--~--~----------~--------~------- 122.2. [ [ontemplationi. L 1 a. XIX. ---- but chance was hisenemy,none but the God of Ekmt mufi be his friend: Helookes A not up to the Omnipotent hand ofdivine jufiice forche di!eafe, or ofmercy for the / remedy: An Idol is his refuge, whether for cure or intelligence: We heare not till now of Baal-:ulmb: this new God offlies is (perhaps) ofhis making, who now is a futer to his ownerecHon: AI thefe heathen Deities were but adevill,withchangeof lppellations 1 the influence ofthat evill fpirit deluded thofe miferable clients· el[e therewas no fly fo impotent as t~at outlideoftpegod of Ekr~n: Whowould ;hink that any Ifroelite could fo farre dote upon a fiock, a Fiend( Time gathe.red much credit to this Idol;in fo much as the J ewes afterwards !l:iled Beel-zebub, the Prince ofall the regions ofdarknetfe:AhAztahis the fir!l: that brings his Oracle in reque!l: and payes him the rribme ofhis devotion: He fends melfengers, and fayes, G•; inquire •fBaal-r.ebub thegodof£kr.,, whethtf I jhali mwer ofthis dije.Ji: The me[. B fage Was either idle,or wicked:idle,if he lent it to a !l:ock;if tO a devm,both idl< and wlcked.What can the moll: intelligent fpirits know of futUre things,but what they lee either intheircaufes,or in the light ofpanidpttion. What amadneffe was~t in At.aziah to lt:eke rothe pofterne,whiles the fore-gate !l:ood open~ Could thofe eviU fpirits truly foretell events no way pre-exi!l:ent, yetthey might not,without finne, be confulted: the evill oftheir nature debarres all the benefits oftheir information: Ifnot as latelligencers,much leffe may they be fought to,as gods:who cannot blufh to heare and fee,thu even the veryEvangelicall Hrael fhould yeeld Pilgrims to the fhrines ofdarkneffe? How many, after this cleerlight ofthe Gofpell,in their lolfcs, in their fickne!les,rcnd to thefe infernal Oracles,and d•mn themfelves wilfully,in a vaine curiofity:Themeffage ofthe je&lousGod interceptsthem,witha jufi difdaine, as here by Elijah,Jsit nllbmu[ethere isnota G•din lfrad, th41 yeegoe tl i11q•ir11( C Baal-zebub thlgodof 'E ~rln? What can be agteat<r difparagement to th~ True God, then to be negletled,th~ to ftand afidc,and fee us make love to an bellifh rival?werc there no God in Ifi:ael, in heaven, what could we doe other;what worfe( This affront ofwhat ever Ahaziah cannotefcape without a revenge:Thereforethus{.Uth ~~ Lord; ThouJhalt not tome downe from that bed, M which tho• art g~ne up, but {halt {urt!Jdie .It is anhigh indignide to the True God,not to be foughtto in our neceffitits; but fo tohecalhiered fromour devotions, as to have a falfe god thrull in his roome,is fuch a [corne, asitis wellifit can efcape with onedeath: Let now thefamous godot £kr1n take offthat brand offeared mon;lity, which the living God hath fer upon Ahaziah : Let Baa/-zef,•b make good fome better news to hisditlteffed fuppliam: Rather thb King of Ifrael is himfdfe (without his repentance) D hafting to Bee/.zeb•b. This errand is foone done; The meffengers arc returned, ere they goe :Not a little were they amazed to heare th~ir fecret meffage from anorhers mouth;neithercould chufe butthinke,Hee that can tell what Al;aziah fa id,what he thought,can foretell how he fhall fpecd:Wee havemet with agreater God then we went to feeke;whatneed we inquire for another an!iver ( With this conceit, with thisreport,they recurne to their licke Lord,and a!tonifh himwith fo fhon, fofad a relation: Nomarvell ifthe King inquired curiou!ly ofthe habit, and fafhion of the man,that could know this,that durfl f3y this:They defcribe him am•n whether ofan hairyskin,or of rough,cour[e,careleffe attire;thus dre!l:,tbus girded: Ahaziah readily apprehends it to be P.lij•h, the old friend ofhis father Ah<b, of his mother E Itzlbei:More thenonce had he feen him (an unwelcomegue!l:)in the Court of lfrael: The times had beene fuch, that the Prophet couldnot at once fpeake true, and pleafe: Nothing but reproofes and menaces foonded from the mouth of Elij<h;Michaiahand he were !l:ill as welcome to the eyes ofthat guilty Prince, asrheSyritn arrowwas into his Aefh:Too well therefore had Ahaziab noted that querulous Seer, lmd nowis not a little troubled to fee himfelf(in fuccdlion)hauntedwith that bold and ill-boding fpirit. · Behold the true fonne of Iezebtl, the anguifh of his difeafe, the expedation of death cannot take off the edge ofhis perlecution of Elijah: It isagain!l: his will that his death-bed isnut bloody:Had Ahaz.iah meant anyother then a cruell violence to Elijah, he hadfent apeaceable me!lenger,to call hiaao the Coun,he h~d not fent a Captame,
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