Contemplations. LIB. · XX. Elifh• dic:s,and is buried;hismiracles doe not ceafe with his life: Who c:ia mar. .f.. veil that his livingprayers raifed the foo of the sho1M11111t, when his dead bones raife thecarkaffethatrouchedthcm. God will befrceinhiswor"kc:s; he thatmu!t die himfelfe ycdhallreviyeanother, !be fame power might have CO!Itin~d life to him,that ga~c !t b_Y. his bones. If•tllhall well re: that he lives, by whofc y.;'ritl~·e: lifh• was bothmlife,and death,mtraculous: Whtles the Prophetwas ahve, the tot· petrationmight feem to be his,though the power were Gods; now that he is dead, the bones canchallenge nothing,but fend the wandriog Ifr•tlitts to that almighty Agent, to whomit is all oneto worke by the quick, or dead. Were not themen of Ifracl more dead then tht carkaffe thus buried, how could they cboofe but fee in thisrcvived corps, an embleme oftheir own condition! How could they choofc but rhink, Ifwe adhere to the God of Ellfh•, he lhall raifc our decayed e!latcs, and B rcfiorc our nation to the former glory. The Sudum had a5 yet no being in Ifr.el, wirhwhat face could that heretic ever afterlook into the world,whco before the birthofit,it was fo palpably convinced, with anexampleofthe rcfurrcllion~ Jmermillieo of timc;and degrees of corrupti. onaddenothrngtothcimpollibilityofour rifiog : The body that is once cold in death, bath no more aptitude to a «animation, then that which is moldred into du!l; Oncly the divine power of theMaker, mu!l refiorc 'either, can rcfiore both: When we arc dcad,aod baried in the grave of our finne, it is onely the touch of Gods Prophcts,applying unto us the death and rcfurreaion ofthe Son ofGod, that can put new life iato U! 1Noleffetru<,though fpirituall, is rhe miracle of our railing up from an •Rate of inwardcorruption,toa lifeofgrac<. C Yet all this prevailc:s ootwith l{r'tl: No bones of Elifh• could raife them from their wick•d Idolatry: and, notwithfianding their grolfe finocs, I•il}h their King profpcrs:Whethcr itwere for the fake of Iebu, whofe grand·child hewas, or for the fake ofEli/h•,whofe face hewept upon,his hand is notably fuccc!fcfull: not only againft thefon ofH•t"I,Kiog of Syria, whom he beats out ofthe Cities of Ifracl; but,againfr A••:Q•h King of}udah,whom he took Prifoner,beating down the very wals of}erufalem,and rccumingladeo with the facred, and rich fpoile both of the Tcmple,andCourt,to hisSamaria. Oh the depthofthe divine Ju!lice, and wifedome in thefe outward admini!lrations!The bcfi caufe,tbe be{! man doth not everfare he{! : A"'•:Q•h did that which was right in the fight ofthe Lord;I••fo,evill: Am•:Q•h foilowes D•viJ(though not D with •quail p•ces)I••Jh followcs Imb••,.,ycr is A11U:Q•h lhamefully foiled by l.,fh; Whether God yet meant to vifitupon this King ofJudah , dle!lill-odious unthankfulnc!fe ofhis father to Ieh1id•; or, to plague Judah for their time in the bloud of zukul•,and their hterevoltto Idolatry1or,whether Am•:Q•hs toomuch conlid•nce in hisown !lrength (which moved his bold challenge to l"Jh) were thought fit to be thus taken downe; orwhat ever other fecrct ground of Gods judgemrnt there might be,it is not for our prefumption to enquire:Who fo by the event lhal judge of lovc,orhatred,lhall be fure to run upon that woe, which belongsto them that call good evill,aod cvill good. What a ravage pcrcc of ju!lice it is to put the right, wheth•r of inheritance, or honour,tothe decifionofthe fword, when _it is no newes for the betterto mifcarry E by the hand oftheworfe. Therace is not tothe fwift ; the battcll isnot to the ftrong ; ao not to the good: Perhaps,Godwil corrc&his owa by a foylespcrhaps,he will plague hiseneltlyby a vi&ory.They arc only Oljt fpirituall combats wherein ourfaithfull courascis fure of acrownc.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=