LIB. XVIII. Elijah ~ith the Sareptan. 1\ with the barementionof the placeofhis birth; Meanne!fe ofdefcent is no block in Godsway to the moll: honourablevocations; Itmatters not whofe fori he be whOm God will gracewith his fcrvice: In thegreate!l: honors that humane riature is capableof,God forgers our parents:As when we lhal be raifed uptoagloriousJife,there lhal be no refpe<!t had to the loyns \Yhcncewee came;fo it is proportionally in thefe fpirituaU advancements. .. .. . Thefe times were fit foranE/~•h;tn Elt]ab was fit fouhem;The emmenteft pro· phet is referved f?rthc corrupte!l: age; Ifra~l had n~m f~ch ~King as Ahab,for im.- piety, never fo mtraculous a Prophet as Els]ah; Thts Els1ah ts addre!fed to this Ahab1The God of fpirits knows how to propmtioa men to the occalions1 and to raife up to himfelfe fuch witne!fes,as may he moll: able to convince the world. A B mild M•(<swas for the low e!l:ate of afHided lfracl; mild offpirit, but mighty in wonders; mild offpirir, hecaufe he had.ro doewith a perfecuted, and yet a rcchy and perverfe people; mighty in wonders,becaufe he had to doe with a PharaDh: A grave and holy Samuel was for the quietconfi!lenceoflfrael; A fiery fpiriredEiijahwas forrhe defperate!l: declinationoflfrael: and ifinthe late times ofthe depr&· ved condition ofhis Church,God have raifed up fomc fpirits that have been more warme, and !l:irring,thenthofc ofcommon mould, we c;u~not cenfurc the choycc when we fee the fervice. ' The fir!l: word that we heare from Elij•h, is an oath,and a threat to Ah~ ro Ifrael:As the LordGodoflfr•el liveth,beforewh•m I.ft•lld,there fo•tl not bederv,,., ~line the{<yeues but•ccording to my word: He comes inlike a Tempell,who went oat in~ c whirl-winde; Doubde!fe he had fpoken faire,and peaceableinvit:uionsro Ifrael (though Y!e hearethem not;) ~h!• ";ISbutthe llor.mewhich foUo:ved his repulfe, thcirob!l:macy1After many fohcnauon>,and warrungs,Ifraelts finken by the famo tongue that had prO:yed for it; Elij.b dares avouch tbefe judgement> to theirHead, to Ah•b:I doe not fo much.wondetat thc.bol<l,ne• ofElijah,asat his power1yea who fees his power,can nowhJt wonder at ht$ boldncs:Howcouldhe be butbold to the face of a man,whowas thus powerfull with God~ As if God had lent himthekeys of heaven to thut it up, and open itot pleafure; he can fay, There fo•U ~e neither derv ,., r~ine theft yeers hMt Atcording ,. mywml. 0 God howfarreit bath plcafed the~ to communicate thy felfe to aweak mtn~ What AngeUcouldever fay thus~ Thy hand,O Lord is not!honened;Why att thounouhus marvellous in theminillers of D thy Gofpell~ Is it fortlJ.atthcir miracles wereoursas it forrhat thou would'fi have us live by faith, not by fcnfe~ Is it for that our taske is fpirituall, and therefore more abllraded from bodily helps~ we cannot command the Sun with I•fhu, nor the Thunder with SAmuel, nor the rain with Elij•h;It lhall content us ifwe can fixe theSun ofrighteoufne!fc in the foule,ifwe canthunder out the judgments ofGod again!t fin,ifwee can water the earthen beans ofmen with the former, and I art er raine ofheavenly doCtrine. , E/ijahs mantle cannot make him forget liis flcth, whiles he knows himfelfca Prophet, he remembers to be a man; he doth not thereforearrogate his power, &s his own,but publifheth it ashis Mafters; This refiraint mufi be accordingto hisword; ' and <hot word was from an highermouth,thcnhis:He fpakefrom him bywhom he E fware;whofe word was fureas his life;and therefore he durllfay, As the Lordlivtth there Jb•U be no rline. Man onely can denounce what God will executc;whichwhen it is once revealed, canno more faile, then the Almighty himfclfe. He th:u had thi• interell & power in heaven, what needed he flee from an earth· ly purfuit~Could his prayers relhaioe the clouds, and not hold the hands offleth and blood~ Yet behold Elij•h mull flee from Ah•b, and hide him by the brooke Cherith; the wifedome of God cloth not thinkefitfotomakeaheatcnpathof miracles;as that he will not walke befide it;He wil have our ownc indei.vours con-. curre to our prefervation1 Elij•h w•nted neither courage of heart, nor firength of hand,and yet he mull trull to his feet for fafety1 How much mote lawful\ Js ii for our impotence to flee from perfecution~eventhat God lends him to hide his head; who could a• ealily have prote<!ted, as nourithed him: Hcc thuwilfully ftands Hhhhh _ fiiU
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