Works of Joseph Hall, Part 45
IEROBOAMS Wife.
IT is no meaſuring of Gods fauour by the line of outward welfare: Ieroboam the idolatrous vſurper of Iſrael proſpers better, then the true heires of Dauid; Hee liues to ſee three ſucceſſions in the throne of Iuda; Thus the Iuy liues, when the oake is dead. Yet could not that miſ-gotten crown of his keep his head alwaies from aching: He hath his croſſes too: God whips ſometimes more then his own: His enemies ſmart from him, as well as his children: his children in louelove, his enemies in iudgement: Not ſimply the rod argues louelove, but the temper of the hand, that weelds it, and the backe that feeles it: Firſt Ieroboams hand was ſtriken, now his Sonne: Abijah the eldeſt, the beſt ſonne of Ieroboam, is ſmitten with ſickneſſe: As children are but the pieces of their Parents in another skin, ſo Parents are no leſſe ſtriken in their children, then in their naturall lims, Ieroboam doth not more feele his arme, then his ſonne: Not wicked men onelyonly, but beaſts may hauehave naturall affections: It is no thanke to any creature, to louelove his owne.
Nature wrought in Ieroboam, no grace: He is enough troubled with his ſons diſgrace, no whit bettered: I would hauehave heard him ſay; God followes me with his afflictions, it is for mine impiety: what other meaſure can I expect from his iuſtice? Whiles mine Idols ſtand, how can I look that my houſe ſhould proſper? I will turne from my wickednes, O God, turne thou from thy wrath; Theſe thoughts were too good for that obdured heart: His ſon is ſick, he is ſorrowfull; but (as an amazed man ſeeks to go forth at the wrong doore) his diſtraction ſends him to a falſe help: He thinks not of God, he thinks of his Prophet: He thinks of the Prophet that had foretold him he ſhould be a King; he thinks not of the God of that Prophet who made him a King: It is the property of a carnall heart to confine both his Obligations, and his hopes to the meanes, neglecting the Author of good. Vaine is the reſpect that is giuen to the ſeruant, where the Maſter is contemned.
Extremity drawes Ieroboams thoughts to the Prophet; whom elſe he had not cared to remember-The King of Iſrael had Diuines enow of his owne: Elſe, hee muſt needs hauehave thought them miſerable gods that were not worth a Prophet: And beſides, there was an old Prophet (if he yet ſuruiued) dwelling within the ſmoke of his Palace, whoſe viſions had bin too well approued: why would Ieroboam ſend ſo farre to an Ahijah?
Certainly, his heart deſpiſed thoſe baſe Prieſts of his high places; neither could truſt either to the gods, or the Clergie of his own making: His conſcience reſts vponupon the fidelity of that man, whoſe doctrine hee had forſaken: How did this Idolater ſtriue againſt his owne heart, whiles he inwardly deſpiſed thoſe, whom he profeſſed to honour; and inwardly honoured them, whom hee profeſſed to deſpiſe? Wicked breſts are falſe to themſelues; neither truſting to their owne choice, nor making choice of that, which they may dare to truſt. They will ſet a good face vponupon their ſecretly-vnpleaſing ſinnes, and had rather be ſelfe-condemned, then wiſe and penitent: As for that old Seer, it is like Ieraboam knew his skill, but doubted of his ſinceritie; that man was too much his neighbour to be good s Ahijahs truth had beene tryed in a caſe of his owne: Hee whoſe word was found iuſt in the prediction of his Kingdome, was well worthy of credit in the newes of his ſonne: Experience is a great encouragement of our truſt: It is a good matter to be faithfull; this loadſtone of our fidelity ſhall draw to vsus euen hearts of iron, & hold them to our reliance: As contrarily deceit doth both argue, and make a bankrupt; who can truſt where he is diſappointed? O God, ſo oft, ſo euer, hauehave we found thee true in all thy promiſes, in all thy performances, that if we doe not ſeeke thee, if wee doe not truſt thee in the ſequell, wee are worthy of our loſſe, worthy of thy deſertions.
Yet I do not ſee that Ieroboam ſends to the Prophet for his aide, but for intelligence: Curioſitie is guilty of this meſſage, and not deuotion; hee cals not for the prayers, not for the benediction of that holy man, but for meere information of the euent. He well ſaw what the prayers of a Prophet could doe: That which cured his hand, might it not hauehave cured his ſonne? Yet he that ſaid to a man of God. Intreat the face of the Lord thy God, that he may reſtore my hand: ſayes not now, in his meſſage to Ahijah, Intreat thy God to reſtore my Sonne: Sinne makes ſuch a ſtrangeneſſe betwixt God and man, that the guilty heart either thinkes not of ſuing to God or feares it; What a poore contentment it was to foreknow that euill which hee could not auoid, and whoſe notice could but haſten his miſery? Yet, thus fond is our reſtleſſe curioſity, that it ſeekes eaſe in the drawing on of torment: He is worthy of ſorrow that will not ſtay till it comes to him, but goes to fetch it.
