Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 11 · Verse 3 – Verse 4
VERSE 3. Lord they hauehave killed thy Prophets, and digged downe thine Altars; and I am left alone, and they ſeeke my life.
IN theſe words is ſet downe the complaint of Eliah more particularly: in which are two things. Firſt, the perſon to whom he complaines, Lord. Secondly, the matter of the complaint, which is twofold. Firſt, The killing of the Prophets. Secondly, The digging downe of Altars. Both theſe aggrauated from the miſerable eſtate of Eliah, which appeared two waies, firſt, He is left alone, (in his owne opinion) ſecondly, They ſeeke his life alſo.
They: not onelyonly bellua multorum capitum, the vulgar: but Ahab, Ieſabel, Nobles, Commons and all, from the higheſt to the loweſt: Eſpecially Ieſabel, a diuelliſh and wicked woman, who added to the Idolatry of the Iſraelites the abomination of the Sydonians, and whoſe hatred againſt true religion was ſo great, that it came into a prouerb, ſuch being called Ieſabels.Apoc. 2.
Thy Prophets. Thy is added for more deteſtation of the fact. The Embaſſadors of a meane Prince are not to be wronged; but they hauehave killed Thy Prophets.
Thine Altars. An Altar was a building or Inſtrument, of earth, ſtone, or other ſtuffe, reared vp for the offering of Sacrifices.
Queſt. But what Altars means he? God cōmanded that there ſhould be no Altar (in ordinary) after the building of the Temple, but at Ieruſalem, where only Sacrifices were to bee offered, which is the cauſe that now the Iewes offer no ſacrifices, becauſe they want their Temple: Ahab could not come by the Altar at Ieruſalem, being out of his Kingdome: What Alter then meanes Ahab?
Anſw. Some ſay that the ſigne is put for the thing ſignified, and by Altars meant Religion, which was by Ahab and Ieſabel aboliſhed. But as the killing of the Prophets was a matter of fact, ſo alſo I take this to be, rather then of ſignification only. They threw downe material Altars, built in Abrahams, Iſaaks, Iacobs, Ioſuahs, and Samuels time, before the Temple was builded, and the Altars which were by Elias himſelfe and other Prophets, by ſpeciall commandement after the building of the Temple ſet vp: which were called afterward high Places, and the good Kings of Iudah commended for pulling them downe.1. Kin. 18.4.22.
Obiect. Why ſhould Eliah complaine of the doing of that by Ahab, which done by others is commended?
Anſw. Thoſe Altars remained as monuments of Gods worſhip, and Elias complaines not ſimply againſt their demoliſhing, but becauſe it was done in deſpite of true Religion, that no foot-ſtep thereof might remaine to put the people in minde of the true God, which if it had bin done in faith and reuerence, would hauehave beene commended. A Turk is plagued for ſtamping a Crucifix vnderunder his feet, not that God approues ſuch Images, but to reproue their vile minde therein ſhewed againſt Chriſt. Iulian (as Eccleſiaſticall hiſtories mention) plucked downe an Image of braſſe, made to reſemble Chriſt, at the foot whereof was the figure of the woman with the bloodie iſſue kneeling: in the roome of that Image of Chriſt, did the Apoſtate place his owne Image, which was by thunder and lightning ouerthrowne & broken in peeces, not that God was pleaſed with ſuch Images, but diſpleaſed with the wicked and ſpitefull heart of Iulian, thereby appearing.
And I am left alone. Not a Prophet alone, but a profeſſor alone, as appeares in Gods anſwere, who tels him, there were ſeuen thouſand left, not Prophets, but men.
Heereout ariſe two Doctrines: the one concerning the ſtate of the Church, in regard of the enemies of it: the other concerning the nature of ſuch enemies.
doctrine Firſt, God ſuffers ſometimes the enemies of his Church to preuaile againſt it, as Cain againſt Abel: the Moabites, Ammorites, Philiſtims, &c. againſt Iſrael: the High Prieſts, Scribes and phariſies againſt Chriſt: the Heathen Emperours againſt the Chriſtians: The Arrians for the ſpace of foureſcore yeeres againſt the Orthodoxall profeſſors: the Pope and Papiſts againſt the Proteſtants, as our forefathers hauehave felt in this Land.
Vſe 1.Proſperitie is no certaine note of the true Church.
Vſe 2.Though we hauehave enioyed an vninterrupted peace this many yeeres (which the Lord continue) yet God may ſuffer enemies to preuaile ouer vsus, and wee hauehave great reaſon to feare it.
Firſt, becauſe iniquitie, as Pride, Drunkenneſſe, &c. ſeeme to hauehave got the vpper hand.
Secondly, we hauehave ſeene and felt many Iudgements alreadie: the Peſtilence, Inundations of waters, deuouring fires in many the principall Townes of the Kingdome; yet what reformation followes? Becauſe we amend not by theſe, we hauehave cauſe to feare the killing of our Prophets, and digging downe our Altars.
