·I L1a.XIX· fed with a fearefullhoafi,offoot, horfe,charets.His cy~-could meet with nothin<> A but woods ofpikes,and wals ofharndfe, and lufireof metals; &now he runs in a~ frighted to his Mafter: AlaJ, my T114jler wh.r /ballwedoe! He had day enouoh to fee they were enemies that environed them, to fc:e himfclfe helpleffe,& defpe~ate- and hath onely fo much life left in him as to lament himfelfe to the partner ofhi;mi· fery.Hecannot 1\ee from his newMafier, if he would; he runs to him with awofull c!amour,Alas,my Majler,what foal! we doe~ Oh the undaunted courage offaith! Elijha fees all this,and lits in his chamberfo fecure,as ifthefe had onely beene the guard of Ifratl,for his fafe protetlion. It is an hard precept that he gives his fervant,Ftarenot:As we! might he have bid him,not to fee,when he faw,as not to feare, when he faw fo dreadfull afpettacle: The ope. rations ofthe fenfes are no leffe certaine,then thofe ofthe affettions,where the objetls are no leffe proper: But the taske is ealie if the next word m•y find beleefe, B [For there are moe wnh us,thtnrotth them.]Multitude,& other outwardprobabilities doe both lead the confidence ofnatural heam,and fixe it Jc is for none but aD avid to fay,l wiU not beafraid•ftm thoufands ofp,.ple, th.r have Jet thtm(elves •t•i»flmee roundabout. Flefh and blood rifeth, and falleth, according tO the proportion ofthe ftrength,or weakneffe ofapparent meanes. Elifh.,s man lookt about him,yet hisMatlerpraies,Lord optn his eysthat they ma1 (ee. Naturally we fee not,whiles we doe fee:Every thing is (o feene,as it is.Bodily eyes difcernebodily objetts, onely fpirituall can fee thechingsof God: Somemen want both eyes &lighr. Elifb•es fervant hadeyes,wanted illumination:No fooner were his eyes open, then he faw themountain ful ofhorfcs,& chuets offire round C about Elifba. They werethero before, (neither dmh Elifh• praythat thofe troupes may be gathered,but that they may be feene)not till now were they defcryed.Invi1iblearmies guard the fervants ofGod, whiles they fecme moll forfaken of earthly aide, moll expofed to certainedangers: Ifthe eyes ofour faith be as openasthofe ofour fenCe, to fee Angels as we! as Syrians, we cannot be appalled with themoft unequall tearmes of hofiilicy. Thofe bleffed Spirits are ready either to refcue our bodies,or to cary up our foules ro bleffedneffe; whither ever fhall be injoyned by their Maket:thcreis jufi comfort in both,ineither. Both thofe Charm thatcame to fetch Elijah,& thofe that came to defend Elifoa, were fiery: God is not leffe lovelytohis own,in the midfi ofhis judgements, then he is terrible to his enemies, in the dcmonfiration ofhis mercies. Thus guarded,it D is no marvellifEiifha dare walk forth intothe midll: of the Syrians. Not oneof thofe heavenly Prefidiaries firuck a firoke for the Pcophec; neither doth hee require their blowes, onely he turnes his prayer to his God,and (aies, Smite thispeople,!pray thee,withhlindnt(fc. With noother thendeadly intentions did thefe Aramites come down to Elifoa, yet doth not he fay, Smitcthem with the Sword, but, Smitethem with hlilfdnt(fc:Al the evil he wifheth tothem,is their repcntance1Therc was no way to fee their error, but by blindneffe. Hethat prayed for the openingof his Servants eyes,to fee his fafe-guard, praies for the blinding ofhis enemies, that they might not fee to doe hurt. 1 As the eyes of Elifban fervant were fo fhut,that they fawnot the Angels, when they faw the S7rians:fo the eyes ofthe Syrians fhall be likewife fhut,that when the~ E feet he man,they fhal notfec the Prophet. To at other objetts theireyes are cleare, onely to Elifba they fhall be blind,blindnotthrough darkneffe,butthrough mifknowledge : They fhall fc:e, and mifiake both the perfon •nd place. He that made the fenfes, caneither hold, ordeludethemat pleafure : How ealily can he offerto ! the light other reprefentations, then thofe which arifc from tbe vilible matter, and make the heart to beleeve them ? Jufily nowmightEiifhafay,ThiJ unot therll4y,neithlr iJ thiJthtCity,wherein E~ifoafhall bedefcryed.He was in D~than,but not as Elifoa,he fhall not be found but ID Sismaria; neither can they have any guide to him,but himfelfe. No fooner are they come into the ftreets of Samaria, then their eyes have leave toknow both the place & theProphet,The firft fight they have of themfc:lvs, is in the trap of Ijrael,in the )aWeS
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