue, euen when she acts the poo­rest client.

The Prophets of God were not wont to haue empty visitations; they who hated bribes, yet refused not tokens of gratitude; Yea the God of heauen who neither needs our goods, nor is capable of our gratifications, yet would haue no man to come to him, gift-lesse; Woe to those sacrilegious hands, that in stead of bringing to the Prophets carry from them.

Ieroboam was a bad man, yet, as he had a towardly sonne, so he had an obedient wife; else she had not wanted excuses to turne off both the iourney, and the disguise; against the disguise she had plea­ded [Page 96]the vnbeseemingnesse for her person and state; against the iour­ney, the perills of so long and so­litary a walke; perhaps a Lion might bee in the way; the Lion that tore the Prophet in peeces; perhaps robbers; or if not they, perhaps her chastity might be in danger; an vnguarded solitarines in the weaker sex might be a pro­uocation to some forced vnclean­nesse: she casts off all these shif­ting proiections of feare; accor­ding to the will of her husband, she changes her rayment, she sets vpon the iourney, and ouercomes it: What needed this disguise to an old Prophet whose dimme eies were set with age? All clothes, all faces were alike to a blinde Seer; The visions of Ahijah were in­ward, [Page 97]neither was his bodily sight more duskie, than the eies of his minde were cleare, and piercing; It was not the common light of men whereby he saw, but diuine illumination; things absent, things future were no lesse obuious to those spirituall beames, than pre­sent things are to vs; Ere the quicke eies of that great Lady can discerne him, he hath espied her; and so soone as hee heares the sound of her feet, she heares from him the sound of her name, Come in thou Wife of Ieroboam; How God laughes in heauen at the fri­uolous fetches of craftie politici­ans, and when they thinke them­selues most sure, shames them with a detection, with a defeat? What an idlenesse it is for foolish [Page 98]Hypocrites to hope they can dance in a net vnseene of heauen?

Neuer before was this Queene troubled to heare of her selfe; now she is; her very name struck her with astonishment; and pre­pares her for the assured horror of following iudgements, I am sent to thee with heauie tidings; Goe tell Ieroboam; Thus saith the Lord God of Israel. Could this Lady lesse wonder at the mercy of this stile of God, than tremble at the se­quell of his iustice? Loe Israel had forsaken God, yet God still ownes Israel. Israel had gone a whoring, yet God hath not diuorced her; Oh the infinite goodnesse of our long-suffering God, whom our foulest sinnes cannot robbe of his compassions.

By how much dearer Israel was to God, so much more odious is Ieroboam that hath marred Israel, Terrible is that vengeance which God thunders against him by his Prophet; whose passionate mes­sage vpbraids him with his pro­motions, chargeth him with his sinnes, and lastly denounceth his iudgements; No mouth was fit­ter to cast this royalty in the teeth of Ieroboam, than that, by which it was first foretold, fore-promi­sed; Euery circumstance of the ad­uancement aggrauates the sinne, I exalted thee; Thou couldst not rise to honour alone. I exalted thee from among the people; not from the Peeres; thy ranke was but common, before this rise; I exal­ted thee from among the people, to [Page 100]be a Prince; subordinate height was not enough for thee, no seat would serue thee but a throne; Yea, to be a Prince of my people Israel; No Nation was for thee, but my chosen one; none but my royall inheritance; Neither did I raise thee into a vacant throne; a for­lorne and forsaken principality might be thanklesse; but I rent the kingdome away from another, for thy sake, yea from what other but the grand childe of Dauid? out of his hands did I wrest the Scepter, to giue it into thine: Oh what high fauours doth God sometimes cast away vpon vn­worthy subiects? How doe his abused bounties double both their sinne, and iudgement?

The sinnes of this Prince were [Page 101]no lesse eminent than his obligati­ons, therefore his iudgements shall be no lesse eminent than his sinnes: How bitterly doth God expresse that, which shall be more bitter in the execution; Behold, I will bring euill vpon the house of Ie­roboam, and will cut off from Iero­boam, him that pisseth against the wall; and him that is shut vp, and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Ieroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone; Him that dieth of Ieroboam in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth in the field, shall the fowles of the aire eat; Oh heauy load that this disguised Princesse must carry to her Husband; but because these euills, though grieuous, yet might be remote, therefore for a [Page 102]present hansell of vengeance, she is dismissed with the sad tidings of the death of her sonne; When thy feet enter into the citie, the childe shall die; It is heauy newes for a mother that shee must leese her sonne, but worse yet that she may not see him; In these cases of our finall departures, our presence giues some mitigation to our griefe: might she but haue closed the eies, and haue receiued the last breath of her dying sonne, the losse had beene more tolerable; I know not how our personall fare­well eases our heart, euen whiles it increases our passion; but now she shall no more see, nor beseene of her Abijah; She shall no sooner be in the city, than he shall be out of the world: Yet more, to perfect [Page 103]her sorrow, shee heares that in him alone there is found some good; the rest of her issue, are gracelesse; shee must leese the good, and hold the gracelesse; he shall die to afflict her, they shall liue to afflict her.

Yet what a mixture is here of se­uerity and fauour in one act? fa­uour to the sonne, seuerity to the father; Seuerity to the father, that he must leese such a sonne; fauor to the sonne that he shall be taken from such a father; Ieroboam is wicked, and therefore he shall not enioy an Abijah; Abijah hath some good things, therefore he shall be remoued from the danger of the deprauation of Ieroboam: Some­times God strikes in fauour, but more often forbeares out of seue­rity: [Page 104]The best are fittest for hea­uen; the earth is fittest for the worst; this is the region of sinne, and misery, that of immortality; It is no argument of dis-fauour to be taken early from a well led life; as not of approbation to age in sinne.

As the soule of Abijah is fauo­red in the remouall; so is his bo­dy with a buriall; he shall haue a­lone both teares and tombe; all the rest of his brethren shall haue no graue but dogs and fowles; no sorrow but for their life; Tho the carkasse bee insensible of any position, yet honest Sepulture is a blessing; It is fit the body should be duely respected on earth, whose soule is glorious in heauen.

Asa.

THe two houses of Iuda, and Israel grow vp now to­gether in an ambiti­ous riuality; this splitted plant branches out so se­uerally, as if it had forgotten that euer it was ioyned in the root; The throne of Dauid oft chan­geth the possessors; and more complaineth of their iniquity, than their remoue; Abijam inhe­rits the sins of his father Rehobo­am, no lesse than his Crowne; and [Page 106]so spends his three yeares, as if he had beene no whit of kinne to his grandfathers vertues. It is no newes that Grace is not traduced, whiles vice is: Therefore is his reigne short because it was wic­ked; It was a sad case when both the Kings of Iudah and Israel (though enemies) yet conspired in sinne; Rehoboam (like his father Salomon) began graciously, but fell to Idolatry; as he followed his father, so his sonne, so his people followed him. Oh, what a face of a Church was heere, when Israel worshipped Ieroboams calues, when Iudah built them high pla­ces, and Images, and groues on e­uery high hill, and vnder euery greene tree; On both hands God is forsaken, his Temple neglected, [Page 107]his worship adulterate; and this, not for some short brunt, but du­ring the succession of two Kings; For, after the first three yeeres Re­hoboam changed his fathers religi­on (as his sheilds) from gold to brasse; the rest of his seuenteene yeeres were led in impiety; His Sonne Abijam trod in the same mi­rie steps; and Iudah with them both; If there were any (doubt­lesse there were some) faithfull hearts, yet remaining in both kingdomes, during these heauy times, what a corasiue it must needs haue beene to them, to see so deplored, and miserable a de­prauation?

There was no visible Church vpon earth, but heere; and this what a one? Oh God, how low [Page 108]dost thou sometimes suffer thine owne flocke to be driuen? What wofull wanes, and eclipses hast thou ordaind for this heauenly body? Yet at last, an Asa shall arise from the loines, from the graue of Abijam,; he shall reuiue Dauid and reforme Iudah: The gloomy times of corruption shall not last al­waies; The light of truth and peace shall at length breake out, and blesse the sad hearts of the righteous.

It is a wonder how Asa should be good; of the seed of Abijam, of the soyle of Maachah; both wic­ked, both Idolatrous; God would haue vs see that grace is from hea­uen, neither needs the helpes of these earthly conueyances: Should not the children of good parents [Page 109]sometimes be euill, and the chil­dren of euill parents, good, vertue would seeme naturall, and the gi­uer would leese his thankes: Thus we haue seene a faire flower spring out of dung; and a well-fruited tree rise out of a sowre stocke; Education hath no lesse power to corrupt, than nature; It is therefore the iust praise of Asa that being trained vp vnder an I­dolatrous Maachah, he maintained his piety; As contrarily, it is a shame for those that haue beene bred vp in the precepts and ex­amples of vertue and godlinesse, to fall off to lewdnesse, or super­stition; There are foure principall monuments of Asaes vertue, as so many rich stones in his Diadem: Hee tooke away Sodomie, 1 and [Page 110]Idols, out of Iudah; Who can­not wonder more that he found them there, than that he remoued them? What a strange incongrui­tie is this; Sodome in Ierusalem? Idols in Iudah? Surely debauched profession proues desperate; Admit the Idols, ye cannot doubt of the Sodomy; If they haue changed the glory of the vncorruptible God, into an Image, made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and foure-footed beasts, and creeping things, it is no maruell, if God giue them vp to vncleannesse through the lusts of their owne hearts, to dishonour their owne bodies, be­tweene themselues; If they chan­ged the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and serued the creature more than the Creator, [Page 111]who is blessed for euer, no mar­uell, if God giue them to vile af­fections, to change the naturall vse into that which is against na­ture; burning in lust one towards another, men with men working that which is vnseemely.

Contrarily, admit the Sodomy, ye cannot doubt of the Idols; vn­naturall beastlinesse in manners, is iustly punished with a sottish do­tage in religion; bodily pollution with spirituall; How should the soule care to be chaste, that keeps a stewes in the body? Asa begins with the banishment of both; scouring Iudah of this double vn­cleannesse: In vaine should hee haue hoped to restore God to his Kingdome, whiles these abomi­nations inhabited it; It is iustly [Page 112]the maine care of worthy, and re­ligious Princes, to cleare their Coasts of the foulest sinnes; Oh the vnpartiall zeale of Asa; There were Idols that challenged a pre­rogatiue of fauour; the Idols that his father had made; all these he defaces; the name of a father can­not protect an Idoll: The dutie to his Parent cannot win him to a li­king, to a forbearance of his mis­deuotion; Yea, so much the more doth the heart of Asa rise against these puppets, for that they were the sinne, the shame of his father: Did there want (thinke we) some Courtier of his Fathers retinue, to say; Sir, fauour the memorie of him that begot you; you cannot demolish these statues, without the dishonour of their Erector; [Page 113]Hide your dislike at the least; It will be your glorie to lay your finger vpon this blot of your fa­thers reputation; If you list not to allow his act, yet winke at it; The godly zeale of Asa turnes the deafe eare to these monitors; and lets them see, that he doth not more honor a father, than hate an Idoll; No dearenesse of person should take off the edge of our detestati­on of the sinne. Nature is worthy of forgetfulnesse, and contempt, in opposition to the God of Na­ture; Vpon the same ground, 2 as he remoued the Idols of his father Abijam, so for Idols he remoued his Grand-mother Maachah; shee would not be remoued from her obscene Idols, she is therefore re­moued from the station of her [Page 114]honor; That Princesse had aged, both in her regency, and supersti­tion; Vnder her rod was Asa brought vp; and schooled in the rudiments of her Idolatry; whom she could not infect, she hoped to ouer-awe; so, as if Asa will not follow her gods, yet she presumes that she may reteine her owne; Doubtlesse, no meanes were neg­lected for her reclamation; none would preuaile; Religious Asa ga­thers vp himselfe; and begins to remember that hee is a King, though a sonne; that she, though a mother, yet is a subiect; that her eminence could not but coun­tenance Idolatry; that her great­nesse suppressed religion; which he should in vaine hope to re­forme, whiles her superstition [Page 115]swayed; forgetting therefore the challenges of nature, the awe of infancie, the custome of reue­rence, he strips her of that com­mand, which he saw preiudiciall to his Maker; All respects of flesh and blood must be trampled on, for God; Could that long-setled Idolatry want abettors? Questi­onlesse, some or other would say; This was the religion of your fa­ther Abijam, this of your grand­father Rehoboam, this of the latter daies of your wise and great grand-father Salomon, this of your grand-mother Maachah, this of your great grand-mother Naa­mah; why should it not be yours? Why should you suspect either the wisdome, or pietie, or salua­tion of so many Predecessors? [Page 116]Good Asa had learned to con­temne prescription against a direct law; He had the grace to know it was no measuring truth by so moderne antiquitie; his eyes scor­ning to looke so low, raise vp themselues to the vncorrupt times of Salomon, to Dauid, to Samuel, to the Iudges, to Ioshua, to Moses, to the Patriarks, to Noah, to the religious founders of the first world, to the first father of man­kinde; to Paradise, to heauen: In comparison of these, Maachahs God cannot ouerlooke yesterday; the ancientest error is but a no­uice, to Truth; And if neuer any example could be pleaded for pu­ritie of religion; it is enough that the precept is expresse: He knew what God said in Sinai, and wrote [Page 117]in the Tables; Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image, nor a­ny similitude; Thou shalt not bow downe to them, nor worship them; If all the world had beene an Ido­later, euer since that word was gi­uen; he knew how little that pre­cedent could auaile for disobedi­ence: Practise must be corrected by law, and not the law yeeld to practise; Maachah therefore goes downe from her seat; her Idols from their groue; shee to retired­nesse, they to the fire, and from thence to the water; Wofull dei­ties that could both burne, and drowne.

Neither did the zeale of Asa more magnifie it selfe in these pri­uatiue acts of weeding out the corruptions of Religion, 3 than in [Page 118]the positiue acts of an holy plan­tation; In the falling of those Idolatrous shrines, the Temple of God flourishes; That doth he fur­nish with those sacred treasures, which were dedicated by him­selfe, by his Progenitors; Like the true sonne of Dauid, hee would not serue God, cost-free; Rehobo­am turnd Salomons gold into brasse; Asa turnes Rehoboams brasse into gold: Some of these vessels (it seemes) Abijam (Asaes father) had dedicated to God; but after his vow, inquired; yea with-held them; Asa, like a good son, payes his fathers debts, & his owne. It is a good signe of a well­meant deuotion, when we can a­bide it chargeable; as contrarily, in the affaires of God a niggardly [Page 119]hand argues a cold, and hollow heart.

All these were noble and excel­lent acts, the extirpation of Sodo­my, the demolition of Idols, the remouall of Maachah, the boun­tious contribution to the Tem­ple; but that which giues true life vnto all these, is a sound root; Asaes heart was perfect with the Lord all his daies; No lesse lauda­ble workes than these haue pro­ceeded from Hypocrisie; which whiles they haue carried away ap­plause from men, haue lost their thankes with God; All Asaes gold was but drosse to his pure intenti­ons.

But oh what great, and many infirmities may consist with vp­rightnesse? What allayes of imper­fection [Page 120]will there be found in the most refined soule? Foure no small faults are found in true­hearted Asa; 1 First the high-places stood still, vnremoued; What high places? There were some de­dicated to the worship of false gods; these Asa took away; There were some mis-deuoted to the worship of the true God; these he lets stand; There was grosse Ido­latry in the former; there was a weake will-worship in the latter; whiles he opposes impietie, hee winkes at mistakings; yet euen the varietie of altars was forbid­den by an expresse charge from God, who had confined his ser­uice to the Temple: With one breath doth God report both these; The high-places were not re­moued, [Page 121]yet neuerthelesse Asaes heart was persit. God will not see weak­nesses, where he sees truth; How pleasing a thing is sinceritie, that in fauour thereof the mercy of our iust God digests many an er­ror: Oh God, let our hearts goe vpright, though our feet slide, the fall cannot (through thy grace) be deadly; how euer it may shame or paine vs.

Besides, 2 to confront his riuall of Israel, Baasha, this religious King of Iudah fetches in Benhadad the King of Syria into Gods in­heritance, vpon too deare a rate; the breach of his league, the expi­lation of the Temple. All the wealth wherewith Asa had en­dowed the house of the Lord, was little enough to hire an Edomite, [Page 122]to betray his fidelitie, and to in­uade Israel: Leagues may be made with Infidels; not at such a price, vpon such termes; There can bee no warrant for a wilfull suborna­tion of perfidiousnesse: In these cases of outward things, the mer­cy of God dispenseth with our true necessities, not with the affe­cted: O Asa, where was thy pie­tie, whiles thou robbest God, to corrupt an Infidell for the slaugh­ter of Israelites? O Princes, where is your pietie, whiles yee hire Turkes to the slaughter of Chri­stians? to the spoile of Gods Church?

Yet (which was worse) Asa doth not onely imploy the Syri­an, 3 but relies on him, relies not on God; A confidence lesse sinfull [Page 123]cost his Grandfather Dauid deare: And when Hanani Gods Seer, the Herald of heauen, came to de­nounce war against him for these sinnes, Asa, in stead of penitence, breakes into choler: Fury sparkles in those eyes, which should haue gushed out with water; Those lips that should haue call'd for mercy, command reuenge; How ill doe these two agree, The heart of Da­uid, the tongue of Ieroboam? That holy Grandfather of his would not haue done so; when Gods messenger reproued him for sin, he condemned it, and himselfe for it; I see his teares, I doe not heare his threats: It ill becomes a faithfull heart to rage, where it should sorrow; and in stead of submission, to persecute: Some­times [Page 124]no difference appeares be­twixt a sonne of Dauid, and the sonne of Nebat; Any man may doe ill, but to defend it, to out­face it, is for rebels; yet euen vp­right Asa imprisons the Prophet, and crusheth his gainsayers. It were pittie that the best man should be iudged by euery of his actions, and not by all; The course of our life must either al­low or condemne vs, not these sudden eruptions.

As the life, 4 so the Death-bed of Asa wanted not infirmities; Long and prosperous had his reigne beene; now after fortie yeares health and happinesse, he that im­prisoned the Prophet, is impriso­ned in his bed; There is more paine in those fetters which God [Page 125]put vpon Asa, than those, which Asa puts vpon Hanani; And now, behold, he that in his warre seekes to Benhadad, not to God, in his sicknesse seekes not to God, but to Physitians: We cannot easily put vpon God a greater wrong, than the alienation of our trust; Earthly meanes are for vse, not for confidence; We may, we must imploy them; we may not relye vpon them; Well may God chal­lenge our trust, as his peculiar; which if we cast vpon any crea­ture, wee deifie it; Whence haue herbs, and drugs, and Physitians, their being, and efficacy, but from that diuine hand? No maruell then if Asaes gout strucke to his heart, and his feet carried him to his graue, since his heart was mis­carried [Page 126]carried for the cure of his feet, to an iniurious mis-confidence in the meanes, with neglect of his Maker.

ELIjAH with the SAREPTAN.

WHo should be match't with Moses, in the hill of Tabor, but Elijah? Surely next after Mo­ses, there was neuer any Prophet of the old Testament more glori­ous than hee: None more glori­ous, none more obscure; The o­ther Prophets are not mentioned without the name of their parent, for the mutuall honour both of the father, and the sonne; Elijah (as if he had beene a sonne of the [Page 128]earth) comes forth with the bare mention of the place of his birth; Meanenesse of descent is no blocke in Gods way to the most honourable vocations; It matters not whose sonne hee be whom God will grace with his seruice: In the greatest honours that hu­mane nature is capable of, God forgets our parents: As when we shall be raised vp to a glorious life, there shall be no respect had to the loines whence we came; so it is proportionally in these spiri­tuall aduancements.

These times were fit for an Eli­jah; an Elijah was fit for them; The eminentest Prophet is reser­ued for the corruptest age; Israel had neuer such a King as Ahab, for impiety; neuer so miraculous a [Page 129]Prophet, as Elijah; This Elijah is addressed to this Ahab; The God of Spirits knowes how to pro­portion men to the occasions; and to raise vp to himselfe such witnesses, as may be most able to conuince the world: A milde Mo­ses was for the low estate of affli­cted Israel; milde of spirit, but mighty in wonders; milde of spi­rit, because he had to doe with a persecuted, and yet a techy and peruerse people; mighty in won­ders, because he had to doe with a Pharaoh: A graue and holy Sa­muel was for the quiet consistence of Israel; A fierie-spirited Elijah was for the desperatest declinati­on of Israel: And if in the late times of the depraued condition of his Church, God haue raised [Page 130]vp some spirits that haue beene more warme, and stirring, than those of common mould, we can­not censure the choyce, when we see the seruice.

The first word that wee heare from Elijah, is an oath, and a threat to Ahab, to Israel: As the Lord God of Israel liueth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew, nor raine these yeares, but according to my word: He comes in like a Tempest, who went out in a whirlwind; Doubt­lesse he had spoken faire, & peace­able inuitations to Israel (though we heare them not) This was but the storme which followed his re­pulse, their obstinacy; After ma­ny solicitations, and warnings, Israel is stricken by the same tongue that had praied for it; Eli­jah [Page 131]dares auouch these iudge­ments to their head; to Ahab: I doe not so much wonder at the boldnesse of Elijah, as at his pow­er; Yea, who so sees his power, can no whit wonder at his bold­nesse: How could he be but bold to the face of a man, who was thus powerfull with God? As if God had lent him the keies of heauen to shut it vp, and open it at pleasure; he can say, There shall be neither dew, nor raine, these yeares, but according to my word; Oh God, how farre it hath pleased thee to communicate thy selfe to a weake man? What Angell could euer say thus? Thy hand, ô Lord, is not shortned; Why art thou not thus maruellous in the ministers of thy Gospell? Is it for that their mira­cles [Page 132]were ours? Is it for that thou wouldst haue vs liue by faith, not by sense? Is it for that our taske is more spirituall, and therefore more abstracted from bodily helps? we cannot command the sunne with Ioshua, nor the thun­der with Samuel, nor the raine with Elijah; It shall content vs if we can fixe the Sunne of righte­ousnesse in the soule, if wee can thunder out the iudgements of God against sinne, if we can wa­ter the earthen hearts of men with the former, and latter raine of hea­uenly doctrine.

Elijahs mantle cannot make him forget his flesh; whiles hee knowes himselfe a Prophet, hee remembers to be a man; he doth not therefore arrogate this power, [Page 133]as his owne, but publisheth it as his masters; This restraint must be according to his word; and that word was from an higher mouth, than his: He spake from him by whom he sware; whose word was as sure as his life; and therefore he durst say, As the Lord liueth, there shall be no raine: Man onely can denounce what God will execute; which when it is once reuealed, can no more faile, than the Almightie himselfe.

He that had this interest and power in heauen, what needed he flee from an earthly pursuit? Could his prayers restraine the clouds, and not hold the hands of flesh and blood? Yet behold Elijah must flee from Ahab, & hide him by the brooke Cherith; The wis­dome [Page 134]of God doth not thinke fit so to make a beaten path of mira­cles, as that he will not walke be­side it; He will haue our owne in­deuours concurre to our preser­uation; Elijah wanted neither courage of heart, nor strength of hand, and yet he must trust to his feet for safetie; How much more lawfull is it for our impotency to flee from persecution? Euen that God sends him to hide his head, who could as easily haue prote­cted, as nourished him: He that wilfully stands still to latch dan­gers, tempteth God in stead of tru­sting him.

The Prophet must be gone; not without order taken for his pur­ueyance; Oh the strange Cators for Elijah; I haue commanded the [Page 135]Rauens to feed thee there; I know not whether had beene more mi­raculous, to preserue him without meat, or to prouide meat by such mouthes: The Rauen, a deuou­ring and rauenous fowle, that vses to snatch away meat from others, brings it to him: Hee that could haue fed Elijah by Angels, will feed him by Rauens; There was then in Israel an hospitall Obadiah, that kept a secret table in two se­uerall caues, for an hundred Pro­phets of God; There were seuen thousand faithfull Israelites (in spight of the Diuell) who had neuer bowed knee to Baal; Doubtlesse, any of these would haue had a trencher ready for E­lijah, and haue thought himselfe happy to haue defrauded his own [Page 136]maw, for so noble a Prophet; God rather chooses to make vse of the most vnlikely fowles of the ayre, than their bountie; that hee might giue both to his Prophet, and vs a pregnant proofe of his absolute command ouer all his creatures, and win our trust in all extremities. Who can make que­stion of the prouisions of God, when he sees the very Rauens shal forget their owne hunger, and puruey for Elijah? Oh God, thou that prouidest meat for the fowles of the ayre, wilt make the fowles of the ayre prouide meat for man, rather than his dependance on thee shall be disappointed; Oh let not our faith be wanting to thee, thy care can neuer bee wanting to vs.

Elijah might haue liued for the time with bread, and water; nei­ther had his fare beene worse than his fellowes in the caues of Oba­dijah; but the munificence of God will haue his meales better furni­shed; the Rauens shall bring him both bread, and flesh twice in the day; It is not for a persecuted Pro­phet to long after delicates; God giues order for competency, not for wantonnesse; Not out of the daintie compositions in Iezebels kitchin, nor out of the pleasant Wines in her celler, would God prouide for Elijah; but the Ra­uens shall bring him plaine, and homely victuals, and the riuer shall affoord him drinke; If we haue wherewith to sustaine na­ture (though not to pamper it) [Page 138]we owe thankes to the giuer; Those of Gods family may not be curious, not disdainfull: Ill doth it become a seruant of the highest, to be a slaue to his palate. Doubtlesse, one bit from the mouth of the Rauen was more pleasing to Elijah, than a whole Table-full of Ahab: Nothing is more comfortable to Gods chil­dren then to see the sensible de­monstrations of the diuine care, and prouidence.

The brooke Cherith cannot last alwaies; that streame shall not for Elijahs sake be exempted from the vniuersall exsiccation; Yea the Prophet himselfe feeles the smart of this drought, which he had de­nounced; It is no vnvsuall thing with God to suffer his owne deare [Page 139]children to be inwrapped in the common calamities of offenders: Hee makes difference in the vse, and issue of their stripes, not in the infliction; The corne is cut downe with the weeds, but to a better purpose.

When the brooke failes God hath a Zarephath for Elijah; In stead of the Rauens, a Widdow shall there feed him; yea her selfe by him: Who can enough won­der at the pitch of this selectiue prouidence of the Almightie; Za­rephath was a towne of Sidon, and and therefore without the pale of the Church; Pouertie was the best of this Widow, she was a Pagan by birth, heathnishly superstitious by institution; Many Widowes were in Israel in the daies of Elijah [Page 140]when the heauen was shut vp three yeares, and six moneths, when great famine was through­out all the land, but vnto none of them was Elias sent, saue vnto this Sarepta, a Citie of Sidon, vnto a woman that was a widow; He that first fed the Prophet by the mouth of vncleane fowles, will now feed him by the hand of an heathenish Hostesse: His onely command sanctifies those crea­tures which by a generall charge were legally impure.

There were other birds besides Rauens, other widowes besides this Sareptan; none but the Ra­uens, none but the Sareptan shall nourish Elijah. Gods choice is not led in the string of humane rea­son; his holy will is the guide, and [Page 141]the ground of all his elections. It is not in him that wils, nor in him that runs, but in God that showes mercy.

The Prophet followes the call of his God; the same hand that brought him to the gate of Sarep­ta, led also this poore widdow out of her doores; she shall then goe to seeke her sticks, when she shall be found of Elijah; she thought of her hearth, she thought not of a Prophet; when the man of God cals to her, Fetch me a little water (I pray thee) in a vessell, that I may drinke. It was no easie suit in so droughtie a season; and yet, at the first sight, the Prophet dares se­cond it with a greater; Bring me a morsell of bread in thine hand; That long drought had made euery [Page 142]drop, euery crum precious; yet the Prophet is emboldened by the charge of God to cal for both wa­ter and bread; He had found the Rauens so officious, that he cānot make doubt of the Sareptan: She sticks not at the water; she would not stick at the bread, if necessitie had not pressed her; As the Lord thy God liueth, I haue not a cake, but an handfull of meale in a barrell, and a little oyle in a cruse; and behold I am gathering two stickes, that I may go in and dresse it for me and my son, that we may eate it and dye.

If she knew not the man, how did she know his God? and if she knew not the God of Elijah, how did she sweare by him? Certainly though shee were without the bounds of Israel, yet she was with­in [Page 143]the borders; so much shee had gained by her neighbourhood; to know an Israelite, a Prophet by his habit; to know the onely li­uing God was the God of the Prophet, the God of Israel; and if this had not beene, it is no maruell if the widow knew Elijah, since the Rauens knew him. It was high time for the Prophet to visit the Sareptan; pooresoule, she was now making her last meale; after one meane morsell she was yeel­ding her selfe ouer to death. How oportunely hath God prouided succours to our distresses? It is his glory to helpe at a pinch; to be­gin where wee haue giuen ouer: that our reliefe might be so much the more welcome, by how much it is lesse look't for.

But oh, what a tryall is this of the faith of a weake Proselyte, if she were so much; Feare not, goe doe as thou hast said; but make mee thereof a little cake first; and bring it to me, and after make for thee, and thy sonne; For, thus saith the God of Israel; The barrell of meale shall not waste, nor the cruse of oyle faile till the day that God send raine vp­on the earth; She must goe spend vpon a stranger part of that little she hath, in hope of more which she hath not, which she may haue; shee must part with her present food, which she saw, in trust of future which she could not see; she must rob her sense in the exer­cise of her beleefe; and shorten her life in being, vpon the hope of a protraction of it, in promise; [Page 145]she must beleeue God will mira­culously increase what she hath yeelded to consume; shee must first feed the stranger with her last victuals, and then after her selfe, and her sonne; Some sharpe dame would haue shaken vp the Prophet, and haue sent him away with an angry repulse: Bold Is­raelite, there is no reason in this request, wer't thou a friend, or a brother, with what face couldst thou require to pull my last bit out of my mouth? Had I super­fluitie of prouision, thou might'st hope for this effect of my charity; now, that I haue but one morsell for my selfe, and my sonne, this is an iniurious importunitie; what can induce thee to think thy life (an vnknowne traueller) [Page 146]should be more deare to me, than my sonnes, than my owne? How vnciuill is this motion that I should first make prouision for thee, in this dying extremitie? It had beene too much to haue beg­ged my last scraps; Thou tellest me the meale shall not waste, nor the oyle faile; how shall I beleeue thee? Let me see that done, before thou eatest; In vaine should I chal­lenge thee when the remainder of my poore store is consumed; If thou canst so easily multiply vi­ctuals, how is it that thou wan­test? Doe that before-hand, which thou promisest shall be afterwards performed, there will be no need of my litle. But this good Sareptan was wrought by God not to mi­strust a Prophet; she will do what [Page 147]he bids, and hope for what hee promises; she will liue by faith ra­ther than by sense; and giue away the present, in the confidence of a future remuneration; first, shee bakes Elijahs cake, than her owne; not grudging to see her last mor­sels goe downe anothers throat, whiles her selfe was famishing. How hard precepts doth God lay where he intends bountie; Had not God ment her preseruation, he had suffered her to eat her last cake alone, without any interpellation: now the mercy of the Almigh­tie purposing as well this miracu­lous fauour to her, as to his Pro­phet, requires of her this taske, which flesh and blood would haue thought vnreasonable. So wee are wont to put hard questi­ons [Page 148]to those schollers, whom we would promote to higher formes. So in all atchieuements the diffi­cultie of the enterprise makes way for the glory of the actor.