Thirdly, becauſe of our fearefull hypocriſie, euer being much in ſhew and nothing in ſubſtance. God vſually makes true Chriſtians manifeſt, and diſcouers Hypocrites by ſuch trials. Theſe reaſons ſhew that we are in danger, and therefore ſhould not be ſecure, but prouide for ſuch a time; for as hee who is prouided to die, is the fitter to liue, ſo the forethinking of ſuch things, may (howſoeuer) much better vsus in grace. Religion hath coſt ſome their goods, their liberty, liues; why may it not vsus? This is our day, our Summer; it may hauehave a night and Winter following, againſt which it is wiſdome to prouide.
doctrine The enemies of true Religion are ſauage and cruell, ſpecially againſt the Miniſters of it, as appeares in the Papiſts, who when they faile of Arguments and Scripture to defend their cauſe, ſeeke to make their parts good with fire and ſword, according to this Logick was that Popes reſolution, Iulius.who flinging his keyes into Tiber, ſaid, If Peters keyes cannot, Pauls ſword ſhall.
Vſe 1.Art thou an enemie to the goſpell, and to the preachers of it and to them who liue godly? Thou art like Ieſabell, whom God met withall well enough, for euen the dogges did eaſe Ieſabell though a Queene.2. King. 9.35.
Vſe. 2.As an armie without a Generall, a ſhippe without a Pilot, ſheepe without a Shepheard, ſo is a congregation without a Miniſter: as Philip deſired the Athenians to ſend him their Orators, who perſwaded the people not to render vp their Citty, ſo the diuell moſt ſpiteth the Miniſters of the word, as the greateſt enemies to his kingdome, becauſe they call the people to repentance.
I would chronicle that miniſter (if faithfull) as a miracle which (euen in the dayes of peace) ſuffered not ſome perſecuti' on by the malice of the diuell. Eſteeme thy teacher for the hazard he endures for thy ſake.
Vſe 3.If thou beeſt perſecuted, ſo was Eliah; do as Eliah did: fly to God by prayer, for he prayed and was preſerued. VnderUnder the Iuniper tree, Eliah ſung a heauie note, but hees not a halfpenny the worſe; Ieſabell could not hinder him from riding to Heauen in a fiery Chariot, and we finde him afterwards comming downe on mount Tabor in a moſt glorious manner. Luther continued 30 yeares preaching the goſpell yet dyed peaceably in his bed; though the Pope hunted him and would hauehave giuen a good part of his tripple crowne to hauehave got him. God will either deliuer thee or glorifie himſelfe in thy conſtant enduring.
Vſe 4.The enemies of the Church hold together for the ouerthrow of religion, let vsus vnite our affections and forces for the maintaining it. The want of holy louelove and fellowſhip among Chriſtians, giues the diuill great aduantage. We helpe not one another; we reioyce not at the returning of Prodigals: when the Scribe had anſwered diſcreetly, Chriſt incouraged him, and when the young man manifeſted a conſcience in keeping the law, Chriſt looked vponupon him and loued him. But if we ſee any begining to feare God, we encourage him not, but rather giuegive him gall and vineger to drinke. Mat. 12.39 Mat. 10.21.Drunkards hang on a ſtring, Swearers ſhake hands, Adulterours make a league, Prodigalls are ſworne brethren, Papiſts hold together, much more let vsus which hold Chriſt ſtand to one another, helping and incouraging to godlineſſe.
Vſe. 5.Eliah complaines not of the whoredome, drunkennes, pride &c. of the people, though no doubt theſe ſinnes were rife among them, but of breaking Alters, and killing Prophets: the moſt greeuious inditement that can be put in againſt any man is that he is an enemie to religion. Its a mans greateſt honour to be religious and a worſhipper of God as the contrary will moſt of all other ſinnes, ſhame and confound vsus at the laſt day.
VERSE. 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.
IN theſe words is the anſwere of God to Eliah his complaint, wherein are two things. Firſt a preface. Secondly the ſubſtance of the anſwere.
The preface is in theſe words. But what ſayth the anſwere of God vntounto him? This preface is an elegant tranſition, (ſet downe by way of interrogation) from Eliahs complaint to Gods anſwere; as if Paule ſhould hauehave ſaid. You hauehave heard of Eliahs complaint, now you ſhall heare how God anſwers him. The word tranſlated anſwere, ſignifieth a diuine anſwere accuratly ſet downe.
doctrine All doubts in matters of religion, are to be decided by the word of God. Ioh. 5.39. Mar. 12.24. Eliah erred becauſe he ſpake without his booke, that is, Gods word.
Vſe.In all matters controuerted, remember this: but what ſayth the anſwere of God. Its queſtioned whether images be to be worſhipped, Angels and Saints prayed to. &c. who ſhall reſolue vsus? The Papiſts ſaye yea: but what ſayth the anſwere of God? We are to take no mans word, not the word of Eliah for a matter of faith; though ſuch a preacher, ſuch a great ſcholler, Eliah hold this or that, our plea muſt be, but what ſayth the ſcripture? For men may erre, but the anſwere of God is according to truth.
Remember this for matters of practiſe alſo. If it be queſtioned, whether thou ſhalt breake the Sabboth, commit whoredome, drunkenneſſe, deceiue thy neighbour &c. Thy companions it may be, and thine owne heart will intiſe thee to doe ſuch things: but what ſayth the ſcripture? It teacheth thee another leſſon, namely, that they which doe ſuch things ſhall be damned. Follow the aduiſe of the ſcripture, or elſe it will torment thee on thy death bed,