Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 11 · Verses 2-4
VERSE 2. Wote you not what the ſcripture ſaith of Elias? How be maketh intercesſion to GOD againſt Iſrael, ſaying.
3 Lord they hauehave killed thy prophets, and digged downe thine Alters, and I am left alone, and they ſeeke my life.
4 But what ſayth the anſwere of God vntounto him. I hauehave reſerued to my ſelfe 7000 men who hauehave not bowed the knee to the Image of Baal.
NOw followeth the fourth part of Paules anſwere, taken from an inſtance of the like caſe in the dayes of Elias: he brings a booke caſe for it. In the dayes of Elias the ten Tribes did generally reuolt from God, and followed Ieroboams Idols, ſo as in the prophets eye, as farre as he could ſee, God had quite forſaken them as they had forſaken him. Yet 7000 remained in thoſe deſperate times; ſo alſo now though …d hath deſeruedly caſt off the Iewiſh nation, yet there are 7000 that belong vntounto him, and by conſequence their reiection is not totall.
In this inſtance are two things.
1. a preface.
2. The example inſtanced.
Firſt of the preface, which is in theſe words. Wot you not what the ſcripture ſaith of Elias? Being a rhetoricall communication wherein Paule conuinceth them by their owne knowledge.
Wot you not what the Scripture ſayth of Elias? Or in Elias, that is in the ſtorie of Elias, or in the booke of Elias; for ſome hauehave holden that Elias wrot that booke of the Kings, as if he ſhould ſay, you cannot I am ſure but remember Elias his ſtorie very well; you are not, or ſhould not be ignorant of it.
doctrine Its very profitable to be acquainted with the hiſtories of the Bible, and to make vſe of them. Our Sauiour and Paule approue, his by their practiſe: Mat: 12.3.5. 1. Cor 10.1 &c. HaueHave you not read ſayth Chriſt, doe you not know ſayth Paule. So alſo: practiſed, Iames, Peter, Iude, Iohn, as in their Epiſtles appeares.
Vſe.We muſt ſtudy ſtories: for beſide the pleaſantneſſe of ſuch ſtudy, it is exceeding profitable, being pictures or glaſſes wherein we may diſcerne both what is good and bad, and what wee may expect as a reward either of our vices or vertues.
There was neuer any man of note for wiſdome who was a ſtaunger in ſtory. And indeed ſtate policie in a great part conſiſts in obſeruation of former hiſtories: Eccleſ. 1.for there is no new thing vnderunder the ſunne. The counſell of the auntient for their long experience is of great reckoning: but hiſtorie is of more, in as much as diuturnitie of time comprehends more then the length of one mans age. That famous Alphonſus King of Arragon, was wont to ſay that the dead were to be conſulted with all, meaning the writings and examples of ſuch who are in auntient ſtorie commended vntounto vsus, which was the way whereby Zeno the wiſe Philoſopher obtained ſo great reputation of worthineſſe: Ioh. Iacob. Beur. Saccing, in Synop. hiſtor.This ſtudie is profitable to Magiſtrates for gouernment, to Miniſters for exhortation, to all for ordering their liues with befitting moderation. Be then conuerſant diligently in ſtory, ſpecially of the Church contained in the Bible and eccleſiaſticall writers. And remember that the life of ſtory is vſe and application for godlines, otherwiſe I may ſay of knowledge, as Solomon of Riches, I hauehave ſeene knowledge, ſerued to the hurt of the owner.
The example of Abraham, Moſes, Dauid &c. are as ſtarres in whoſe light if we walke we ſhal through faith and patience inherit the promiſes. On the otherſide, Cain, Sodom, Iudas, are as warning-peeces to auoid their ſinnes, as Lots wife was for this end turned into a pillar of ſalt to ſeaſon after-commers by her example.
Thou ſeeſt theeues and murderers yeerely come to open puniſhment and ſhame. Beware thou alſo of the reuenging hand of God: thou heareſt of vncleane perſons and drunkards, how ſome fail into beggery, ſome into lotheſome diſeaſes ſome into ſodaine death in the midſt of their cups, moſt into hardneſſe of heart. Mee thinkes it ſhould affright the drunkard when he goes out of his dores to the alehouſe, to remember that ſome hauehave ſo gon, who neuer hauehave returned home againe. The old poyſonous viper, is at length taken and made into treacle to be a preſeruatiue againſt poyſon. So God will take thee, thou viper, thou abhominable ſinner, and make treacle of thee, that becauſe thou wilt not profit by the example of others, others may profit themſelues by thy example. This is that which God laid to Ieruſalems charge by the Prophet She profits not by Sodomes example: Ezech. 16.56.this alſo is charged vponupon Balſhazzar, who was puniſhed the more, and the ſooner, becauſe he profited not by that domeſticall and pregnant example of Gods iudgment on his grandfather Nabuchadnezzar: Dan. 5.18.ſinne is not made leſſe by tract of time but greater; becauſe in ſuch continuance there are extant the more examples of Gods iudgments againſt ſinners.