- (ontemp!ations. LIB. XX. confiocdtohisownNation;forraincountricstakenoticeofit; and Kings arc glad A to lillen after him; and woo him with prcfcnrs: Bmhdllfi the King of s1rl• whofc· counfells he had dccetlcd,rcjoyccth to hcare ofhis prefence;and now, as ha;ing forgotten that he had fcnt awhole Holl,to beficgc the Prophet in Doth•n, fends an honourablemclfengcr to him, laden with the burden offatty Camels , to confulc with this Oracle,conccroing his ficknelfc,and recovery. This Syrl•n belike indi!lrc1fc !lares not trull to his own gods; but having had good proofe ofthe power ofthe God oflfrael,both in N••m•ns cure, and in chemiraculousdcfeacsofhis greatcll forces, is glad to fen~ to that fervant of God, whom he had perfccuted. Wtckcd men arc not the fame m health and in ficknclfc: their affiitlion is worchy of the thaokes,iftheybe well mindcd;norrhemfdves. Doubt!die the errandof Btlfhllli•d was not only to enquire of the ilfue of his dif- B cafe, but eo require the Prayersofthe Prophet for agood ilfue: Even thewor!l man doth fo love bimfdfe,that he can be content to make a bendiciall ufe of thofc ioftruments,whofe goodnclfc he hatcth. H •{ael the chiefc Pecrcof Syri• is defigncd to this mclfagc ; The wealth of his pref<m llrives with the humility of his cariage,and fpcech : T by [on B<nh•d•dKing ofSyri• hathfont me t1 thee,J•yi~g,sh.tllrtcDvtrofthii diftAft? Not long lince,Ieh1 • rAm King of lfrael ha<lfaid to Elifh•, My f•thtr,fo•N Ifmltethem?and now BtRhad•d King ofSyri•,fayes,<.My f•ther,JhaO I'"'"'"' Loc how this poorc Meh•l•thitt bath Kings to his !onncs: How great is the honour ofGods Prophets with Pagans, with · Princes~ Who can be but confounded to fee Evangelical! Prophets dcfpifed by the meane!l Chriflians! C · It is more then a fingle anfwcr that the Prophet returnes to this mclfaae: One anfwer he gives to Benbadad,that fent it;anothcr he gives ro Haz~tl , that brings it: That to Benhadad,is, Thou m•ifl forti] recovtr?Thatto H•{ael, The Lordha1h fot,.td merlw he foaOJurtiJ die: What !hall we fay thcn~Is there a lye, or an equivocation in the holy mouth ofthe Prophet~ God forbid: It is one thing what Otall be the nacurcandiffucofthcdifcafe;Anothcrrhing what may outwardly befall the perfon of Bmh•dad: The quc!lion is movedofthe former 1 wbereto the anfwcr is dirctl; The difeafe is not mortall;But withallan intimation is given to the bearer, ofan c. vent beyond the reachof his demand;which he may know, but either needs not, or may not returne: Tht L~rd hathfoeroed me th41 heJh•flforely dit; by another means, though not by the difcafr. D The Seer ofGod defcries more in Ha~tl, then he could fee in himfdfe1he fixes his eyes therefore !ledfallly inthe Syri•ns face, as one chat in thofe lines read the bloody !lory ofhislifr. Haz•el bluOtes,E/ifh• weeps; The ioremion ofthofe eies did not fo llJUchamazc H a::.•el, as the teares; As yet he was not guilty to himfelfeof any wrong that might llraineout this juycc of forrow: Why umptth my Lord? The Prophet fearcsnottoforeccll Haz aelal! the villanies which he fhould once doe to Ifraei;How he !hould fire their forrs,and kill their young men,and rip thc1JJO. thcrs, and da!h their children. I marvell nbt now at rhc tcares of thofc eyes which forefl\V this mifcrable va!lation of the inheritance of God ; The very mention whereofis abhorred ofthe fumrc author:Wh•t ii1hy firv•nt • d•t• th•t r fl>~uld tl• thii E great 1hing? They arc f1vage crueltieswhereofthou fpcakell; It were more fit for me to weep that thou !houldll repute me fo brutitb ; I !hould no leffc condemnc my felfc for a beafr,ifl could fufpea my own degeneration f-> farre. Wicked men arc carkd into thole heights of impiecic, which they could not in their good mood have poflibly beleevcd;Nature is fubject eo favourab!c opi~ions of ic fdf; & will rather mi!lrull a Prophet ofGod,thcn her own good d1fpofinon:How many from ho· ne !I beginnings,have rifcn to incredible liccntioufnc!fc, whofc liycs are now fucb, that it were as hard for a man to bclccvc they had ever been good, as to have per· fwaded them once they !houldprove fo dcfperatcly ill_. • . • . I Togive fome overture unto Hu.atl ofthe opportunuy ofthts cnfumg m1fchiefe; the Prophet foretells him from God,that he !hall betheKingof syrl•. . He
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