Whom doth Ieroboam ſend on this meſſage, but his wife, & how, but diſguiſed? Why her, and why thus? Neither durſt he truſt this errand with another, nor with her in her own forme: It was a ſecret that Ieroboam ſends to a Prophet of God; none might know it but his owne boſome, and ſhe that lay in it; if this had bin noiſed in Iſrael, the example had been dangerous: Who would not hauehave ſaid, the King is glad to leaue his counterfeit deities, and ſeek to the true: Why ſhould we adhere to them whom he forſakes? As the meſſage muſt not be knowne to the people: ſo ſhee that beares it muſt not bee knowne to the Prophet, her name, her habit muſt be changed: ſhee muſt put off her robes, and put on a ruſſet coat; ſhe muſt put off the Queene, and put on the peaſant: in ſtead of her Scepter, ſhe muſt take vp a basket, and goe a masked pilgrimage to Shiloh: Oh the fondnes of vaine men that thinke to iuggle with the Almighty, & to hide their counſels from that all-ſeeing eye! If this change of habit were neceſſary at Bethel, yet what needs it at Shiloh; though ſhee would hide her face from her ſubiects, yet why ſhould ſhe not pull off her muffler, and ſhew her ſelfe to the Prophet? Certainly, what policy began, guiltineſſe muſt continue: Well might ſhe thinke, there can bee no good anſwer expected of the wife of Ieroboam; my preſence will doe no leſſe, then ſollicit a reproofe: No prophet can ſpeake well to the conſort of a founder of Idolatry; I may perhaps heare good as another, though as my ſelfe I can looke for nothing, but tidings of euill: Wicked hearts know they deſerue ill at Gods hands, and therefore they doe all they can to auoid the eyes of his diſpleaſed iuſtice, and if they cannot doe it by colours of diſſimulation, they will doe it by imploration of ſhelter; they ſhall ſay to the Rocks, Fall on vsus, and couer vsus.
But oh the groſſe folly mixt with the craft of wickedneſſe! could Ieroboam think that the Prophet could know the euent of his ſons diſeaſe, & did he think that he could not know the diſguiſe of his Wife? the one was preſent, the other future; this was but wrapt in a clout, that euent was wrapt vp in the counſell of God. Yet this politike head preſumes that the greater ſhall be reuealed, where the leſſer ſhall be hid: There was neuer wicked man that was not infatuate, and in nothing more then in thoſe things wherein he hoped moſt to tranſcend the reach of others.
Ahijah ſhunning the iniquity of the times, was retired to a ſolitarie corner of Shiloh; no place could be too priuate for an honeſt Prophet, in ſo extreme deprauedneſſe: Yet euen there doth the King of Iſrael take notice of his recluſion, & ſends his wife to that poore cell, laden with preſents; preſents that diſſembled their bearer: had ſhe offered iewels, or gold, her greatneſſe had bin ſuſpected: now ſhe brings loaues, and cracknels, and honey, her hand anſwers her backe: She giues as ſhe ſeemes, not as ſhe is: Something ſhe muſt giuegive, euen when ſhe acts the pooreſt client.
The Prophets of God were not wont to hauehave empty viſitations: they who hated bribes, yet refuſed not tokens of gratitude: Yea the God of heauen who neither needs our goods, nor is capable of our gratifications, yet would hauehave no man to come to him gift-leſſe: Woe to thoſe ſacrilegious hands, that in ſtead of bringing to the Prophets carie from them.
Ieroboam was a bad man, yet, as he had a towardly ſon, ſo he had an obedient wife; elſe ſhe had not wanted excuſes to turne off both the iourney, and the diſguiſe; againſt the diſguiſe ſhe had pleaded the vnbeſeemingneſſe for her perſon and ſtate; againſt the iourney, the perils of ſo long and ſolitarie a walk; perhaps a Lion might be in the way; the Lion that tore the Prophet in pieces; perhaps robbers; or if not they, perhaps her chaſtity might be in danger: an vnguarded ſolitarineſſe in the weaker fexe might bee a prouocation to ſome forced vncleanneſſe: ſhe caſts off all theſe ſhifting proiections of feare, according to the will of her husband, ſhe changes her raiment, ſhe ſets vponupon the iourney, and ouercomes it: What needed this diſguiſe to an old Prophet whoſe dim eyes were ſet with age? All cloathes, all faces were alike to a blind Seer: The viſions of Ahijah were inward; neither was his bodily ſight more dusky, then the eyes of his minde were cleare & piercing: It was not the common light of men whereby he ſaw, but diuine illumination; things abſent, things future were no leſſe obuious to thoſe ſpirituall beames, then preſent things are to vsus: Ere the quick eyes of that great Lady can diſcerne him, he hath eſpied her; and ſo ſoone as hee heares the ſound of her feet, ſhee heares from him the ſound of her name, Come in thou Wife of Ieroboam: How God laughes in heauen at the friuolous fetches of crafty politicians, and when they thinke themſelues moſt ſure, ſhames them with a detection, with a defeat? What an idleneſſe it is for fooliſh Hypocrites to hope they can dance in a net vnſeene of heauen?
