L1a.XIX. E1i£ha wirh the Shunamite: A rage, or ofdc,yotion ! Wnat an hand bath Satan over his mifetable va!fals ~ What marvel! is it to fee men facrifice their foules,in an unfdt oblation,to thefe plaulible temp:ers, when their own flell1 and blood bath notbeen fpared ~ There is no Tyrant to the Princeofdarkne!fe. Eli!ha -with the Shunamite. holy Prophets under the oldTellament,did not al)horre the mariogc bed; they did not think themfelves too pure for an inllitution of their Maker; The dillrelled vvidow of oneofthefonnesof the Pro· phers comes to Elijah to bemoane her conditio; Her husband is dead, and de•din debt. Death luth no fooner feized on him, then herrwo fonnes (the remaining comfort ofher life) are robe feized on, by his creditors, for bond·men: How thick did tke miferies ofthis poor affiiCled vvoman light upon her; Her husband is lofl,her eflareclogged vvirhdebrs, her children ready tO betaken for llaves:Her husband vvas a re!igious,and vvorthy man; he paid his debts to Norure,he could nor ro his Creditors;they are cruell, and rake in rhe fcarce·clofed vvound ofher farrow,palling an:~rrell, worfe then death,upon herfonnes:Widowhood , poverry, fervirude have confpired tO make her perfeClly miferable. Venue and goodne!fe dm pay no debtS; The holiefl man may be deepe in arrerages, and Lreake the banke : Not through lavifhne!fe, and riot ofexpence: (Religion teaC ches us to moderate our hands, to fpend vvithin the proportion ofourellare) but through either iniquityofrimes,o1 evill cafualties.A.haband :jeztbtl vvere lately in the Throne,vvho can marvell that aProphet was in debt~ It was well that any good man might have his breath free, though his ellate vvere not: vvilfully to over-lafh our ability,cannot !land withwifdome,&good government;but no providence can guard us from croffes;Holine!fe is no more defence againfl debt,then agoinfl death: Grace can keep usfrom·unthriftinelfe,not from vvont:Whither cloth the Prophets vvidowcome to bewai!c hercafe,butto blifha?Every one wouldnot be fenlibleof her affiiClion,or if they would pity,yet could not releeve her1EIIjbacould do both; Into his ear< doth fhe unload her griefes. It is no fmall point of wifdome to know where to plant our Lamentation;otherwife, in llead ofcomfolt,wemay meet with fcorneand infultation. None can fo freely comf!a!lionate the hard termes ofaProphet as an Elifh•; Hee findes that fhe is nor queruloully impatiem,expre!ling herforrowwithoutmurmuring,and difcontemment;makingaloving,and honorable mentionof that husband, vvho lud left her diflrelfed, readily therefore doth he incline to her fuccour: What fhaU I dse fort/m~ Tell mewhat h4f thou in thy horifi~ Eilfh•, when ht heares ofher debr,askes ofher fubfiance;Had her houfe been furnifhed with any valuable commodity, the Prophet implits the nece!lity offelling it for fati sfaClion , Our own abundance can illlland with our engagement toothers; It is great injutlice for us to •be full ofothers purfes: It is not our own vvhich vveowe to another.What is it other then a plaulible flealth to feed our riot with the vvant of the owner~ He that E could multiply her fubllance,could know it;God &his Proph~tlovesto heare our nece!lities out ofourown mouthes (Thine hand-maide !Mth net any thing in the houfe faveapot •f o1ie.) lt is neither newes nor fhame for a Prophet to be poore;Grief & want perhapsh•fiened his end; both of them are left for the dowry ofhis careful! vvidow: She had complained,iftherehadbeenanypo!libility ofremedy,at home; bafhfulne!Te had flopt her mouth thus long, and ll10uld have done yet longer,ifthe exigence ofher chi!drens fervirude had not opened it;No want is fo worthy of re· liefe, as that whichis loathell ro come forth. 'Then he[aid, Go< borrow thte ve[Jds ahr6adofaUthJ neighboJtrs, even empty vt{fels> btJrrow not a ftw ; andwhen thotl trrt come in, tholl fhalt Jhut thedooreupontlm, andupon thy [ons, and Jhalt poureotl/ into alitho[< vtffels, andthoufoal: [<t ajidt thatwhich is full. She that owed much, and had nothirig, yet mull borrow more, that lhe may ' .
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=