Contemplations. LIB. XVIII. ,.taniog • Pr6phtt oftht Lord,B••Is Pr~phtts utfourt hundrtdandji{ty:Ltt tht,. <hH[t A Mt b•lloc/u, ltt me ehooft An<thtr, Thtir devltion {bat bteo•bil,.d, mintjingle: Tht Gu that <~•[u""s thtf•eriftu byjirtfrom htavtn, ltt him beGot/. Ifrael cannot but approve it;theProphets of Baal canQot refufe it; they had the appearance of the advantage in their number,in the favourofKmg and people. Oh firange difputation, wherei~ the argument which mufi bee ufed is fire;the place whence itmufi be fecht heaventhe mood and figure,devotion;theconclulion,death to be overcome. ' ' Had not Elijah, by divine inftin~,been allured of the event,he durft not have put religion upon fuch hazard:That God command~d himthis trial ,who meant confulion to the authors ofldolatry,vi~ory to the truth:His terror lhal be approved both by fire and by water;firfi by fire,then by water:There was no leffe terrorin the fire then mercy in the raine: It was fit they lhould firft be humbled by his terrors, that B they might be made capableofhis mercy:and by both, might be wonne to repentance. Thus ftil the fears ofthelawmake way forthe influencesofgrace,neither do thof< fweet and heavenly clews defccnd upon the foule, till way be made for them by the terrible flalhes ofthe law. Juftly doth Elijah urge thistriall:Gods facrifices \Vere ufed to none but heavenly firts; whereas the hafe and earthly religionofthe heathen contented it felfe with gro!fe and naturall Oames. The Prophets of Ba•l durfi not(though with faint and guilty hearrs)but imbrace the condition; they dre!fe their bullocke, and lay it ready upon the wood1 and fend out theircries to Baalfrom morning untill mid-day;O Baal ]}(areus: What ayelling was here,offoure hundred and fifty throats tearing the skies for an anfwer ~ What C leapingwas here upon the altar,as ifthey would have climbed up to fetch that lire, which would not come downe alone? Mount Carmtl might give an Eccho to their voice, heaven gave none; In vain do they roare out, and weary thHelves in imploring a dumb and deafe diety;Grave & auftere Elijah holds itnot too light to flout their zealous devotion;he laughs at their tears,and· piayes upon their eameft; Cry alot~d,for he is aGod, tlt!.tr he is talkint,or ht is pur[i1ing,orhe is tra'lltliug,or htis jletpint,and muft bear11aktd. Scornes and taunts are the beft•nfwers for feriousidolatry; Holinell'e will beare us out in difdainfull fcoffes, & bitternes againft wilful! fuperftition; No leffe in the indignationat thefe infulting frumps,then zeale oftheir owne fafety, and reputation,dothefe Idolatrous Prophets now rend theirthroatswithinclamations,andthat D they may a!fure the beholders, they were not in jeft, they cutand llalh themfelves, with knives,amllanccrs,and folicit the fire with t,heir blood;Howmuch painfulnes there is inmif-religion ~ I doe not find that the true God ever requiredor accepted the [elf-tortures ofhis fervams; He loves true inwardmortification ofour corruptions,he lovs thefubduing ofour fpiritual infurreaions,by due exercife of fevere refirtint; he takes no pleafure in our blood, in our carcafles: theymiftake God that think to pleafe him by deftroying that nature, which be bathmade; andmeafure truth by rigour ofoutwardextremities;E lijah drew no bloodofhimfelfe,thePriefts of Baal did:How faine would the Devil(whom thefe Idolaters adored) haveanfwered the fuit of his fuppliants~ What would that ambitious fpirit have given, that as he wos caft down from heaven like lightening, fo now he might have fain downe in E that forme upon his altar: . God forbids it : All the powers of darknes can no more lhew one flalh offire sn the ayre,then avoid the unquencheable fire in hel: How ealie were it forthe power of the Almighty to cut lhort all the tyrannicall ufurpations ofthat wicked one; if his wifdome and jufiice did not find the permitlion thereofu(efull to hts holy Purpores. Thefe Idolatersnow towards evening,grew fo much mort vehement,as they we~e more hopele!fe ; and at !aft,when neither their lhrikes,nor their wou~ds, n~r thetr mad motions could prevaile,they fit down hoarfe and weary 1 tormenung thefelves afrelhwith their defpaires, and with the ftares ofbitter fuccell'e of theiradverfane; when Elijah cals the people to him, (the wime!fes of hts lincere proceedsngs) ~nd taksng_
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