L.. l I I I Contemplations. LIB. XIX. votion. Happy isthefervant whom themafter(whenheecomes)lhalllindefo A doing. Oh thelingular glory of Elij•h! What monall crearure ever had this honour to be vifibly fetched by the Angels of God to his heave~ Every foul ofthe elect is attended and cuied to bleffedndfe by thofe invifiblc meffcngers, but, what Befh and blood was ever gnced with fuch a convoy~ There are three bodily Inhabitants of Heaven,Hmoch,EI•j•h, our Saviour Chrift.The firft beforethelaw,the fecond under the Law,the third under the Gofpell: All three ina feverall forme oftranllatioo: Our bleffed Saviour raifed himfelfe to and above the heavens, by his own immediate power:heafcended as tlieSon,they as lerv:hs:beas God,they as creatures: Elijah a!cended by the vifible lninilleryofAngels Henoch infenfibly: Wherefore 0 God haft thou done thus, but togive us a tafte ofwhat !hall be?tolet us fee that B heaven was never Jhut to the faithfull:to give usaffiuance ofthe future glorilicati· onof this mortall and corruptible part ? Even thus, 0 Saviour,when thou fhaltdefcend from heaven with afhout,with the voice of an Archangell,and with the trumpet ofGod, we that are alive and remain,thal be caughtup together W'' the railed bodies ofthy Saints.into theclouds to meet thee in the aire, to dwell with thee inglory. Many forms have thofe celeftiall fpirits taken tothemfelves in their apparitions to men;but of a! other,moft often bath the Almightymade his mcffengers a fl•me of fire: never more properly then here: How had the fpirit ofGod kindled the hot fires ofzeale inthe bre!l of Elijah? How had this Prophet thrice commanded lire from heaven toearth~How litly now at !aft doe the[e ~eraph1call fires carie him from eanh to heaven ~ C What doe \~e fee in this rapture of Elijah, but violence and terrour, whirlewinde and fire~ two ol thofe fearefull reprefentations which the Prophet had in the R'Ocke ofH~reb: never anymanentred mw glory with eafe: Even the moft favourable change bath fome equivalency to a natural diffoluti6. Althoughdoubtlelfe toElijah this lire bad a lightfomneffe & refplendance,not terro~r: this whirlwinde had fpeed, not violence: Thus haftthuu, 0 Saviour, bidden us when the ElementS !ha! be diffolvcd, and the heavens fhal be A>mingabout oureares, tolift upour headswith joy, becaufe our redemption dnweth nigh.Come death, come fire, come whidewinde, they areworthy to be welC?me that !hallcarie us to immortality.· ,. This arreption was fudden, yet Elijba fees both the Charet, and the horfes,&nd D the afcent; and cries to his now-chaiJbedMa!ler, benveen heaven and earth, My f•· ther, "'1 fathtr, thechartt oflfrael, ud the hor(emm thmo{. Shapha> of Abel-meholah bath yeelded tbistitle to Elijah, the natura !I father oi Eltf/>a, tO the fpirituall ; nei· ther ofthem may be negleeted,but,aftertheyoke ofoxen killed"t the farewell, we heare ofno more greetings,no morebewailingsofhis bodily parent; and now rhat Elijah istaken from him, he cries out like a diftreffed 0 rphane, My fat/m, my fa· thtr;and when he bath loft the fight ofhim, he rends his cloches in peeces according to the fafhion ofthe moll: paflionue mourners: that EI•Jb• fees his maficr halfe way in heaven, cannottake away the farrow ofhis loffe: The departure ofa faithful Prophet of t,od is worthyof our lamentation:Neither is it private affeCtion that mull: fwayour griefe,but refpeCls to thepub!ike: Elijba faies not onely,My E Jather,but the chartt a"d horfmenof lf'ael. That we have forgone a fathet, fl1ould not fo much trouble us,as that llfael bath loft his guard. Ceminely, the view of this heavenly charetand horfes that came for Elijah,puts E/ifbain mind of that charet and horfemen,which Elijah was to Ifrael. Thefe were Gods charets, !lijah was theirs:Gods charet and theirs arc upon the lame wheelesmounted mto heave: No forctsare fo flrongas the fpiritual,the prayers ofan Elijahore more powerful, then all the Armies ot lleth: 1 helirll thing that this Seer difcerncs, after the feparation of his Mafier,is, thenakedneffeoflfrael in his loffe. If we muller Souldiers, and !eel< zealous Prophets, it is but awofull exchange. Elij•hs Mantle fals from himin the rifing1 there was no ufe oft bat, whither be was
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