8 Eliíha)r C `/ T ( i.) Any thing wins the heart which is appointed thereto by God ; Word Look, Touch, or Sign. God openeth the heart as he fees fit. Any thing does every thing, when it comes forth as in the Word of the Lord. Elijah's Mantle cart upon Elba, ftrangely Role his heart away. Something was done; Elifha knew not what; and Elijah feem'd to wonder at the thing ; Go back again ( faith he ) for what have I done to thee? So much was done, as that Ela had no power to mind his other work, rave to attend Elijah, and to Minifter to him, r ICing.xix. 19. -21. Where is that heart that can withstand God, when God has a mind towork it over to his Minifters,Members, Service, or himfelf? (2.) Heartstoucht and wonby God cleave fall tohim,and stick at nothing.Elifha,, he left all ; his Kindred,Flocks,and Interefr,toMintier and cleave unto his Mafter. Sò did the Apofties, St. Paul, and others who have profefs'd themfelves to be Constrained by Love. Hose urgently did Elijah prefs Elifha to be gone from him? 2 King. ii. z---6, But he clave falter to him. How urgently werethe two Daugh- ters in Law of Naomi prett to return each ofthem to their Mothers houfe ? And yet how loth were they to leave her ? but afterward Orpab bilk her only ; but Ruth clave to her, and warmly told her , that whitherfoever the went, thewould go with her ; the fame Lodging fhould feree them both and that Naomi's God and people Ihould be her God and People too ; that where the dy'd, there wòuld her Daughter alfo,dye, and there would the be bury'd ; and bound it with an Oath, that nothing elfe but Death fhould part them, Ruth. i. It. - -_ tS. andRuth loft nothingby it. God makes the faitefl Friends and Friendship : it is his work to joyo our hearts too clofe together to admit divorce: nor is it in Man's power to make one faft Friend to himfelf. And as nothing binds fo Itrongly as genuine andfervent love ; fo is it in God's power to quenchor kindle Mens Afe&ions ; and fo to eftablifh or dilfolve all Friendship. ( 3) Engaged hearts to Divine Services and Enlargements, look quite beyond all Secular Relations and Concerns, Gal. i. r y, 16. Mailer (fay the Difciples) we have left all and followed thee. Chrift tells us plainly, That we can he his Difci- pies, upon no other termes than thefe, viz. That Father and Mother, &c. and all Secular Entertainments, and Concernsbe left for ham, Mat. x. 37:--3g, xix. 21, 27. ---29. No Man ( faith Chrift) having put his hand to the Plow, andlooking back, is /;t for the Kingdom of God Luk. ix. 62. How eminent an laitance, and Exem- plar, of this thing, was the Great ApoRie of theGentiles, llûsxx. 24. Phil. iii. 7,---ce. See alto 2 Cor. iv. 16.-18. Heb. to. 34. III. It was Exercifed Elii'hah; under great Apprehenfmnsof his most difficult Employment, and of the want of filch a publick help and treafure, as Elijah was , and might have been to him, 2 King. ii. t z. The Mantle in his hand ; the Pro- phet in his thoughts ; his great work upon his heart , and the great difficulties of that work beforehis eyes ; thefe all awakened him to this Concerned, and So- licitous Enquiry after Elijah's God. He well remembred what Mountainous Dif- ficulties ( indeed infuperable, without DivineAflìstanne) Ilejah had broke through to his thus Exalted State : and in whole ftrength all this was done: and the great Interet that Prayer and Zealous Faithfhlnefs had in God. And hence he well con- fidered how little Elijah's Mantle, in his hand, imported tohim, without the pretenceof Elijah's God. Elbacould-not think his own work likely to be eag- er than Elijah's was ; nor that either Prince or People would be more kind to him than they had been to his Predeceffor; he knew himfelf to be but flefh and blood, and not fodifferent from his Matter, in the Characterof being , a Man fubjelt to like PaJTons ( and Infirmities ) with the ref? of Men, as lefs to need God's helpand pretence than Elijah did. We may well conceive him to be full of thought, and great Solicitudes about the Reverhons of his Work and Tryals : and that hisSpirit should he equal thereunto was more than he duri? promife to himfelf, or truft to, unlefs he could engage the Prophet's God to help him. IV. It was Solicitous Elifha, to imitate andequal the Spirit and Performancesof his Tranliated Matter, z King. ii. 9. Elijah's Offer had been kind : Elba's De- fires prove as large : and his Neceflities feem as great ; but the requeft Teems ve- ry difficult to be obtained; But the thing at loft is granted, and an Experiment quickly
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