Contemplations. Lrs.XVIII. Happywas it forthis widow, that !he did not !hut her hind to the man ofGod. A that lhe WiiS no niggard ofherla!l h~ndfull 1 Neyer come or~livc did fo increafeU: growing, as here in confummg; Tht5 barr.ell, t~ts crufeofherspad nobottome; the barrell ofmeale walled not, the crufe ofotle fatled not;Behold,not gertina not faving is the wa.y to abundance, but giving. The mercyofGod crownes o~; beneficence with the blelling of!lore; who con fea.re want byamercifullliberality,when he fees the Sarrptan had familhed, if lhe ha.d notgivrn, and by giving abounded ~ With what thankful devotion mull thiswoman ev~ry day needs look upon her harrell,&crufe,wherein lhefaw the mercyofGod renewed to hercontinually~Doubtldfe her foule was no lelfe fed by faith,then her body with this fopernarurall provifion.Howwelcome a-guell mull Elijah needs betothiswidow,thatgave her lifeand her fons to her, for his board~ yea, thilt in wofull famine gave her and her fon B their board for his houfe roome. The dearth thus overcome,the mother looks hopefully upon her onely fon, proroiling her felfe much joy in his life'and profperity, when an unexpeCled ficknelfe furprifeth him, and doth that whichthe famine but threarned: When canwe hold our felves fecure fromevills ~ No fooner is one of thefe Sergeants compounded withal! then we are arelled by another. How ready we areto milla.ke the groundsofour aflliClions,and to eaCh hem upon fa.lfc caufes; The pallionate mother cannot find whither to impute the death ofher fon,butto the pr<fence of Elijah.-io whomlhe comes di!lratled with perplexity,not without an unkind challenge of him,from whom the had received both that life lhe had loll,and that the had;Wh.r have I to doe with thee,o thoumanofGod;Arllhoucome C to me toea//my fin to remtmbra~ce, andtaflay myfon? As ifher fon could not have died if Elijah badnot beenher guell1when as her fon had dyed, but for him1 why thould lhe thinke that theProphet had faved him from the famine,to killhim.with ficknelfe~ .1\.s ifGod had not beenfree inhisatlions-and mull needs llrike by tbe fame hands, bywhich he prefery#l; She had the gra~e to know that her aflliClionwas for her fin;yet was fo unwife;fo imagine the ar<rage£ of her iniquities had not bincalled for, if Elij•h had not been the remembrancer; He who had appeafed God towards her,is fufpelledto have incenfed him;This wrongfull mifcon!lruction was enough to move any patience 1 Iilijah wasofan hot fpirit; yet his holineU:e kept ~im from fury;Thischallenge rather increafed the zealeofhis prayer, thenllmedhts cholertotheoffendent: Hetakesthe deadchildoutofh!S D mothers bofome,and laies himupon his cwn bed,andcries unto tke Lord; ohLmJ my God,haji th•• b11ughtevilalfo •!o~ theWim withwho,. I (ojourn,by fl4Jingher (on? In!lead ofchiding theSar<ptan, out ofthe fervencyofhis foul,he hombly expollulares with his God: His ondy remedy isinhis prayer; that which thut heaven for raine,mull open it for life.Everyword inforceth;Firft he pleads his interell inGod, oh Lml my GDA';then the qualicy ofthe patient;a Wid..,,and therefore,bochmoll dillrerfed with the lolfe,& moll peculiartothechargeofthe Almighty.Then,hisintere!lasin God,fo in this patient;with whom I foj••rne:as ifchellroke were given to himfelf,through her fides:and la!lly,the qualityofthepuni!hment,By flaying herjon, the onely comfort ofher lifc;and inall thefc: implying the fcandall, that mull needs arife from this event,whereever it thould be noifed,to the aame ofhis God, to his E owne;when it !!Jouldbe faid:Lo how Elijllhs enreftainmellt is rewarded;Surely the Prophet is either impotrnt or unthankfuU. Neitherdoth his tongue move thus only;Thrice doth hellretch himfelfupon the dead body1 as ifhe could with to infufe ofhisowne life intothe child; and fo often cats to his God forthe rellitution ofthat foule:What can Elij•h asketobe denyed~ The Lord heard the voice of the Prophet, che foule ofthe child came into him againe,and he revived:Whatmiracle is impollible to faithful! prayers! Therecannot be more difference betwixt Elijahs devotion, andours, then betwixtfupematurall andordinaryads; Ifhe therefore obtainedmiraculous favours byhis prayers,dowe doubt ofthofe which are within the fphere ofnature, & ufe~ What couldwe want, ifwe did not llacketo ply heaven with our prayers~ Certainly
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