Neuer before was this Queene troubled to heare of her ſelfe; now ſhee is; her very name ſtrucke her with aſtoniſhment; and prepares her for the aſſured horrour of following iudgements, I am ſent to thee with heauy tidings; Goe tell Ieroboam; Thus ſaith the Lord God of Iſrael. Could this Lady leſſe wonder at the mercy of this ſtile of God, then tremble at the ſequel of his iuſtice? Lo Iſrael had forſaken God, yet God ſtil ownes Iſrael. Iſrael had gone a whoring, yet God hath not diuorced her: Oh the infinit goodnes of our long-ſuffering God, whom our fouleſt ſins cannot rob of his compaſſions.
By how much dearer Iſrael was to God, ſo much more odious is Ieroboam that hath marred Iſrael: Terrible is that vengeance which God thunders againſt him by his Prophet; whoſe paſſionate meſſage vpbraids him with his promotions, chargeth him with his ſinnes, and laſtly denounceth his iudgements: No mouth was fitter to caſt this royalty in the teeth of Ieroboam, then that, by which it was firſt foretold, fore-promiſed; EueryEvery circumſtance of the aduancement aggrauates the ſin, I exalted thee; Thou couldeſt not riſe to honour alone. I exalted thee from among the people; not from the Peeres; thy ranke was but common, before this riſe: I exalted thee from among the people to be a Prince; ſubordinate height was not enough for thee, no ſeat would ſerue thee but a throne; Yea, to be a Prince of my people Iſrael: No Nation was for thee, but my choſen one; none but my royall inheritance; Neither did I raiſe thee into a vacant throne; a forlorne and forſaken Principality might be thankleſſe: but I rent the Kingdome away from another for thy ſake, yea from what other but the grand child of Dauid? out of his hands did I wreſt the Scepter, to giuegive it into thine: Oh what high fauours doth God ſometimes caſt away vponupon vnworthy ſubiects? How doe his abuſed bounties double both their ſinne, and iudgement?
The ſinne of this Prince were no leſſe eminent then his obligations, therefore his iudgements ſhall bee no leſſe eminent then his ſinnes: How bitterly doth God expreſſe that, which ſhall be more bitter in the execution: Behold, I will bring euill vponupon the houſe of Ieroboam, and will cut off from Ieroboam, him that piſſeth againſt the wall; and him that is ſhut vp, and left in Iſrael, and will take away the remnant of the houſe of Ieroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone: Him that dieth of Ieroboam in the Citie ſhall the dogs eate, and him that dieth in the field, ſhall the fowles of the aire eat: Oh heauy load that this diſguiſed Princeſſe muſt carie to her Husband; but becauſe theſe euils, though grieuous, yet might be remote, therefore for a preſent hanſell of vengeance, ſhe is diſmiſſed with the ſad tidings of the death of her ſonne; When thy feet enter into the Citie, the child ſhall dye; It is heauy newes for a mother that ſhee muſt leeſe her ſonne, but worſe yet that ſhee may not ſee him; In theſe caſes of our finall departures, our preſence giues ſome mitigation to our griefe: might ſhee but hauehave cloſed the eyes, and hauehave receiued the laſt breath of her dying ſonne, the loſſe had bin more tolerable; I know not how our perſonall farewell eaſes our heart, euen whiles it increaſes our paſſion; but now ſhe ſhall no more ſee, nor bee ſeene of her Abijah: She ſhall no ſooner be in the City, then hee ſhall bee out of the world: Yet more, to perfect her ſorrow, ſhee heares that in him alone there is found ſome good; the reſt of her iſſue, are graceleſſe; ſhe muſt leeſe the good, and hold the graceleſſe; he ſhall die to afflict her, they ſhall liue to afflict her.
Yet what a mixture is here of ſeueritie and fauour in one act? fauour to the ſonne ſeueritie to the father: Seueritie to the father, that hee muſt leeſe ſuch a ſonne, fauour to the ſonne that he ſhall be taken from ſuch a father: Ieroboam is wicked, and therefore he ſhall not enioy an Abijah; Abijah hath ſome good things, therefore hee ſhall be remoued from the danger of the deprauation of Ieroboam: Sometimes God ſtrikes in fauour, but more often forbeares out of ſeueritie: The beſt are fitteſt for heauen; the earth is fitteſt for the worſt; this is the region of ſinne, and miſery, that of immortalitie: It is no argument of diſ-fauour to be taken early from a well-led life; as not of approbation to age in ſinne.
As the ſoule of Abijah is fauoured in the remouall, ſo is his body with a buriall; he ſhall hauehave alone both teares and tombe; all the reſt of his brethren ſhall hauehave no graue but dogs and fowles; no ſorrow but for their life: Though the carkaſſe be inſenſible of any poſition, yet honeſt Sepulture is a bleſſing; It is fit the body ſhould bee duely reſpected on earth, whoſe ſoule is glorious in heauen.