r L1a.XVJII. Elijah nmnidg befort,&c. 1199 an anf\Vrr to our fuits-at tht liXth motion,we may nO[ be out of counnnante, but ---- A muft rry the fevemh:At laft a little cloud arif<s our of rhe Sea,of an hand bteadth. Somany,fo fervent prayers cannot but pulwarer out of heaven as welas firc:Thofe fighrs reflea upon the earth, and from the eanh reflea upon heaven, ftom heaven rebound upon the Sea, and r>ife vapours up thence to heaven again:It we find that our prayer> are heard forthe fubllance,wemay notcavill at the quantity: Even an band-broad cloud·coments Elijah,anJ fils his heat~ full ofjoy and thankfulnes: He knew we! this meteorwas not at the biggetl, it was newly hornofthe womboftbe waters,& in fome minutes ofage muft grow to a large tlarure:ftay but a while, and Heaven is covered with it: From bow fmal beginnings have greater mattersrifen~ It B is no otherwife in all the f'acious proceedings ofGod with the foule; fcarce fenfible ar< thofe firft works o his Spirit in the heart,which grow up at lot! to the woilder ofmen,and applaufe ofAngels. Wdl didElijah know that God who is perfelHon it felfe, would not dellle his hand wit\! an inchoate and fcanted favour,as onetherefore that fore-faw the faceof heaven ovcr-fp=d with this cloudy tt,he fendsto .Ahab to hatlen his Chariot, that the raine ftop him not:It is long tnce .Ahab feared this let; never was the news ofa dangermore welcome: Doubdeffe the King oflfrael whiles he was at his dier, lookt long for E/ij•hs promifed lhowres; where is the raine whofe found the Prophet heard~how is ittbat his e.rs were fo much quickerrhen our eyes~ We faw his fire to ourrcrror,how gladly wouldwe fee his Waters~ When now rhdervamof Elijah brings him news from heaven, that the cloudswere feuing forward, and C (ifhehaftenednot) would be before him: The wind arifes, the clouds gather, theskie thickens, .Jlhab betakes him to his Charet;Eiijnh~irds up his loynes, and runnesbefore him: Surely the Prophet could not wantt e offer ofmoreeafe in his paffage; but he will be for the time .AhAbs lacquey,that the King and alllfrael may fee his humility no leffe then his power,&may confeffe thJt the glory ofthofe miracles bath not made him infolent•.He knew that his very_fight was monitory: neither could .Ah•bs mind be befide the miraculous works ofGod, whiles his eye was upon Elijah: neither conldthe Kings heart be otherwifc then well-affeCled towards the Prophet, whiles he faw that himfclfe and all Ifrael,had received anew Life by his procurement. But what news was here for r,r.,btl? Certainely .Ah•b D minced nothing of the report of all thofe aftonilhing accidents: I f but to falve up his owne honour, in the death ofthofe B.alites, hemade the belt of Eli•hs meritsj he toldofhis challenge, conflill,vil!ory, ofthe fire that fel downe from heaven, of the convittion oflfrael, ofthe unavoidableexecutionoftheProphers, of the predillionand fa! ofthofe happy lhowm,and laftlyof Elijchs officiousattendance. Who would not have expelled that Icubel lhould have faid; It is no tlriving, no dallying with the Almighty: No reafon•ble cre.rure can doubt, afterfo prodigi· ous a decifion;God bath wonneus from Heaven, he muft poffeffe us: luftly are our feducers perilhed;None but the God thot can command fire and water lhal be our>; There is no Prophet btlt his: but lhe contrarily, in ftcad ofrelenting, ragethi and fends a meffage of death to Elijah,So lei the gods doe to me, •ndmore • lfb,if I mike E not thy life,as the lifeofone ofthem by to morr<w about this time: Neither fcourges,nor favours can work •ny thing with the obtlinatdy wicked; All evill beans are notequallydif-affelled co~ood: .Ahab andlf:ubel were both bad enough, yet AhJI yedds to that work o GOD, which Jeubel ftubbornly op~ofeth: .Ah•b nielts With that water,with that fire,wherwith Iezfhel is harden'd,A abwasbaOJfully,Ie- "''bd audaciquOy impious; The weaker fex isevermoft commonly ftron~er in paffion, and more vehemently carryed with the fway oftheir defires, whet er tof,ood or e\'ill : She fweares, and ftamps at that whereat lbee lhould have rrein led; Shee fwears by thofe gods of hers, which were not •blc to fave their Prophets, thtt lheewill kill the prophet ofGod, who had [corned het gods, and Oaine her Prophets. It is well that Jezebel could not keepe counfell: Her threat preferved him whom fbe had mcanttokill: The wifcdome and power of God could have found . evafio.ns -
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=