I Lll!. XX. The Shunamitefoing,&c. A I fenfibly orders all ourwayes, as to his own holy purpofes, fo to our beft advan- ! · tag•. . What doth Iehmm the King talking with Gehe'{j theLepct ~ That veryprefence was an eyefore. But ifthe cohabitation with the infeCtious were for-bidden, yet not the conference. Certoinly, I begin to think offome goodoetfc in both thefe : Hod there not becnfomegoodnctfciolehor•m, he had not taken pleafureto heore even from a leprous mouth, the miraculous aCls and praifcs ofGods Prophct;Had ~here not been fomegoodne!fe inGehez l, he h,.t not after f" featfull an infliClioo of judgcmcm thus iogenuoully recounted thcpraifcs of his fevcrc Mafter 1 be that told that dcarc: bought lie to the Prophet, tells now all tntths of'the Prophet, to the King: Perhaps B his leprofie had mode himcleane; Iffo: Happy was it for him that his forohead was white with the difeafe, if his foule became hereupon whi:e with repentance. Bat we may well know that the defire, or report of hifloricall Truchs, doth nocalwaies argue gme<. Still IthDr•m, after the inquiryofthe Prophets miracles, cominucs his Idolatry; He choc was curious eo hearken after the wonecr; of E/ifhJ, is noccarcfull rofollow his doClrine; Thercfor< oreGthtzi ond thcShunamitt met before him, that he moy beconviCted, who will not be reformed: Why was itdfc that the prefence ofthe perfons fhould chusincxpeClcdly make good the rdation, if God had not meonc !heinexcufobknes of Ithoram, whiles he muft need< fay within himfdf;Thus / potenttstheProphetofthocGod, whom Iobeynot; Were notE.Iifbm the true j C God,how could heworkfuch wonc'crs ~ Andithebethe true God, why is he not mine~ But what~ Shall! change Ahabs God for I<hofh•ph•ts f No; I cannot deny the miracles,! will not admit ofthe Author: Let E.!ijbJ be p~werfoll,l will be conflanc. 0 wretched lehor.m1 howmuch better had ir boen for thee never to have feen the face of Gehezl, ond the fonnc ofthe Shnnamitc,chen to goc oway unmoved with the vengeance of leprofie in the one, with the mercilull refufciration of the other! Therefore is thy judgement fearfully aggravated, becaufethou wouldfl nocyedd to whatchoucouldft noroppofe. Had not Ah•hsobduratene!fe been propagated to his fon,fo powerfull demonfirations ofdivine power could not have been undfe. ttuali.Wicked hearts3Cefomuch worfe by howmuch God is bmer; Thisanvile is the harder by being continually beaten upon, whether with judgements or mercy. Yet this good ufc will God have madeofthisreport, and this prefence,chat the ID poor Shtmamite fbJil have jufiice; That fonne, whofe litC: was reftorcd, fbJ!I have his inheritonce revived ; His eflate fh1ll fure the better for F.lifhm miracles : How much more will ourmercifull God fecond his own bleflings, when rhe favours of unjull men arc therefore drawne to us, becaufe we have been the fubjetts of divine beneficc:nceo:> It wos a large,and full award,tbat this occurrence drew from the King;Reft•re .u thllwMhm,andaBthefr•lts oftke fitld,fince the da7 that foe l<ft the land, evtn untiO now. Not the prcfem po!feflion only is given her, but the arerages. Nothing hinders, butthatoucward jufiicc moy fl1nd with grotfe Idolmy, The WidO\V may thaoke E.lij/M for this; His miracle wrought (!ill, and puts this new E life in her dead efiate; his abfence did that fat the prefervation of life, which his prefcnce did for the reftoring it from death. She_e chat wos fo reody to cxpoflulatc with the mon of God,opon the lo!fc of her fon,m•ghc perhaps havebeen as ready to impmc thelotfeofbereftatc to his advice; Now, that for his fake lbe is enriched withher owne,howdoth fhe bk!fe God for fo happy a gueft ~ When we have forgotten our own good tucnes,God remembers and crowns them : Let us doe good eo all whiles we havecime,but cfpeciolly to the hou010ld offJith. Could I{r.el have been fenfible oftheir own condition, it was no fmall unhap· pineffe to lofe chcprefenceof E.lifh.: Whether,for the Idolacrics, or for the famine· of Ifr.el, the Prophet is gone intoSJrl•; No doubt Na.man wdcomd him thither; and now would force upon him thanks for·his cure, which the man of God would • not receive athomr. How famous is he nowgrownthat was cakeo from the Tcame ~ His name is not 0 oo o o • confined
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