Happy was it for this widow, that she did not shut her hand to the man of God; that she was no niggard of her last handfull; Ne­uer corne or oliue did so increase in growing, as here in consuming; This barrell, this cruse of hers had no bottome; the barrell of meale wasted not, the cruse of oyle fai­led not; Behold, not getting, not sauing, is the way to abundance, but giuing. The mercy of God crownes our benificence with the blessing of store; who can feare want by a mercifull liberalitie, when he sees the Sareptan had fa­mished, [Page 149]if she had not giuen, and by giuing, abounded? With what thankfull deuotion must this wo­man euery day needs looke vpon her barrell, and cruse, wherein she saw the mercy of God renewed to her continually? Doubtlesse her soule was no lesse fed by faith, than her body with this superna­turall prouision. How welcome a guest must Elijah needs bee to this widow, that gaue her life and her sonnes to her, for his board? yea, that in that wofull famine gaue her and her son their board for his house-roome.

The dearth thus ouercome, the mother lookes hopefully vpon her onely sonne, promising her selfe much ioy in his life and pros­peritie; when an inexpected sick­nesse [Page 150]surprizeth him, and doth that which the famine but threat­ned; When can we hold our selues secure from euils? no sooner is one of these Sergeants compoun­ded withall, than we are arrested by another.

How ready we are to mistake the grounds of our afflictions; and to cast them vpon false cau­ses; The passionate mother can­not finde whither to impute the death of her sonne, but to the pre­sence of Elijah; to whom shee comes distracted with perplexitie, not without an vnkinde chal­lenge of him from whom she had receiued both that life shee had lost, and that she had; What haue I to doe with thee, O thou man of God, Art thou come to me to call my [Page 151]sinne to remembrance, and to slay my sonne?

As if her sonne could not haue died if Elijah had not beene her guest; when as her sonne had died, but for him; why should she thinke that the Prophet had saued him from the famine, to kill him with sicknesse? As if God had not beene free in his actions; and must needs strike by the same hands, by which hee preserued; She had the grace to know that her affliction was for her sinne; yet was so vnwise, to imagine the arerages of her iniquities had not beene called for, if Elijah had not beene the remembrancer; Hee, who had appeased God towards her, is suspected to haue incensed him; This wrongfull mis-con­struction [Page 152]was enough to moue any patience; Elijah was of an hot spirit; yet his holinesse kept him from fury; This challenge rather increased the zeale of his prayer, than stirred his choller to the offendent: He takes the dead childe out of his mothers bo­some, and laies him vpon his owne bed, and cries vnto the Lord; Oh Lord my God, hast thou brought euill also vpon the Widow with whom I soiourne, by slaying her sonne? In stead of chiding the Sareptan, out of the feruency of his soule, he humbly expostulates with his God: His only remedy is in his prayer; that which shut heauen for raine, must open it for life. Euery word inforceth; First he pleads his interest in God; [Page 153] Oh Lord my God; then the quality of the patient; a Widow, and there­fore, both most distressed with the losse, and most peculiar to the charge of the Almighty. Then, his interest, as in God, so in this pati­ent; with whom I soiourne; as if the stroke were giuen to him­selfe, through her sides; and last­ly, the quality of the punishment, By slaying her sonne, the only com­fort of her life; and in all these, implying the scandall, that must needs arise from this euent, where euer it should bee noised, to the name of his God, to his owne; when it should be said; Loe how Elijahs entertainement is rewar­ded; Surely the Prophet is either impotent, or vnthankfull.

Neither doth his tongue moue [Page 154]thus only; Thrice doth he stretch himselfe vpon the dead body; as if he could wish to infuse of his owne life into the childe; and so often calls to his God for the re­stitution of that soule: What can Elijah aske to be denied? The Lord heard the voice of his Pro­phet, the soule of the child came into him againe, and he reuiued: What miracle is impossible to faithfull prayers? There cannot be more difference betwixt Elijahs deuotion, and ours, than betwixt supernaturall and ordinary acts; If he therefore obtained miracu­lous fauours by his prayers, doe wee doubt of those which are within the sphere of nature, and vse? What could we want, if we did not slacke to plye heauen [Page 155]with our prayers?

Certainly Elijah had not beene premonished of this sudden sick­nesse, and death of the child; He who knew the remote affaires of the world, might not know what God would doe within his owne roofe; The greatest Prophet must content himselfe with so much of Gods counsell, as he will please to reueale; and he will sometimes re­ueale the greater secrets, and con­ceale the lesse, to make good both his owne liberty, and mans humi­liation. So much more vnexpe­cted as the stroke was, so much more welcome is the cure; How ioyfully doth the man of God take the reuiued child into his armes, and present him to his mo­ther? How doth his heart leape [Page 156]within him, at this proofe of Gods fauour to him, mercy to the wid­dow, power to the child?

What life and ioy did now show it selfe in the face of that amazed mother, when shee saw againe the eyes of her sonne fixed vpon hers; when she felt his flesh warme, his motions vitall? Now shee can say to Elijah; By this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth; Did shee not till now know this? Had shee not said before, What haue I to doe with thee, ô thou man of God? Were not her cruse, and her barrell sufficient proofes of his diuine commission? Doubtlesse what her meale and oyle had assured her of, the death of her sonne made her to doubt; [Page 157]and now the reuiuing did re­ascertaine. Euen the strongest faith sometimes staggereth, and nee­deth new acts of heauenly sup­portation; the end of miracles is confirmation of truth; It seemes had this widowes sonne conti­nued dead, her beleefe had beene buried in his graue: notwithstan­ding her meale and her oile, her soule had languished: The mercy of God is faine to prouide new helpes for our infirmities, and graciously condescends to our owne termes, that he may worke out our faith, and saluation.

ELIjAH with the BAALITES.

THree yeeares and an halfe, did Israel lie gasping vnder a parching drought, and miserable fa­mine: No creature was so odi­ous to them, as Elijah, to whom they ascribed all their misery; Me thinkes I heare how they railed on, and cursed the Prophet; How much enuie must the ser­uants of God vndergoe for their master? Nothing but the tongue [Page 159]was Elijahs, the hand was Gods; the Prophet did but say what God would doe: I doe not see them fall out with their sinnes, that had deserued the iudge­ment, but with the messenger that denounced it; Baal had no fewer seruants than if there had beene both raine, and plenty: Elijah safely spends this storme vnder the lee of Sarepta; Some three yeares hath he lien close in that obscure corner, and liued vpon the barrell, and cruse which he had multiplied: At last, God calles him foorth, Goe shew thy selfe to Ahab, and I will send raine vpon the earth; No raine must fall till Elijah were seene of Ahab; He carried away the clouds with him, he must bring them againe: [Page 160]The King, the people of Israel, shall be witnesses that God will make good the word, the oath of his Prophet; Should the raine haue fallen in Elijahs absence, who could haue knowne it was by his procurement? God holds the credit of his messengers precious, and neglects nothing that may grace them in the eies of the world; Not the necessity of se­uen thousand religious Israelites could cracke the word of one E­lijah; There is nothing wherein God is more tender, than in appro­uing the veracity of himselfe in his ministers.

Leud Ahab hath an holy Ste­ward; As his name was, so was he, a seruant of God, whiles his Master was a slaue to Baal. Hee [Page 161]that referued seuen thousand in the kingdome of Israel, hath re­serued an Obadiah in the Court of Israel: and, by him, hath reserued them: Neither is it likely there had beene so many free hearts in the countrey, if Religion had not beene secretly backed in the Court; It is a great happinesse when God giues fauour, and ho­nour to the Vertuous. Elijah did not lie more close in Sarepta, than Obadiah did in the Court; He could not haue done so much ser­uice to the Church, if he had not beene as secret, as good; Policy and religion doe as well together, as they doe ill asunder: The Doue without the Serpent is easily caught; the Serpent without the Doue stings deadly; Religion [Page 162]without policy is too simple to be safe: Policy, without religion, is too subtile to be good; Their match makes themselues secure, and many happy.

Oh degenerated estate of Israel; any thing was now lawfull there, sauing piety; It is well if Gods Prophets can finde an hole to hide their heads in; They must needs be hard driuen when fifty of them are faine to croud toge­ther into one caue; There they had both shade and repast: Good Obadiah hazards his owne life to preserue theirs; and spends him­selfe in that extreme dearth, vpon their necessary diet; Bread and water was more now, than other whiles, wine, and delicates; Whe­ther shall we wonder more at the [Page 163]mercy of God in reseruing an hundred Prophets, or in thus su­staining them being reserued; When did God euer leaue his Israel vnfurnished of some Prophets? When did he leaue his Prophets vnprouided of some Obadiah? How worthy art thou, ô Lord, to be trusted with thine own charge? Whiles there are men vpon earth, or birds in the aire, or Angels in heauen, thy messengers cannot want prouision.

Goodnesse carries away trust, where it cannot haue imitation. Ahab diuides with Obadiah the surucy of the whole land; They two set their owne eyes on worke, for the search of water, of pasture, to preserue the horses, and mules aliue: Oh the poore and vaine [Page 164]cares of Ahab; He casts to kill the Prophet, to saue the cattle; he ne­uer seeks to saue his owne soule, to destroy Idolatry; he takes thought for grasse, none for mercy: Car­nall hearts are euer either groue­ling on the earth, or deluing in­to it; no more regarding God, or their soules, than if they either were not, or were worth­lesse.

Elijah heares of the progresse, and offers himselfe to the view of them both; Here was wisdome in this courage; First, he presents himselfe to Obadiah, ere he will be seene of Ahab; that Ahab might vpon the report of so discreet an informer, digest the expectation of his meeting; Then he takes the oportunitie of Ahabs presence, [Page 165]when he might be sure Iezebel was away.

Obadiah meets the Prophet, knowes him, and (as if hee had seene God in him) falls on his face to him, whom he knew his master persecuted: Though a great Peere, he had learned to honour a Pro­phet. No respect was too much for the president of that sacred colledge; To the poore boarder of the Sareptan, here was no lesse, than a prostration, and My Lord Elijah; from the great High Ste­ward of Israel; Those that are truly gratious cannot be niggard­ly of their obseruances to the mes­sengers of God.

Elijah receiues the reuerence, re­turnes a charge; Goe tell thy Lord, Behold Elijah is here: Obadiah finds [Page 166]this lode too heauy; neither is he more striken with the boldnesse, than with the vnkindnesse of this command; boldnesse in respect of Elijah; vnkindnesse in respect of himselfe: For, thus he thinks; If Elijah doe come to Ahab, he dies; If he doe not come, I die; If it be knowne that I met him, and brought him not, it is death; If I say that he will come voluntarily, and God shall alter his intentions, it is death: How vnhappy a man am I, that must be either Elijahs executioner, or my owne: Were Ahabs displeasure but smoking, I might hope to quench it, but now that the flame of it hath broken forth to the notice, to the search of all the kingdomes, and nations round about, it may consume me, [Page 167]I cannot extinguish it; This mes­sage were for an enemie of Elijah; for a client of Baal; As for me, I haue well approued my true de­uotion to God, my loue to his Prophets: What haue I done, that I should be singled out either to kill Elijah, or to be killed for him? Many an hard plunge must that man needs be driuen to, who would hold his conscience toge­ther with the seruice, and fauour of a Tyrant: It is an happy thing to serue a iust master; there is no danger, no straine in such obedi­ence.

But, when the Prophet bindes his resolution with an oath, and cleares the heart of Obadiah from all feares, from all suspicions, the good man dares be the messenger [Page 168]of that, which hee saw was de­creed in heauen: Doubtlesse Ahab startled to heare of Elijah com­ming to meet him; as one that did not more hate, than feare the Prophet. Well might hee thinke; thus long, thus farre haue I sought Elijah, Elijah would not come to seeke mee, but vnder a sure gard, and with some strange com­mission; His course mantle hath the aduantage of my robe and Scepter; If I can command a peece of the earth, I see hee can command heauen: The edge of his reuenge is taken off with a doubtfull expectation of the issue: and now when Elijah offers him­selfe to the eies of Ahab; He who durst not strike, yet durst chal­lenge the Prophet, Art thou he that [Page 169]troubleth Israel? Ieroboams hand was still in Ahabs thoughts; hee holds it not so safe to smite, as to expostulate: Hee, that was the head of Israel, speakes out that which was in the heart of all his people, that Elijah was the cause of all their sorrow: Alas what hath the righteous Prophet done? He taxed their sinne, he foretold the iudgement; hee deserued it not, he inflicted it not; yet he smarts, and they are guilty: As if some fond people should accuse the he­rald or the Trumpet as the cause of their warre; or as if some ig­norant peasant, when he sees his fowls bathing in his pond, should cry out of them, as the causes of foule weather.

Oh the heroicall Spirit of Eli­jah! [Page 170]he stands alone a mids all the traine of Ahab, and dares not on­ly repell this charge, but retort it; I haue not troubled Israel, but thou and thy fathers house, in that yee haue forsaken the commandements of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim. No earthly glory can daunt him who hath the cleere and heartning visions of God; This holy Seer discernes the true cause of our sufferings, to be our sinnes; Foolish men are plagued for their offences; and it is no small part of their plague that they see it not; The onely com­mon disturber of men, families, cities, kingdomes, worlds, is sin; There is no such traitor to any state, as the wilfully wicked; The quietest and most plausible offen­der [Page 171]is secretly seditious, and stir­reth quarrels in heauen.

The true messengers of God cary authority euen where they are maligned; Elijah doth at once reproue the King, and require of him the improuement of his power, in gathering all Israel to Carmel, in fetching thither all the Prophets of Baal. Baal was rich in Israel, whiles God was poore; Whiles God hath but one hun­dred Prophets, hid closely in Obadiahs caues, Baal hath eight hundred and fifty; foure hun­dred and fifty dispersed ouer the villages and townes of Israel, foure hundred at the Court; Gods Prophets are glad of bread and water, whiles the foure hundred Trencher-Prophets of Iezebel feed [Page 172]on her dainties: They lurke in caues whiles these Lord it in the pleasantest groues. Outward pro­sperity is a false note of truth: All these with all Israel, doth Elijah require Ahab to summon vnto Carmel. It is in the power of Kings to command the assembly of the Prophets; the Prophet sues to the Prince for the indiction of this Synode: They are iniurious to So­ueraignty who arrogate this power to none but spirituall hands. How is it that Ahab is as ready to performe this charge, as Elijah to moue it? I dare answer for his heart, that it was not drawne with loue: Was it out of the sense of one iudgement, and feare of another? he smarted with the dearth and drought, and [Page 173]well thinkes Elijah would not be so round with him, for nothing: Was it out of an expectation of some miraculous exploit which the Prophet would doe in the sight of all Israel? Or, was it out of the ouer-ruling power of the Almighty; The heart of kings is in the hand of God, and he turnes it which way soeuer he pleaseth.

Israel is met together, Elijah rates them, not so much for their super­stition, as for their vnsetlednes, and irresolution: One Israelite serues God, another Baal; yea the same Is­raelite perhaps serues both God & Baal. How long halt ye betweene two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him; No­thing is more odious to God than a prophane neutrality in maine [Page 174]oppositions of religion; To goe vpright in a wrong way, is a lesse eye-sore to God, than to halt be­twixt right and wrong; The Spirit wisheth that the Laodicean were either hot or cold; either tem­per would be better borne, than neither, than both; In reconcile­able differences nothing is more safe than indifferency both of pra­ctise, and opinion; but in cases of so necessary hostility, as be­twixt God, and Baal, he that is on neither side is the deadliest enemy to both; Lesse hatefull are they to God that serue him not at all, than they that serue him with a riuall.

Whether out of guiltinesse, or feare, or vncertainty, Israel is si­lent; yet whiles their mouth was shut, their eares were open: It was [Page 175]a faire motion of Elijah; I am only remaining a Prophet of the Lord, Baals Prophets are foure hundred and fifty; Let them choose one bul­locke, let me choose another; Their deuotion shall bee combined, mine single; The God that consumes the sacrifice by fire from heauen, let him bee God; Israel cannot but ap­proue it; the Prophets of Baal cannot refuse it; they had the ap­pearance of the aduantage, in their number, in the fauor of King, and people. Oh strange disputation, wherein the argu­ment which must be vsed is fire; the place whence it must bee fetcht, heauen; the mood and fi­gure, deuotion; the conclusion, death to the ouercomne.

Had not Elijah, by diuine in­stinct, [Page 176]beene assured of the euent, he durst not haue put religion vp­on such an hazard; That God commanded him this triall, who meant confusion to the authors of Idolatry, victory to the truth; His power shall be approued both by fire and by water; first by fire, then by water; There was no lesse terror in the fire, than mercy in the raine; It was fit they should bee first humbled by his terrors, that they might be made capable of his mercy; and by both, might be won to repentance. Thus still the feares of the law make way for the influences of grace, nei­ther doe those sweet and heauen­ly dewes descend vpon the soule, till way be mad [...] for them by the terrible flashes of the law.

Iustly doth Elijah vrge this tri­all: Gods sacrifices were vsed to none but heauenly fires; whereas the base and earthly religion of the heathen contented it selfe with grosse and naturall flames.

The Prophets of Baal durst not (though with faint and guilty hearts) but imbrace the conditi­on; they dresse their bullocke, and lay it ready vpon the wood; and send out their cries to Baal from morning vntill mid-day; O Baal heare vs; What a yelling was heere, of foure hundred and fifty throats, tearing the skies for an answer? What leaping was heere vpon the altar, as if they would haue climbed vp to fetch that fire, which would not come downe alone? Mount Carmel [Page 178]might giue an Eccho to their voice, heauen gaue none; In vaine doe they roare out, and wea­ry themselues in imploring a dumbe and deafe deitie; Graue and austere Elijah holds it not too ligh tto flout their zealous deuo­tion; hee laughes at their teares, and plaies vpon their earnest; Cry aloud, for he is a God, either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or hee is trauelling, or he is sleeping, and must be awaked.

Scornes and taunts are the best answers for serious Idolatry; Ho­linesse will beare vs out in dis­dainfull scoffes, and bitternesse against wilfull superstition; No lesse in the indignation at these insulting frumps, than zeale of their owne safety, and reputation, [Page 179]doe these Idolatrous Prophets now rend their throats with incla­mations, and that they may assure the beholders they were not in lest, they cut, and flash themselues, with kniues, and lancers, and so­licit the fire with their bloud; How much painfulnesse there is in mis-religion? I doe not finde that the true God euer required or accepted the selfe-tortures of his seruants; He loues true inward mortification of our corruptions, he loues the subduing of our spi­rituall insurrections, by due exer­cises of seuere restraint; he takes no pleasure in our bloud, in our carcasses: They mistake God that thinke to please him by destroy­ing that nature, which hee hath made; and measure truth by ri­gor [Page 180]of outward extremities; Eli­jah drew no bloud of himselfe, the Priests of Baal did; How faine would the Deuill (whom these Idolaters adored) haue an­swered the suit of his suppliants? What would that ambitious spi­rit haue giuen, that as he was cast downe from heauen like light­ning, so now he might haue fal­len downe in that forme vpon his altar?

God forbids it: All the powers of darknesse can no more shew one flash of fire in the aire, than auoid the vnquenchable fire in hell: How easie were it for the power of the Almighty to cut short all the tyrannicall vsurpa­tions of that wicked one, if his wisdome and iustice did not finde [Page 181]the permission thereof vsefull to his holy purposes.

These Idolaters now towards euening, grew so much more ve­hement, as they were more hope­lesse; and at last when neither their shrikes, nor their wounds, nor their mad motions could pre­uaile, they sit downe hoarse and weary; tormenting themselues afresh with their despaires, and with the feares of better successe of their aduersary; When Elijah calls the people to him; (the wit­nesses of his sincere proceedings) and taking the opportunity both of the time, (the iust houre of the euening sacrifice) and of the place, a ruined Altar of God, now by him repaired, conuinces Israel with his miracle, and more [...]uts [Page 182]these Baalites with enuie, than they had cut themselues with their lancers.

Oh holy Prophet, why didst thou not saue this labour? what needed these vnseasonable repara­tions? Was there not an altar, was there not a sacrifice ready pre­pared to thine hand? that which the Prophets of Baal had addres­sed, stood still waiting for that fire from thee, which the founders threatned in vaine: the stones were not more impure, either for their touch, or their intentions; yet such was thy detestation of I­dolatry, that thou abhorredst to meddle with ought, which their wickednesse had defiled: Euen that altar whose ruines thou didst thus repaire, was mis-erected; [Page 183]though to the name of the true God; yet didst thou find it better to make vp the breaches of that al­tar, which was mis-consecrated to the seruice of thy God, thā to make vse of that pile, which was idola­trously deuoted to a false god; It cannot be but safe to keepe aloofe frō participation with Idolaters, e­uen in those things which not on­ly in nature, but in vse are vnclean

Elijah layes twelue stones in his repaired altar, according to the number of the Tribes of the Sons of Iacob: Alas, ten of these were peruerted to Baal: The Pro­phet regards not their present A­postacie; he regards the ancient couenant, that was made with their Father Israel; he regards their first station, to which hee would [Page 184]reduce them: hee knew that the vnworthinesse of Israel could not make God forgetfull: hee would by this monument put Israel in minde of their owne degenerati­on, and forgetfulnesse. Hee em­ployes those many hands for the making a large trench round a­bout the altar; and causes it to be filled with those precious remain­ders of water, which the People would haue grudged to their owne mouthes; neither would easily haue parted with, but (as those that poure downe a paile full into a dry pumpe) in the hope of fetching more. The altar, the trench is full; A barrell full is poured out for each of the Tribes, that euery Tribe might bee after­wards replenished. Ahab and Is­rael [Page 185]are no lesse full of expectation; and now, when Gods appointed houre of the euening sacrifice was come, Elijah comes confidently to his altar, and looking vp into hea­uen, sayes, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Let it be knowne this day, that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy Seruant, and that I haue done all these things at thy word: Heare mee, O Lord heare me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their hearts backe againe.

The Baalites prayers were not more tedious, than Elijahs was short; and yet more pithie than short; charging God with the care of his couenant, of his truth, of his glory. It was Elijah that spake loud; Oh strong cryes of faith, [Page 186]that pierce the heauens, and irre­sistably make their way to the throne of grace; Israel shall well see that Elijahs God whom they haue forsaken, is neither talking, nor pursuing, nor trauelling, nor sleeping: Instantly, the fire of the Lord fals from heauen and con­sumes the burnt sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and lickes vp the water that was in the trench; With what terror must Ahab and Israel needes see this fire rolling downe out of the sky, and alighting with such fury so neere their heads; heads no lesse fit for this flame, than the sacrifice of Elijah; Well might they haue thought, How easily might this fire haue dilated it selfe, and haue consumed our bodies, as well as [Page 187]the wood and stone, & haue lick't vp our bloud, as well as that water? I know not whether they had the grace to acknow­ledge the mercy of God, they could doe no lesse than confesse his power, The Lord is God, The Lord is God.

The iron was now hot with this heauenly fire, Elijah stayes not till it coole againe, but strikes im­mediately: Take the Prophets of Ba­al, let not one of them escape. This wager was for life; Had they pre­uailed in procuring this fire, and Elijah failed of effect; his head had beene forfeited to them: now, in the contrary successe, theirs are lost to him. Let no man com­plaine that those holy hands were bloudy; This sacrifice was no [Page 188]lesse pleasing to God, than that other. Both the man and the act were extraordinary, and led by a peculiar instinct; Neither doth the Prophet this without the as­sent of the supreme Magistrate; who was now so affected with this miraculous worke, that hee could not in the heat of that con­uiction, but allow the iustice of such sentence. Farre be it from vs to accuse Gods commands or ex­ecutions of cruelty; It was the ancient and peremptory charge of God, that the authors of Idola­try and seduction should dye the death; no eye, no hand might spare them: The Prophet doth but mooue the performance of that Law, which Israel could not without sinne haue omitted. [Page 189]It is a mercifull and thanke-wor­thy seueritie to rid the world of the Ring-leaders of wicked­nesse.

ELIjAH running before AHAB, Flying from IEZEBEL.

I Heare no newes of the foure hundred Prophets of the Groues; They lye close vnder the wing of Iezebel vnder their pleasing shades; neither will bee suffered to vndergoe the danger of this triall; the carkeises of their fel­lowes helpe to fill vp the halfe­dry channell of K [...]shon; Iustice is no sooner done than Ahab heares [Page 191]newes of mercy from Elijah; Get thee vp, eat and drinke, for there is a sound of abundance of raine: Their meeting was not more harsh, than their parting was friendly; It seemes Ahab had spent all that day fasting in an eager attendance of those conflicting Prophets; It must needs be late, ere the executi­on could be done, Elijahs part be­gan not till the euening; So farre must the King of Israel bee from taking thought for the massacre of those foure hundred and fifty Ba­alites, that now, hee may goe eat his bread with ioy, and drinke his wine with a cheerefull heart: for God accep­teth this worke, and testifies it in the noyse of much raine; Euery drop of that Idolatrous bloud was answered with a showre of raine, [Page 192]with a streame of water, and plen­ty poured downe in euery showre; A sensible blessing followes the vnpartiall stroaks of seuere iustice: Nothing is more cruel than an vn­iust pitty.

No eares but Elijahs could as yet perceiue a sound of raine; the clouds were not yet gathered, the vapors were not yet risen, yet Elijah heares that which shall be: Those that are of Gods Councell can di­scerne either fauours or iudge­ments afarre off; the slacke appre­hensions of carnall hearts make them hard to beleeue that, as fu­ture, which the quick and refined senses of the faithfull perceiue as present.

Ahab goes vp to his repast; E­lijah goes vp to his prayers: That [Page 193]day had beene painfull to him, the vehemence of his spirit drawes him to a neglect of his body; The holy man climbes vp to the top of Carmel, that now hee may talke with his God alone: neither is he sooner ascended, than hee casts himselfe downe vpon the earth: He bowes his knees to God, and bowes his face downe to his knees; by this humble posture acknowledging his awfull re­spects to that Maiesty which hee implored; Wee cannot prostrate our bodies, or soules, too low to that infinitely-glorious Deitie, who is the Creator of both.

His thoughts were more high than his body was low; what hee said we know not, we know that what he said opened the heauens, [Page 194]that for three yeares and an halfe had beene shut vp; God had said before, I will send raine vpon the earth; yet Elijah must pray for what God did promise; The pro­mises of the Almighty do not dis­charge our prayers, but suppose them; he will doe what he vnder­takes, but wee must sue for that which wee would haue him doe: Our petitions are included in the decrees, in the ingagements of God.

The Prophet had newly seene and caused the fire to descend im­mediately out of heauen, hee doth not looke the water should do so; he knew that the raine must come from the clouds, and that the clouds must arise from vapours, and those vapours from the Sea, [Page 195]thence doth he expect them: But as not willing that the thoughts of his fixed deuotion should bee distracted, he doth not go himself, only sends his seruant to bring him the newes of his successe: At the first sight nothing appeares: Seuen times must he walk to that prospect; and not till his last view can discerne ought: All that while is the Prophet in his prayers, nei­ther is any whit daunted with that delay: Hope holds vp the head of our holy desires, and perseuerance crownes it: If we receiue not an answer to our suits at the sixth motion, wee may not bee out of countenance, but must try the seuenth: At last, a little cloud a­rises out of the Sea, of an hand bredth; So many, so feruent pray­ers [Page 196]cannot but pull water out of heauen as well as fire: Those sighes reflect vpon the earth, and from the earth reflect vpon hea­uen, from heauen rebound vpon the Sea, and raise vapors vp thence to heauen againe; If wee find that our prayers are heard for the sub­stance, wee may not cauill at the quantity; Euen an hand-broad cloud contents Elijah, and fills his heart full of ioy and thankfulnesse; Hee knew well this meteor was not at the biggest, it was newly borne of the womb of the waters, and in some minutes of age must grow to a large stature; stay but a while, and heauen is couered with it; From how small beginnings haue great matters arisen? It is no otherwise in all the gracious pro­ceedings [Page 197]of God with the soule; scarce sensible are those first works of his spirit in the heart, which grow vp at last to the wonder of men, and applause of Angels.

Well did Elijah know that God, who is perfection it selfe, would not defile his hand with an in­choate and scanted fauour: as one therefore that fore-saw the face of heauen ouer-spred with this clou­dy spot, he sends to Ahab to hasten his charet, that the raine stop him not; It is long since Ahab feared this let; neuer was the newes of a danger more welcome: Doubt­lesse the King of Israel whiles hee was at his diet, lookt long for E­lijahs promised showers; where is the raine whose sound the Pro­phet heard? how is it that his [Page 198]eares were so much quicker, than our eyes? We saw his fire to our terror, how gladly would we see his waters? When now the seruant of Elijah brings him newes from heauen, that the clouds were set­ting forward, and (if he hastened not) would be before him: The wind arises, the clouds gather, the sky thickens; Ahab betakes him to his charet; Elijah girds vp his loynes, and runs before him: Surely the Prophet could not want the offer of more ease in his passage; but hee will bee for the time Ahabs lacquey, that the King and all Israel may see his humility no lesse than his power, and may confesse that the glory of those miracles hath not made him inso­lent. He knew that his very sight [Page 199]was monitorie; neither could A­habs minde be beside the miracu­lous works of God, whiles his eye was vpon Elijah; neither could the Kings heart bee otherwise than well affected towards the Pro­phet, whiles he saw that himselfe, and all Israel, had receiued a new Life by his procurement. But what newes was here for Iezebel? Certainely Ahab minced nothing of the report of all those astonish­ing accidents: If but to salue vp his owne honour, in the death of those Baalites, he made the best of Elijahs merits; he told of his chal­lenge, conflict, victory, of the fire that fell downe from heauen, of the conuiction of Israel, of the vn­auoidable execution of the Pro­phets, of the prediction and fall [Page 200]of those happy showers, and lastly of Elijabs officious attendance. Who would not haue expected that Iezebel should haue said; It is no striuing, no dallying with the Almighty; No reasonable crea­ture can doubt, after so prodigious a decision; God hath wonne vs from heauen, he must possesse vs: Iustly are our seducers perished: None but the God that can com­mand fire and water shal be ours; There is no Prophet but his: But shee contrarily, in stead of relen­ting, rageth; and sends a message of death, to Elijah, So let the Gods doe to me, and more also, if I make not thy life, as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time: Neither scourges, nor fauors can work any thing with the obstinately wic­ked; [Page 201]All euill hearts are not equal­ly dis-affectd to good; Ahab and Iezebel were both bad enough, yet Ahab yeelds to that worke of God, which Iezebel stubbornly opposeth; Ahab melts with that water, with that fire, wherewith Iezebel is hardened: Ahab was bash­fully, Iezebel audaciously impious. The weaker sex is euer common­ly stronger in passion; and more vehemently carried with the sway of their desires, whether to good or euill: She sweares, and stamps at that whereat shee should haue trembled. Shee sweares by those gods of hers, which were not a­ble to saue their Prophets, that she will kill the Prophet of God, who had scorned her gods, and slaine her Prophets.

