politicians and when they thinke themselues most sure shames them with a detection with a defeat What an idlenesse it is for foolish 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 came forth to fetch the remnants of their
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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