'The <R.gpdreojELl J A H. j Lra. XIX. A wasgoing,th.ere was,whence he was taken: Elifl,. juflly takes up this deore monument ofhis glbrified mafler: Agood fupply for his rent garments: This • as it"'' ' (in prefageofhis future right)Elijah invefled him withal,upon the firfl fight,whe he was ploughing with the nvdve yoke ofoxen; now it fals from heaven to his po!feffion:,I doe nor fee him adore (o precious a rclique,l feo him rake it up,cafl it about him: Penfive and Maflerleffe dorh he now come back rothe b1nkes of Jordan, whofe flreame he Alllfl paffe in his return to the fchooles of the Prophets.Erewhile he faw what way tharriver gavo to the Mantleof Elijab,he knew that power was not in the cloth,bur in the fpirit ofhim that were it: to cry therofore whether he were no le!fe theheire ofthat fpirit, then ofrhar garment, he took tht Mantleof Eli]aband fmote rhe warers,and (aLd,Wh(TttS the LordGodof Elt jah .' Eltfha dorh notexpoflulate,and challenge,butpray;As ifhe had faid,Lord God,itwar thypromift B to meby mydtparttdmajltr, tiJat ifljbou!dJtt him in his 14t paffagt, a double portion of !Jis S perit jh011td be uponmt: I foUowtd himwithmy tyes in that jirt, andrvhirlewindt;now thtrtfort, 0 God, make,1.00d thy gracio11s Word to thy ftrvant; fhcrvfome tokm upon mt for good; makt this thtjirjl proojtoftht miT4cu/ous porvtr wherewith thou}bait indt~t mt: Let Jordan givt thafamt rvay to mt as itgavtto my m.jitr. Immediately the flrelme(as acknowledging the fameMamle,rhough in another hand)divides it lclfe,and yedds paffage to thefuccelTor of Eltjah. The fifty fans ofthe Prophets having been afar offwitllfffes ofrhefe admirable events, dowell fee that Elij•h (though tranllatcd in body) hath yet left his Spirit behind him; theymeet Elijha, & bow themfelvesro the ground before him: It C was not theout[lde ofElijahwhich they had wontto floopcunto, with fomuch veneration, it was his Spirit;which fincethey now find in anotherfubjed, they entcnaine with equall reverence : No envy, noemulation r:>ifeth up their ll:omackes againfl Elijabs J.ervant;but where they lee eminent gracesthoy are willingly proflrate.Thofethat are rruly gracious,doe no le!fe rejoice in the ricces ofothersgiftS, then humbly under-valuerheirowne. Thefemen we<e trained upinrhefchooles ofthe Prophets, E/ifo.<ar the plough and cart,yet now·they fland nor upon tearms of theirworrh,and his meannelTe,bur meekly till down before him whom God wil honour:Iris not robe regarded who the man is,bur whom God would make him. The mo'" unlikely the means is, the mare isrhe gloryofthe workman: It is the praife ofan holy ingenuity to magnifie the graces ofGod where ever it finds them, Theft young prophets are no Ie!fe full ofzeal, rhen reverence; zeale to Elijah, D reverence to Elifha:They fee Elijah caried up in the ayre; they knew this was not the firll: time ofhis fupernatura!l removaM; Imagining it therefore poflible that the Spirit ofGod had cali him upon fame remote mounraine,or valley, they profer the labour oftheir fervants to feek him : In lame things even profe!fed Seers are blind: Could they ~;!link God would fend fuch a Charet and horfes for ale!fe voyage then heaven~ Elifoa (knowing his mafler beyond all the fphere ofmortality)forbids them: Good ,-•il makes them unmannerly,their importunity urges himtil he isafhamed; not hisapprobltion bnttheir vehemence caries at lafla condefcent: Elfe he might perhaps have feemedenvioufiy unwilling to fetch backe foadmired a Mall:er: and E loth to furegoe that mantle. Some things may be yeelded for the redeeming ofour own vexuion, and avoidance oforhersmif-con!lrudion, whichout afrrue judgement we fee no caufe to affeCt. The me!fengerstyred with three daies fearch, tum backe as wife as theywent: fame men are befllatisfied,when they haveweariedrhcmfelvs in their own waies: nothing will teach them wit,but difappoinrmems. Their painefull errour leados .themto a right conceit of ·Eiijahs happier1ranfporr.ation : Thofe that would find Elijab,!etthem afpire to the heavenly Paradife: Letthem follow the hi<>h fteps of his lincere faithfulne!fe,flrongpatience,undaunred cgurage,fervent zeale '!hartly letthemwalk in the waiesofhis holy andconflamobedience: atlafl God fhal fend the fiery Charet ofdeath to fetch them upro that heaven of heavens, where the fhall triumph inevalafling joyes, 1; !ill 3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=