It is well that Iezebel could not keepe counsell: Her threat pre­serued him, whom she had meant to kill: The wisdome and power of God could haue found euasi­ons for his Prophet, in her greatest secresie; but now, he needs no o­ther meanes of rescue, but her own lips: She is no lesse vaine, than the gods she sweares by: In spight of her fury, and her oath, and her gods, Elijah shall liue: At once shal shee finde her selfe frustrate, and forsworne: Shee is now ready to bite her tongue, to eat her heart for anger, at the disappointment of her cruell Vow. It were no liuing for godly men, if the hands of Ty­rants were allowed to be as blou­die as their hearts. Men and De­uils are vnder the restraint of the [Page 203]Almighty; neither are their de­signes more lauish, than their exe­cutions short.

Holy Elijah flees for his life; we heare not of the command of God, but wee would willingly presuppose it; So diuine a Pro­phet should doe nothing without God; His heeles were no new re­fuge; As no where safe within the ten Tribes, he flees to Beershe­ba, in the territories of Iudah; as not there safe, from the machinations of Iezebel, he flees alone (one dayes iourney) into the wildernesse; there he sits him downe vnder a Iuniper tree, and (as weary of life, no lesse than of his way) wishes to rise no more. It is enough now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am not better than my Fathers: Oh strange [Page 204]and vncouth mutation! What is this we heare? Elijah fainting and giuing vp? that heroicall spirit deiected, and prostrate? Hee that durst say to Ahabs face, It is thou, and thy fathers house that troubleth Is­rael; he that could raise the dead, open and shut the heauens, fetch downe both fire, and water, with his prayers; hee that durst chide and contest with all Israel, that durst kill the foure hundred and fifty Baalites, with the sword; doth he shrinke at the frowns & threats of a woman? doth he wish to be rid of his life, because he feared to lose it? Who can expect an vn­daunted constancy from flesh and bloud, when Elijah failes? The strongest and holiest Saint vpon earth is subiect to some qualmes [Page 205]of feare, and infirmity: To be al­waies and vnchangeably good, is proper onely to the glorious Spi­rits in heauen: Thus the wise and holy God will haue his power perfited in our weakenesse; It is in vaine for vs, whiles wee carry this flesh about vs, to hope for so exact health, as not to bee cast downe sometimes with fits of spi­rituall distemper. It is no new thing for holy men to wish for death; Who can either maruell at, or blame the desire of aduan­tage? For the weary traueller to long for rest, the prisoner for li­berty, the banished for home, it is so naturall, that the contrary dis­position were monstrous: The benefit of the change is a iust mo­tiue to our appetition; but to call [Page 206]for death, out of a satiety of Life, out of an impatience of suffering, is a weakenesse vnbeseeming a Saint: It is not enough, O Elijah; God hath more work yet for thee: thy God hath more honored thee, than thy fathers, and thou shalt liue to honor him.

Toile and sorrow haue lulled the Prophet asleep, vnder his Iuni­per tree; that wholesome shade was well chosen, for his repose: whiles death was called for, the cozen of death comes vnbidden: The Angell of God waits on him in that hard lodging; no wilder­nesse is too solitary for the atten­dance of those blessed spirits; As he is guarded, so is hee awaked by that messenger of God; and stir­red vp from his rest, to his repast; [Page 207]whiles hee slept, his breakfast is made ready for him, by those spi­rituall hands; There was a cake ba­ken on the coales, and a cruse of water at his head: Oh the neuer-ceasing care and prouidence of the Al­mightie, not to be barred by any place, by any condition; when meanes are wanting to vs, when we are wanting to our selues, whē to God, euen then doth he follow vs with his mercy, and cast fauors vpon vs, beyond, against expecta­tion: What variety of purueiance doth hee make for his seruant? One while the rauens, then the Sareptan, now the Angell shall be his Cator; none of them without a miracle. Those other prouided for him waking, this sleeping; O God, the eye of thy prouidence is [Page 208]not dimmer, the hand of thy po­wer is not shorter; onely teach thou vs to serue thee, to trust thee.

Needes must the Prophet eat, and drinke, and sleepe with much comfort, whiles he saw that he had such a guardian, attendant, puruei­our; and now the second time is he raised, by that happy touch, to his meale, & his way: Arise and eat, because the iourney is too great for thee. What needed he to trauell further, sith that diuine power could as well protect him in the wilder­nesse, as in Horeb? What needed he to eat, since hee that meant to sustaine him forty daies with one meale, might as well haue sustai­ned him without it? God is a most free Agent, neither will bee [Page 209]tied to the termes of humane re­gularities: It is enough that hee knowes, and approues the reasons of his owne choice, and com­mands: Once in forty dayes and nights shall Elijah eat, to teach vs what God can doe with little meanes: and but once, to teach vs what he can doe without meanes: Once shall the Prophet eat, Man liues by bread; and but once, Man liues not by bread onely, but by euery word that proceeds out of the mouth of God; Moses, Elijah, our Sauiour fasted each of them forty daies, and fortie nights: the three great fasters met gloriously in Tabor: I finde not where God euer ho­noured any man for feasting; It is abstinence, not fulnesse, that makes a man capable of heauenly [Page 210]visions, of diuine glory.

The iourney was not of it selfe so long; the Prophet tooke those wayes, those houres which his heart gaue him: In the very same mount where Moses first saw God, shall Elijah see him: one and the same caue (as is very probable) was the receptacle to both; It could not bee but a great confir­mation to Elijah, to renue the sight of those sensible monuments of Gods fauour, and protection, to his faithfull predecessor. Moses came to see God in the bush of Horeb; God came to finde Elijah in the caue of Horeb: What doest thou here, Elijah? The place was directed by a prouidence, not by a command: Hee is hid sure e­nough from Iezebel; hee cannot be [Page 211]hid from the all-seeing eye of God. Whither shall I goe from thy Spirit? or Whither shall I flie from thy presence? If I ascend vp into Hea­uen, thou art there; if I make my bed in Hell, behold thou art there; If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the Sea, euen there shall thine hand finde mee, and thy right hand shall hold me: Twice hath God propounded the same question to Elijah: Once in the heart, once in the mouth of the caue: Twice doth the Prophet answer, in the same words: Had the first answer satisfied, the question had not beene re-demanded. Now, that sullen answer which Elijah gaue in the darknesse of the caue is chal­lenged into the Light, not with­out an awfull preface. The Lord [Page 212]first passeth by him with the terri­ble demonstrations of his power. A great and strong wind rent the mountaines, and brake the rockes in peeces; That tearing blast was from God, God was not in it: So was hee in it as in his other extra­ordinary workes; not so in it, as by it to impart himselfe to Elijah: it was the vshier, not the carriage of God; After the wind came an Earthquake, more fearfull than it: That did but moue the ayre, this the earth; that beat vpō some pro­minences of earth, this shook it frō the Center; After the earth-quake came a fire more fearfull than ei­ther. The other affected the eare, the feeling; but this lets in horror into the Soule, by the eye, the quickest, and most apprehensiue [Page 213]of the senses. Elijah shall see Gods mighty power in the earth, ayre, fire, before hee heare him in the soft voice; All these are but boy­strous harbingers of a meeke, and still word; In that God was; Be­hold, in that gentle and milde breath there was omnipotency; there was but powerfulnesse in those fierce representations; There is not alwayes the greatest efficacy where is the greatest noise: God loues to make way for himselfe by terror, but hee conuaies himselfe to vs, in sweetnesse: It is happy for vs if after the gusts and flashes of the Law, wee haue heard the soft voice of Euangelicall mercy.

In this very mount, with the same horror had God deliuered his Law to Moses and Israel: It is [Page 214]no maruell if Elijah wrap his face in his mantle: His obedience drawes him forth to the mouth of the caue, his feare still hides his head: Had there not beene much courage in the Prophets faith, hee had not stood out these affright­full fore-runners of the diuine pre­sence, though with his face coue­red: The very Angels do no lesse, before that all-glorious Maiestie than vaile themselues with their wings: Farre bee it from vs once to thinke of that infinite, and om­nipotent Deitie, without an hum­ble awfulnesse.

Feare changes not the tenor of Elijahs answer: Hee hath not left one word behind him in the caue: I haue beene very iealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the children of Is­rael [Page 215]haue forsaken thy Couenant, throwne downe thine Altars, and slaine thy Prophets with the sword, and I, euen I onely, am left, and they seeke my life to take it away. I heare not a direct answer from the Prophet to the demand of God; then he had said, I run away from the threats of Ie­zebel, and here I hide my head from her malicious pursuit; His guiltinesse would not let him speake out all: He had rather say, I haue beene iealous for the Lord God of Hosts, than, I was fearefull of Ie­zebel: We are all willing to make the best of our owne case: but what he wants of his owne accu­sation, hee spends vpon the com­plaint of Israel. Neither doth hee more bemone himselfe, than ex­claime against them, as Apostates [Page 216]from Gods Couenant, Violaters of his Altars, murtherers of his Prophets: It must needs bee a desperate condition of Israel, that driues Elijah to indite them before the throne of God: That tongue of his was vsed to plead for them, to sue for their pardon, it could not be but a forceable wickednes, that makes it their accuser. Those Idolatrous Israelites were well for­ward to reformation: The fire and raine from heauen at the prai­ers of Elijah had wonne them to a scorne of Baal; onely the vio­lence of Iezebel turned the stream, and now they are re-setled in im­pietie, and persecute him for an enemy, whom they almost ado­red for a benefactor; otherwise, Elijah had not complained of [Page 217]what they had beene: Who would thinke it? Iezebel can doe more than Elijah; No miracle is so preualent with the vulgar, as the sway of authority, whether to good, or euill.

Thou art deceiued, O Elijah; Thou art not left alone; neither is all Israel tainted; God hath chil­dren and Prophets in Israel, though thou see them not; Those cleere eyes of the Seer discerne not the secret store of God, they look't not into Obadiahs caues, they look't not into the closets of the religious Israelites; hee that sees the heart, can say, I haue left me seuen thousand in Israel, all the knees which haue not bow­ed to Baal, and euery mouth which hath not kissed him: According [Page 218]to the fashion of the wealthy, God pleaseth himselfe in hidden trea­sures; it is enough that his owne eies behold his riches: Neuer did he, neuer wil he leaue himselfe vn­furnished with holy clients, in the midst of the foulest deprauations of his Church: The sight of his faithful ones hath sometimes been lost, neuer the being: Doe your worst, O yee Gates of Hell, God will haue his owne; He that could haue more, will haue some: that foundation is sure, God knoweth who are his.

It was a true cordiall for Elijahs solitarinesse, that hee had seuen thousand inuisible abettors; nei­ther is it a small comfort to our weaknesse, to haue companions in good: for the wickednesse of Is­rael [Page 219]God hath another receit; the oyle of royall, and propheticall vnction; Elijah must anoint Ha­zael king of Syria, Iehu King of Is­rael; Elisha for his successor; All these shall reuenge the quarrels of God, and him; one shall begin, the other shall prosecute, the third shall perfect the vengeance vpon Israel.

A Prophet shall auenge the wrongs done to a Prophet: Elisha is found, not in his study, but, in the field; not with a booke in his hand, but a plough; His father Shaphat was a rich farmer in Abel-Meholah, himselfe was a good hus­band; traind vp, not in the schooles of the Prophets, but, in the thrifty trade of tillage: and be­hold, this was the man, whom [Page 220]God will picke out of all Israel for a Prophet; God seeth not as man seeth: Neither doth hee choose men because they are fit, but therefore fits them, because hee hath chosen them; his call is aboue all earthly institution.

I heare not of ought that Elijah said: Onely hee casts his cloake vpon Elisha in the passage; That mantle, that act was vocall: To­gether with this signe, Gods in­stinct teacheth the amazed sonne of Shaphat that he was designed to an higher worke, to breake vp the fallow grounds of Israel, by his propheticall function; He findes a strange vertue in that robe; and (as if his heart were changed with that habit) forgets his teme, and runs after Elijah; and sues for the [Page 221]leaue of a farewell to his Parents, ere he had any but a dumbe com­mand to follow; The secret call of God offers an inward force to the heart, and insensibly drawes vs beyond the power of our resi­stance: Grace is no enemie to good nature; well may the re­spects to our earthly parents stand with our duties to our Father in heauen. I doe not see Elisha wring his hands and deplore his condi­tion, that he shall leaue the world, and follow a Prophet, but for the ioy of that change, hee makes a feast: those oxen, those vtensils of husbandry whereon his for­mer labours had beene bestowed, shall now bee gladly deuoted to the celebration of that happy day, wherein hee is honoured with so [Page 222]blessed an imployment; If with desire, if with cheerefulnes we do not enter into the works of our heauenly Master, they are not like to prosper in our hands: Hee is not worthy of this spirituall stati­on, who holds not the ser­uice of God his highest, his richest prefer­ment.

AHAB, and BEN­HADAD.

THere is nothing more dangerous for any state, than to call in forraigne powers, for the suppression of an home-bred enemie; the remedy hath oft in this case, proued worse than the disease. Asa King of Iudah im­plores the aid of Benhadad, the Sy­rian, against Baasha King of Israel. That stranger hath good colour to set his foot in some out-skirt­townes of Israel; and now these [Page 230]serue him but for the handsell of more; Such sweetnesse doth that Edomite finde in the soile of Israel, that his ambition will not take vp with lesse than all; Hee that en­tred as a Friend, will proceed as a Conqueror; and now aimes at no lesse than Samaria it selfe, the heart, the head of the ten Tribes: There was no cause to hope for better successe of so perfidious a League with an Infidell: Who can looke for other than warre when hee sees Ahab and Iezebel in the throne, Is­rael in the groues and temples of Baalim? The ambition of Ben­hadad was not so much guilty of this warre, as the Idolatry of that wicked nation; How can they expect peace from earth, who doe wilfully fight against heauen? Ra­ther [Page 231]will the God of Hosts arme the brute, the senselesse creatures against an Israel, than he will suffer their defiance vnreuenged. Ahab and Benhadad are well matched; an idolatrous Israelite, with a pa­ganish Idumaean; well may God plague each with other, who meanes vengeance to them both. Ahab findes himselfe hard pressed with the siege; and therefore is glad to enter into treaties of peace; Benhadad knowes his owne strength; and offers insolent con­ditions, Thy siluer and thy gold is mine, thy wiues also and thy children, euen the goodliest are mine. It is a fearefull thing to be in the mercy of an enemy; In case of hostility might will carue for it selfe: Ahab now after the diuision of Iudah, [Page 232]was but halfe a King; Benhadad had two and thirty Kings to at­tend him; What equality was in this opposition? Wisely doth A­hab therefore, as a reed in a tem­ [...]st, stoope to this violent charge of so potent an enemy: My Lord, O King, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I haue: It is not for the ouer-powred to capitulate; Weaknesse may not argue, but yeeld. Tyranny is but drawne on by submission; and where it finds feare, and deiection, insulteth. Benhadad not content with the so­ueraignty of Ahabs goods, calls for the possession; Ahab had offered the Dominion, with reseruation of his subordinate interest: hee will be a tributary, so he may bee an owner: Benhadad imperiously [Page 233]besides the command, calls for the propriety; and suffers not the King of Israel to enioy those things at all, which he would in­ [...]oy but vnder the fauour of that predominancie. Ouer-strained subiection turnes desperate; if conditions be imposed worse than death, there needs no long dispu­tation of the remedy; The Elders of Israel (whose share was propor­tionably in this danger) harten Ahab to a deniall: which yet comes out so fearefully, as that it appeares rather exto [...]ted by the peremptory indignation of the people, than proceeding out of a­ny generosity of his Spirit: Nei­ther doth he say, I will not, but, I may not. The proud Syrian (who would haue taken it in foule [Page 234]scorne to be denied, though hee had sent for all the heads of Israel) snuffes vp the wind like a wilde Asse in the Wildernesse, and brags, and threats, and sweares; The gods doe so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfulls for all the people that follow mee: Not the men, not the goods, onely of Samaria shall be carried away cap­tiue, but the very earth whereon it stands; and this, with how much ease? No Souldier shall need to be charged with more than an handfull, to make a valley where the mother City of Israel once stood: Oh vaine boaster! in whom I know not whether pride or folly be more eminent: Victo­rie is to bee atchieued, not to be sworne; future euents are no mat­ter [Page 235]of an oath; Thy gods (if they had beene) might haue beene cal­led as witnesses of thy intentions, not of that successe, whereof thou wouldst be the Author without them: Thy gods can doe nothing to thee, nothing for thee, nothing for themselues; all thine Aramites shall not carry away one corne of sand out of Israel, except it be vpon the soles of their feet, in their shame­full flight; It is well, if they can carry backe those skins, that they brought thither: Let not him that girdeth on his harnesse boast himselfe as hee that putteth it off: There is no cause to feare that man that trusts in himselfe: Man may cast the dice of warre, but the disposition of them is of the Lord.

Ahab was lewd, but Benhadad [Page 236]was insolent; If therefore Ahab shall be scourged with the rod of Benhadads feare; Benhadad shall be smitten with the sword of Ahabs reuenge; Of all things God will not endure a presumptuous, and selfe-confident vaunter; after E­lijahs flight and complaint, yet a Prophet is addressed to Ahab; Thus saith the Lord, Host thou seene all this great multitude? behold I will deliuer it into thine hand, this day, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: Who can wonder enough at this vnweari­able mercy of God? After the fire and raine fetcht miraculously from Heauen, Ahab had promised much, performed nothing, yet a­gaine will God blesse and solicit him with victory; One of those Prophets whom he persecuted to [Page 237]death, shall comfort his deiection with the newes of deliuerance and triumph: Had this great work beene wrought without premo­nition; either chance, or Baal, or the golden calues had carried away the thankes: Before hand therefore shall Ahab know both the Author and the meanes of his victory; God for the Author, the two hundred thirty two young men of the Princes for the means; What are these for the Vant-gard, and seuen thousand Israelites for the maine battell, against the troups of three and thirty Kings, and as many centuries of Syrians, as Israel had single souldiers? An equality of number had taken a­way the wonder of the euent; bu [...] now, the God of hosts will be [Page 238]confessed in this issue, not the va­lour of men; How indifferent it is with thee, O Lord, to saue by many, or by few; to destroy ma­ny, or few? A world is no more to thee than a man; How easie is it for thee to enable vs to be more than Conquerours ouer Principa­lities and Powers: to subdue spiri­tuall wickednesses to flesh and bloud? Through thee we can doe great things, yea wee can doe all things through thee that strength­nest vs; Let not vs want faith, we are sure there can bee no want in thy power or mercy.

There was nothing in Benha­dads pauilions but drinke, and sur­fet, and iollity; as if wine should make way for bloud; Security is the certaine vsher of destruction: [Page 239]We neuer haue so much cause to feare as when wee feare nothing. This handfull of Israel dares looke out (vpon the Prophets assu­rance) to the vast host of Benha­dad: It is enough for that proud Pagan to sit still, and command amongst his cups: To defile their fingers with the bloud of so few, seemed no mastery; that act would be inglorious on the part of the Victors: More easily might they bring in three heads of dead enemies than one aliue: Imperi­ously enough therefore doth this boaster out of his chaire of state, and ease, command, Whether they be come out for peace, take them aliue; or whether they be come out for warre, take them aliue; There needs no more, but, Take them; this field is [Page 240]wonne with a word; Oh the vaine and ignorant presumptions of wretched men that will bee reckoning without, against their Maker.

Euery Israelite kils his man; the Syrians flee, and cannot runne a­way from death: Benhadad and his Kings are more beholden to their horses than to their gods, or themselues for life and safety; else they had beene either taken, or slaine, by those whom they com­manded to be taken.

How easie is it for him that made the heart, to fill it with ter­rour, and consternation, euen where no feare is? Those whom God hath destin'd to slaughter, he will smite; neither needs hee any other enemy or executioner, [Page 241]than what he findes in their owne bosome: We are not the masters of our owne courage, or feares; both are put into vs by that ouer­ruling power that created vs: Stay now, O stay, thou great King of Syria, and take with thee those forgotten handfuls of the dust of Israel; Thy gods will doe so to thee, and more also, if thy follow­ers returne without their vowed burden; Learne now of the de­spised King of Israel, from hence­forth not to sound the triumph before the battell, not to boast thy selfe in the girding on of thine harnesse, as in the putting off.

I heare not of either the pub­like thanksgiuing, or amend­ment of Ahab. Neither danger [Page 242]nor victory can change him from himselfe: Benhadad and he, though enemies, agree in vnrepentance; the one is no more moued with mercy, than the other with iudge­ment: Neither is God any change­ling in his proceedings towards both; his iudgement shall still fol­low the Syrian, his mercy Israel: Mercy both in fore-warning, and re-deliuering Ahab; Iudgement in ouerthrowing Benhadad. The Pro­phet of God comes againe, and both foretels the intended re-en­counter of the Syrian, and adui­ses the care, and preparation of Is­rael: Goe, strengthen thy selfe, and marke, and see what thou doest; for, at the returne of the yeere, the King of Sy­ria will come vp against thee: God purposeth the deliuerance of Is­rael, [Page 243]yet may not they neglect their fortifications; The merci­full intentions of God towards them may not make them careles; The industry and courage of the Israelites fall within the decree of their victory; Security is the bane of good successe; It is no con­temning of a foiled enemy; the shame of a former disgrace and miscarriage, whets his valour, and sharpens it to reuenge: No power is so dreadfull, as that which is recollected from an o­uerthrow.

The hostility against the Israel of God may sleepe, but wil hardly die. If the Aramites sit still, it is but till they be fully ready for an assault; Time will shew that their cessation was onely for their ad­uantage; [Page 244]neither is it otherwise with our spirituall aduersaries, sometimes their onsets are inter­mitted; they tempt not alwaies, they alwaies hate vs: their for­bearance is not out of fauour, but attendance of opportunity; hap­py are we, if out of a suspicion of their silence, wee can as busily prepare for their resistance, as they doe for our impugnation.

As it is a shame to be beaten, so yet the shame is lesse, by how much the victor is greater; to mi­tigate the griefe, and indignation of Benhadads foile, his parasites a­scribe it to gods, not to men; an humane power could no more haue vanquish't him than a diuine power could by him be resisted; Their gods are gods of the hills; [Page 245]Ignorant Syrians, that name gods, and confine them; vary­ing their deities according to si­tuations; They saw that Samaria (whence they were repelled) stood vpon the hill of Shemer: They saw the temple of Ierusalem stood vpon mount Sion; they knew it vsuall with the Israelites to sacrifice in their high places, & perhaps they had heard of Eliahs altar, vpon mount Carmel; and now they sottishly measure the ef­fects of the power, by the place of the worship; as if hee that was omnipotent on the hill, were im­potent in the Vally; What doltish conceits doth blinde Paganisme frame to it selfe of a God-head? As they haue many gods, so fi­nite; euery region, euery hill, [Page 246]euery dale, euery streame hath their seuerall gods, and each so knowes his owne bounds, that he dares not offer to incroach vp­on the other; or, if he doe, abuyes it with losse: Who would thinke that so grosse blockishnesse should finde harbour in a reasonable soule? A man doth not alter with his station; Hee that wrestled strongly vpon the hill, loseth not his force in the plaine; all places finde him alike actiue, alike valo­rous; yet these barbarous Ara­mites shame not to imagine that of God, which they would blush to affirme of their owne champi­ons. Superstition infatuates the heart out of measure; neither is there any fancie so absurd or monstrous, which credulous in­fidelity [Page 247]is not ready to intertaine with applause.

In how high scorne doth God take it to be thus basely vnder-va­lued by rude heathen? This very mis-opinion concerning the God of Israel shall cost the Syrians a shamefull, and perfect destructi­on; They may call a Counsell of warre, and lay their heads toge­ther, and change their Kings into Captaines, and their hills into valleys, but they shall finde more graues in the plaines, than in the mountaines; This very mes-pri­son of God shall make Ahab (though hee were more lewd) victorious; An hundred thou­sand Syrians shall fall in one day, by those few hands of Israel; And a dead wall in Aphek (to [Page 248]whose shelter they fled) shall re­uenge God vpon the rest that re­mained; The stones in the wall shall rather turne executioners, than a blasphemous Aramite shall escape vnreuenged. So much doth the iealous God hate to bee robb'd of his glory, euen by ig­norant Pagans, whose tongue might seeme no slander. That proud head of Benhadad, that spoke such big words of the dust of Israel, and swore by his gods, that he would kill and conquer, is now glad to hide it selfe in a blinde hole of Aphek; and now in stead of questioning the pow­er of the God of Israel, is glad to heare of the mercy of the Kings of Israel; Behold, now, we haue heard that the Kings of the house of Israel [Page 249]are mercifull Kings; Let vs, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loines, and ropes on our heads, and goe out to the King of Israel, peraduenture he will saue thy life.

There can be no more power­full attractiue of humble submis­sion, than the intimation and con­ceit of mercy; We doe at once feare, and hate the inexorable; This is it, O Lord, that allures vs to thy throne of grace, the knowledge of the grace of that throne; with thee is mercy and plenteous redemption; thine hand is open before our mouthes, be­fore our hearts; If we did not see thee smile vpon suiters, we durst not presse to thy footstoole; Be­hold now we know that the King of heauen, the God of Israel, is a [Page 250]mercifull God; Let vs put sack­cloth vpon our loynes, and strew ashes vpon our heads, and goe meet the Lord God of Israel, that he may saue our soules.

How well doth this habit be­come insolent, and blasphemous Benhadad and his followers? a rope, and sackcloth? A rope for a crowne, sackcloth for a robe; Neither is there lesse change in the tongue, Thy seruant Benhadad saith, I pray thee let me liue; Euen now the King of Israel said to Benhadad, My Lord, ô King, I am thine; Tell my Lord the King, all that thou didst send for to thy seruant, I will doe: Now, Benha­dad sends to the King of Israel, Thy seruant Benhadad saith, I pray thee let me liue: Hee that was erewhile a Lord and King, is now a seruant; [Page 251]and hee that was a seruant to the King of Syria, is now his Lord: he that would blow away all Israel in dust, is now glad to beg for his owne life at the doore of a despi­sed enemie; No courage is so haugh­ty, which the God of hoasts cannot easily bring vnder; What are men or Deuils in those almighty hands?

The greater the deiection was, the stronger was the motiue of com­miseration; That halter pleaded for life; and that plea for but a life, stirred the bowels, for fauour; How readily did Ahab see in Benhadads sudden misery the image of the instability of all humane things? and relents at the view of so deepe and passionate a submission. Had not Benhadad said, Thy seruant, Ahab had neuer said, My brother; seldome [Page 252]euer was there losse in humility; How much lesse can we feare dis­paragement, in the annihilating of our selues, before that infinite Ma­iestie?

The drowning man snatches at euery twig; It is no maruell if the messengers of Benhadad catch ha­stily at that stile of grace, and hold it fast, Thy brother Benhadad; Fa­uours are wont to draw on each other; Kindnesses breed on them­selues; neither need we any other perswasion to beneficence, than from our owne acts. Ahab cals for the King of Syria; sets him in his owne charet; treats with him of an easie (yet firme) league, giues him both his life, and his King­dome. Neither is the crowne of Syria sooner lost, than recouered; [Page 253]Onely he that came a free Prince, returnes tributarie: Onely his traine is clip't too short for his wings; an hundred twentie seuen thousand Syrians are abated of his Guard, homeward. Blasphemy hath escaped too well, Ahab hath at once peace with Benhadad, warre with God; God proclaimes it by his Herald, one of the sonnes of the Prophets; not yet in his owne forme, but disguised, both in fashi­on and complaint; It was a strange suit of a Prophet, Smite me I pray thee; Many a Prophet was smitten, and would not; neuer any but this wished to be smitten; The rest of his fellowes were glad to say, Saue me; this onely saies, Smite me; His honest neighbour, out of loue and reuerence, forbeares to strike; There [Page 254]are too many (thinkes hee) that smite the Prophets, though I re­fraine; What wrong hast thou done that I should repay with blowes? Hadst thou sued for a fa­uour, I could not haue denied thee; now thou suest for thine hurt, the deniall is a fauour; Thus hee thought; but Charitie cannot ex­cuse disobedience; Had the man of God called for blowes, (vpon his owne head) the refusall had beene iust and thanke-worthy; but now that he sayes, In the word of the Lord, Smite me, this kindnesse is deadly: Because thou hast not obeyed the voyce of the Lord, behold, assoone as thou art departed from me a Lyon shall slay thee; It is not for vs to exa­mine the charges of the Almighty; Be they neuer so harsh, or improba­ble, [Page 255](if they be once knowne for his) there is no way but obedience, or death. Not to smite a Prophet, when God commands, is no lesse sinne, than to smite a Prophet, when God forbids; It is the diuine precept or prohibition, that either makes or aggrauates an euill; And if the Israelite bee thus reuenged, that smote not a Prophet, what shall become of Ahab that smote not Benhadad? Euery man is not thus indulgent; an easie request wil gaine blowes to a Prophet from the next hand; yea, and a wound in smiting. I know not whether it were an harder taske for the Pro­phet to require a wound, than for a well-meaning Israelite to giue it; Both must be done; The Prophet hath what he would, what he must [Page 256]will, a sight of his owne bloud; and now disguised herewith, and with ashes vpon his face, he way­layes the King of Israel, and sadly complaines of himselfe in a reall parable, for dismissing a Syrian pri­soner deliuered to his hands, vpon no lesse charge than his life; and soone receiues sentence of death, from his owne mouth; Well was that wound bestowed that struck Ahabs soule through the flesh of the Prophet; The disguise is remo­ued; The King sees not a Souldi­er, but a Seer; and now finds that he hath vnawares passed sentence vpon himselfe. There needs no other doome than from the lips of the offender: Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast let goe out of thy hand, a man whom I appointed to [Page 257]vtter destruction, therefore thy life shall goe for his life, and thy people for his people: Had not Ahab knowne the will of God concerning Benhadad, that had been mercy to an enemy, which was now crueltie to him­selfe, to Israel: His cares had heard of the blasphemies of that wicked tongue: His eies had seene God goe before him, in the example of that reuenge, No Prince can strike so deepe into his state, as in not striking; In priuate fauour there may be publike vn­mercifulnesse.

AHAB, and NABOTH.

