LIB. XX. Joafu llJith Elifua dying. 1281 A good; the teares werepious; but whereare the aCiionH 0 l,.fh ifthc Propher - were th~ father, where waschy filiall obedience ! Hee cried do:vn thy Cal~cs thou up eldll them 1 hoe counfdl•d thee togood, thou didll evill in the fight of th~ Lord.1 _Ifth~ Prophet w~rethe charetsand horfemen oflfrael, why didll thou fight agarnll hts holy doarme~ If thou wecpell for hislolfe, why didll thou not weep for thofe fins ofthine, that procured it! Had thine hand anfwered thy tongue, lfrael had been hdpy in Elifh•; Elifha had been happy tn Ifrael, and thee; Words are no goo trial! of profeffion: T~e worll men may fpeake well: Atlions have only the power to defcry hypocrW!s. B Yet even a I~afh thus complying, fhall not goe away unblefl"ed: This outward kindnefl"c flJall receive an outward r<tribution ; Thefe few drops of warm water fhed upon the face ofa Proph<t, fhal! not lofc their reward ; The fpirit of prophefieforfakesnotthe!death-bed of Elifka; Hee calls for bow, and arrows and puts them into the hand of Ioafh, and putting his hands upon the ](ing~ hand, he bids to fhoot Eallwlrd : and whiles the fhaft llyes, and Jights,he faics, Tht ..Arrow ofsht LDTds dtlwt"nct fr•m SJrla 1 for sh•• {halt (mite sht SJrians in Aphtk, tiU thou h4Jl <~nfomed them: I! the weak and wtthered hand of the Prophet had not been upon the youthfull, and vigorous hand of the King, this bow had beme drawne in vaine; the llr<ngth was from the hand of the King, the blcffing from the hand ofthe Propher: Hee whofe reall parable harh made the c earth to be.Syria , the arrow, revenge , the archer , Tufb, bath obtained for his lad boone from God to Ifrael, that this archer fhall thoot this arrowof revenge, intotheheartofSyria, and wound it todeath. When then the handoftheKing, and of the Prophet, drawes together, there cannot chufe but fuccef!"e mull fol10\Vt How readily doth Elifh• now makegood thewords of Ioajh ? How truly is hethe Charets and Horfemen oflfrad! Ifrael had not fought without him, much lefl"e had been vitloiious; Iftheirs be the indeavour,rhe fuccefl"e is his : Even tho dying Prophet puts life, and fpeed into the Forces of Ifracl, and whiles he is digging his qwn grave,is raifing Troph.es ro Gods people. He had received kiodnefl"e from the Syrians; amongllthem was he harbouCd in D the dearth ; and from f<ime oftheir Nobles, was prefented with rich gifts ; but their enmity to Ifrael drowoes all his private r<fpeds, hee runnot but profeffe hollility to the publique enemies of the Church: Neither can he content himfdfe with a fingle predidon of their ruine. He bids T••fo to take the arrowes, and fmite upon the ground, he fcrs no number of thofe llrokes; as fuppofing the frequence oftholeblowes, which Itajh mighnv~J (upon this former parabolical! ad: ) under/land to bee fignificant. Tbe flacke hand of the King fmires but thrice. So apt wee are to be waming ·to ourfdves; focoldly doe wee exocute the commands of God : The fick Prophet is not moJe grieved, then angry at this dull negligence;Doubtldfe God had revealed tohim{for his Jail gratification) that upon his lerVCilt prayers, il'> oft as lot(! thould voluntarily (after his ~enerall E charge) fmite the earth, fo oft fh0uld I rad fmite Syria. Elifh.es zeal oth not Janouilh with his body: with afatherlyauthori~ he chides him, who had lliled hi~ father; not fearing rofpepd{ome ofhis la windcin amildc reproofe, Th'" IJ!ouldtfl ha'llt f•illm fivt or fix timts , tbtntho• haJjl[mitten Sfrl.siU thouhadfJ <M· [ot11<d 11, '"""'"' ,.,. tb•• fb•/1 [111itt SJri~ bus thrlre. Not tbbt ~he ~nchangeable decree ofthe Almighty meant to fufpend 11 felfe upon the uncertame tf!"ueof uajhts will • but, he that putsthis word into themouth ofhis Prophet, puts this motion , into ;hchandofthe King,which did not morewillingly /lay, then neceffarily obey t)Jepr...,idencewherebyitwasllirred. Even whiles wee have our fredl choyce, wee fall upon thofe adions and circumflances, "Yhcreby the jull and h~ly wtll of ourGod is brought about. Our very ocglcd:s,our tgnoranccs !hall fulfil! hiS eternal! counfells. Elifb•
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