6 Eliíhá'r C R T He did not a&without Commiflion. Had he run of his own head, where had been his Help, hisPeace, his Succouror his Confidence? He wasnot any way defeft- ive in his Prophetick llnftion: he knew his Errand, and what he was to fay; he knew the God that fent him ; he knew to whom he was to fpeak ; he knew how to fpeak pertinently, clearly, pungently, cogently, and bodly ; and all this Spirit that was infpired into him, came from above; from the Father of Lights; and from the Original and End of every good and perfer gift. What had he, that he had not received ? and what he had received, was eminently Divine, both in the nature,measure, anddeigns thereof. Had not his Spirit been large andgreat, and his Tongue touch'd as with aCoal from God's Altar ; he had been daunted by his Enemies,and ftraitened inhis own Bowels: but he was like that other Pro- phet , [auof power by the Spirit of the Lord, of 3udgment and of Night, to tell Trani greffors of their iniquiats andfns, Micahhi. 8. II. That God; whore Intereft and Glory he defign'd, and purfu'd; in his whole Prophetick Courfe. t King. xviii. 36, 37. He neither baulked nor flatter'd any. He did not fear thefrowns or rage either of armed or carded Düft : nor did he court the frailes, proteaions, gifts, or honoursof the Enemies of God upon difho- nourable and mean Termes. He did not talk,nor at deceitfully, for God. He did notreek himfelf in what he appeared, and profeffed to do for God. God was the Lord his God as being molt intirely minded, molt highly valued, molt through- ly ferved, molt intimately trufted, mein clofely followed, and molt abfolutely de- lighted in by him. And his whole care, purpofe andwork was this; that all he was, anddid, in Spirit, Speech, and Pra&ice, might reach and witnefs hisdevoted- nefs and faithfulnefs to God. His whole felf was a dailyOffering to God ; and to theConcernments of God'sGovernment andName he molt intirely and faithful- ly facrific'd his all : asif he had known before, the urgency, and import of that Charge and Counfel, given longafter, in Rom. xii. s, s. He knew the narrow- nefs and meannefs ; the insignificancy , emptiness, contemptiblenefs, and danger of that Soul that is not more for God than for its fell; and that it was not worth his while, to live andaft, were not his all devoted, anddirefted to that end, which is infinitelybetter than its felf. He thought God's gloryneedful ; but nothis own Interest, or Being; rave to this end. III. TheGodwhich own'd himconstantly and greatly, in what he did for God. God kept his Spirit up, and wouldnot quench that SacredFire which he hadkind- led in his Breaff. God fteel'd hisCountenance, and rendred it incapable of be- , Ing daunted, by either the loftien,or moll furly Looks. He feared not the face of .hab ; neither cóuld iezebel cut him off, nordaunthim by her threats orgreat- nefs : And all her Prophets, under her Countenance and Proteftion, could not prevent their ownDeftruftion at this Prophet's Order. God preferv'd his Lifeand Perfon molt miraculoafly; and indeed, faithful Prophets, under Divine Proteftion, are Immortal till their Workbe done. Rather than this Elijah lhòuld want Food, the Ravens (hall fupply him : Nor (hall the Craft of Water fail, until this Pro- phet be refrelh'd. Thepower and prevalenceof this Prophet's Prayers want not their Inftances and Illuftrations. Such as the Widow's Son rais'd by him from death ; and theDrought and Rain that were foanfwerable to his Delires; together with that Fire thatcame from Heaven, which fo affefted all about him, as that E- lijab's Order more influenced the People to destroy Baes Prophets, than ali their Interen in, and Relation to, and Patronage from, that Idolatrous Court, could countervail or hinder.Shooid weinfift upon the Ministry of an Angel ;or onGod's own fo awful, and yet fo apposte appearance to him ; or on his ExecutedDoom upon Abazrab and his Melfengers; or upon hisWonder-working Mantledropt up- onElrjha, after he was taken up from him ; allthis would evidently show, how much Elijah had God's Eye, Ear, Heart, and Hand, to fecond him in all that he fpake and did for God. God left him not, when he thought all the Seed of God cut off, and no Prophet left behind, but his own fell to do the work of God. Indeed, his Life was Slid with wonders; his own Experienced Deliverances and Prefervations were fomanifold, feas'onable, and wonderful, as if God'sPro- vidence, towards him, determined to be a Senfible Comment upon his own Name. Iv. That
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