NAboth had a faire vine­yard; It had beene better for him to haue had none; His vine­yard yeelded him the bitter Grapes of death. Many a one hath bin sold to death by his lands and goods; wealth hath beene a snare, as to the soule, so to the life; Why doe we call those goods, which are ma­ny times the bane of the owner? Naboths vineyard lay neere to the Court of Iezebel; it had beene bet­ter for him, it had beene planted in [Page 259]the wildernesse; Doubtlesse, this vicinitie made it more commodi­ous to the possessor; but more en­uious and vnsafe: It was now the perpetuall obiect of an euill eye, and stirred those desires, which could neither be well denyed, nor satisfied: Eminency is still ioyned with perill, obscuritie with peace: There can be no worse annoyance to any inheritance, than the great­nesse of an euill neighbourhood: Naboths vines stood too neere the smoake of Iezebels chimneys: too much within the prospect of Ahabs window; Now lately had the King of Israel beene twice victori­ous ouer the Syrians; no sooner is he returned home than he is ouer­come with euill desires; The foyle he gaue was not worse than that [Page 260]he tooke: There is more true glo­rie in the conquest of our lusts, than in all bloudy Trophees; In vaine shall Ahab boast of subduing a forraine enemy, whiles he is sub­dued by a domesticke enemy with­in his owne breast; Opportunitie and Conuenience is guiltie of ma­ny a theft: Had not this ground lien so faire, Ahab had not beene tempted: His eye lets in this euill guest into the soule, which now dares come forth at the mouth; Giue me thy vineyard, that I may haue it for a garden of herbes, because it is neere to my house, and I will giue thee a better vineyard for it, or if it seeme good to thee, I will giue thee the worth of it in money; Yet had Ahab so much ciuilitie, and iustice, that he would not wring Naboths patrimony [Page 261]out of his hand by force, but re­quires it vpon a faire compositi­on, whether of price, or of ex­change: His gouernment was vici­ous, not tyrannicall; Proprietie of goods was inuiolably maintai­ned by him; No lesse was Naboth allowed to claime a right in his vineyard, than Ahab in his palace; This wee owe to lawfull Soue­raigntie to call ought our owne; and well worthy is this priui­ledge to be repaid with all hum­ble and loyall respects. The mo­tion of Ahab (had it beene to any other than an Israelite) had beene as iust, equall, reasonable, as the repulse had beene rude, churlish, inhumane. It is fit that Princes should receiue due sa­tisfaction in the iust demands, [Page 262]not onely of their necessities, but conuenience, and pleasure; well may they challenge this retribution to the benefit of our common peace and protection; If there bee any sweetnesse in our vineyards, any strength in our fields, we may thanke their scepters; Iustly may they expect from vs the commodi­tie, the delight of their habitation; and if we gladly yeeld not to their full elbow-roome, both of site, and prouision, we can be no other than ingratefull; Yet dares not Na­both giue any other answer to so plausible a motion, than, The Lord forbid it me, that I should giue thee the inheritance of my Fathers: The ho­nest Israelite saw violence in this in­genuitie; There are no stronger commands, than the requests of [Page 263]the great; It is well that Ahab will not wrest away this patrimony, it is not well that he desired it; The land was not so much stood vp­on, as the law; One earth might be as good as another; and mony equiualent to either; The Lord had forbidden to alien their inhe­ritance: Naboth did not feare losse, but sinne; What Naboth might not lawfully doe, Ahab might not lawfully require; It pleased God to be very punctuall, & cautelous, both in the distinction, and pre­seruation of the intirenesse of these Iewish inheritances; Nothing but extreme necessitie might warrant a fale of land, and that, but for a time; if not sooner, yet at the Iu­bile, it must reuert to the first owner: It was not without a [Page 264]comfortable signification, that whosoeuer had once his part in the land of Promise, could neuer lose it; Certainly Ahab could not but know this diuine restriction, yet doubts not to say, Giue me thy vineyard; The vnconscionable will know no other law but their profit, their pleasure; A lawlesse greatnesse hates all limitations, and abides not to heare men should need any other warrant but will.

Naboth dares not be thus tracta­ble; How gladly would hee be quit of his inheritance, if God would acquit him from the sinne? Not out of wilfulnesse, but obe­dience, doth this faithfull Israelite hold off from this demand of his Soueraigne; not daring to please [Page 265]an earthly King with offending the heauenly: When Princes com­mand lawfull things, God com­mands by them; when vnlawfull, they command against God; pas­siue obedience wee must giue, actiue wee may not; wee follow then as subordinate, not as oppo­site to the highest.

Who cannot but see and pittie the straits of honest Naboth; Ahab requires what God forbids; hee must fal out either with his God, or his King: Conscience carries him against policy; and he resolues not to sinne, that he might be gra­cious. For a world hee may not giue his vineyard: Those who are themselues godlesse, thinke the holy care of others but idly scru­pulous: The King of Israel could [Page 266]not chuse but see that onely Gods prohibition lay in the way of his designes, not the stomacke of a froward subiect; yet he goes away into his house heauy and displea­sed; and casts himselfe downe vp­on his bed, and turnes away his face, and refuses his meat; Hee hath taken a surfet of Naboths grapes which marres his appetite, and threats his life: How ill can great hearts endure to be crossed, though vpon the most reasonable & iust grounds? Ahabs place call'd him to the guardianship of Gods Law; and now his heart is ready to breake that this parcell of that Law may not be broken: No mar­uell if hee made not dainty to transgresse a locall statute of God, who did so shamefully violate [Page 267]the eternall Law of both Tables.

I know not whether the splene, or the gall of Ahab bee more affe­cted; Whether more of anger, or griefe, I cannot say; but sicke hee is, and keepes his bed, and balkes his meat, as if hee should die of no other death, than the salads that hee would haue had: O the impotent passions, and insatiable desires of Couetousnesse! Ahab is Lord and King of all the territo­ries of Israel; Naboth is the owner of one poore Vineyard; Ahab can­not inioy Israel, if Naboth inioy his Vineyard; Besides Samaria, Ahab was the great Lord Para­mount of Damascus and all Syria, the victor of him that was attended with two and thirty Kings; Na­both was a plaine townsman of Iez­reel, [Page 268]the good husband of a little Vineyard; Whether is the wealthi­er? I doe not heare Naboth wish for any thing of Ahabs, I heare Ahab wishing (not without indignatiō of a repulse) for somewhat of Naboths: Riches and pouerty is more in the heart, than in the hand; He is weal­thy that is contented; hee is poore that wanteth more: Oh rich Na­both, that carest not for all the large possessions of Ahab, so thou maist be the Lord of thine owne Vineyard; Oh miserable Ahab, that carest not for thine owne possessions whiles thou maiest not be the Lord of Naboths Vineyard.

He that caused the disease, sends him a Physitian; Satan knew of old how to make vse of such hel­pers; Iezebel comes to Ahabs bed­side; [Page 269]and casts cold water in his face, and puts into him spirits of her owne extracting; Dost thou now gouerne the Kingdome of Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let thine heart be merry; I will giue thee the Vineyard of Na­both. Ahab wanted neither wit, nor wickednesse; Yet is hee in both, a very nouice to this Zidonian dame. There needs no other De­uill, than Iezebel, whether to pro­iect euill, or to worke it: Shee chides the pusillanimity of her de­iected husband, and perswades him his rule cannot be free, vnlesse it belicentious; that there should be no bounds for soueraignty, but wil; Already hath shee contriued to haue by fraud and force, what was denied to intreaty; Nothing needs but the name, but the seale of Ahab; [Page 270]let her alone with the rest; How present are the wits of the weaker sex for the deuising of wickednes: She frames a letter in Ahabs name, to the Senatours of Iezreel, wherein she requires them to proclaime a fast, to suborne two false witnes­ses against Naboth, to charge him with blasphemy against God and the King, to stone him to death; A ready payment for a rich Vine­yard: Whose indignation riseth not to heare Iezebel name a fast? The great contemners of the most important Lawes of God, yet can be content to make vse of some diuine, both statutes, and customs, for their owne aduantage: Shee knew the Israelites had so much re­mainder of grace, as to hold blas­phemy worthy of death; Shee [Page 271]knew their manner was to expiate those crying sinnes with pulike humiliation; She knew that two witnesses at least must cast the of­fender; all these shee vrges to her owne purpose. There is no mis­chiefe so deuillish, as that which is cloked with piety: Simulation of holinesse doubleth a villany; This murder had not beene halfe so foule, if it had not beene thus mas­ked with a religious obseruation; Besides deuotion, what a faire pre­tence of legality is heere? Blasphe­my against God and his anointed may not passe vnreuenged; The offender is conuented before the sad and seuere bench of Magistra­cie; the iustice of Israel allowes not to condemne an absent, an vn­heard malefactor; Witnesses come [Page 272]forth, and agree in the intentati­on of the crime; the Iudges rend their garments, and strike their breasts, as grieued, not more for the sin than the punishment; their very countenance must say, Na­both should not die, if his offence did not force our iustice; and now, he is no good subiect, no true Is­raelite, that hath not a stone for Naboth.

Iezebel knew well to whom she wrote; Had not those letters fal­len vpon the times of a wofull de­generation of Israel, they had recei­ued no lesse strong denials from the Elders, than Ahab had from Naboth; God forbid that the Senate of Iezreel should forge a periurie, belye truth, condemne innocency, broke cor­ruption: Command iust things, we [Page 273]are readie to dye in the zeale of our obedience, we dare not em­brue our hands in the bloud of an innocent.

But she knew whom shee had engaged; whom she had marred by making conscious. It were strange if they who can counte­nance euill with greatnesse, should want factors for the vniustest de­signes. Miserable is that people whose Rulers (in stead of punish­ing) plot, and incourage wicked­nesse; when a distillation of euill fals from the head, vpon the lungs of any State, there must needs fol­low a deadly consumption.

Yet, perhaps there wanted not some colour of pretence for this proceeding; They could not but heare, that some words had passed [Page 274]betwixt the King and Naboth; Haply it was suggested, that Na­both had secretly ouer-lashed into saucie and contemptuous termes to his Soueraigne, such as neither might be well borne, nor yet (by reason of their priuacy) legally conuinced; the bench of Iezreel should but supply a forme to the iust matter, & desert of condemna­tion; What was it for them to giue their hand to this obscure mid­wifery of Iustice? It is enough that their King is an accuser and wit­nesse of that wrong, which onely their sentence can formally re­uenge. All this cannot wash their hands from the guilt of bloud; If iustice be blinde, in respect of par­tialitie, she may not be blinde in respect of the grounds of executi­on; [Page 275]Had Naboth beene a blasphe­mer, or a traitor, yet these men were no better than murtherers; What difference is there betwixt the stroke of Magistracie, and of man-slaughter, but due conui­ction?

Wickednesse neuer spake out of a throne, and complained of the defect of instruments; Naboth was (it seemes) strictly conscionable, his fellow Citizens loose, and law­lesse; they are glad to haue gotten such an opportunitie of his dis­patch: No clause of Ahabs letter is not obserued; A fast is warned, the Citie is assembled, Naboth is conuented, accused, confronted, sentenced, stoned. His vineyard is escheated to the Crowne; Ahab takes speedy and quiet possession: [Page 276]How still doth God sit in heauen, and looke vpon the complots of treachery, and villanies, as if they did not concerne him: The suc­cesse so answers their desires, as if both heauen and earth were their friends. It is the plague, which seemes the felicitie of sinners, to speed well in their lewd enterpri­ses; No reckoning is brought in the midst of the meale, the end payes for all; Whiles Ahab is reioy­cing in his new garden-plot, and promising himselfe contentment in this commodious enlarge­ment, in comes Elijah, sent from God with an errand of venge­ance. Me thinkes, I see how the Kings countenance changed; with what agast eyes, and pale cheekes, he lookt vpon that vn­welcome [Page 277]Prophet; Little pleasure tooke he in his prospect, whiles it was clogged with such a guest: yet his tongue begins first; Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? Great is the power of conscience: vpon the last meeting (for ought wee know) Ahab and Elijah parted friends: The Prophet had lac­quaied his coach, and tooke a peaceable leaue at this Townes end; now Ahabs heart told him (neither needed any other messen­ger) that God, and his Prophet were falne out with him; His con­tinuing Idolatry, now seconded with bloud, bids him looke for nothing but frownes from hea­uen: A guiltie heart can neuer be at peace; Had not Ahab knowne how ill he had deserued of God, [Page 278]he had neuer saluted his Prophet by the name of an enemy: Hee had neuer beene troubled to bee found by Elijah, if his owne breast had not found him out for an ene­my to God; Much good may thy vineyard doe thee, O thou King of Israel, many faire flowers, and sauoury herbes may thy new Gar­den yeeld thee; please thy selfe with thy Iezebel, in the triumph ouer the carkasse of a scrupulous subiect; let me rather die with Naboth, than reioyce with thee: His turne is ouer, thine is to come; The stones that ouerwhelmed in­nocent Naboth, were nothing to those that smite thee; Host thou killed, and also taken possession? Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the bloud of Naboth, shall dogs [Page 279]licke thy bloud, euen thine. What meanest thou, O Elijah, to charge this murther vpon Ahab? He kept his Chamber; Iezebel wrote, the Elders condemned, the people sto­ned; yet thou saiest, Hast thou kil­led? Well did Ahab know, that Ieze­bel could not giue this vineyard with dry hands; yet was he con­tent to winke at what she would doe; He but sits still whiles Iezebel workes; Onely his Signet is suffe­red to walke for the sealing of this vnknowne purchase; Those that are trusted with authoritie, may offend no lesse in conniuencie, or neglect, than others in act, in par­ticipation: Not onely command, consent, countenance, but verie permission feoffes publike persons in those sinnes, which they might, [Page 280]and will not preuent. God loues to punish by retaliation; Naboth and Ahab shall both bleed; Naboth by the stones of the Iezreelites; Ahab by the shafts of the Aramites; The dogs shall taste of the bloud of both; What Ahab hath done in crueltie, he shall suffer in iustice; The cause and the end make the difference happy on Naboths side, on Ahabs wofull; Naboth bleeds as a Martyr; Ahab as a murtherer: What euer is Ahabs condition, Na­both changes a vineyard on earth, for a Kingdome in heauen. Neuer any wicked man gained by the per­secution of an innocent; Neuer any innocent man was a loser by suffering from the wicked.

Neither was this iudgement personall, but hereditarie; I will [Page 281]take away thy posteritie; and will make thine house like the house of Ieroboam: Him that dieth of Ahab in the Citie, the Dogs shalleat; and him that dieth in the field, shall the Fowles of the ayre eat; Ahab shall not need to take thought for the tra­ducing of this ill gotten inheri­tance; God hath taken order for his heires; whom his sinne hath made no lesse the heires of his curse, than of his body; Their fa­thers cruelty to Naboth hath made them, together with their mother Iezebel, dogs-meat. The reuenge of God doth at last make amends for the delay; Whether now is Naboths vineyard paid for?

The man that had sold himselfe to worke wickednesse, yet rues the bargaine. I doe not heare Ahab [Page 282](as bad as he was) reuile or threa­ten the Prophet, but he rends his clothes, and weares, and lyes in sack-cloth, and fasts, and walkes softly: Who that had seene Ahab would not haue deemed him a true penitent? All this was the visor of sorrow, not the face; or if the face, not the heart; or if the sorrow of the heart, yet not the re­pentance: A sorrow for the iudge­ment, not a repentance for the sin: The very deuils howle to be tor­mented; Griefe is not euer a signe of grace; Ahab rends his clothes, he did not rend his heart; he puts on sack-cloth, not amendment; he lies in sack-cloth, but he lies in his Idolatry; he walkes softly, he walkes not sincerely; Worldly sor­row causeth death; Happy is that [Page 283]griefe for which the soule is the ho­lier.

Yet, what is this I see? This very shadow of penitence carries away mercy; It is no small mercy to de­ferre an euill; Euen Ahabs humilia­tion shal prorogue the iudgement; such as the penitence was, such shal bee the reward; a temporary re­ward of a temporary penitence: As Ahab might be thus sorrowfull, and neuer the better; so, he may be thus fauoured, and neuer the hap­pier; Oh God, how graciously art thou ready to reward a sound, and holy repentance, who art thus indulgent to a carnall and seruile deiection!

AHAB and MICAIAH: OR, The Death of AHAB.

WHo would haue look't to haue heard any more of the warres of the Syrians, with Isra­el, after so great a slaughter, after so firme a league; a league not of peace onely, but of Brotherhood; The haltars, the sack-cloth of Ben­hadads followers were worne out, as of vse, so of memory, and now they are changed for Iron and steele. It is but three yeares that [Page 285]this peace lasts; and now that warre begins which shall make an end of Ahab: The King of Israel rues his vniust mercie; according to the word of the Prophet, that gift of a life, was but an exchange; Because Ahab gaue Benhadad his life; Benhadad shall take Ahabs; He must forfeit in himselfe what he hath giuen to another. There can be no better fruit of too much kindnesse to Infidels: It was one Article of the league betwixt Ahab, & his brother Benhadad, that there should be a speedy restitution of all the Israelitish Cities; The rest are yeelded, onely Ramoth Gilead is held backe, vnthankfully, iniuriously: He that beg'd but his life receiues his Kingdome, and now rests not content with his owne bounds: [Page 286]Iustly doth Ahab challenge his owne, iustly doth he moue a war to recouer his owne from a per­fidious tributary; the lawful­nesse of actions may not be iudged by the euents, but by the grounds; the wise and holy arbiter of the world knowes why many times the better cause hath the worse suc­cesse: Many a iust businesse is cros­sed for a punishment to the agent.

Yet Israel and Iuda were now peeced in friendship; Iehosaphat the good King of Iuda had made affi­nity with Ahab the Idolatrous King of Israel: and, besides a personall visitation, ioynes his forces with his new Kinsman, against an old confederate; Iuda had calld in Sy­ria against Israel; and now Israel calls in Iuda against Syria: Thus [Page 287]rather should it be: It is fit that the more pure Church should ioine with the more corrupt, against a common Paganish enemy.

Iehosaphat hath match't with A­hab; not with a diuorce of his de­uotion. Hee will fight, not with­out God; Inquire I pray thee at the Word of the Lord, to day: Had hee done thus sooner; I feare Athaliah had neuer call'd him father; This motion was newes in Israel: It was wont to bee said, Inquire of Baal; The good King of Iudah will bring Religion into fashion in the Court of Israel; Ahab had in­quired of his Counsellors, What needed he be so deuout, as to in­quire of his Prophets? Onely Ieho­saphats presence made him thus godly; It is an happy thing to con­uerse [Page 288]with the vertuous; their coun­sell and example cannot but leaue some tincture behind them of a good profession, if not of piety: Those that are truly religious dare not but take God with them in all their affaires; with him they can be as valiant, as timorous without him.

Ahab had Clergy enough, such as it was; Foure hundred Prophets of the groues were reserued from ap­pearing to Elijahs challenge; these are now consulted by Ahab; they liue to betray the life of him who saued theirs. These care not so much to inquire what God would say, as what Ahab would haue them say; they saw which way the Kings heart was bent, that way they bent their tongues: Goe vp, for the Lord shall deliuer it into the hands of the [Page 289]King: False Prophets care onely to please; a plausible falshood passes with them aboue an harsh truth. Had they seene Ahab fearfull, they had said, Peace, Peace; now they see him resolute, war & victory; It is a fearfull presage of ruine when the Prophets conspire in assentation.

Their number consent, confi­dence hath easily won credit with Ahab; We doe all willingly beleeue what we wish: Iehosaphat is not so soone satisfied; These Prophets were (it is like) obtruded to him (a stranger) for the true Prophets of the true God: The iudicious King sees cause to suspect them, and now perceiuing at what altars they serued, hates to rest in their testimony; Is there not here a Pro­phet of the Lord, besides, that wee [Page 290]might inquire of him? One single Prophet speaking from the Ora­cles of God, is more worth than foure hundred Baalites; Truth may not euer be measured by the poll. It is not number, but weight that must carry it in a Councell of Prophets: A solid Verity in one mouth is worthy to preponderate light falshood in a thousand.

Euen King Ahab (as bad as hee was) kept tale of his Prophets; and could giue account of one that was missing; There is yet one man ( Michaiah the sonne of Imlah) by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for hee doth not prophecy good concerning mee, but euill. It is very probable that Micaiah was that disguised Prophet, who brought to Ahab the fearefull mes­sage [Page 291]of displeasure, and death for dismissing Benhadad, for which he was euer since fast in prison, deepe in disgrace: Oh corrupt heart of selfe condemned Ahab: If Micaiah spake true to thee, how was it e­uill? If others said false, how was it good? and if Micaiah spake from the Lord, why doest thou hate him? This hath wont to be the ancient lot of Truth, censure and hatred; Censure of the mes­sage, hatred of the bearer. To car­nall eares the message is euill, if vn­pleasing; and if plausible, good: If it be sweet, it cannot bee poison: if bitter, it cannot bee wholsome: The distemper of the receiuer is guilty of this mis-conceit: In it selfe euery truth as it is good, so a­miable; euery falshood loathsome, as [Page 292]euill: A sick palate cries out of the taste of those liquors, which are well allowed of the healthfull. It is a signe of a good state of the soule, when euery verdure can re­ceiue his proper iudgement.

Wise and good Iehoshaphat dis­swades Ahab from so hard an opi­nion, and sees cause so much more to vrge the consultation of Mi­chaiah, by how much he findes him more vnpleasing: The King of Israel, to satisfie the importunitie of so great, and deare an allie, sends an Officer for Michaiah; He knew well (belike) where to finde him; within those foure walls, where vniust cruelty had disposed of that innocent Seer; Out of the obscuri­tie of the prison, is the poore Pro­phet fetcht into the light of so glo­rious [Page 293]a Confession of two Kings; who thought this Conuocation of Prophets not vnworthy of their greatest representation of State and Maiestie; There he finds Ze­dekiah, the leader of that false crue, not speaking onely, but acting his prediction: Signes were no lesse vsed by the Prophets, than words; this arch-flatterer hath made him hornes of iron; the horne is force­able, the iron irresistible; by an irresistible force shall Ahab push the Syrians; as if there were more certaintie in this mans hands than in his tongue; If this sonne of Che­naanah had not had a forehead of brasse for impudency, and an heart of Lead for flexiblenesse to hu­mours, and times, hee had neuer deuised these hornes of iron; [Page 294]wherewith his King was goared vnto bloud: Howsoeuer, it is enough for him that he is belee­ued, that he is seconded; All the great Inquest of these Prophets gaue vp their verdict by this fore­man; not one of foure hundred dissented: Vnanimitie of opinion in the greatest Ecclesiastical assem­blies is not euer an argument of truth; There may be as common, and as firme agreement in error.

The messenger that came frō Mi­caiah, like a carnall friend, sets him in a way of fauour; tels him what the rest said, how they pleased; how vnsafe it would be for him to varie, how beneficiall to assent: Those that adore earthly great­nesse, thinke euery man should dote vpon their Idols; and hold [Page 295]no termes too high for their am­bitious purchases. Faithfull Mi­caiah scornes the motion; hee knowes the price of the world, and contemnes it, As the Lord liueth, what the Lord saith vnto me, that will I speake; Neither feares, nor fa­uours can tempt the holily reso­lute; They can trample vpon dan­gers, or honours, with a carelesse foot; and whether they bee smi­led, or frowned on by the great, dare not either alter, or conceale their errand.

The question is moued to Mi­caiah; He at first so yeelds, that he contradicts; yeelds in words, con­tradicts in pronunciation; The syllables are for them, the sound against them: Ironies deny stron­gest in affirming; and now being [Page 296]pressed home, hee tels them that God had shewed him those sheepe of Israel should ere long, by this meanes, want their Shepheard; The very resemblance, to a good Prince, had beene affectiue; The sheepe is an helplesse creature, not able either to guard or guide it selfe; all the safetie, all the dire­ction of it, is from the keeper; without whom, euery curre chases and werries it, euery tracke sedu­ceth it; Such shall Israel soone be, if Ahab be ruled by his Prophets; The King of Israel doth not be­leeue, but quarrell; not at him­selfe, who had deserued euill, but at the Prophet, who fore-signified it, and is more carefull that the King of Iuda should marke how true he had fore-told concerning [Page 297]the Prophet, than how true the Prophet had foretold concerning him.

Bold Micaiah, (as no whit dis­couraged with the vniust checks of greatnesse) doubles his predi­ction, and by a second vision par­ticularizeth the meanes of this dangerous errour; Whiles the two Kings sate maiestically in their thrones, he tels them of a more glorious Throne, than theirs, whereon he saw the King of Gods sitting; Whiles they were compas­sed with some hundreds of Pro­phets, and thousands of Subiects, and Souldiers, he tels them of all the host of heauen, attending that other Throne; Whiles they were deliberating of a warre, hee tels them of the God of heauen iustly [Page 298]decreeing the iudgement of a deadly deception to Ahab; This decree of the highest is not more plainly reuealed, than expressed parabolically: The wise and holy God is represented, after the man­ner of men, consulting of that ru­ine, which he intended to the wic­ked King of Israel; That increa­ted, and infinite wisdome, needs not the aduice of any finite, and created powers, to direct him, needs not the assent, and aid of a­ny spirit for his execution; much lesse of an euill one; yet here an euill spirit is brought in (by way of vision mixt with parable) pro­fering the seruice of his lie, accep­ted, imploied, successefull; These figures are not void of truth; The action and euent is reduced to a de­cree; [Page 299]the decree is shadowed out by the resemblance of humane proceedings; All euill motions, and counsels are originally from that malignant Spirit; That euill spirit could haue no power ouer men, but by the permission, by the decree of the Almightie; That Al­mightie, as he is no Author of sin, so he ordinates all euill to good; It is good that is iust; it is iust that one sinne should be punished by another: Satan is herein no other than the executioner of that God, who is as farre from infusing euill, as from not reuenging it; Now Ahab sees the ground of that ap­plauded consent of his rabble of Prophets; one euill spirit hath no lesse deceiued them, than they their master; he is one, therefore [Page 300]he agrees with himselfe; he is euill, therefore both he, and they agree in deceit.

Oh the noble and vndaunted spirit of Michaiah; neither the Thrones of the Kings, nor the number of the Prophets could a­bate one word of his true (though displeasing) message; The King of Israel shall heare, that he is mis­led by liers, they by a deuill; Sure­ly Iehoshaphat cannot but wonder at so vnequall a contention; to see one silly Prophet affronting foure hundred; with whom lest confi­dence should carrie it, behold Ze­dekiah more bold, more zealous; If Michaiah haue giuen him (with his fellowes) the lie, he giues Michaiah the fist: Before these two great Guardians of peace, and iustice, [Page 301]swaggering Zedekiah smites Mi­chaiah on the face; and with the blow expostulates; Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me, to speake vnto thee? For a Prophet to smite a Prophet, in the face of two Kings, was intolerably insolent; the act was much vnbeseeming the person, more the presence; Prophets may reproue, they may not strike; It was enough for Ahab to punish with the hand; no wea­pon was for Zedekiah, but his tongue; neither could this rude presumption haue beene well ta­ken, if malice had not made ma­gistracie insensible of this vsurpa­tion: Ahab was well content to see that hated mouth beaten by any hand: It is no new condition of Gods faithfull messengers to smart [Page 302]for saying true. Falshood doth not more bewray it selfe in any thing, than in blowes; Truth suf­fers, whiles error persecutes: None are more ready to boast of the Spi­rit of God, than those that haue the least; As in vessels, the full are silent.

Innocent Michaiah, neither de­fends, nor complaines; It would haue well beseemed the religious King of Iudah, to haue spoken in the cause of the dumbe, to haue checked insolent Zedekiah; Hee is content to giue way to this tide of peremptorie, and generall opposi­tion; The helplesse Prophet stands alone, yet laies about him with his tongue, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt goe into an inner chamber, to hide thy selfe; Now the [Page 303]proud Baalite shewed himselfe too much; ere long he shall bee glad to lurke vnseene; his hornes of iron cannot beare off this danger. The sonne of Ahab cannot chuse, but in the zeale of reuenging his fathers deadly seducement, call for that false head of Zedekiah; In vaine shall that impostor seeke to hide himselfe from iustice; But, in the meane while, he goes away with honour; Michaiah with censure. Take Micaiah, and carrie him backe to Amon, the Gouernor of the Citie, and to Ioash the Kings sonne; and say, Thus saith the King, Put this fellow in pri­son, and feed him with bread of affli­ction, and with water of affliction, vn­till I come in peace.

An hard doome of Truth; The Iayle for his lodging; course bread [Page 304]and water for his food, shall but reserue Micaiah for a further re­uenge. The returne of Ahab shall be the bane of the Prophet; Was not this he that aduised Benhadad, not to boast in putting on his Armour, as in the vngirding it; and doth he now promise himselfe peace and victorie, before hee buckle it on? No warning wil disswade the wil­full; So assured doth Ahab make himselfe of successe, that he threats ere he goe, what he will doe when he returnes in peace: How iustly doth God deride the mis-recko­nings of proud and foolish men; If Ahab had had no other sinnes, his very confidence shall defeat him; yet the Prophet cannot bee ouercome in his resolution; hee knowes his grounds cannot de­ceiue [Page 305]him; and dare therefore cast the credit of his function vpon this issue; If thou returne at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me; And hee said, Hearken, O people, euery one of you; Let him neuer be called a Pro­phet, that dare not trust his God; This was no aduenture therefore of reputation, or life; since hee knew whom he beleeued, the euent was no lesse sure, than if it had beene past; He is no God that is not con­stant to himselfe; Hath he spoken, and shall he not performe? What hold haue wee for our soules, but his eternall word? The being of God is not more sure, than his pro­mises, than his sentences of iudge­ment; Well may we appeale the te­stimony of the world in both; If there be not plagues for the wic­ked, [Page 306]If there bee not rewards for the righteous, God hath not spoken by vs.

Not Ahab onely, but good Ieho­shaphat is carried with the multi­tude; Their forces are ioyned a­gainst Ramoth; The King of Israel doth not so trust his Prophets, that hee dares trust himselfe in his owne clothes; Thus shall he elude Michaiahs threat; Iwis the iudge­ment of God, the Syrian shafts can­not finde him out in this vnsuspe­cted disguise; How fondly doe vaine men imagine to shift off the iust reuenges of the Almightie?

The King of Syria giues charge to his Captaines to fight against none, but the King of Israel; Thus doth the vnthankfull Infidell re­pay the mercy of his late victor; [Page 307]Ill was that Snake saued, that re­quites the fauour of his life, with a sting; Thus still the greatest are the fairest marke to enuious eyes. By how much more eminent any man is in the Israel of God, so ma­ny more, and more dangerous ene­mies must he expect; Both earth and hell conspire in their opposition to the worthiest. Those who are aduanced aboue others, haue so much more need of the guard, both of their owne vigilancy, and others prayers. Iehoshaphat had like to haue paid deare for his loue; Hee is pursued, for him, in whose amity he offended; His cries deliuer him; his cries, not to his pursuers, but to his God; whose mercy takes not aduantage of our infirmitie, but rescues vs from those euils, which [Page 308]we wilfully prouoke: It is Ahab against whom, not the Syrians onely, but God himselfe intends this quarrell; The enemy is taken off from Iehoshaphat: Oh the iust and mightie hand of that diuine prouidence, which directeth all our actions to his owne ends; which takes order where euery shaft shall light; and guides the arrow of the strong Archer, into the ioynts of Ahabs harnesse; It was shot at a venture, fals by a de­stiny; and there fals, where it may carrie death to an hidden debtor: In all actions, both voluntary and casuall, thy will, O God, shall bee done by vs, with what euer in­tentions. Little did the Syrian know whom he had striken, no more than the arrow wherewith [Page 309]he stroke; An inuisible hand dis­posed of both, to the punishment of Ahab, to the vindication of Mi­chaiab: How worthily, O God, art thou to bee adored in thy iustice, and wisdome, to bee feared in thy iudgements. Too late doth Ahab now thinke of the faire warnings of Michaiah, which hee vnwisely contemned; of the painfull flat­teries of Zedekiah, which he stub­bornly beleeued; That guiltie bloud of his runnes downe out of his wound, into the midst of his charet, and paies Naboth his arera­ges: O Ahab, what art thou the bet­ter for thine Iuory house, whiles thou hast a blacke soule? What comfort hast thou now, in those flattering Prophets, which tickled thine eares, and secured thee of vi­ctories? [Page 310]What ioy is it to thee now, that thou wast great? Who had not rather be Michaiah in the Iayle, than Ahab in the Charet? Wicked men haue the aduantage of the way, godly men of the end; The Charet is washed in the poole of Samaria, the dogges come to claime their due; they licke vp the bloud of the great King of Israel; The tongues of those brute creatures shall make good the tongue of Gods Prophet; Michaiah is iustified, Naboth is re­uenged, the Baalites confoun­ded, Ahab iudged; Righteous art thou O God in all thy waies, and holy in all thy workes.

