Lia.XVIII. A feeke her llickes, when £he !hall be found of Elijab; £he thought ofher hearth, £he thought not of 1 Prophet;whenthem•nof God cals to her, Fttcbmt a lirt!t wattr(I praythet) in avt({e!l, that I may drink It was no eafie fuit in fodroughty a feafon 1 and y<t,at the fift fight,the Prophet dares fecogd it with agreater; Bringme amarfillof hrwi intbint hmd; That long drought had made every drop, every crum precious 1 yet the Prophetisemboldned by the chargeof God w call for both water and bread; He had found theRavens fo officious, that he cannot make doubt ofthe Sartpr.n: £he llicks not at the Water, £he would not ftick at the bread,if neceffity had not preffed her 1 ,!s the Lord thy God livtth, I have not acake,but •handfi•liofmeJ/eili abarrel/, andalitll"Jie inacruft, andbehold I am gathering lwl jlickes, thAt I maygot in anddrt({t it for meandmy [on, that wem•; tat it anddye. B It !he k.new not the man, how did fhe know his God ~ and if fhe knew not the God of Elijab, how did fi1e fweare by him~ Ce1tainly though fi1e were without the bounds oflfrael, yet fhe waswithin the borders; fo much fhe had gained by her neighbourhood, to know an Ifraelite, a Prophet by his h1bit; to knowthe onely living God wasthe God oftheProphet,the Godoflfrael;& ifthishadnot been,yet it is no mltvell ifthe widow knew Elijah, fince theRavens knew him. It was high time forthe Prophet re vifit the Sartptan; poore foule, fhe was now m1king her !aft meale,after onemeane morfell fhe was yeeldin~ her fel fe over to death: How opportunely bath God provided fuccours to our diltreffes ~ It is his glory to help at a pinch, to begin where we have given over: that our reliefe might be fo much the' more welcome, by howmuch it is leffc look't for. C But oh, what a rryall isthisofthe faith ofa weake Profelyte,iffl1e were fo much~ Ft4rtnot,g•doM thou haftJaid, but makeme thereofalillluakejirjl,and bring it tome, andaftermake for thee,•ndthy {oii.For,thmfaitb the Godoflfr4ti,Tbebm·el ojmtafefoal not •v.JI, nor the crufe of07/e faile till the day that G•d find rai»t updn the tdrtb .- She mull go fpend upon allranger part ofthat little !he hllh,in hope of more which !he bath not, which !he111ay'have1 fhe mull part with her prefent food, which fhe fow, in truft offuture which fhecould not fee; fite muftrob her fenfe in the excercife of herbeleef,& fi1orten ~r life in beingupo the hopeofaprotratlionofit,in promife; !hemull beleeve God wil miraculoufiy incrcafe what fi1e bath yeelded to confume 1 lhc mull firft feed the llrangerwith her !aft vitluils, and then after her felf, and her fonne: Some lhupe dome would have taken up the Prophet, and have lent him aD waywith an angry repulfc:Bold Ifraelite,there is no reaf6 inthis requeft1wen thou a friend, ora brother, with what face couldft thou require to pull mylaft bitotll of my mouth~ Had I fi1perfluity ofprovifion, thou mialueft hope forthisetfetl ofmy charity; now,that I have but one morfell for my fet?e,and my fonne,this is anjnjurious importunity; what can induce thee to thinkethy life (onunknowne traveller) fhould bemore deare to me thenmy fons,rhen my own~ How uncivil! is this motion that I fhould firft make provifion for thee,in this dying exrremity~It had bin too much to have begged my !aft fcraps 1 thou telleft me the meale fhall not woftc, nor theoile faile;how fhall I beleeve thee~ Let me fee that done, before thou eoteft 1 In vaine fhould I challenge thee when the remainder of my poore ftore is confumed; Ifthou canft foeafily multiply vitluals,how is it that thou Wlnteft~ Dothat beforeE hand,w•' thou promifefl fhall be afterwards performed,therewill be no needof my little. But this good Sartptan waswrought by God not to miftruft•a Prophet; fhee will do what he bids,and hopefor what he promifes1fhe willive by faith rather the by fenfe,and give away the prefent,in the confidenceofa future remuneration;firft, fhe bakes Elijahscake,then her own;not grudging to fee her !aft morfds go downe anothers throot, whiles her felfe was famifhing. How hord precepts doth God lay where he intends bountyHad! not God meant her prefervation, he had fuffered her toeat herlall coke alone,without any interpellari6 ; now the mercyofthe Almightypurpofingaswell thismiraculous favour to her, as to his Prophet,requires ofher this task,which flefh and bloodwould have thought unreafonable. So we are won• toput hard quellionsto thofe fchollet~,whom wewould promotetohigher formes. Soin all atchievementsthe difficulty ofthe enterprife makes way for the glory of theatlor. Hlrhhh z - Happy
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=