LIB. XIX. Ahab and Midiaiah. A humes ofiron;the horneis forcible,the iron irrefi!lible;byanirrefi!Hble force fhall Ahab pufh the Syrians;as ifthere were more certainty in thismans hands the in his tongue: If this fon of Cht~<a41Mh had not had af<ireheadofbra1fe for impudecy &a heart ofLead for llexiblene1fe to humors,& times,he had never devifed thefe horns ofiron,wherewithhis Kingwas goared untoblood:Howfoever,itisenough for him that he is beleeved,that he is feconded: AI the great inque!l ofthefe Prophets gave up their verditl: by this foreman,not oneoffoure hundred diffenred: Unanimity of opinion in the greatell Ecdefia!licall affemblies is not ever an argument oftruth: There may be as common, ~nd as firme agreement inerror. The meffenger that came for Michaiah, like a carnall friend, fets him in a way of favor:tels him \V hat the re!l faid,how they pleafed:how unfafe it wbuld be for him B to vary,how beneliclall to affent:Thofe that adore earthly greatneffe,thinke every man fhould dote upon their Idols,and hold no tearms too high for their ambi<iou~ purchafes. Faithful! Michaiah (comes the morion,he knows the price ofthe word, and contemnes.it, ds the Lordliveth,•vhat the Lordfaith untomt,that .,;a 1 fjieak: Neither feares, nor favours, can tempt the holily refolurc:They can trample upon dangers,or honors, with a careleffe foot;and whether theybe fmiled or lrowncd on by the greacldare not either alcerJor conceale theirerrand. The que!lionismoved to Micbaiah;He at fi r!l fo yeelds,that he cotradich;yeelols in words,contradi.:.h in pronunciarion;Thefyllables areforrhem,the found again!l them: Ironies deny !lronge!l inaffirming;and now being pretfed home,hetels them that God had 01ewed him thofe fheepoflfrael fhouldere long,by this means,want their Shephe~rd; The very refemblance,to a good Prince,had bee ne alf<Ctive; The C .fheep is an helpletfe creature,not able eithertoguardor guide it felf;al the fafecy,all the diretl:ion of it, is from the keeper; with9ut whom, every curre chafes and werries it,everytrack feduceth it;Such !hall Ifrael foone be,if Abab be ruled by his prophets;The King oflfraeldothnot beleeve,butquarrell;not ar himfelfe,whohad deferved evil!, but a~ the Prophet, who forefignilied it, and Bmore carefull that the King ofJuda fhould marke how true he had foretold concerning the Prophet,then how~he Prophet had foretold concerning him. - Bold MicbJi~h(as rtowhitdifcouragedwiththeunju!l checks ofgreatnes)doubles his predit!ion,and by a fecond vifion parricularizeth the meanes of this dangerous errour. Whiles the two kings fatemaje!licaUy in their Thrones, hetelsthem ofa more gloriousThrone,thenrheirs,whereo he l'awthe KingofGods fitting.:Whiles they were c6pafledwith ('lme liundreds ofprophets and thoufands ol SubJetls,and D Souldiers,hetels themofa! the ho!l ofheave,attending that other Throne .Whil~s theywere deliberating of a wa:,hetelsthem ofaGod ofheaven j~llly d~creeingthe judgement ofa deadly decepuon to Abab: The decree ofthe Htghe!liS not more ploinely revealed,thc expreffed paraboHca\ly.The wife &holyGod is reprefented, afrerthe manner ofmen,confulting of tha: ruine,which he intended to the wicked King oflfrael;That increated and infinite wifdome,needs not the advice ofany fi. nite,and created powers,todiretl:him,needs not the affent and aid of any fpirit for his execution;much leffe ofanevil one:yet here an evil fpirit is brought in(by way ofvifion mixt with parable)profering the fervice of /lis lie, accepted, imployed, fucceffefuli:Thefe figuresare not voyd of rrurh:The atl:fonand event Is reduced to E a decree;the cjecree is !hadowedoutbythe refembranceofhctmane proceedings:All evil morions,and counfels are originally from thatmalignantSpirit:That evil fpirit could hoveno powerovermen,butby the ptrmiffio,by the decreeoftheAlmighty: That Almighty,as he is no Aathoroffin,lo he ordinatesallevil/ togood: Itis g~od that is ju!l,it is good that one/in fl1ould be punifl1ed by another: Saran is herein no other then the executionerof that God, who isas farre from lnfuling evil! as from · not revenging it,Now Ab•b feesrhe ground of tharapplaufed conlentofhis rabble ofprophets; one evill fpirit harh no leffe deceived them, then they their ma!ler;he is one, therefore he agrees with himfelfe; he is evill, therefore both he and they agree in cfeceit. · Oh thenoble and undaunted fpirirof Mich•i•h: neither the thrones ofthe Kings, JlQr r2r9
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