AHAZIAH sicke, and ELIJAH reuenged.

AHaziah succeeds his fa­ther Ahab, both in his throne, and in his sin: Who could looke for better issue of those loines, of those examples? God followes him with a double iudgement; of the reuolt of Moab; and of his owne sicknes: All the reigne of Ahab, had Moab beene a quiet Tributarie; and fur­nished Israel with rich flockes, and fleeces; now their subiection dies with that warlike King, and will [Page 312]not be inherited; This rebellion tooke aduantage, as from the wea­ker spirits, so from the sickly bo­dy of Ahaziah; whose disease was not naturall, but casuall; Walking in his Palace of Samaria, some grate in the floore of his Chamber, breakes vnder him, and giues way to that fall, whereby he is bruised, and languisheth; The same hand that guided Ahabs shaft, crackes Ahaziahs lattesse; How infinite va­rietie of plagues hath the iust God for obstinate sinners? whether in the field or in the chamber, hee knowes to finde them out; How fearelesly did Ahaziah walke on his wonted pauement? The Lord hath laid a trap for him, whereinto, whiles he thinkes least, he fals irre­couerably; No place is safe for [Page 313]the man that is at variance with God.

The body of Ahaziah was not more sicke, than his soule was gracelesse: None but chance was his enemy, none but the God of Ekron must be his friend; He looks not vp to the Omnipotent hand of diuine iustice for the disease, or of mercy for the remedy; An Idoli is his refuge, whether for cure, or intelligence; We heare not till now of Baal-zebub; this new God of flies is (perhaps) of his making, who now is a suter to his owne erection; All these heathen deities were but a Deuill, with change of appellations; the influence of that euill spirit deluded those miserable clients; else, there was no flie so impotent as that out-side of the [Page 314]God of Ekron; Who would think that any Israelite could so far dote vpon a stocke or a Fiend? Time gathered much credit to this Idoll; in so much as the Iewes afterwards stiled Beel-zebub, the Prince of all the regions of darknesse: Ahaziah is the first that brings his Oracle in request, and paies him the tri­bute of his deuotion; Hee sends messengers, and saies, Goe enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, whether I shall recouer of this disease; The message was either idle, or wicked; idle, if he sent it to a stocke; if to a deuill, both idle and wicked. What can the most intelligent spirits know of future things, but what they see either in their causes, or in the light of participation; What a madnesse was it in Abaziah to seeke [Page 315]to the posterne, whiles the fore­gate stood open? Could those euill spirits truly foretell euents no way pre-existent, yet they might not, without sinne, be consulted; the euill of their nature debarres all the benefit of their information; If not as Intelligencers, much lesse may they be sought to, as gods: who cannot blush to heare and see, that euen the very Euangelicall Is­rael should yeeld Pilgrimes to the shrines of darknesse? How many, after this cleere light of the Gospel, in their losses, in their sicknesses, send to these infernall Oracles, and damne themselues wilfully, in a vaine curiositie; The message of the Iealous God intercepts them, with a iust disdaine, as heere by Elijah, Is it not because there is not a [Page 316]God in Israel, that ye goe to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? What can be a greater disparagement to the true God than to be neglected, than to stand aside, and see vs make loue to an hellish riuall? were there no God in Israel, in heauen, what could we doe other? what worse? This affront of what euer Ahaziah cannot escape without a reuenge: Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thou shalt not come downe from that bed, on which thou art gone vp, but shalt surely die. It is an high in­dignitie to the true God, not to be sought to, in our necessities; but so to be cashiered from our deuoti­ons, as to haue a false god thrust in his roome, is such a scorne, as it is well if it can escape with one death: Let now the famous god [Page 317]of Ekron take off that brand of fea­red mortalitie, which the liuing God hath set vpon Ahaziah: Let Baal-zebub make good some bet­ter newes to his distressed suppli­ant: Rather the King of Israel is himselfe (without his repentance) hasting to Beel-zebub. This er­rand is soone done; The messen­gers are returned, ere they goe: Not a little were they amazed to heare their secret message from an­others mouth; neither could chuse but thinke; He that can tell what Ahaziah said, what he thought, can foretell how he shal speed; We haue met with a greater God than wee went to seeke; what need we in­quire for another answer; With this conceit, with this report, they returne to their sicke Lord, and a­stonish [Page 318]him with so short, so sad a relation; No maruell if the King inquired curiously of the habit, and fashion of the man, that could know this, that durst say this; They describe him a man whether of an hairy skinne, or of rough, course, carelesse attire; thus drest, thus girded; Ahaziah readily ap­prehends it to bee Elijah, the old friend of his father Ahab, of his mother Iezebel: More than once had he seene him (an vnwelcome guest) in the Court of Israel; The times had beene such, that the Prophet could not at once speake true, and please; Nothing but re­proofes and menaces founded from the mouth of Elijah; Michai­ah and he were still as welcome to the eyes of that guiltie Prince, as [Page 319]the Syrian arrow was into his flesh; Too well therefore had A­haziah noted that querulous Seer, and now is not a little troubled to see himselfe (in succession) haun­ted with that bold, and ill-boding spirit.

Behold the true sonne of Ieze­bel; the anguish of his disease, the expectation of death cannot take off the edge of his persecution of Elijah; It is against his will that his death-bed is not bloudy: Had Ahaziah meant any other than a cruell violence to Elijah, hee had sent a peaceable messenger, to call him to the Court, he had not sent a Captaine, with a band of Soul­diers, to fetch him; the instru­ments which hee vseth, carrie re­uenge in their face: If he had not [Page 320]thought Elijah more than a man, what needed a band of fiftie to apprehend one? and if hee did thinke him such, why would he send to apprehend him by fiftie? Surely Ahaziah knew of old how miraculous a Prophet Elijah was; what power that man had ouer all their base Deities; what com­mand of the Elements, of the hea­uens; and yet he sends to attache him; It is a strange thing to see how wilfully godlesse men striue against the streame of their owne hearts; hating that which they know good, fighting against that which they know diuine; What a grosse disagreement is in the mes­sage of this Israelitish Captaine? Thou man of God, the King bath said, Come downe; If he were a man of [Page 321]God, how hath he offended? and if he haue iustly offended the an­nointed of God, how is he a man of God? And if he bee a man of God, and haue not offended, why should he come downe to punish­ment? Here is a kinde confession, with a false heart, with bloudie hands: The world is full of these windy curtesies, reall cruelties: Deadly malice lurkes vnder faire complements, and whiles it flat­ters, killeth. The Prophet hides not himselfe from the pursuit of Ahaziah; rather he sits where hee may be most conspicuous, on the top of an hill; this band knowes well where to finde him; and climbes vp, in the sight of Elijah, for his arrest; The steepnesse of the ascent (when they drew neere to [Page 322]the highest reach) yeelded a con­uenience both of respiration and parle; thence doth the Captaine imperiously call downe the Pro­phet. Who would not tremble at the dreadfull answer of Elijah, If I be a man of God, then let fire come downe from heauen and consume thee, and thy fiftie; What shall we say? That a Prophet is reuengefull, that Souldiers suffer whiles a Prophet strikes; that a Princes command is answered with imprecation, words with fire, that an vnarmed Seer should kill one and fiftie at a blow? There are few tracks of Elijah that are ordinary, and fit for com­mon feet; His actions are more for wonder, than for precedent: Not in his owne defence would the Prophet haue beene the death [Page 323]of so many, if God had not by a peculiar instinct made him an in­strument of this iust vengeance; The diuine iustice findes it meer to doe this for the terror of Israel, that he might teach them, what it was to contemne, to persecute a Prophet; that they might learne to feare him whom they had for­saken, and confesse that heauen was sensible of their insolencies, and impieties; If not as visibly, yet as certainly doth God punish the violations of his ordinances, the affronts offered to his messen­gers still and euer: Not euer with the same speed; sometimes, the punishment ouertakes the act; sometimes dogs it afarre off, and seizeth vpon the offender, when his crime is forgotten. Here, no [Page 324]sooner is the word out of Elijahs mouth, than the fire is out of hea­uen: Oh the wonderfull power of a Prophet! There sits Elijah in his course mantle, on the top of the hill, and commands the heauens, and they obey him, Let fire fall downe from heauen; Hee needs no more but say what he would haue done; The fire fals downe, as be­fore, vpon the sacrifice in Carmel, so now vpon the Souldiers of Aha­ziah; What is man in the hands of his Maker? One flash of light­ning hath consumed these one and fiftie; And if all the hosts of Israel, yea of the world, had beene in their roomes, there had needed no other force; What madnesse is it for him whose breath is in his nosthrils, to contend with the Al­mightie? [Page 325]The time was, when two zealous Disciples would faine haue imitated this fiery reuenge of Elijah, and were repelled with a checke; The very place puts them in minde of the iudgement: Not farre from Samaria was this done by Elijah, and wisht to bee done by the Disciples: So churlish a reie­ction of a Sauiour seemed no lesse hainous, than the endeuour of ap­prehending a Prophet; Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heauen, and consume them, as Elias did. The world yeelded but one Elias; That which was zeale in him, might he fury in another; the least variation of circumstance may make an example dangerous; presently therefore doe they heare, Ye know not of what spirit ye are; It is [Page 326]the calling that varies the spirit; Elijah was Gods minister for the execution of so seuere a iudge­ment, they were but the Seruants of their owne impotent anger; there was fire in their breasts, which God neuer kindled; farre was it from the Sauiour of men, to second their earthly fire, with his heauenly; He came indeed to send fire vpon earth; but to warme, not to burne; and if to burne, not the persons of men, but their corruptions; How much more safe is it for vs to follow the meeke Prophet of the New Testa­ment, than that feruent Prophet of the Old: Let the matter of our prayers be the sweet dewes of mer­cy, not the fires of vengeance.

Would not any man haue [Page 327]thought Ahaziah sufficiently war­ned by so terrible a iudgement: Could he chuse but say, It is no medling with a man that can speak lightning and death; What he hath said concerning me, is too well approued by what he hath done to my messengers; Gods hand is with him, mine shall not be against him; Yet now, behold, the rage of Ahaziah is so much the more kind­led by this fire from heauen; and a more resolute Captaine, with a second band, is sent to fetch Elijah to death; This man is in haste; and commands not onely his descent, but his speed; Come downe quickly: The charge implyes a threat; Elijah must looke for force, if hee yeeld not; There needs no other wea­pon for defence, for offence, than [Page 328]the same tongue, the same breath; God hath fire enough for all the troupes of Ahaziah: Immediatly, doth a sudden flame breake out of heauen, and consume this forward Leader, and his bold followers: It is a iust presage and desert of ru­ine, not to bee warned: Worthily are they made examples, that will not take them.

What Marble, or Flint is harder than a wicked heart? As if Ahazi­ah would despightfully spit in the face of heauen, and wrestle a fall with the Almightie, he will needs yet againe set a third Captaine, vp­on so desperate an imployment; How hot a seruice must this Com­mander needs thinke himselfe put vpon? Who can but pittie his straits? There is death before him, [Page 329]death behinde him: If he goe not, the Kings wrath is the messenger of death; if he goe, the Prophets tongue is the executioner of death; Many an hard taske will follow the seruice of a Prince wedded to his passion, diuorced from God; Vnwillingly, doubtlesse, and feare­fully doth this Captaine climbe vp the hill, to scale that impregnable Fort; but now, when he comes neere to the assault, the batterie that he laies to it, is his prayers; his surest fight is vpon his knees; He went vp, and came, and fell vpon his knees, before Elijah, and besought him, and said vnto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fiftie thy seruants, be pretious in thy sight; hee confesses the iudge­ment that befell his Predecessors; [Page 330]the monuments of their destructi­on were in his eye, and the terror of it, in his heart; of an enemy therefore he is become a suppliant, and sues not so much for the Pro­phets yeeldance, as for his owne life; This was the way to offer vio­lence to the Prophet of God, to the God of that Prophet, euen humble supplications; Wee must deprecate that euill, which wee would auoid; if wee would force blessings, we must intreat them; There is nothing to be gotten from God by strong hand, any thing by suit. The life of the Captaine is preserued; Elijah is by the Angell commanded to goe downe with him, speedily, fearelesly. The Pro­phet casts not with himselfe: What safetie can there bee in this iour­ney? [Page 331]I shall put my selfe into the hands of rude Souldiers, and by them, into the hands of an enra­ged King; if hee did not eagerly thirst after my bloud, he had neuer sought it, with so much losse; But, so soone as he had a charge from the Angell, hee walkes downe resolutely, and (as it were) dares the dangers of so great an hostilitie: Hee knew that the same God, who had fought for him, vpon the hill, would not leaue him in the Valley; hee knew that the Angell which bade him goe, was guard enough a­gainst a world of enemies. Faith knowes not how to feare; and can as easily contemne the sugge­stion of perils, as infidelitie can raise them.

The Prophet lookes boldly vp­on the Court; which doubtlesse was not a little dis-affected to him; and comes confidently into the bed-chamber of Ahaziah; and sticks not to speake ouer the same words to his head, which hee had sent him not long since by his first messengers; Not one sylla­ble will the Prophet abate of his errand; It is not for an Herald of heauen to be out of countenance; or to mince ought of the most kil­ling messages of his God.

Whether the inexpected confi­dence both of the man, and of the speech amazed the sicke King of Israel, or whether the feare of some present iudgement (where­with hee might suspect Elijah to come armed vpon any act of vio­lence [Page 333]that should bee offered) ouer-awed him; or whether now at the last, vpon the sight and hea­ring of this man of God, the Kings heart began to relent, and checke it selfe for that sinne, for which hee was iustly reproued; I know not; but sure I am, the Pro­phet goes away vntouched; nei­ther the furious purposes of Aha­ziah, nor the exasperations of a Iezebel can hurt that Prophet, whom God hath intended to a fiery Chariot; The hearts of Kings are not their owne: Sub­iects are not so much in their hands, as they are in their Makers: How easily can God tame the fiercenesse of any creature, and in the midst of their most heady careere, stop them on the sud­den, [Page 334]& fetcht them vpon the knees of their humble submission: It is good trusting God with the euents of his owne commands; who can at pleasure either auert euils, or im­proue them to good.

According to the word of the Pro­phet, Ahaziah dies; not two whole yeeres doth he sit in the throne of Israel; which he now must yeeld (in the want of children) to his brother. Wickednesse shortens his reigne; he had too much of Ahab, & Iezebel, to expect the blessing, ei­ther of length, or prosperitie of go­uernment: As alwaies in the other, so oft-times in this world doth God testifie his anger to wicked men; Some liue long, that they may ag­grauate their iudgement; others die soone, that they may hasten it.

THE RAPTVRE of ELIjAH.

LOng and happily hath Elijah fought the wars of his God; and now after his noble, and glorious victories, God will send him a Chariot of Triumph: Not suddenly would God snatch away his Prophet without warning, without expectation; but ac­quaints him before hand with the determination of his glory. How full of heauenly ioy was the soule of Elijah, whiles he foreknew, and lookt for this instant happinesse; [Page 336]With what contempt did hee cast his eies vpon that earth which hee was now presently to leaue, with what rauishments of inward plea­sure did he looke vpon that hea­uen which he was to inioy? For a meet fare-well to the earth, Elijah will goe visit the schooles of the Prophets, before his departure: These were in his way; Of any part of the earth they were neerest vnto heauen; In an holy progresse therefore he walks his last round, from Gilgal, (neere Iordan) to Bethel, from Bethel to Iericho, from Iericho to Iordan againe; In all these sa­cred Colledges of Diuines, hee meant to leaue the legacie of his loue, counsell, confirmation, bles­sing. How happy a thing it is, whiles we are vpon earth to im­proue [Page 337]our time and gifts to the best behoofe of Gods Church? And af­ter the assurance of our owne bles­sednesse, to help others to the same heauen? But, O God, who can but wonder at the course of thy wise and powerfull administrati­ons? Euen in the midst of the de­generation, and Idolatries of Israel hast thou reserued to thy selfe whole societies of holy Prophets; and out of those sinfull and re­uolted Tribes, hast raised the two great miracles of Prophets, Elijah, and Elisha, in an immediat successi­on: Iudah it selfe vnder a religious Iehoshaphat, yeelded not so eminent, and cleerely illuminated spirits: The mercy of our prouident God will neither bee confined, nor exclu­ded; neither confined to the places [Page 338]of publike profession, nor exclu­ded from the depraued Congrega­tions of his owne people; where he hath loued, he cannot easily bee estranged: Rather, where sinne a­bounds, his grace aboundeth much more; and raiseth so much stronger helps, as hee sees the dan­gers greater.

Happy was Elisha in the atten­dance of so gracious a master, and more happy that he knows it: Faine would Elijah shake him off at Gil­gal; if not there, at Bethel; if not yet there, at Iericho. A priuate mes­sage (on which Elijah must goe alone) is pretended, from the Lord; Whether shall wee say the Prophet did this for the triall of the con­stant affection of his carefull and diligent seruant, or, that it was con­cealed [Page 339]from Elijah that his depar­ture was reuealed to Elisha: Per­haps he that knew of his owne re­ception into heauen, did not know what witnesses would be allowed to that miraculous act: and now his humble modestie affected a si­lent and vn-noted passage; Euen E­lisha knew something that was hid from his master, now vpon the threshold of heauen: No meere creature was euer made of the whole counsell of the Highest: Some things haue bin disclosed to babes and nouices, that haue beene closed vp to the most wise and iu­dicious: In naturall speculations the greater wit, and deeper iudge­ment still caries it; but in the reue­lations of God, the fauour of his choice swaies all; not the power [Page 340]of our apprehension: The master may both command and intreat his seruants stay, in vaine; Elisha must be pardoned this holy and zealous disobedience, As the Lord liueth, and as thy soule liueth, I will not leaue thee; His master may be withdrawne from him, hee will not be withdrawne from his ma­ster. He knew that the blessing was at the parting; and if hee had dili­gently attended all his life, and now slacked in the last act, he had lost the reward of his seruice. The euening praises the day; and the chiefe grace of the theater is in the last Scene; Bee faithfull to the death, and I will giue thee a Crowne of life.

That Elijah should be translated, and what day he should be transla­ted, God would haue no secret; [Page 341]The sonnes of the Prophets at Be­thel, at Iericho, both know it, and aske Elisha if hee knew it not; Knowest thou that the Lord will take a­way thy master from thy head this day? and he answered, Yea, I know it, hold yee your peace. How familiarly doe these Prophets inter-know one an­other? How kindly doe they com­municate their visions? Seldome euer was any knowledge giuen to keepe, but to impart; The grace of this rich Iewell is lost in conceale­ment. The remouall of an Elijah is so important a businesse, that it is not fit to be done without noise; Many shall haue their share in his losse; he must be missed on the sud­den; it was meet therefore that the world should know his rapture should be diuine and glorious. I doe [Page 342]not finde where the day of any na­turall death is notified to so many; by how much more wonder there was in this Assumption, by so much more shall it be fore-reuea­led. It is enough for ordinary oc­currents to be knowne in their e­uent: supernaturall things haue need of premonition, that mens hearts may bee both prepared for their receit, and confirmed in their certaintie. Thrice was Elisha in­treated, thrice hath he denied, to stay behinde his now-departing master; on whom both his eyes and his thoughts are so fixed, that he cannot giue allowance so much as to the interpellation of a questi­on of his fellow-Prophets: Toge­ther therefore are this wonderfull paire comne to the last stage of [Page 343]their separation, the bankes of Ior­dan. Those that were not admit­ted to bee attendants of the iour­ney, yet will not be debarred from being spectators of so maruellous an issue; Fiftie men of the sonnes of the Prophets went and stood to view a farre off; I maruell there were no more; How could any sonne of the Prophets stay within his Colledge-walls that day; when hee knew what was meant to Elijah? Perhaps, though they knew that to be the Prophets last day; yet they might thinke his dispariti­on should be sudden, and insensi­ble; besides, they found how much he affected secrecy in this in­tended departure: yet the fiftie Prophets of Iericho will make proofe of their eies, & with much [Page 344]intention assay who shall haue the last sight of Elijah; Miracles are not purposed to silence and obscu­ritie; God will not worke won­ders without witnesses; since hee doth them on purpose to win glo­ry to his name, his end were fru­strate without their notice. Euen so, O Sauiour, when thou hadst raised thy selfe from the dead, thou wouldst bee seene of more than fiue hundred brethren at once; and when thou wouldst raise vp thy glorified body from earth in­to heauen, thou didst not ascend from some close valley, but from the mount of Oliues; not in the night, not alone, but in the cleere day, in the view of many eyes; which were so fixed vpon that point of thine heauen, that they [Page 345]could scarce bee remoued by the checke of Angels.

Iordan must be crossed by Elijah in his way to heauen: There must be a meet parallel betwixt the two great Prophets, that shall meet Christ vpon Tabor; Moses and Eli­as; Both receiued visions on Ho­reb, to both God appeared there in fire, and other formes of terrour; both were sent to Kings; one to Pharaoh, the other to Ahab; Both prepared miraculous Tables, the one of Quailes and Manna in the Desert, the other of Meale and Oyle in Sarepta; Both opened heauen, the one for that nourishing dew, the other for those refreshing showres; Both reuenged Idola­tries with the sword, the one vpon the worshippers of the golden [Page 346]Calfe, the other vpon the foure hundred Baalites; Both quenched the drought of Israel, the one out of the Rocke, the other out of the Cloud; Both diuided the wa­ters, the one of the Red sea, the other of Iordan: Both of them are forewarned of their departure; Both must be fetcht away beyond Iordan; The body of Elijah is translated, the body of Moses is hid: What Moses doth by his Rod, Elijah doth by his Mantle; with that he smites the waters, and they (as fearing the diuine power which wrought with the Prophet) run away from him; and stand on heapes, leauing their dry channell for the passage of those awfull feet: It is not long since hee mul­cted them with a generall exsicca­tion; [Page 347]now he only bids them stand aside, and giue way to his last walk; that he might with dry feet mount vp into the celestiall chariot.

The waters doe not now first obey him; they know that man­tle of old; which hath oft giuen lawes to their falling, rising, stand­ing: they are past ouer; and now when Elijah findes himselfe trea­ding on his last earth, he profers a munificent boone to his faithfull seruant, Aske what I shall doe for thee before I am taken frō thee; I doe not heare him say, Aske of me when I am gone, In my glorified condition, I shall be more able to bestead thee; but aske before I goe. We haue a communion with the Saints departed, not a commerce; when they are inabled to doe more for vs, they are lesse [Page 348]apt to be solicited by vs; It is safe suing where we are sure that wee are heard. Had not Elijah receiued a peculiar instinct for this profer, he had not beene thus liberall: It were presumption to be bountifull on anothers cost, without leaue of the owner; The mercy of our good God allowes his fauourites not onely to receiue, but to giue; not onely to receiue for them­selues, but to conuey blessings to others; What can that man want that is befriended of the faithfull?

Elisha needs not goe farre to seeke for a suit; It was in his heart, in his mouth; Let a double portion of thy spirit be vpon me. Euery Pro­phet must bee a sonne to Elijah; but Elisha would be his heire, and craues the happy right of his pri­mogeniture, [Page 349]the double share to his brethren: It was not wealth, nor safetie, nor ease, nor honour that Elisha cares for, the world lies open before him, he may take his choice; the rest hee contemneth, nothing will serue him but a large measure of his masters spirit; No carnall thought was guiltie of this sacred ambition; Affectation of eminence was too base a conceit to fall into that man of God; He saw that the times needed strong conuictions, he saw that he could not otherwise weild the succession to such a master, therefore he sues for a double portion of spirit; the spirit of prophesie to foreknow, the spirit of power to worke; We cannot be too couetous, too am­bitious of spirituall gifts, such espe­cially [Page 350]as may inable vs to win most aduantage to God in our vocati­ons. Our wishes are the true touch­stone of our estate; such as wee wish to be, we are; worldly hearts affect earthly things, spirituall, di­uine; wee cannot better know what we are in deed, than by what we would be.

Elijah acknowledges the diffi­cultie, and promises the grant of so great a request: suspended yet vpon the condition of Elishaes eye-sight. If thou see mee when I am taken from thee, it shall be so vn­to thee; but if not, it shall not bee; What are the eyes to the furniture of the soule? What power is there in those visiue beames to draw downe a double portion of Elijahs Spirit? God doth not alwaies [Page 351]looke at efficacie and merit in the conditions of our actions, but at the freedome of his owne ap­pointments; The eye was onely to bee imployed as the seruant of the heart; that the desires might bee so much more intended with the sight; Vehemence is the way to speed both in earth, and in heauen; If but the eye-lids of Elisha fall, if his thoughts slac­ken, his hopes are dashed; There must bee fixednesse and vigilan­cie, in those that desire double graces.

Elijah was going on, and talking, when the Chariot of heauen came to fetch him; Surely, had not that conference been needful & diuine, it had giuen way to meditation; and Elijah had beene taken vp rather [Page 352]from his knees, than from his feet; There can bee no better posture, or state, for the messenger of our dissolution to finde vs in, than in a diligent prosecution of our cal­ling, The busie attendance of our holy vocation is no lesse pleasing to God, than an immediate deuo­tion; Happy is the seruant whom the master (when he comes) shall finde so doing.

Oh the singular glory of Elijah! What mortall creature euer had this honour to be visibly fetched by the Angels of God to his hea­uen? Euery soule of the elect is at­tended and carried to blessednesse by those inuisible messengers, but, what flesh and bloud was euer gra­ced with such a conuoy? There are three bodily Inhabitants of [Page 353]Heauen; Henoch, Elijah, our Saui­our Christ. The first before the Law; the second vnder the Law; the third vnder the Gospell; All three in a seuerall forme of transla­tion; Our blessed Sauiour raised himselfe to and aboue the hea­uens, by his owne immediate po­wer; he ascended as the sonne, they as seruants; he as God, they as creatures; Elijah ascended by the visible ministery of Angels; He­noch insensibly; Wherefore, O God, hast thou done thus, but to giue vs a taste of what shall be? to let vs see that heauen was neuer shut to the faithfull; to giue vs as­surance of the future glorification of this mortall and corruptible part?

Euen thus, O Sauiour, when [Page 354]thou shalt descend from heauen with a shout, with the voice of an Archangel, and with the trump of God, we that are aliue and remaine shall be caught vp together with the raised bodies of thy Saints, into the clouds, to meet thee in the aire, to dwell with thee in glory.

Many formes haue those celesti­all Spirits taken to themselues in their apparitions to men; but of all other, most often hath the Almigh­tie made his messengers a flame of fire; neuer more properly thau here; How had the Spirit of God kindled the hot fires of zeale in the breast of Elijah? How had this Prophet thrice commanded fire from heauen to earth? How fitly now at last doe these Seraphicall fires carie him frō earth to heauen?

What doe wee see in this rapture of Elijah, but violence and terror, whirlewind and fire? two of those fearefull representations which the Prophet had in the rock of Ho­reb; Neuer any man entred into glory with ease; Euen the most fa­uourable change hath some equi­ualency to a natural dissolution. Al­though doubtlesse to Elijah this fire had lightsomnesse and resplen­dence, not terror; this whirlwind had speed, not violence; Thus hast thou, O Sauiour, bidden vs when the Elements shall be dissolued, & the heauens shall be flaming about our eares, to lift vp our heads with ioy, because our redemption draw­eth nigh. Come death, come fire, come whirlwind, they are worthy to be welcome that shall carie vs to immortalitie.

This arreption was sudden, yet Elisha sees both the Charet, and the horses, and the ascent; and cries to his now changed master, betweene heauen and earth, My father, my father, the charet of Isra­el, and the horse-men thereof. Sha­phat of Abel-meholah, hath yeelded this title to Elijah; the naturall fa­ther of Elisha, to the spirituall; nei­ther of them may bee neglected, but, after the yoke of oxen killed at the farewell, wee heare of no more greetings, no more bewai­lings of his bodily parent; and now that Elijah is taken from him, hee cries out, like a distressed Or­phane, My father, my father; and whē he hath lost the sight of him, he rends his clothes in peeces, ac­cording to the fashion of the most [Page 357]passionate mourners; That Elisha sees his master halfe-way in hea­uen, cannot take away the sorrow of his losse; The departure of a faithfull Prophet of God is wor­thy of our lamentation; Neither is it priuate affection that must sway our griefe, but respects to the pub­like; Elisha saies not onely, My fa­ther, but the charet and horse-men of Israel. That wee haue for­gone a father, should not so much trouble vs, as that Israel hath lost his guard. Certainly, the view of this heauenly charet and horses that came for Elijah, puts Elisha in minde of that charet and horse­men, which Elijah was to Israel. These were Gods charet, Elijah was theirs: Gods charet and theirs are vpon the same wheeles mounted [Page 358]into heauen; No forces are so strong as the spirituall; the prayers of an Elijah are more powerfull than all the Armies of flesh; The first thing that this Seer discernes, after the separation of his master, is, the nakednesse of Israel in his losse. If we muster Souldiers, and leese zealous Prophets, it is but a wofull exchange.

Elijahs Mantle fals from him in the rising; there was no vse of that, whither he was going, there was, whence he was taken: Elisha iustly takes vp this deare monu­ment of his glorified master; A good supply for his rent garments; This was it which (in presage of his future right) Elijah inuested him withall, vpon the first sight, when he was ploughing with the [Page 359]twelue yoke of oxen; now it fals from heauen to his possession; I doe not fee him adore so precious a relique, I see him take it vp, and cast it about him; Pensiue and masterlesse doth hee now come backe to the bankes of Iordan, whose streame he must passe in his returne to the Schooles of the Pro­phets. Ere while he saw what way that riuer gaue to the mantle of Elijah; he knew that power was not in the cloth, but in the Spirit of him that wore it; to trie there­fore whether he were no lesse the heire of that spirit, than of that gar­ment, he tooke the mantle of Elijah and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? Elisha doth not expostulate, and challenge, but pray; As if he said, [Page 360] Lord God it was thy promise to me by my departed master, that if I should see him in his last passage, a double portion of his Spirit should be vpon me: I fol­lowed him with my eies in that fire, and whirlewind; now therefore, O God, make good thy gracious word to thy seruant; shew some token vpon mee for good; make this the first proofe of the mira­culous power wherewith thou shalt in­due me; Let Iordan giue the same way to me, that it gaue to my master. Im­mediatly the streame (as acknow­ledging the same Mantle, though in another hand) diuides it selfe, and yeelds passage to the successor of Elijah.

The fifty sonnes of the Prophets hauing beene a farre off witnesses of these admirable euents, doe well see that Elijah (though translated [Page 361]in bodie) hath yet left his Spirit be­hinde him; they meet Elisha, and bow themselues to the ground be­fore him; It was not the out-side of Elijah which they had wont to stoop vnto, with so much venera­tion, it was his Spirit; which since they now finde in another sub­iect, they intertaine with equall re­uerence; No enuy, no emulation raiseth vp their stomackes against Elijahs seruant, but where they see eminent graces, they are willingly prostrate. Those that are truly gracious, doe no lesse reioyce in the riches of others gifts, than humbly vnder-value their owne; These men were trained vp in the schooles of the Prophets, Elisha at the plough and cart, yet now they stand not vpon termes of [Page 362]their worth, and his meannesse, but meekely fall downe before him whom God will honour; It is not to be regarded who the man is, but whom God would make him; The more vnlikely the meanes is, the more is the glory of the workman: It is the praise of an holy ingenui­tie to magnifie the graces of God where euer it finds them.

These yong Prophets are no lesse full of zeale, than reuerence; zeale to Elijah, reuerence to Elisha; They see Elijah carried vp into the ayre; they knew this was not the first time of his supernaturall remo­uall; Imagining it therefore possi­ble that the Spirit of God had cast him vpon some remote mountaine, or valley, they profer he labour of their seruants to seeke [Page 363]him; In some things, euen professed Seers are blind: Could they thinke God would send such a charet and horses for a lesse voyage thā heauē?

Elisha (knowing his master be­yond all the sphere of mortalitie) forbids thē: Good will makes them vnmānerly; their importunity vr­ges him till he is ashamed; not his approbation, but their vehemence carries at last a condescent; Else he might perhaps haue seemed enui­ously vnwilling to fetch backe so admired a master; & loth to forgoe that mantle. Some things may be yeelded for the redeeming of our own vexatiō, & auoidāce of others mis-constuctiō, which out of true iudgment we see no cause to affect.

The messengers tired with three dayes search, turne backe as wise [Page 364]as they went; some men are best satisfied, when they haue wearied themselues in their owne waies; nothing will teach them wit, but disappointments. Their paine­full error leads them to a right conceit of Elijahs happier transpor­tation; Those that would finde Elijah, let them aspire to the heauenly Paradise; Let them fol­low the high steps of his sin­cere faithfulnesse, strong patience, vndaunted courage, feruent zeale; shortly, let them walke in the waies of his holy & constant obe­dience; at last, God shall send the fiery charet of death to fetch them vp to that heauen of heauens, where they shall triumph in euerla­sting ioyes.

ELISHA • Healing the Waters. , • Cursing the Children. , and • Releeuing the Kings. 

IT is good making vse of a Prophet whiles wee haue him. Elisha stayed some-while at Ieri­cho; the Citizens resort to him with a common suit; Their stru­cture was not more pleasant, than their waters vnwholesome, and their soyle, by those corrupt wa­ters; They sue to Elisha for the re­medy. Why had they not all this while, made their mone to Elijah? [Page 366]was it that they were more awed with his greater austerity? Or was it that they met not with so fit an opportunity of his commoration amongst them? It was told them what power Elisha had exercised vpon the waters of Iordan, & now they ply him for theirs; Examples of beneficence easily moue vs to a request, & expectation of fauours.

What ailed the waters of Iericho? Surely, originally they were not ill affected; No men could be so foo­lish as to build a citie, where nei­ther earth, nor water could be vse­full; Meere prospect could not car­rie men to the neglect of health, & profit. Hiel the Bethelite would ne­uer haue reedified it with the dāger of a curse, so lately as in the daies of Ahab, if it had bin of old notorious [Page 367]for so foule an annoyance: Not therefore the ancient malediction of Ioshua, not the neighborhood of that noysome lake of Sodome, was guilty of this disease of the soyle, & waters, but the late sinnes of the inhabitants. He turneth the riuers in­to a wildernesse, and water-springs into a drie ground; a fruitfull land into bar­rennesse, for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein; How oft haue we seene the same field both full and famishing? How oft the same waters both safe, and by some irruption, or new tincture, hurt­full? Howsoeuer naturall causes may concurre, heauen and earth, and ayre, and waters follow the temper of our soules, of our liues; & are therfore indisposed be­cause we are so: Iericho began now [Page 368]to make it selfe capable of a bet­ter state, since it was now become a receptacle of Prophets; Elisha is willing to gratifie his hosts; it is reason that any place should fare the better for the presence of Di­uines: The medicine is more strange than the disease. Bring me a new Cruse and put salt therein: Why a Cruse? why new? why Salt in that new Cruse? How should Salt make water potable? Or, if there were a­ny such vertue in it, what could a Cruse full doe to a whole current? Or, if that measure were suffici­ent, what was the age of the Cruse to the force of the Salt? Yet Elisha calls for Salt in a new Cruse. God (who wrought this by his Pro­phet) is a free agent; as he will not binde his power to meanes; so will [Page 369]he by his power binde vnlikely meanes to performe his will.

Naturall proprieties haue no place in miraculous workes: No lesse easie is it for God to worke by contrary, than subordinate po­wers.

The Prophet doth not cast the Salt into the channell, but into the spring of the waters: If the foun­taine be redressed, the streames cannot be faultie; as contrarily, the purity and soundnes of the streame auailes nothing to the redresse of the fountaine: Reformation must begin at the well-head of the a­buse; The order of being is a good guide to the methode of amen­ding: Vertue doth not run back­ward; Had Elisha cast the Salt into the brooks and ditches, the remedy [Page 370]must haue striuen against the streame, to reach vp to the spring; now it is but one labour to cure the fountaine; Our heart is a well of bitter and venomous water, our actions are the streames; In vaine shall we cleanse our hands, whiles our hearts are euill.

The Cruse and the Salt must be their owne; The act must be his; the power, Gods; He cast the Salt into the spring, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I haue healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death, or barrennesse. Farre was it from E­lisha to challenge ought to him­selfe; Before, when he should diuide the waters of Iordan, he did not say, Where is the power of Elisha, but, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and now, when he should cure the [Page 371]waters of Iericho, he saies not, Thus saies Elisha, but thus saith the Lord, I haue healed these waters. How care­full is the man of God that no part of Gods glory should sticke to his owne fingers. Iericho shal know to whom they owe the blessing, that they may duly returne the thankes; Elisha professes he can do no more of himselfe than that Salt, than that Cruse; onely God shall worke by him, by it: and what euer that almighty hand vndertakes, cannot faile, yea is already done; neither doth he say, I wil heale, but I haue hea­led; Euen so, O God, if thou cast in­to the fountaine of our hearts, but one Cruse-full of the Salt of thy Spirit, we are whole, no thought can passe betweene the receit and the remedie.

As the generall visitor of the Schooles of the Prophets, Elisha passeth from Iericho to that other colledge at Bethel. Bethel was a place of strange composition; there was at once the golden Calfe of Ieroboam; and the Schoole of God: True religion and idolatrie found a free harbour within those walls; I doe not maruell that Gods Prophets would plant there; there was the most need of their pre­sence, where they found the spring head of corruption; Physitians are of most vse where diseases a­bound: As he was going vp by the way, there came forth little children out of the cittie, and mocked him, and said to him, Goe vp thou bald-head; Goe vp thou bald-head. Euen the very boyes of Bethel haue learned to scoffe at a [Page 373]Prophet; The spight of their idola­trous parents is easily propagated; Children are such as their institu­tion; Infancy is led altogether by imitation, it hath neither words, nor actions, but infused by others; If it haue good or ill language, it is but borrowed; and the shame or thanke is due to those that lent it.

What was it that these ill-taught children vpbraided to the Prophet, but a sleight naturall defect, not worthy the name of a blemish, the want of a little haire; at the best, a comely excrement, no part of the body; Had there beene deformitie in that smoothnesse of the head, which some great wits haue ho­nored with praises, a faultlesse and remedilesse eye-sore had beene no fit matter for a taunt: How small [Page 374]occasions will be taken to dis­grace a Prophet? If they could haue said ought worse, Elisha had not heard of this; God had crowned that head with honor, which the Bethelitish children loaded with scorne: Who would haue thought the rude termes of waggish boyes worthy of any thing but neglect? Elisha lookes at them with seuere browes, and (like the heire of him that cald downe fire vpon the two Captaines and their fifties) curses them in the name of the Lord; Two she-Beares out of the wood hasten to be his executioners, and teare two and fortie of them in peeces. O fearefull example of diuine Iustice! This was not the reuenge of an angry Prophet, it was the punishment of a righte­ous [Page 375]Iudge: God and his Seer lookt through these children, at the Pa­rents, at all Israel; he would punish the parents mis-nurturing their children (to the contemptuous v­sage of a Prophet) with the death of those children, which they had mis-taught: He would teach Israel what it was to mis-use a Prophet: And if he would not endure these contumelies vnreuenged in the mouthes of children, what ven­geance was enough for aged per­secutors?

Doubtlesse some of the childrē es­caped to tell the newes of their fel­lowes; what lamentation doe we think there was in the streets of Be­thel? how did the distressed mothers wring their hands for this wofull orbation? And now when they [Page 376]came forth to fetch the remnants of their owne flesh, what a sad spectacle it was to finde the fields strawed with those mangled car­keises? It is an vnprofitable sorrow that followes a iudgement; Had these Parents beene as carefull to traine vp their children in good discipline, and to correct their dis­orders, as they are now passionate in bemoaning their losse, this slaughter had neuer been; In vaine doe wee looke for good of those children, whose education wee haue neglected; In vaine doe wee grieue for those miscarriages which our care might haue preuented.

Elisha knew the successe, yet doth he not balke the Citie of Bethel; Doe we not wonder that the furi­ous impatience of those parents, [Page 377]whom the curse of Elisha robbed of their children, did not breake forth to some malicious practise against the Prophet? Would wee not thinke the Prophet might mis­doubt some hard measure from those exasperated Citizens? There lay his way; he followes God, with­out feare of men; as well knowing that either they durst not, or they could not act violence. They knew there were Beares in the wood, and fires in heauen; and if their malice would haue ventured aboue their courage, they could haue no more power ouer Elisha in the streets, than those hungry beasts had in the way. Whither dare not a Prophet goe when God cals him? Hauing visited the schooles of the Prophets, Elisha re­tires [Page 378]to mount Carmel, and after some holy solitarinesse, returnes to the Citie of Samaria; He can neuer be a profitable Seer, that is either alwaies, or neuer alone; Carmel shall fit him for Samaria; contem­plation for action; That mother Citie of Israel must needs affoord him most worke: Yet is the throne of Ahaziah succeeded by a brother lesse ill than himselfe, than the pa­rents of both: Ahabs impietie hath not a perfect heire of Iehoram: That sonne of his hates his Baal, though he keepes his calues. Euen into the most wicked families it pleaseth God to cast his powerfull re­straints, that all are not equally vi­cious: It is no newes to see lewd men make scruple of some sinnes; The world were not to liue in, if [Page 379]all sinnes were affected by all. It is no thanke to Ahab and Iezebel that their sonne is no Baalite: As no good is traduced from parents, so not all euill; there is an Al­mightie hand that stops the foule current of nature, at his pleasure: No Idolater can say, that his childe shall not be a conuert.

The affinitie betwixt the houses of Israel and Iuda, holds good in succession; Iehoram inherits the friendship, the aid of Iehoshaphat: whose counsell (as is most likely) had cured him of that Baalisme. It was a iust warre whereto he so­licites the good King of Iudah: The King of Moah (who had beene an ancient Tributarie from the daies of Dauid) falls now from his homage, and refuses to pay his [Page 380]hundred thousand Lambes, and hundred thousand Rammes with fleeces, to the King of Israel; The backes of Israel can ill misse the wooll of Moah; they will put on iron to recouer their cloth. Ie­hosaphat had beene once well chid, well frighted, for ioyning with Ahab against Aram; yet doth he not sticke now againe to come into the field with Iehoram against Moab; The case is more fauourable, lesse dangerous; Baal is cast downe; The Images of the false gods are gone, though the false Images of the true God stand still; Besides, this rebellious Moab had ioyned with the Syrians formerly against Iudah; so as Iehoshaphat is interessed in the reuenge.

After resolution of the end, [Page 381]wisely doe these Kings deliberate of the way. It is agreed to passe through Edom; that Kingdome was annexed to the Crowne of Iu­dah; well might Iehoshaphat make bold with his owne: It was (it seemes) a march farre about in the measure of the way, but neerest to their purpose: the assault would be thus more easie, if the passage were more tedious; The three Kings of Israel, Iudah, Edom, toge­ther with their Armies, are vpon foot. They are no sooner comne into the parching wildes of Edom, than they are ready to die for thirst; If the channels were farre off, yet the waters were further; the scor­ching beames of the Sunne haue dried them vp; and haue left those riuers more fit for walke, than en­tertainment; [Page 382]What are the greatest Monarchs of the world, if they want but water to their mouthes? What can their Crownes, and Plumes, & rich Armes auaile them when they are abridged but of that which is the drinke of beasts? With dry tongues and lips, doe they now conferre of their com­mon misery; Ieboram deplores the calamitie, into which they were fallen; but Iehoshaphat askes for a Prophet; Euery man can be­waile a mischiefe; euery man cannot finde the way out of it: still yet I heare good Iehoshaphat speake too late; Hee should haue inquired for a Prophet, ere he had gone forth; so had hee auoided these straits; Not to consult at all with God, is Iehorams sinne; to [Page 383]consult late, is Iehoshaphats; the former is atheous carelesnesse, the latter, forgetfull ouer-sight; The best man may slacken good duties, the worst contemnes them.

Not without some specialty from God doth Elisha follow the camp: Else, that had beene no Element for a Prophet; Little did the good King of Iudah thinke that God was so neere him; Purposely, was this holy Seer sent for the succour of Iehoshaphat, and his faithfull followers, when they were so farre from dreaming of their de­liuerie, that they knew not of a danger: It would bee wide with the best men, if the eie of diuine prouidence were not open vpon them, when the eie of their care is [Page 384]shut towards it; How well did Elisha in the warres? The strongest squadron of Israel was within that breast; All their armours of proofe had not so much safetie, and pro­tection, as his Mantle; Though the King of Israel would take no notice of the Prophet, yet one of his Courtiers did, Here is Elisha the sonne of Shaphat, which powred water on the hands of Elijah; This follower of Iehoram knowes Elisha by his owne name, by his fathers, by his masters; The Court of Israel was profane, and Idolatrous enough, yet, euen there Gods Prophet had both knowledge, and honour; His very seruice to Elijah was enough to winne him reuerence; It is better to bee an attendant of some man, than to be attended by [Page 385]many: That he had powred water on Elijahs hands, was insinuation enough, that he could powere out water for those three Kings: The three Kings walke downe (by the motion of Iehoshaphat) to the man of God; It was newes to see three Kings going downe to the seruant of him, who ranne before the charet of Ahab: Religion and ne­cessitie haue both of them much power of humiliation, I know not whether more; Either zeale or need will make a Prophet hono­red.

How sharply dares the man of God to chide his Soueraigne, the King of Israel? The libertie of the Prophets was no lesse singular, than their calling; He that would borrow their tongue, must shew [Page 386]their Commission; As God repro­ued Kings for their sakes, so did not they sticke to reproue Kings for his sake: Thus much freedome they must leaue to their successors, that wee may not spare the vices of them, whose persons we must spare.

Iustly is Iehoram turn'd off to the Prophets of his father, and the Prophets of his mother; It is but right, and equall, that those which we haue made the comfort and stay of our peace, should be the re­fuge of our extremitie; If our prosperitie haue made the world our God, how worthily shall our death-bed be choaked with this ex­probration? Neither would the case beare an Apologie, nor the time an expostulation; Iehoram [Page 387]cannot excuse, he can complaine; he findes that now three Kings, three Kingdomes are at the mercy of one Prophet; it was time for him to speak faire; nothing sounds from him but lamentations, and intreaties; Nay, for the Lord hath called these three Kings together to deliuer them into the hand of Moab; Iehoram hath so much grace as to confesse the impotencie of those, hee had trusted; and the power of that God whom hee had neglected; Euery sinner cannot see, and acknowledge the hand of God in his sufferings; Already hath the distressed Prince gained some­thing by this misery; None com­plaines so much as he, none feeles so much as he; All the rest suffer for him, & therefore he suffers in them all.

The man of God, who well sees the in-sufficiency of Iehorams hu­miliation, layes on yet more load; As the Lord liueth before whom I stand, Surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Iehoshaphat, the King of Iu­dah, I would not looke toward thee, nor see thee; Behold the double Spirit of Elijah; the master was not more bold with the father, than the ser­uant was with the sonne: Elisha was a subiect, and a Prophet; Hee must say that as a Prophet, which hee might not as a subiect; As a Prophet he would not haue lookt at him, whom as a subiect hee would haue bowed to: It is one thing when God speakes by him, another, when he speakes of him­selfe; That it might well appeare his dislike of sinne stood with his [Page 389]honour of Soueraigntie, Iehosha­phat goes away with that respect, which Iehoram missed, No lesse doth God and his Prophet regard religious sinceritie, than they ab­horre Idolatry, and profanenesse: What shall not be done for a Ieho­shaphat? For his sake shall those two other Princes, and their vast Armies liue, and preuaile; Edom and Israel, whether single or con­ioyned, had perished by the drought of the desert, by the sword of Moah; One Iehoshaphat giues them both, life, & victory: It is in the power of one good man to oblige a world; wee receiue true (though insensible) fauours from the presence of the righteous; Next to being good, it is happy to con­uerse with them that are so: if we [Page 390]bee not bettered by their exam­ple, wee are blest by their prote­ction.

Who wonders not to heare a Prophet call for a Minstrell, in the midst of that mournfull distresse of Israel, and Iudah? Who would not haue expected his charge of teares and prayers, rather than of Musicke? How vnseasonable are songs to an heauy heart? It was not for their eares, it was for his owne bosome, that Elisha called for Musicke: that his spirits after their zealous agitation, might be sweetly composed, and put into a meet temper, for receiuing the calme visions of God: Perhaps it was some holy Leuite, that fol­lowed the Campe of Iehoshaphat, whose minstrelsie was required, [Page 391]for so sacred a purpose: None but a quiet breast is capable of diuine Reuelations; Nothing is more powerfull to settle a troubled heart than a melodious harmony; The Spirit of prophesie was not the more inuited, the Prophets Spirit was the better disposed, by plea­sing sounds: The same God that will reueale his will to the Prophet, suggests this demand; Bring me a Minstrell; How many say thus when they would put God from them? Profane mirth, wanton musicke debauches the soule; and makes no lesse roome for the vn­cleane Spirit, than spirituall melo­die doth for the Diuine.

No Prophet had euer the Spirit at command; The hand of the Minstrell can do nothing without [Page 392]the hand of the Lord; Whiles the Musicke sounds in the eare, God speakes to the heart of Elisha; Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches; Ye shall not see wind, nei­ther shall ye see raine, yet that valley shall be full of water, &c. To see wind, and raine in the height of that drought, would haue seemed as wonderfull, as pleasing; but, to see abundance of water, without wind or raine, was yet more mira­culous; I know not how the sight of the meanes abates our admirati­on of the effect; Where no causes can be found out, we are forced to confesse omnipotency; Elijah re­leeued Israel with water, but it was out of the cloudes, and those cloudes rose from the sea; but whence Elisha shall fetch it, is not [Page 393]more maruellous, than secret.

All that euening, all that night must the faith of Israel and Iudah be exercised with expectation; At the houre of the morning sacri­fice no sooner did the bloud of that Oblation gush forth, than the streames of waters gushed forth into their new channels, and filled the Countrey with a refreshing moisture; Elijah fetcht downe his fire, at the houre of the euening sacrifice; Elisha fetcht vp his water, at the houre of the morning sacri­fice; God giues respect to his owne houres, for the encourage­ment of our obseruation; If his wisdome hath set vs any peculiar times, we cannot keepe them with­out a blessing; The deuotions of all true Iewes (all the world ouer) [Page 394]were in that houre combined; How seasonably doth the wis­dome of God picke out that in­stant, wherein he might at once answer both Elishaes prophesie, and his peoples prayers.

The Prophet hath assured the Kings, not of water onely, but of victory; Moab heares of enemies, and is addressed to warre; Their owne error shall cut their throats; they rise soone enough to beguile themselues; the beames of the ri­sing Sunne glistering vpon those vaporous, and vnexpected waters, carried in the eies of some Moabites a semblance of bloud; a few eies were enough to fill all eares with a false noise; the deceiued sense mis-carries the imagination; This is bloud, the Kings are surely slaine, [Page 395]and they haue smitten one another; now therefore, Moab to the spoile: Ciuill broyles giue iust aduantage to a common enemy; Therefore must the Camps be spoiled, because the Kings haue smitten each other. Those that shall bee deceiued, are giuen ouer to credulitie; The Moa­bites doe not examine either the conceit, or the report; but flie in, confusedly, vpon the Camp of Is­rael; whom they finde, too late, to haue no enemies but them­selues; As if death would not haue hastened enough to them, they come to fetch it, they come to challenge it; It seizeth vpon them vnauoidably; they are smitten, their Cities razed, their Lands marred, their Wells stopped, their trees felled; as if God meant to [Page 396]waste them but once.

No onsets are so furious as the last assaults of the desperate; The King of Moab now hopelesse of re­couery, would be glad to shut vp with a pleasing reuenge; with se­uen hundred resolute followers, he rushes into the battle, towards the King of Edom; as if he would bid death welcome, might he but carrie with him that despighted neighbour; & now, mad with the repulse, he returnes: and whether as angry with his destiny, or as bar­barously affecting, to win his cruel gods with so deare a sacrifice, hee offers them with his owne hand the bloud of his eldest sonne in the sight of Israel, and sends him vp in smoake to those hellish Deities. O prodigious act, whether of rage, [Page 397]or of deuotion! What an hand hath Satan ouer his miserable vas­sals? What maruell is it to see men sacrifice their soules, in an vnfelt oblation, to these plausible temp­ters, when their owne flesh and bloud hath not beene spared? There is no Tyran to the Prince of dark­nesse.

ELISHA with the Shunamite.

THE holy Prophets vn­der the old Testament, did not abhorre the marriage-bed; they did not think themselues too pure for an institution of their Maker; The distressed widow of one of the sonnes of the Prophets comes to Elisha to bemoane her conditi­on; Her husband is dead; and dead in debt; Death hath no sooner seized on him, than her two sons (the remaining comfort of her life) are to be seized on, by his credi­tors, [Page 399]for bond-men: How thicke did the miseries of this poore affli­cted woman light vpon her; Her husband is lost, her estate clogged with debts, her children ready to be taken for slaues: Her husband was a religious, and worthy man; hee paid his debts to Nature, hee could not to his Creditors; they are cruell, and rake in the scarce­closed wound of her sorrow; pas­sing an arrest, worse than death, vpon her sonnes: Widow-hood, pouertie, seruitude haue conspired to make her perfitly miserable. Vertue and goodnesse can pay no debts; The holiest man may bee deepe in arerages; and breake the banke: Not through lauishnesse, and riot of expence; (Religion teaches vs to moderate our hands; [Page 400]to spend within the proportion of our estate) but through either ini­quitie of times, or euill casualties; Ahab and Iezebel were lately in the throne, who can maruell that a Prophet was in debt? It was well that any good man might haue his breath free, though his estate were not: wilfully to ouer-lash our abi­litie cannot stand with wisdome, and good gouernment; but no prouidence can guard vs from crosses; Holinesse is no more de­fence against debt, than against death; Grace can keepe vs from vnthriftinesse, not from want. Whither doth the Prophets widow come to bewaile her case, but to Elisha; Euery one would not bee sensible of her affliction, or if they would pittie, yet could not releeue [Page 401]her; Elisha could doe both; Into his eare doth shee vnload her griefes. It is no small point of wis­dome to know where to plant our Lamentation; otherwise, in stead of comfort, we may meet with scorne and insultation.

None can so feelingly compassi­onate the hard termes of a Prophet as an Elisha; He findes that shee is not querulously impatient, expres­sing her sorrow without murmu­ring, and discontentment; making a louing, and honourable menti­on of that husband, who had left her distressed; readily therefore doth hee incline to her succour: What shall I doe for thee? Tell mee, What hast thou in thine house? Elisha, when he heares of her debt, askes of her substance; Had her house [Page 402]beene furnished with any valu­able commoditie, the Prophet implyes the necessitie of selling it for satisfaction; Our owne abundance can ill stand with our ingagement to others; It is great iniustice for vs to bee full of others purses: It is not our owne which wee owe to another; What is it other than a plausi­ble stealth to feed our riot with the want of the owner? Hee that could multiply her substance, could know it; God and his Pro­phet loues to heare our necessities out of our owne mouthes (Thine hand-maid hath not any thing in the house saue a pot of oyle.) It is neither newes nor shame for a Prophet to bee poore; Griefe and want per­haps hastened his end; both of [Page 403]them are left for the dowry of his carefull widow; Shee had not complained, if there had beene any possibilitie of remedie, at home; bashfulnesse had stopt her mouth thus long, and should haue done yet longer, if the exi­gence of her childrens seruitude had not opened it; No want is so worthy of releefe, as that which is loathest to come forth. Then he said, Goe borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, euen emptie ves­sels, borrow not a few; and when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the doore vpon thee, and vpon thy sonnes, and shalt powre out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

She that owed much, and had no­thing, yet must borrow more, that [Page 404]she may pay all: Pouertie had not so discredited her with her neigh­bours, that they should doubt to lend her those vessels emptie, which they had grudged full: Her want was too well knowne; it could not but seeme strange to the neighbours, to see this poore wi­dow so busily pestring her house with emptie tubs; which they knew she had nothing to fill; they knew well enough she had neither field, nor vineyard, nor orchard, and therefore must needs maruell at such vnprofitable diligence; If their curiosity would be inquiring after her intentions, shee is com­manded secrecy. The doores must bee shut vpon her selfe, and her sonnes; whiles the oyle is increa­sing; No eie shall see the miracle in [Page 405]working, enow shall see it once wrought; This act was no lesse a proofe of her faith, than an im­prouement of her estate, it was an exercise of her deuotion, as well as of her diligence; it was fit her doores should be shut, whiles her heart and lips were opened in an holy inuocation; Out of one smal Iarre was powred out so much oyle, as by a miraculous multipli­cation filled all that emptie caske: Scarce had that pot any bottome: At least the bottome that it had, was to be measured by the brims of all those vessels; this was so deepe, as they were high; Could they haue held more, this pot had not beene emptie: Euen so the bountie of our God giues grace, and glory, according to the capa­citie [Page 406]of the receiuer; when he cea­seth to infuse, it is for want of roome in the heart that takes it in; Could wee hold more, O God, thou wouldst giue more; If there be any defect, it is in our vessels, not in thy beneficence; How did the heart of this poore widow run ouer, as with wonder, so, with ioy and thankfulnesse, to see such a ri­uer of oyle rise out of so small a spring; to see all her vessels swim­ming full with so beneficiall a li­quor; Iustly is she affected with this sight, she is not transported from her dutie; I doe not see her runne forth into the street, and proclaime her store, nor calling in her neighbours, whether to ad­mire or bargaine; I see her run­ning to the Prophets doore, and [Page 407]gratefully acknowledging the fa­uour, and humbly depending on his directions, as not daring to dis­pose of that, which was so won­drously giuen her, without the ad­uice of him, by whose powerfull meanes shee had receiued it; Her owne reason might haue sufficient­ly suggested what to doe; she dares not trust it, but consults with the Oracle of God; If we would walk surely, we must doe nothing with­out a word; Euery action, euery motion must haue a warrant; We can no more erre with this guide, than not erre without him.

The Prophet sets her in a right way; Goe sell the oyle, and pay thy debt, and liue, thou, and thy children, on the rest; The first care is of her debts, the next, of her maintenance; [Page 408]It should be grosse iniustice to raise meanes for her selfe, and her charge, ere she haue discharged the arerages of her husband; None of the oyle was hers, till her creditors were satisfied; all was hers that re­mained; It is but stealth to inioy a borrowed substance; Whiles shee had nothing, it was no sinne to owe; but when once her vessels were full, she could not haue beene guilt lesse, if she had not paid, be­fore she stored. God and his Pro­phets were bountifull; after the debts paid, they prouide not one­ly against the thraldome of her charge, but against the want. It is the iust care of a religious heart to defend the widow and children of a Prophet from distresse and pe­nurie.

Behold the true seruant, and suc­cessour of Elijah; What hee did to the Sareptan widow, this did to the widow of a Prophet; That in­crease of oyle was by degrees, this at once; both equally miraculous, this, so much more charitable, as it lesse concerned himselfe.

He that giues kindnesses, doth by turnes receiue them, Elisha hath releeued a poore woman, is relee­ued by a rich. The Shunamite, a re­ligious and wealthy matron, in­uites him to her house, and now after the first entertainment, find­ing his occasions to call him to a frequent passage, that way, moues her husband to set vp, and furnish a lodging for the man of God; It was his holinesse that made her desirous of such a guest; Well [Page 410]might she hope that such an In­mate would pay a blessing for his house-rent; Oh happy Shunamite that might make her selfe the Ho­stesse of Elisha! As no lesse dutifull than godly, she imparts her desire to her husband; whom her suit hath drawne to a partnership in this holy hospitalitie; Blessed of God is that man, whose bed yeelds him an help to heauen. The good Shunamite desires not to harbour Elisha in one of her wonted lod­gings, she solicites her husband to build him a chamber on the wall a­part: she knew the tumult of a large family vnfit for the quiet medita­tions of a Prophet; retirednesse is most meet for the thoughts of a Seer; Neither would she bring the Prophet to bare walls, but sets [Page 411]ready for him, a bed, a table, a stoole, and a candlesticke, and what euer necessary vtensils for his entertainment: The Prophet doth not affect delicacy, shee takes care to prouide for his con­uenience; Those that are truly pi­ous, and deuout, thinke their hou­ses, and their hands cannot be too open to the messengers of God; and are most glad to exchange their earthly commodities for the others spiritual. Superfluity should not fall within the care of a Pro­phet; necessitie must; hee that could prouide oyle for the widow, could haue prouided all needfull helpes for himselfe; What roome had there beene for the chari­tie and beneficence of others, if the Prophet should haue alwaies [Page 412]maintained himselfe out of power?

The holy man is so far sociable as not to neglect the friendly offer of so kinde a benefactor: Gladly doth he take vp his new lodging; and, as well pleased with so quiet a repose, and carefull attendance, hee sends his seruant Gebezi, with the message of his thankes, with a treatie of retribution; Behold, thou hast beene carefull for vs, with all this care; What is to bee done for thee? Wouldst thou be spoken for to the King, or to the Captaine of the Host? An in­genuous disposition cannot re­ceiue fauours without thoughts of returne: A wise debtor is desirous to retribute in such kinde, as may be most acceptable to his obligers: without this discretion, we may offer such requirals, as may seeme [Page 413]goodly to vs, to our friend, worth­lesse: Euery one can choose best for himselfe; Elisha therefore (who had neuer beene wanting in spiri­tuall duties to so hospitall a friend) giues the Shunamite the election of her suit, for temporall recompence also; No man can be a looser by his fauour to a Prophet; It is a good hearing that an Elisha is in such grace at the Court, that hee can promise himselfe accesse to the King, in a friends suit: It was not euer thus; the time was, when his master heard, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy: Now the late miracle which Elisha wrought in gratify­ing the three Kings, with water, and victorie, hath endeared him to the King of Israel; and now, Who but Elisha? Euen that rough man­tle [Page 414]findes respects amongst those silkes and tissues: As bad as Ieho­ram was, yet he honour'd the man of God; Hee that could not pre­uaile with an Idolatrous King, in a spirituall reformation, yet can carrie a ciuill suit; Neither doth the Prophet, in a sullen discontent­ment, flie off from the Court, be­cause he found his labours vnpro­fitable, but still holds good termes with that Prince, whom he can­not reclaime, and will make vse notwithstanding of his counte­nance in matters, whether of cour­tesie, or iustice; We may not cast off our due respects euen to faultie authoritie; but must still submit and persist, where we are repelled: Not to his owne aduancement doth Elisha desire to improue the [Page 415]Kings fauour, but to the behoofe, to the releefe of others; If the Shu­namite haue businesse at the Court, she shall need no other Solicitor; There cannot bee a better office, nor more beseeming a Prophet, than to speake in the cause of the dumbe, to befriend the oppressed, to win greatnesse vnto the prote­ction of innocence.

The good matrone needs no shelter of the great; I dwell among mine owne people; as if she said; The courtesie is not small in it selfe, but not vsefull to me; I liue here qui­etly in a contented obscuritie, out of the reach either of the glories, or cares of a Court; free from wrongs, free from enuies: Not so high as to prouoke an euill eie, not so low as to be trodden on; I haue [Page 416]neither feares, nor ambitions; my neighbours are my friends; my friends are my protectors; and (if I should be so vnhappy, as to bee the subiect of maine iniuries) would not sticke to be mine Ad­uocates; This fauour is for those that either affect greatnesse, or groane vnder oppressions; I doe neither, for I liue among my owne peo­ple. O Shunamite, thou shalt not escape enuy! Who can heare of thine happy condition, and not say, Why am not I thus? If the world affoord any perfect contentment, it is in a middle-estate, equally di­stant frō penury, from excesse; it is in a calme freedome, a secure tran­quillitie, a sweet fruition of our selues, of ours; But what hold is there of these earthly things? How [Page 417]long is the Shunamite thus blessed with peace? slay but a while, you shall see her come on her knees to the King of Israel, pitifully com­plaining that she was stripped of house, and land; and now Gehezi is faine to doe that good office for her, which was not accepted from his master, Those that stand fa­stest vpon earth haue but slipperie footing; no man can say that hee shall not need friends.

Modestie sealed vp the lips of the good Shunamite; she was asha­med to confesse her longing; Ge­hezi easily guessed that her barren­nesse could not but be her afflicti­on; she was childlesse, her husband old; Elisha gratifies her with the newes of a sonne: About this sea­son according to the time of life, thou [Page 418]shalt embrace a sonne; How libe­rall is God, by his Prophet, in gi­uing beyond her requests; not sel­dome, doth his bountie ouer-reach our thoughts, and meet vs with those benefits, which we thought too good for vs to aske. Greatnesse and inexpectation makes the bles­sing seeme incredible, Nay, my Lord, thou man of God, doe not lie to thine hand-maid: Wee are neuer sure enough of what we desire; Wee are not more hard to beleeue, than loth to distrust beneficiall euents: She well knew the Prophets holi­nesse could not stand with wilfull falshood; perhaps, she might think it spoken by way of triall, not of serious affirmation; as vnwilling therefore that it should not be, and willing to heare that pleasing [Page 419]word seconded, she saies, Doe not lie to thine hand-maid. Promises are made good, not by iteration, but by the effect; The Shunamite con­ceiues, and beares a sonne, at the set season: How glad a mother she was, those know best, that haue mourned vnder the discomfort of a sad sterilitie. The childe growes vp, and is now able to finde out his father in the field, amongst his Reapers: His father now grew young againe with the pleasure of this sight; and more ioyed in this spring of his hopes, than in all the crops of his haruest; But what stabilitie is there in these earthly delights? The hot beames of the Sunne beat vpon that head which too much care had made tender, and delicate; The childe com­plaines [Page 420]to his father, of his paine; Oh that grace could teach vs, what nature teaches Infants, in all our troubles to bemoane our selues to our heauenly father! He sends him to his mother; vpon her lap, about noone, the childe dies; as if hee would returne his soule into that bosome, from which it was deri­ued, to his; The good Shunamite hath lost her sonne, her faith shee hath not lost; Passion hath not robbed her of her wisdome; As not distracted with an accident so sudden, so sorrowfull; shee layes her dead childe vpon the Prophets bed, she lockes the doore; she hides her griefe, lest that consternation might hinder her designe; she ha­stens to her husband, and (as not daring to be other than officious [Page 421]in so distresse-full an occasion) ac­quaints him with her iourney, (though not with the cause) re­quires of him both attendance, and conueyance; shee posts to mount Carmel; she cannot so soone finde out the man of God, as hee hath found her; Hee sees her a farre off; and like a thankfull guest, sends his seruant hastily to meet her, to inquire of the health of her selfe, her husband, her childe; Her errand was not to Gehezi, it was to Elisha; no messen­ger shall interrupt her; no eare shall receiue her complaint but the Prophets; Downe she fals passio­nately at his feet, and, forgetting the fashion of her bashfull strange­nesse, layes hold of them, whether in an humble veneration of his [Page 422]person, or in a feruent desire of sa­tisfaction. Gehezi, who well knew how vncouth, how vnfit this ge­sture of salutation was, for his ma­ster, offers to remoue her, and ad­monisheth her of her distance; The mercifull Prophet easily ap­prehends that no ordinary occasi­on could so transport a graue, and well-gouerned matrone; as there­fore pittying her vnknowne passion, hee bids, Let her alone, for her soule is vexed within her, and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told mee. If extremitie of griefe haue made her vnmannerly, wise and holy Elisha knowes how to pardon it; Hee dares not adde sorrow to the afflicted; he can bet­ter beare an vnseemelinesse in her greeting, than crueltie in her mole­station; [Page 423]Great was the familiaritie that the Prophet had with his God; and as friends are wont mu­tually to impart their counsels to each other, so had the Lord done to him; Elisha was not idle on mount Carmel; What was it that he saw not from thence? Not hea­uen onely, but the world was be­fore him, yet the Shunamites losse is concealed from him; neither doth he shame to confesse it; Oft­times those that know greater mat­ters may yet bee ignorant of the lesse: It is no disparagement to any finite creature not to know some­thing. By her mouth will God tell the Prophet, what by vision he had not; Then shee said, Did I desire a sonne of my Lord? Did I not say, doe not deceiue me? Deepe sorrow is spa­ring [Page 424]of words; The expostulati­on could not be more short, more quicke, more pithy; Had I begged a sonne, perhaps my importunitie might haue beene yeelded to, in anger; Too much desire is iustly punished with losse. It is no mar­uell if what we wring from God, prosper not; This fauor to me was of thine owne motion; Thy suit, O Elisha, made mee a mother: Couldst thou intend to torment me with a blessing? How much more easie had the want of a sonne beene, than the mis-carriage? Barrennesse than orbation? Was there no other end of my hauing a sonne, than that I might lose him? O man of God, let me not complaine of a cruell kindnesse; thy prayers gaue me a sonne, let [Page 425]thy prayers restore him; let not my dutifull respects to thee be repaid with an aggrauation of misery; giue not thine hand-maid cause to wish that I were but so vnhappy as thou foundest mee; Oh wofull fruitfulnesse, if I must now say, that I had a sonne.

I know not whether the mother, or the Prophet were more affli­cted, the Prophet for the mothers sake, or the mother for her owne; Not a word of reply doe we heare from the mouth of Elisha: his breath is onely spent in the reme­dy; Hee sends his seruant with all speed, to lay his staffe vpon the face of the childe; charging him to auoid all the delayes of the way: Had not the Prophet supposed that staffe of his able to beat away [Page 426]death, why did he send it? and if vpon that supposition he sent it, how was it that it failed of effect? was this act done out of humane conceit, not out of instinct from God? Or, did the want of the mo­thers faith hinder the successe of that cure? She, not regarding the staffe, or the man, holds fast to Eli­sha; No hopes of his message can loose her fingers: As the Lord liueth, and as they soule liueth, I will not leaue thee; Shee imagined that the ser­uant, the staffe might bee seuered from Elisha, she knew that where euer the Prophet was, there was power; It is good relying vpon those helpes that cannot faile vs.

Merit and importunitie haue drawne Elisha from Carmel to Shu­nem: He findes his lodging taken [Page 427]vp by that pale carkeise; he shuts his doore, and fals to his prayers; this staffe of his (what euer be­came of the other) was long enough (he knew) to reach vp to heauen; to knock at those gates, yea to wrench them open; He ap­plies his body to those cold and senselesse limbs; By the feruour of his soule he reduces that soule, by the heat of his body hee educeth warmth out of that corps; The child neeseth seuen times; as if his spirit had beene but hid for the time, not departted, it fals to worke afresh; the eies looke vp, the lips and hands moue; The mother is calld in to receiue a new life, in her twice-giuen sonne: she comes in, full of ioy, full of wonder, and bowes her selfe to the ground, [Page 428]and fals downe before those feet, which shee had so boldly laid hold of in Carmel. Oh strong faith of the Shunamite, that could not bee discouraged with the sei­zure, and continuance of death; raising vp her heart still to an ex­pectation of that life, which to the eies of nature had beene impossi­ble, irrcuocable; Oh infinite good­nesse of the Almightie, that would not suffer such faith to be frustrate, that would rather reuerse the lawes of nature, in returning a guest from heauen, and raising a corps from death, than the confi­dence of a beleeuing heart should be disappointed.

How true an heire is Elisha of his master, not in his graces onely, but in his actions? Both of them diui­ded [Page 429]the waters of Iordan, the one as his last act, the other as his first; Elijahs curse was the death of the Captaines, and their troups; Eli­shaes curse was the death of the children; Elijah rebuked Ahab to his face, Elisha Iehoram; Elijah sup­plied the drought of Israel by raine from heauen; Elisha supplied the drought of the three Kings by wa­ters gushing out of the earth; Eli­jah increased the oyle of the Sarep­tan, Elisha increased the oyle of the Prophets widow; Elijah raised from death the Sareptans sonne; Elisha the Shunamites; Both of them had one mantle, one spirit; both of them climbed vp one Car­mel, one heauen.

ELISHA with NAAMAN.

OF the full showers of grace which fell vp­on Israel and Iudah, yet some drops did light vpon their neighbours: If Is­rael be the worse for her neerenesse to Syria, Syria is the better for the vicinitie of Israel. Amongst the worst of Gods enemies some are singled out for mercy. Naaman was a great Warriour, an honourable Courtier, yet a Leper; no disease incident to the body is so nasty, so loathsome, as leprosie. Greatnesse can secure no man from the most [Page 431]odious and wearisome condition; How little pleasure did this Syrian Peere take, to bee stooped to by others, whiles he hated to see him­selfe; Euen those that honoured him, auoided him; neither was he other than abhorred of those that flattred him; yea his hand could not moue to his mouth, without his owne detestation; the basest slaue of Syria would not change skins with him, if he might haue his honour to boot; Thus hath the wise God thought meet to sauce the valour, dignitie, renowne, victories, of the famous General of the Syrians; Seldome euer was any man serued with simple fauours; These compositions make both our crosses tolerable, and our bles­sings wholesome.

The body of Naaman was not more tainted with his leprie, than his soule was tainted with Rimmon; and, besides his Idolatry, he was a professed enemy to Israel, and successefull in his enmitie: How farre doth God fetch about his purposes? The leprosie, the hostilitie of Naaman shall bee the occasions of his saluation; That leprosie shall make his soule sound; That hostilitie shall adopt him a sonne of God: In some pro­sperous in-rodes, that the Syrians vnder Naamans conduct, haue made into the land of Israel, a little maid is taken captiue; she shall at­tend on Naamans wife; and shall suggest to her mistresse the miracu­lous cures of Elisha. A small chink may serue to let in much light; Her [Page 433]report findes credit in the Court, & begets both a letter from the King, and a iourney of his Peere; whiles the Syrians thought of nothing but their bootie, they bring happi­nesse to the house of Naaman; The captiuitie of a poore Hebrew girle is a meanes to make the greatest Lord of Syria, a subiect to God; It is good to acquaint our children with the workes of God, with the prayses of his Prophets. Little doe we know how they may improue this knowledge, and whither they may carrie it; perhaps the remo­test Nations may light their candle at their coale: Euen the weakest intimations may not be neglected; A childe, a seruant, a stranger may say that, which wee may blesse God to haue heard: How well did [Page 434]it become the mouth of an Israe­lite to extoll a Prophet; to wish the cure of her master, though an Ara­mite; to aduise that iourney, vnto the man of God, by whom both body and soule might bee cured; True Religion teacheth vs pious and charitable respects to our Go­uernors, though Aliens from the Common-wealth of God.

No man that I heare blames the credulitie of Naaman; vpon no o­ther ground-doth the King of Syria send this chiefe Peere, with his let­ters to the King of Israel; from his hands requiring the Cure; The Sy­rian supposed, that what euer a subiect could doe, a Soueraigne might command; that such a Prophet could neither bee out of the knowledge, nor out of the obe­dience [Page 435]of his Prince; neuer did he dreame of any exemption, but imagining Iehoram to be no lesse a King of Prophets, than of people, and Elisha no lesse a subiect, than a Seer, he writes, Now when this let­ter is comne to thee, behold, I haue here­with sent Naaman my seruant to thee, that thou maist recouer him of his le­prosie. Great is the power of Prin­ces; euery mans hand is theirs, whether for skill, or for strength; Besides the eminencie of their owne gifts, all the subordinate ex­cellencies of their subiects, are no lesse at their seruice, than if they were inherent in their persons; Great men are wanting to their owne perfections, if they doe not both know, and exercise the graces of their inferiors.

The King of Israel cannot reade the letter without amazement of heart, without rending of gar­ments, and saies, Am I God, to kill and to make aliue, that this man sends to me, to recouer a man of his leprosie? Wherefore consider, and see, I pray you, how he sekeeth a quarrell against mee? If God haue vouchsafed to call Kings, Gods; it well becomes Kings to call themselues, men; and to confesse the distance wherein they stand to their Maker; Man may kill, man cannot kill and make aliue; yea, of himselfe, hee can doe neither; with God, a Worme, or a fly may kill a man; without God, no Potentate can do it; much lesse can any created power both kill, and reuiue; since to restore life is more than to be­reaue [Page 437]it, more than to continue it, more than to giue it; And if lepro­sie be a death, what humane power can either inflict, or cure it? It is a trouble to a well-affected heart to receiue impossible commands; To require that of an inferiour which is proper to the highest, is a dero­gation from that supreme power whose propertie it is: Had Iehoram beene truly religious, the iniurie done to his Maker in this motion, (as he tooke it) had more afflicted him, than the danger of his owne quarrell. Belike, Elisha was not in the thoughts of the King of Is­rael; He might haue heard that this Prophet had made aliue, one, whom hee killed not: Himselfe with the two other Kings had been eye-witnesses of what Elisha could [Page 438]doe: yet, now, the Calues of Dan and Bethel haue so taken vp his heart, that there is no roome for the memorie of Elisha; whom hee sued to in his extremitie, now his prosperitie hath forgotten; Carnall hearts (when need driues them) can thinke of God, and his Pro­phet; when their turne is serued, can as vtterly neglect them, as if they were not.

Yet cannot good Elisha repay neglect, and forgetfulnesse; Hee listens what is done at the Court, and finding the distresse of his So­ueraigne, profers that seruice, which should haue beene requi­red; Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes; Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a Prophet in Israel. It was no small fright, from [Page 439]which Elisha deliuers his King: Iehoram was in awe of the Syri­ans, euer since their late victorie, wherein his Father Ahab was slain, Israel and Iudah discomfited: no­thing was more dreadfull to him, than the frownes of these Ara­mites; the quarrell which he suspe­cted to bee hatched by them, is cleared by Elisha: their Leper shall be healed; both they, and Israel, shall know they haue neglected a God, whose Prophet can doe wonders; Many eies, doubtlesse, are fastned vpon the issue of this message. But what state is this that Elisha takes vpon him; hee doth not say, I will come to him; but, Let him come now to mee; The three kings came down once to his tent, it is no maruell, if he preuēt not the [Page 440]iourney of a Syrian Courtier; It well beseemes him that will bee a suiter for fauour, to bee obsequi­ous; Wee may not stand vpon termes of our labour, or dignitie, where we expect a benefit; Naa­man comes richly attended with his troupes of seruants, and horses, and waites in his Charet at the doore of a Prophet; I doe not heare Elisha call him in; for though hee were great, yet hee was le­prous; neither doe I see Elisha come forth to him, and receiue him with such outward courtesies, as might be fit for an honourable stranger; for in those rich clothes the Prophet saw an Aramite; and, perhaps some tincture of the late­shed bloud of Israel; Rather, that hee might make a perfect triall of [Page 441]the humilitie of that man, whom he meanes to gratifie, and honour, after some short attendance at his doore, he sends his seruant with a message to that Peere, who could not but thinke the meanest of his retinue, a better man than Gehezies master. What could the Prophet haue done other to the lacquay of Naamans man? He that would be a meet subiect of mercy, must bee thoroughly abased in his owne conceit; and must bee willingly pliable to all the conditions of his humiliation; Yet, had the message carried in it either respect to the person, or probabilitie of effect, it coudl not haue beene vnwelcome; but now, it sounded of nothing, but sullennesse, and vnlikelihood; Goe, and wash in Iordan seuen times, [Page 442]and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be cleane; What wise man could take this, for any other than a meere scorne, and mockery? Goe, wash? Alas, What can water doe? It can cleanse from filthinesse, not from leprosie; And why in Ior­dan? What differs that from other streames? and why iust seuen times? What vertue is either in that channell, or in that number? Naa­man can no more put off nature, than leprosie; In what a chafe did he fling away from the Prophets doore; and sayes, Am I comne thus farre to fetch a flout from an Israelite? Is this the issue both of my iourney, and the Letters of my King? Could this Prophet finde no man to play vpon, but Naa­man? Had he meant seriously, why [Page 443]did he thinke himselfe too good to come forth vnto me? Why did he not touch mee with his hand, and blesse mee with his prayers, and cure me with his blessing? Is my misery fit for his derision? If water could doe it, what needed I to come so farre for this remedie? Haue I not oft done thus in vaine? Haue we not better streames at home, than any Israel can afford? Are not Abana and Pharphar, riuers of Damascus, better than all the wa­ters of Israel? Folly and pride striue for place in a naturall heart, and it is hard to say whether is more predominant. Folly in mea­suring the power of Gods ordi­nances by the rule of humane dis­course, and ordinary euent; pride, in a scornfull valuation of the in­stitutions [Page 444]of God, in comparison of our owne deuices. Abana and Pharphar, two for one; Riuers, not Waters; of Damascus, a stately Citie, and incomparable; Are they not? Who dares deny it? Better, not as good; than the waters, not the riuers; all the waters, Iordan, and all the rest; of Israel, a begger­ly Region to Damascus. No where shall we finde a truer patterne of the disposition of nature; how she is altogether led by sense, and rea­son; how she fondly iudges of all obiects by the appearance, how she acquaints her selfe onely with the common rode of Gods procee­dings; how she sticks to her owne principles, how she mis-construes the intentions of God, how shee ouer-conceits her owne, how she [Page 445]disdaines the meane conditions of others, how she vpbraids her op­posites with the proud compari­son of her owne priuiledges.

Nature is neuer but like her selfe; No maruell if carnall mindes de­spise the foolishnesse of preaching, the simplicitie of Sacraments, the homelinesse of ceremonies, the seeming inefficacie of censures: These men look vpon Iordan with Syrian eies; One drop of whose water set apart by diuine ordinati­on, hath more vertue, than all the streames of Abana, and Pharphar.

It is a good matter for a man to be attended with wise and faith­full followers; Many a one hath had better counsell from his heels, than from his elbowes: Naamans seruants were his best friends: they [Page 446]came to him, and spake to him, and said, My Father, If the Prophet had bid thee doe some great thing, wouldst thou not haue done it? How much rather then, when hee saith to thee, Wash, and be cleane. These men were seruants not of the hu­mour, but of the profit of their master; Some seruile Spirits would haue cared onely to sooth vp, not to benefit their Gouernour; and would haue incouraged his rage, by their owne; Sir, will you take this at the hand of a base fellow? Was euer man thus flouted? Will you let him carrie it away thus? Is any harmlesse anger sufficient reuenge for such an insolence? Giue vs leaue at least to pull him out by the cares, and force him to doe that by violence, which hee [Page 447]would not doe out of good man­ners. Let our fingers teach this saucy Prophet what it is to offer an affront to a Prince of Syria: But these men loued more their ma­sters health, than his passion; and had rather therefore to aduise, than flatter; to draw him to good, than follow him to euill; Since it was a Prophet from whom he receiued this prescription, they perswade him not to despise it; intimating there could bee no fault in the sleightnesse of the receit, so long as there was no defect of power in the commander; that the vertue of the cure should be in his obedi­ence, not in the nature of the re­medie: They perswade, and pre­uaile. Next to the Prophet, Naa­man may thanke his seruants that [Page 448]he is not a Leper; He goes downe (vpon their intreatie) and dips se­uen times in Iordan, his flesh riseth, his leprosie vanisheth; Not the vn­iust furie and techinesse of the pa­tient shall crosse the cure: lest whiles God is seuere, the Prophet should bee discredited. Long enough might Naaman haue wash­ed there in vaine, if Elisha had not sent him; Many a Leper hath ba­thed in that streame, and hath come forth no lesse impure; It is the word, the ordinance of the Al­mightie which puts efficacy into those meanes, which of themselues are both impotent, and improba­ble; What can our Font doe to the washing away of sinne? If Gods institution shall put vertue into our Iordan, it shall scoure off the spiri­tuall [Page 449]leprosies of our hearts; and shall more cure the soule, than cleanse the face.

How ioyfull is Naaman to see this change of his skinne, this re­nouation of his flesh; of his life: Neuer did his heart finde such warmth of in ward gladnesse, as in this streame.

Vpon the sight of his recouerie, hee doth not post home to the Court, or to his family, to call for witnesses, for partners of his ioy; but thankfully returnes to the Prophet, by whose meanes he re­ceiued this mercy; He comes back with more contentment, than hee departed with rage; Now will the man of God be seene of that reco­uered Syrian, whom hee would not see leprous: His presence shall [Page 450]be yeelded to the gratulation, which was not yeelded to the suit; Purposely did Elisha forbeare be­fore, that he might share no part of the praise of this worke, with his Maker; that God might be so much more magnified, as the meanes were more weake, and de­spicable. The miracle hath his due worke; First, doth Naaman acknowledge the God that wrought it; then, the Prophet, by whom he wrought it: Behold, now I know there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Oh happy Sy­rian that was at once cured of his leprosie, and his mes-prison of God; Naaman was too wise, to thinke that either the water had cured him, or the man; hee saw a diuine power working in both; [Page 451]such as he vainly sought from his Heathen Deities; with the heart therefore hee beleeues, with the mouth he confesses.

Whiles hee is thus thankfull to the author of his cure, he is not vn­mindfull of the instrument, Now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy seruant; Naaman came richly furnished with ten talents of siluer, six thousand peeces of gold, ten changes of rayment; All these and many more would the Syrian Peere haue gladly giuen to bee deliuered from so noysome a disease; No maruell if he importunately offer some part of them to the Prophet, now that he is deliuered; some te­stimonie of thankfulnesse did well, where all earthly recompence was too short; The hands of this man [Page 452]were no lesse full of thanks, than his mouth; Dry and barren profes­sions of our obligations, where is power to requite, are vnfit for no­ble and ingenuous spirits.

Naaman is not more frank in offe­ring his gratuitie, than Elisha vehe­ment in refusing it, As the Lord li­ueth, before whom I stand, I wil receiue none. Not that he thought the Syrian gold impure; Not that he thought it vnlawfull to take vp a gift, where he hath laid downe a benefit; But the Prophet will remit of Naamans purse, that he may win of his soule; The man of God would haue his new conuert see cause to be more enamoured of true pietie; which teacheth her Clients to contemne those worldly riches and glo­ries which base worldlings adore: [Page 453]and would haue him thinke, that these miraculous powers are so farre transcending the valuation of all earthly pelfe, that those glit­tering treasures are worthy of no­thing but contempt, in respect thereof; Hence it is, that he who refused not the Shunamites table, and stoole, and candlesticke, will not take Naamans present: There is much vse of godly discretion in directing vs when to open, when to shut our hands.

Hee that will not be allowed to giue, desires yet to take: Shall there not, I pray thee, bee giuen to thy seruant two mules load of earth? for thy seruant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering, nor sacrifice to other Gods, but vnto the Lord. Is­raelitish mold lay open to his car­riage, [Page 454]without leaue of Elisha; but Naaman regards not to take it, vn­lesse it may be giuen him, and gi­uen him by the Prophets hand; Well did this Syrian finde that the man of God had giuen a superna­turall vertue to the water of Israel; and therefore supposed hee might giue the like to his earth; Neither would any earth serue him but Eli­shaes; else the mold of Israel had beene more properly craued of the King, than the Prophet of Israel.

Doubtlesse it was deuotion that moued this suit; The Syrian saw God had a proprietie in Israel, and imagines that he will be best plea­sed with his owne; On the sudden was Naaman halfe a Proselyte, still here was a weake knowledge with strong intentions; Hee will sacri­fice [Page 455]to the Lord; but where? in Syria, not in Hierusalem: Not the mold, but the Altar is that God re­spects; which he hath allowed no where but in his chosen Sion; This honest Syrian will bee remouing God home to his Countrey; hee should haue resolued to remoue his home, to God; And though he vowes to offer no sacrifice to any other god, yet he craues leaue to offer an outward curtesie to Rimmon; though not for the Idols sake, yet for his masters: In this thing the Lord pardon thy seruant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon, to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow my selfe in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy seruant in this thing Naaman goes away resolute to pro­fesse [Page 456]himselfe an Israelite for Reli­gion; all the Syrian Court shall know that he sacrifices vpon Israe­litish earth, to the God of Israel; they shall heare him protest to haue neither heart, nor knee for Rim­mon; If he must goe into the house of that Idoll, it shall be as a seruant, not as a suppliant; his dutie to his master shall carrie him, not his de­uotion to his masters god; If his master goe to worship there, not he; neither doth he say, When I bow my selfe to the Image of Rim­mon; but, in the house: hee shall bow, to bee leaned vpon, not to adore; yet had not Naaman thought this a fault, he had not craued a pardon; his heart told him that a perfect conuert should not haue abid the roofe, the sight, [Page 457]the ayre of Rimmon; that his obser­uance of an earthly master should not draw him to the semblance of an act of outward obseruance, to the riuall of his master in heauen; that a sincere detestation of Idola­try could not stand with so vnsea­sonable a curtesie.

Farre therefore is Naaman from being a patterne, saue of weak­nesse: since hee is yet more than halfe a Syrian; since hee willingly accuses himselfe, and in stead of defending, deprecates his offence; It is not for vs to expect a full sta­ture in the cradle of conuersion. As nature, so grace rises by many degrees, to perfection; Leprosie was in Naaman cured at once, not corruption.

The Prophet, as glad to see him [Page 458]but thus forward, dismisses him with a ciuill valediction; Had an Israelite made this suit, hee had beene answered, with a checke; thus much from a Syrian was wor­thy of a kinde farewell; They are parted.

Gehezi cannot thus take his leaue; His heart is maled vp in the rich chests of Naaman, and now he goes to fetch it: The Prophet and his man had not looked with the same eies vpon the Syrian trea­sure; the one with the eie of con­tempt, the other with the eie of ad­miration, and couetous desire. The disposition of the master may not be measured by the minde, by the act of his seruant; Holy Elisha may be attended by a false Gehezi; No examples, no counsels will [Page 459]preuaile with some hearts; who would not haue thought that the follower of Elisha could bee no other than a Saint? yet, after the view of all those miracles, this man is a mirror of worldlinesse: Hee thinkes his master either too simple, or too kinde, to refuse so iust a present from a Syrian; him­selfe will be more wise, more fru­gall; Desire hastens his pace, hee doth not goe, but runne after his bootie: Naaman sees him, and, as true noblenesse is euer courteous, alights from his Charet, to meet him; The great Lord of Syria comes forth of his coach to salute a Prophets seruant; not fearing that he can humble himselfe ouer­much to one of Elishaes family; He greets Gehezi with the same [Page 460]word wherewith he was lately di­mitted by his master; Is it peace? So sudden a messenger might seeme to argue some change; Hee so one receiues from the breathlesse bearer newes of his masters health; and request; All is well; My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, euen now there be come to me from mount Ephraim, two young men of the sons of the Prophets; Giue mee, I pray thee, a talent of siluer, and two chan­ges of garments. Had Gehezi cra­ued a reward in his owne name, calling for the fee of the Prophets seruant; as the gaine so the offence had beene the lesse, now, reaching at a greater summe, hee belies his master, robs Naaman, burdens his owne soule. What a sound tale hath the craft of Gehezi deuised? [Page 461]Of the number, the place, the qua­litie, the age of his masters guests? That hee might set a faire colour vpon that pretended request; so proportioning the value of his demand, as might both inrich him­selfe, and yet well stand with the moderation of his master: Loue of money can neuer keep good quar­ter with honestie, with innocence; Couetousnesse neuer lodg'd in the heart alone; if it finde not, it will breed wickednesse: What a mint of fraud there is in a worldly breast? How readily can it coyne suttle falshoods for an aduantage?

How thankfully liberall was this Noble Syrian; Gehezi could not be more eager in taking, than hee was in giuing; As glad of so happy an occasion of leauing any peece [Page 462]of his treasure behinde him, he for­ces two Talents vpon the seruant of Elisha; and bindes them in two bags, and laies them vpon two of his owne seruants; his own traine shall yeeld Porters to Gehezi: Cheerefulnesse is the iust praise of our beneficence: Bountifull minds are as zealous in ouer-paying good turnes, as the niggardly are in scan­ting retributions.

What proiects doe we thinke Gehezi had all the way? How did he please himselfe with the waking dreames of purchases, of traffique, of iollitie? and now, when they are comne to the tower, he gladly disburdens, and dismisses his two Syrian attendants, and hides their load, and wipes his mouth, and stands boldly before that master, [Page 463]whom he had so foulely abused; Oh Gebezi! where didst thou think God was this while? Couldst thou thus long powre water vpon the hands of Elisha, and be either ignorant, or regardlesse of that vn­deceiueable eye of prouidence, which was euer fixed vpon thy hands, thy tongue, thy heart? Couldst thou thus hope to blinde the eies of a Seer? Heare then thy inditement, thy sentence, from him, whom thou thoughtest to haue mocked with thy conceale­ment; Whence comst thou, Gehezi? Thy seruant went no whither. Hee that had begun a lye to Naaman, ends it to his master; who so lets his tongue once loose to a wilfull vntruth, soone growes impudent in multiplying falshoods. Of what [Page 464]metall is the forehead of that man, that dares lye to a Prophet? What is this but to out-face the senses? Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned againe from his cha­ret to meet thee? Didst thou not till now know, O Gehezi, that Pro­phets haue spirituall eyes, which are not confined to bodily pro­spects?

Didst thou not know that their hearts were often, where they were not? Didst thou not know that thy secretest waies were ouer-loo­ked by inuisible witnesses? Heare then, and be conuinced; Hither thou wentest, thus thou saidst, thus thou didst, thus thou sped'st: What answer was now here but confusion? Miserable Gehezi, how didst thou stand pale and tremb­ling [Page 465]before the dreadfull Tribunall of thy seuere master, looking for the wofull sentence of some grie­uous iudgement for so hainous an offence? Is this a time to receiue mo­ney, and to receiue garments, and (which thou hadst already pur­chased in thy conceit) Oliueyards, and vineyards, and sheepe, and oxen, and men-seruants, and maid-seruants? Did my mouth refuse, that thy hands might take? Was I so carefull to win honor to my God, & credit to my profession, by denying these Syrian presents, that thou mightst dash both, in receiuing thē? Was there no way to inrich thy selfe, but by bely­ing thy master? by disparaging this holy function in the eyes of a new conuert? Since thou wouldst needs therefore take part of Naa­mans [Page 466]treasure, take part with him in his leprosie, The leprosie of Naaman shall cleaue vnto thee, and vnto thy seed for euer. Oh heauie Talents of Gehezi! Oh the horror of this one vnchangeable suit, which shall ne­uer be but loathsomely white, noi­somely vncleane! How much bet­ter had beene a light purse, and an homely coat, with a sound bodie, a cleare soule? Too late doth that wretched man now finde, that hee hath loaded himselfe with a curse, that hee hath clad himselfe with shame; His sinne shall be red euer in his face, in his seed; All passen­gers, all posterities shall now say; Behold the characters of Gehezies couetousnesse, fraud, sacriledge! The act ouertakes the word; Hee went out of his presence, a leper as [Page 467]white as snow; It is a wofull ex­change that Gehezi hath made with Naaman; Naaman came a le­per, returned a Disciple; Gehezi came a Disciple, returned a leper; Naaman left behinde both his dis­ease, and his money; Gehezi takes vp both his money and his disease: Now shall Gehezi neuer looke vp­on himselfe, but he shall thinke of Naaman, whose skinne is transfer­red vpon him with those talents; and shall weare out the rest of his dayes in shame, and paine, and sor­row: His teares may wash off the guilt of his sinne, shall not (like an­other Iordan) wash off his leprosie; that shall euer remaine as an here­ditarie monument of diuine seue­ritie. This sonne of the Prophets shall more loud and liuely preach [Page 468]the Iustice of God by his face, than others by their tongue; Happie was it for him, if whiles his skinne was snow-white with leprosie, his humbled soule were washed white as snow with the water of true re­pentance.

ELISHA raising the Iron, blinding the Syrians.

THere was no losse of Gehezi; when he was gone, the Prophets in­creased; an ill man in the Church, is but like some shrub­bie tree in a Garden, whose shade keepes better plants from grow­ing: A blanke doth better in a roome, than an ill filling: The view of Gods iust iudgements doth rather draw clients vnto him, than alienate them; The Kings of Israel had succeeded in Idola­try, and hate of sincere Religion, [Page 470]yet the Prophets multiply; Perse­cution enlargeth the bounds of the Church; These verie tempestuous showres bring vp flowres and herbs in abundance: There would haue beene neither so many, nor so zealous Prophets in the languish­ments of peace: Besides, What maruell is it, if the immediate suc­cession of two such noble leaders, as Elijah, and Elisha, established, and augmented religion; and bred multitudes of Prophets? Rather, who cannot maruell, vpon the knowledge of all their miracles, that all Israel did not prophesie? It is a good hearing that the Prophets want elbow-roome; out of their store, not out of the enuie of neighbours, or incompetencie of prouision; Where vision failes, the [Page 471]people perish; they are blessed, where it abounds.

When they found themselues straitned, they did not presume to carue for themselues, but they cra­ued the leaue, the counsell of Eli­sha; Let vs goe, we pray thee, vnto Iordan, and take thence euery man a beame, and let vs make vs a place where wee may dwell: And hee said, Goe ye: It well becomes the sonnes of the Prophets, to enter­prise nothing, without the allow­ance of their Superiours: Here was a building towards, none of the curiousest; I doe not see them making meanes for the procure­ment of some cunning artificers, nor for the conquisition of some costly marbles, and cedars; but euerie man shall hew, and square, [Page 472]and frame his owne beame. No nice termes were stood vpon by these sons of the Prophets; Their thoughts were fixed vpon the per­fection of a spirituall building: As an homely roofe may serue them, so their owne hands shall raise it; The fingers of these contemplatiue men did not scorne the axe, and mallet, and chesell: It was better being there, than in Obadiahs caue; & they that dwell now contented­ly vnder rude sticks, will not refuse the squared stones, and polished contignations of better times. They shall be ill teachers of others, that haue not learned both to want, and to abound.

The master of this sacred Socie­tie, Elisha, is not stately, not au­stere; he giues not only passage to [Page 473]this motion of his Collegiates, but assistance: It was fit the sonnes of the Prophets should haue conue­nience of dwelling, though not pompe, not costlinesse. They fall to their worke; No man goes slack­ly about the building of his owne house: One of them, more regar­ding the tree than the toole, lets fall the head of his axe into the ri­uer: Poore men are sensible of small losses; Hee makes his mone to Elisha; Alas master, for it was borrowed; Had the axe beene his owne, the trouble had beene the lesse to forgoe it; therefore doth the miscarriage afflict him, because it was of a borrowed axe: Honest mindes are more carefull of what they haue by loane than by proprietie: In lending there is a [Page 474]trust, which a good heart cannot disappoint without vexation: Alas poore nouices of the Prophet, they would be building, and were not worth their axes; if they would giue their labour, they must bor­row their instruments.

Their wealth was spirituall; Outward pouertie may well stand with inward riches; Hee is rich, not that hath the world, but that can contemne it.

Elisha loues and cherishes this iust simplicitie; rather will hee worke a miracle, than a borrowed axe shall not be restored; It might easily be imagined, hee that could raise vp the iron out of the bottome of the water, could tell where it fell in; yet euen that powerfull hand cals for direction; In this one [Page 475]point, the sonne of the Prophet knowes more than Elisha; The no­tice of all particularities is neither fit for a creature, nor communica­ble; A meane man may best know his owne case; this Nouice better knowes where his axe fell, than his master; his master knowes better how to get it out, than he. There is no reason to be giuen of super­naturall actions: The Prophet borrowes an axe to cut an helue for the lost axe; Why did he not make vse of that handle which had cast the head? Did he hold it vnworthy of respect, for that it had abandoned the metall where­with it was trusted? Or did he make choice of a new sticke, that the mi­racle might be the more cleere, and vnquestionable? Diuine power [Page 476]goes a contrary way to Art; Wee first would haue procured the head of the axe, and then would haue fitted it with an helue; Elisha fits the head to the helue; and cau­ses the wood, which was light, and knew not how to sinke, to fetch vp the Iron, which was hea­uie, and naturally vncapable of su­pernatation. Whether the metall were stripped of the naturall weight, by the same power which gaue it being; or whether retai­ning the wonted poise, it was rai­sed vp by some spirituall operati­on, I inquire not; Onely, I see it swim, like Cork, vpon the streame of Iordan, and moue towards the hand that lost it: What creature is not willing to put off the proper­ties of nature, at the command of [Page 477]the God of Nature; Oh God, how easie is it for thee, when this hard and heauy heart of mine is sunke downe into the mud of the world, to fetch it vp againe by thy mighty word, and cause it to float vpon the streames of life, and to see the face of heauen againe?

Yet still doe the sides of Israel complaine of the thornes of Aram; The children of Ahab rue their fa­thers vniust mercy; From an ene­my, it is no making question whe­ther of strength, or wile: The King of Syria consults with his seruants, where to encampe for his greatest aduantage; their opinion is not more required, than their secrecie; Elisha is a thousand Scouts; hee sends word to the King of Israel of the proiects, of the remoues of [Page 478]his enemy: More than once hath Iehoram saued both his life, and his hoast, by these close admoniti­ons. It is well that in something yet a Prophet may bee obeyed; What strange State-seruice was this, which Elisha did, besides the spirituall? The King, the people of Israel owe themselues, and their safetie to a despised Prophet: The man of God knew, and felt them Idolaters; yet how carefull, and vi­gilant is he, for their rescue; If they were bad, yet they were his owne; If they were bad, yet not all; God had his number amongst their worst. If they were bad, yet the Syrians were worse; The Israelites mis-worshipped the true God; the Syrians worshipped a false; That (if it were possible) he might win [Page 479]them, he will preserue them; and if they will needs bee wanting to God, yet Elisha will not bee wan­ting to them; their impietie shall not make him vndutifull.

There cannot be a iuster cause of displeasure, than the disclosing of those secret counsels, which are laid vp in our eare, in our breast. The King of Syria, not without reason, stomackes this supposed treacherie. What Prince can beare that an aduerse power should haue a partie, a Pensionarie in his owne Court? How famous was Elisha, euen in forraine Regions? Besides Naaman, others of the Syrian No­bilitie take notice of the miracu­lous faculties of this Prophet of Israel; He is accused for this secret intelligence: No words can escape [Page 480]him, though spoken in the bed­chamber; O Syrian, whosoeuer thou wert, thou saidst not enough; If thy master doe but whisper in thine eare, if he smother his words within his owne lips; if he do but speake within his owne bosome, Elisha knowes it from an infallible information; What counsell is it, O God, that can be hid from thee? What counsell is it, that thou wilt hide from thy Seer? Euen this ve­ry word that accuseth the Prophet is knowne to the accused; Hee heares this tale, whiles it is in tel­ling; he heares the plot for his ap­prehension: How ill doe the pro­iects of wicked men hang toge­ther? They that confesse Elisha knowes their secretest words, doe yet conferre to take him. There [Page 481]are Spies vpon him, whose espi­als haue moued their anger, and admiration; He is descried to bee in Dothan, a small Towne of Ma­nasses; A whole Armie is sent thi­ther to surprise him; The oppor­tunitie of the night is chosen for the exploit; There shall bee no want either in the number, or va­lour, or secrecie of these conspired troups: & now when they haue ful­ly girt in the village with a strong & exquisite siege, they make them­selues sure of Elisha; and please themselues to think, how they haue incaged the miserable Prophet, how they should take him at vnawares in his bed, in the midst of a secure dreame; how they should carrie him fettered to their King; what thankes they should haue for so welcome a prisoner.

The successour of Gehezi riseth early in the morning, and sees all the Citie encompassed with a fearefull hoast of foot, horse, cha­rets: His eye could meet with no­thing but woods of pikes, and walls of harnesse, and lustre of me­tals; and now he runs in affrighted to his master; Alas, my master, what shall we doe? He had day enough to see they were enemies that inui­roned them; to see himselfe help­lesse, and desperate; and hath only so much life left in him, as to la­ment himselfe to the partner of his miserie: He cannot flee from his new master, if he would; he runs to him, with a wofull clamour, Alas, my master, what shall we doe?

Oh the vndaunted courage of faith! Elisha sees all this, and sits [Page 483]in his chamber so secure, as if these had onely beene the guard of Is­rael, for his safe protection. It is an hard precept that he giues his ser­uant, Feare not; As well might hee haue bid him not to see, when he saw, as not to feare when hee saw so dreadfull a spectacle; The ope­rations of the senses are not lesse certaine, than those of the affecti­ons, where the obiects are no lesse proper: But the taske is easie, if the next word may finde beleefe, [For there are moe with vs, than with them;] Multitude and other out­ward probabilities doe both leade the confidence of naturall hearts, and fix it: It is for none but a Da­uid, to say, I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that haue set themselues against mee round about: [Page 484]Flesh and bloud riseth, and falleth, according to the proportion of the strength, or weaknesse of ap­parent meanes.

Elishaes man lookt about him; yet his master praies, Lord open his eyes that they may see; Naturally we see not, whiles we doe see; Eue­ry thing is so seene, as it is; Bodily eies discerne bodily obiects, onely spirituall can see the things of God; Some men want both eyes, and light; Elishaes seruant had eyes, wanted illumination; No sooner were his eies open, than he saw the mountaine full of horses, and cha­rets of fire round about Elisha. They were there before, (neither doth Elisha pray that those troupes may be gathered, but that they may bee seene) not till now were [Page 485]they descried. Inuisible Armies guard the seruants of God, whiles they seeme most forsaken of earth­ly aide, most exposed to certaine dangers; If the eies of our Faith be as open as those of our sense, to see Angels as well as Syrians, wee cannot be appalled with the most vnequall termes of hostilitie; Those blessed Spirits are ready ei­ther to rescue our bodies, or to car­rie vp our soules to blessednesse; whether euer shall be inioyned of their Maker: there is iust comfort in both, in either.

Both those charets that came to fetch Elijah, and those that came to defend Elisha, were fiery: God is not lesse louely to his owne, in the midst of his iudgements, than hee is terrible to his enemies, in [Page 486]the demonstrations of his mercies. Thus guarded, it is no maruell if Elisha dare walke forth into the midst of the Syrians. Not one of those heauenly Presidiaries strucke a stroke for the Prophet; neither doth he require their blowes; only he turnes his prayer to his God, and sayes, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindnesse; With no other than deadly intentions did these Aramites come downe to Elisha, yet doth not hee say, Smite them with the sword, but, Smite them with blindnesse; All the euill he wi­shes to them, is their repentance; There was no way to see their er­rour, but by blindnesse; Hee that prayed for the opening of his ser­uants eyes, to see his safe-gard; prayes for the blinding of the eyes [Page 487]of his enemies, that they might not see to doe hurt.

As the eyes of Elishaes seruant were so shut that they saw not the Angels, when they saw the Syri­ans; so the eyes of the Syrians shall bee likewise shut, that when they see the man, they shall not see the Prophet: To all other obiects their eyes are cleare, only to Elisha they shall be blinde; blinde, not through darknesse, but through mis-know­ledge; they shall see, and mistake both the person and the place: He that made the senses, can either hold, or delude them at pleasure; how easily can he offer to the sight other representations, than those which arise from the visible mat­ter, and make the heart to beleeue them?

Iustly now might Elisha say, This is not the way, neither is this the Citie, wherein Elisha shall be descri­ed: He was in Dothan, but not as Elisha; he shall not be found but in Samaria; neither can they haue any guide to him, but himselfe. No sooner are they come into the streets of Samaria, than their eyes haue leaue to know both the place, and the Prophet: The first sight they haue of themselues, is in the trap of Israel, in the iawes of death; those stately palaces, which they now wonder at vnwillingly, car­rie no resemblance to them, but of their graues; Euerie Israelite seemes an executioner; euerie house a Iaile; euerie beame a gibbet; and now, they looke vpon Elisha trans­formed from their guide, to their [Page 489]common murderer, with horror and palenesse: It is most iust with God to intangle the plotters of wic­kednesse, in their owne snare.

How glad is a mortall enemy to snatch at all aduantages of re­uenge? Neuer did the King of Is­rael see a more pleasing sight, than so many Syrian throats at his mer­cie; and, as loth to lose so faire a day, (as if his fingers itched to be dip't in bloud) he saies, My father, shall I smite, shall I smite them? The repetition argued desire, the compellation, reuerence: Not without allowance of a Prophet, would the King of Israel lay his hand vpon an enemy, so miracu­lously trained home; His heart was still foule with Idolatry, yet would he not taint his hand with forbid­den [Page 490]bloud; Hypocrisie will be still scrupulous in something; and in some awfull restraints is a perfect counterfeit of conscience.

The charitable Prophet soone giues an angry prohibition of slaughter; Thou shalt not smite them; Wouldst thou smite those whom thou hast taken captiue, with thy sword, and with thy bow? As if he said, These are Gods captiues, not thine; and if they were thine owne, their bloud could not bee shed without crueltie; though in the hot chases of warre, executions may be iustifiable; yet in the coole­nesse of deliberation, it can be no other than inhumane, to take those liues which haue beene yeel­ded to mercy; But here, thy bow and thy sword are guiltlesse of [Page 491]the successe; onely a strange pro­uidence of the Almightie hath cast them into thy hands, whom nei­ther thy force, nor thy fraud could haue compassed; If it be victorie thou aymest at, ouercome them with kindnesse; Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drinke; Oh noble reuenge of Elisha, to feast his persecutors! To prouide a Table for those, who had prouided a graue for him; These Syrians came to Dothan full of bloudy purposes to Elisha; hee sends them from Samaria full of good cheare, and iollitie; Thus, thus should a Prophet punish his pursuers; No vengeance but this is heroicall, and fit for Christian imitation; If thine enemy hunger, giue him bread to eat; if he thirst, giue [Page 92]him water to drinke: For thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head; and the Lord shall reward thee; Bee not ouercome with euill, but ouercome euill with good.

The King of Israel hath done that by his feast, which hee could not haue done by his sword; The bands of Syria will no more come by way of ambush, or incursion, into the bounds of Israel: Neuer did a charitable act go away, with­out the retribution of a blessing; In doing some good to our ene­mies, wee doe most good to our selues: God cannot but loue in vs this imitation of his mercy, who bids his Sunne shine, and his raine fall where hee is most prouoked; and that loue is neuer fruitlesse.

THE FAMINE OF Samaria releeued.

NOt many good turnes are written in Marble: soone haue these Syri­ans forgotten the mer­cifull beneficence of Israel: After the forbearance of some hostile inrode, all the forces of Syria are mustered against Iehoram: That very Samaria which had releeued the distressed Aramites, is by the Aramites besieged, and is affamish­ed by those, whom it had fed. The famine within the walls was more [Page 494]terrible than the sword without; Their worst enemy was shut with­in; and could not bee dislodged of their owne bowels: Whi­ther hath the Idolatrie of Israel brought them? Before, they had beene scourged with warre, with drought, with dearth; as with single cords; they remaine incor­rigible, and now God twists two of these bloudy lashes together, and galls them euen to death: There needs no other executio­ners than their own mawes. Those things which in their nature were not edible, (at least, to an Israelite) were now both deare, and dain­tie; The Asse was (besides the vn­toothsomnesse) an impure crea­ture; that which the law of Cere­monies had made vncleane, the [Page 495]law of necessitie had made deli­cate, and precious; the bones of so carrion an head could not bee picked for lesse than foure hun­dred peeces of Siluer; neither was this scarcitie of victuals onely, but of all other necessaries for humane vse; that the belly might not com­plaine alone, the whole man was equally pinched.

The King of Israel is neither ex­empted from the iudgement, nor yet yeelds vnder it; He walkes vp­on the walls of his Samaria, to ouersee the Watches set, the En­gines ready, the Guards changed, together with the posture of the enemy; when a woman cries to him out of the Citie, Help my Lord O King; Next to God, what re­fuge haue we in all our necessities, [Page 496]but his Anointed? Earthly Soue­raigntie can aid vs in the case of the iniustice of men, but what can it doe against the iudgements of God? If the Lord doe not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barne floore; or out of the wine­presse? Euen the greatest powers must stoop to afflictions in them­selues, how should they be able to preuent them in others? To sue for aid where is an vtter impotence of redresse, is but to vpbraid the weaknesse, and aggrauate the mi­sery of those whom we implore; Iehoram mistakes the suit; The suppliant calls to him for a wofull peece of Iustice; Two mothers haue agreed to eat their sonnes; The one hath yeelded hers to bee boiled, and eaten; the other, after [Page 497]she hath taken her part of so pro­digious a banquet, with-drawes her childe, and hides him from the knife; Hunger and enuy make the Plaintiffe importunate; and now she craues the benefit of royall iu­stice; She that made the first mo­tion, with-holds her part of the bargaine; and flies from that pro­mise, whose trust had made this mother childlesse. Oh the direfull effects of famine, that turnes off all respects of nature, and giues no place to horror; causing the ten­der mother to lay her hands, yea her teeth vpon the fruit of her owne body; and to receiue that into her stomacke, which she hath brought forth of her wombe; What should Iehoram doe? The match was monstrous; The chal­lenge [Page 498]was iust, yet vnnaturall; This complainant had purchased one halfe of the liuing childe, by the one halfe of hers, dead; The mother of the furuiuing Infant is pressed by couenant, by hunger; restrained by nature; To force a mother to deliuer vp her childe to voluntarie slaughter, had beene cruell; To force a Debtor to pay a confessed arerage, seemed but equall: If the remaining childe be not dressed for food, this mother of the deuoured childe is both robbed, and affamished; If he bee, innocent bloud is shed by autho­ritie.

It is no maruell if the question astonished the Iudge; not so much for the difficultie of the demand, as the horror of the occasion; To [Page 499]what lamentable distresse did Ie­horam finde his people driuen? Not without cause did the King of Is­rael rend his garments, and shew his sack-cloth; well might he see his people branded with that anci­ent curse which God had denoun­ced against the rebellious; The Lord shall bring a Nation against thee, of a fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew fauour to the young; And he shall be­siege thee in all thy gates; And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine owne body, the flesh of thy sonnes, and of thy daughters; The tender and delicate woman, her eies shall be euill towards her young one that commeth out from betweene her feet, and towards the children which she shall beare, for she shall eat them for want of all things [Page 500]secretly in the siege and straitnesse. Hee mournes for the plague, hee mournes not for the cause of this plague, his sin, and theirs; I finde his sorrow, I finde not his repen­tance: The worst man may grieue for his smart, onely the good heart grieues for his offence: In stead of being penitent, Iehoram is furious, and turnes his rage from his sins, against the Prophet; God doe so to me, and more also, if the head of Eli­sha, the sonne of Shaphat, shall stand on him this day: Alas, what hath the righteous done? Perhaps Eli­sha (that wee may imagine some colours of this displeasure) fore­threatned this iudgement; but they deserued it, perhaps he might haue auerted it by his prayers; their vnrepentance disabled him; [Page 501]Perhaps hee perswaded Iehoram to hold out the siege; though through much hardnesse, he fore­saw the deliuerance; In all this how hath Elisha forfeited his head? All Israel did not afford an head so guiltlesse as this that was destin'd to slaughter: This is the fashion of the world; the lewd blames the innocent, and will reuenge their owne sinnes vpon others vprightnesse.

In the midst of all this sad estate of Samaria, and these stormes of Iehoram, the Prophet sits qui­etly in his owne house, amongst his holy Consorts; bewailing no doubt both the sinnes, and misery of their people; and prophetical­ly conferring of the issue; when suddenly God reueales to him the [Page 502]bloudy intent, and message of Ie­horam, and he at once reueales it to his fellowes. See yee how this sonne of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head. Oh the vnimitable li­bertie of a Prophet! The same God that shew'd him his danger, suggested his words; He may bee bold, where we must bee awfull; Still is Naboths bloud laid in Ieho­rams dish; The foule fact of Ahab blemisheth his posteritie; and now when the sonne threats violence to the innocent, murder is obie­cted to him as hereditary.

He that foresaw his owne perill, prouides for his safetie; [Shut the doore and hold him fast at the doore.] No man is bound to tender his throat to an vniust stroke; This bloudie commission was preuen­ted [Page 503]by a propheticall fore-sight: The same eye that saw the execu­tioner comming to smite him, saw also the King hasting after him, to stay the blow; The Prophet had beene no other than guiltie of his owne bloud, if he had not reserued himselfe a while, for the rescue of authoritie: Oh the inconstancie of carnall hearts! It was not long since Iehoram could say to Elisha, My father, shall I smite them? now he is readie to smite him as an ene­mie, whom hee honoured as a fa­ther; Yet againe, his lips had no sooner giuen sentence of death a­gainst the Prophet, than his feet stirre to recall it; It should seeme that Elisha, vpon the challenges and expostulations of Iehorams messenger, had sent a perswasiue [Page 504]message to the King of Israel, yet a while to wait patiently vpon God for his deliuerance; The discon­tented Prince flies off in an impo­tent anger, Behold, this euill is of the Lord, what should I wait for the Lord any longer? Oh the desperate resolutions of impatient mindes! They haue stinted God both for his time and his measure; if he ex­ceed either, they either turne their backs vpon him, or flie in his face: The position was true, the infe­rence deadly: All that euill was of the Lord; they deserued it, he sent it: What then? It should haue beene therefore argued, Hee that sent it, can remoue it: I will wait vpon his mercie, vnder whose iu­stice I suffer: Impatience and di­strust shal but aggrauate my iudge­ment; [Page 505] It is the Lord, let him doe what he will; But now to despaire because God is iust, to defie mercy because it lingers, to reiect God for correcti­on, it is a presumptuous madnesse, an impious pettishnesse.

Yet in spight of all these prouo­cations both of King, and people, Elisha hath good newes for Ieho­ram; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flowre bee sold for a Shekell; and two measures of Barley for a Shekell in the gate of Samaria: Miserable Israel now sees an end of this hard triall; One daies patience shall free them both of siege, and famine. Gods deliuerances may ouer-stay our expectation, not the due period of his owne counsels. Oh infinite mercy, when man saies, No longer, [Page 506]God sayes, To morrow; As if hee would condescend, where hee might iudge; and would please them who deserued nothing but punishment. The word seemed not more comfortable, than incre­dible; A Lord, on whose hand the King leaned, answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windowes in heauen, might this thing be? Prophesies, before they be fulfilled, are riddles; no spirit can areed them, but that by which they are deliuered. It is a foolish and iniu­rious infidelity to question a possi­bilitie, where wee know the mes­sage is Gods: How easie is it for that omnipotent hand to effect those things, which surpasse all the reach of humane conceit? Had God intended a miraculous multi­plication, [Page 507]was it not as easie for him to increase the corne or meale of Samaria, as the widowes oyle? was it not as easie for him to giue plentie of victuals without ope­ning the windowes of heauen, as to giue plentie of water without wind, or raine? The Almightie hates to be distrusted; This Peere of Israel shall rue his vnbeleefe; Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eies, but shalt not eat thereof; The sight shall bee yeelded for conuiction, the fruition shall be denied for pu­nishment; Well is that man wor­thy to want the benefit which he would not beleeue; Who can pit­tie to see Infidelitie excluded from the blessings of earth, from the glo­rie of heauen?

How strange a choice doth God [Page 508]make of the Intelligencers of so happy a change: Foure Lepers sit at the entring of the Gate; they see nothing but death before them, famine within the walls, the ene­my, without: The election is wo­full; at last they resolue vpon the lesser euill; Famine is worse than the Syrian; In the famine there is certaintie of perishing; amongst the Syrians, hazzard; Perhaps the enemy may haue some pittie, hun­ger hath none; and, were the death equally certaine, it were more easie to die by the sword, than by fa­mine; vpon this deliberation they come downe into the Syrian camp, to finde either speed of mercy, or dispatch. Their hunger would not giue them respite till morning; By twi-light are they fallen vpon the [Page 509]vttermost tents: Behold, there was no man; They maruell at the si­lence, and solitude; they looke, and listen; the noise of their owne feet affrighted them; their guiltie hearts supplied the Syrians, and ex­pected fearefully those which were as fearefully fled: How easily can the Almightie confound the power of the strong, the policie of the wise? God puts a Pannick ter­ror into the hearts of the proud Syrians; hee makes them heare a noise of charets, and a noise of horses, euen the noise of a great hoast; They say one to another, Loe the King of Israel hath hired a­gainst vs the Kings of the Hittites, and the Kings of the Egyptians, to come vpon vs; they arise therefore in a confused rout, and leauing all their [Page 510]substance behinde them, flee for their liues. Not long before, Elishaes ser­uant saw charets and horses, but heard none; Now, these Syrians heare charets and horses, but see none; That sight comforted his heart; this sound dismaied theirs; The Israelites heard no noise with­in the walls, the Lepers heard no noise without the gates; Onely the Syrians heard this noise in their campe: What a scorne doth God put vpon these presumptuous Ara­mites? He will not vouchsafe to vse any substantiall stratagem a­gainst them; nothing but an emp­tie sound shall scatter them, and send them home emptie of sub­stance, laded with shame, halfe­dead with feare; the very horses that might haue hastned their flight, are [Page 511]left tied in their Tents; their verie garments are a burden; all is left behinde, saue their very bodies, and those breathlesse for speed.

Doubtlesse these Syrians knew well to what miserable exigents the inclosed Israelites were brought, by their siege; and now made full account to sacke, and ransacke their Samaria; already had they diuided, and swallowed the prey; when suddenly God puts them into a ridiculous con­fusion; and sends them to seeke safetie in their heeles; no bootie is now in price with them but their life; and happy is he that can run fastest.

Thus the Almightie laughes at the designes of insolent men, and shuts vp their counsels in shame.

The feare of the foure Lepers began now to giue way to securi­tie; they fill their bellies, and hide their treasures, and passe from one Tent to another, in a fastidious choice of the best commodities; they who ere-while would haue held it happinesse enough to haue beene blessed with a crust, now wantonly roue for dainties; and from necessitie leape into excesse.

How farre selfe-loue carries vs in all our actions; euen to the neg­lect of the publique? Not till their owne bellies, and hands, and eies were filled, did these Lepers thinke of imparting this newes to Israel: at last, when themselues are glutted, they begin to remember the hunger of their brethren; and now they finde roome for re­morse; [Page 513] We doe not well, this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace; Nature teaches vs that it is an iniurie to ingrosse blessings: and so to minde the priuate, as if wee had no relation to a communitie; we are worthy to bee shut out of the Citie-gates for Lepers, if the respects to the publique good doe not ouer-sway with vs in all our desires, in all our demeanure; and well may we with these couetous Lepers feare a mischiefe vpon our selues, if wee shall wilfully con­ceale blessings from others.

The conscience of this wrong and danger sends backe the Lepers into the Citie; they call to the Por­ters; and soone transmit the newes to the Kings houshold; The King of Israel complaines not to haue [Page 514]his sleepe broken with such intel­ligence; He ariseth in the night, and not contemning good newes, though brought by Lepers, con­sults with his seruants of the busi­nesse.

We cannot be too iealous of the intentions of an enemy; Iehoram wisely suspects this flight of the Syrians to be but simulatorie, and politicke; onely to draw Israel out of their Citie, for the spoile of both; There may be more perill in the backe of an enemy, than in the face; the cruellest slaughters haue beene in retiring: Easily therefore is the King perswaded to aduenture some few for-lorne Scouts for further assurance; The word of Elisha is out of his head, out of his heart; else there had bin [Page 515]no place for this doubt: Timorous hearts neuer thinke themselues sure; those that haue no saith, had need of much sense.

Those few horses that remaine, are sent forth for discouery; they finde nothing but Monuments of frightfulnesse, pledges of securitie: Now Israel dares issue forth to the prey; There (as if the Syrians had comne thither to inrich them) they finde granaries, wardrobes, treasures, and what euer may serue either for vse, or ostentation: Eue­ry Israelite goes away filled, laden, wearied with the wealthy spoile.

As scarcitie breeds dearth, so plentie cheapnesse: To day a mea­sure of fine flower is lower rated, than yesterday of dung.

The distrustfull Peere of Israel [Page 516]sees this abundance, according to the word of the Prophet, but en­ioyes it not: he sees this plentie can come in at the gate, though the windowes of heauen be not open; The gate is his charge; The affa­mished Israelites presse in vpon him, and beare him downe in the throng; Extreme hunger hath no respect to greatnesse: Not their rudenesse, but his owne vn­beleefe hath trampled him vnder feet. He that abased the power of God by his distrust, is abased wor­thily to the heeles of the multi­tude; Faith exalts a man aboue his owne sphere; Infidelitie depresses him into the Dust, into Hell: He that beleeues not is condemned al­ready.