History of the Old Testament Volume 7, Part 12
AHAZIAH ſicke, and ELIJAH reuenged.
AHaziah ſucceeds his father Ahab, both in his throne, and in his ſin: Who could looke for better iſſue of thoſe loines, of thoſe examples? God followes him with a double iudgement; of the reuolt of Moab; and of his owne ſicknes: All the reigne of Ahab, had Moab beene a quiet Tributarie; and furniſhed Iſrael with rich flockes, and fleeces; now their ſubiection dies with that warlike King, and will not be inherited; This rebellion tooke aduantage, as from the weaker ſpirits, ſo from the ſickly body of Ahaziah; whoſe diſeaſe was not naturall, but caſuall; Walking in his Palace of Samaria, ſome grate in the floore of his Chamber, breakes vnderunder him, and giues way to that fall, whereby he is bruiſed, and languiſheth; The ſame hand that guided Ahabs ſhaft, crackes Ahaziahs latteſſe; How infinite varietie of plagues hath the iuſt God for obſtinate ſinners? whether in the field or in the chamber, hee knowes to finde them out; How feareleſly did Ahaziah walke on his wonted pauement? The Lord hath laid a trap for him, whereinto, whiles he thinkes leaſt, he fals irrecouerably; No place is ſafe for the man that is at variance with God.
The body of Ahaziah was not more ſicke, than his ſoule was graceleſſe: None but chance was his enemy, none but the God of Ekron muſt be his friend; He looks not vp to the Omnipotent hand of diuine iuſtice for the diſeaſe, or of mercy for the remedy; An Idoli is his refuge, whether for cure, or intelligence; We heare not till now of Baal-zebub; this new God of flies is (perhaps) of his making, who now is a ſuter to his owne erection; All theſe heathen deities were but a Deuill, with change of appellations; the influence of that euill ſpirit deluded thoſe miſerable clients; elſe, there was no flie ſo impotent as that out-ſide of the God of Ekron; Who would think that any Iſraelite could ſo far dote vponupon a ſtocke or a Fiend? Time gathered much credit to this Idoll; in ſo much as the Iewes afterwards ſtiled Beel-zebub, the Prince of all the regions of darkneſſe: Ahaziah is the firſt that brings his Oracle in requeſt, and paies him the tribute of his deuotion; Hee ſends meſſengers, and ſaies, Goe enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, whether I ſhall recouer of this diſeaſe; The meſſage was either idle, or wicked; idle, if he ſent it to a ſtocke; if to a deuill, both idle and wicked. What can the moſt intelligent ſpirits know of future things, but what they ſee either in their cauſes, or in the light of participation; What a madneſſe was it in Abaziah to ſeeke to the poſterne, whiles the foregate ſtood open? Could thoſe euill ſpirits truly foretell euents no way pre-exiſtent, yet they might not, without ſinne, be conſulted; the euill of their nature debarres all the benefit of their information; If not as Intelligencers, much leſſe may they be ſought to, as gods: who cannot bluſh to heare and ſee, that euen the very Euangelicall Iſrael ſhould yeeld Pilgrimes to the ſhrines of darkneſſe? How many, after this cleere light of the Goſpel, in their loſſes, in their ſickneſſes, ſend to theſe infernall Oracles, and damne themſelues wilfully, in a vaine curioſitie; The meſſage of the Iealous God intercepts them, with a iuſt diſdaine, as heere by Elijah, Is it not becauſe there is not a God in Iſrael, that ye goe to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? What can be a greater diſparagement to the true God than to be neglected, than to ſtand aſide, and ſee vsus make louelove to an helliſh riuall? were there no God in Iſrael, in heauen, what could we doe other? what worſe? This affront of what euer Ahaziah cannot eſcape without a reuenge: Therefore thus ſaith the Lord; Thou ſhalt not come downe from that bed, on which thou art gone vp, but ſhalt ſurely die. It is an high indignitie to the true God, not to be ſought to, in our neceſſities; but ſo to be caſhiered from our deuotions, as to hauehave a falſe god thruſt in his roome, is ſuch a ſcorne, as it is well if it can eſcape with one death: Let now the famous god of Ekron take off that brand of feared mortalitie, which the liuing God hath ſet vponupon Ahaziah: Let Baal-zebub make good ſome better newes to his diſtreſſed ſuppliant: Rather the King of Iſrael is himſelfe (without his repentance) haſting to Beel-zebub. This errand is ſoone done; The meſſengers are returned, ere they goe: Not a little were they amazed to heare their ſecret meſſage from anothers mouth; neither could chuſe but thinke; He that can tell what Ahaziah ſaid, what he thought, can foretell how he ſhal ſpeed; We hauehave met with a greater God than wee went to ſeeke; what need we inquire for another anſwer; With this conceit, with this report, they returne to their ſicke Lord, and aſtoniſh him with ſo ſhort, ſo ſad a relation; No maruell if the King inquired curiouſly of the habit, and faſhion of the man, that could know this, that durſt ſay this; They deſcribe him a man whether of an hairy skinne, or of rough, courſe, careleſſe attire; thus dreſt, thus girded; Ahaziah readily apprehends it to bee Elijah, the old friend of his father Ahab, of his mother Iezebel: More than once had he ſeene him (an vnwelcome gueſt) in the Court of Iſrael; The times had beene ſuch, that the Prophet could not at once ſpeake true, and pleaſe; Nothing but reproofes and menaces founded from the mouth of Elijah; Michaiah and he were ſtill as welcome to the eyes of that guiltie Prince, as the Syrian arrow was into his fleſh; Too well therefore had Ahaziah noted that querulous Seer, and now is not a little troubled to ſee himſelfe (in ſucceſſion) haunted with that bold, and ill-boding ſpirit.
Behold the true ſonne of Iezebel; the anguiſh of his diſeaſe, the expectation of death cannot take off the edge of his perſecution of Elijah; It is againſt his will that his death-bed is not bloudy: Had Ahaziah meant any other than a cruell violence to Elijah, hee had ſent a peaceable meſſenger, to call him to the Court, he had not ſent a Captaine, with a band of Souldiers, to fetch him; the inſtruments which hee vſeth, carrie reuenge in their face: If he had not thought Elijah more than a man, what needed a band of fiftie to apprehend one? and if hee did thinke him ſuch, why would he ſend to apprehend him by fiftie? Surely Ahaziah knew of old how miraculous a Prophet Elijah was; what power that man had ouer all their baſe Deities; what command of the Elements, of the heauens; and yet he ſends to attache him; It is a ſtrange thing to ſee how wilfully godleſſe men ſtriue againſt the ſtreame of their owne hearts; hating that which they know good, fighting againſt that which they know diuine; What a groſſe diſagreement is in the meſſage of this Iſraelitiſh Captaine? Thou man of God, the King bath ſaid, Come downe; If he were a man of God, how hath he offended? and if he hauehave iuſtly offended the annointed of God, how is he a man of God? And if he bee a man of God, and hauehave not offended, why ſhould he come downe to puniſhment? Here is a kinde confeſſion, with a falſe heart, with bloudie hands: The world is full of theſe windy curteſies, reall cruelties: Deadly malice lurkes vnderunder faire complements, and whiles it flatters, killeth. The Prophet hides not himſelfe from the purſuit of Ahaziah; rather he ſits where hee may be moſt conſpicuous, on the top of an hill; this band knowes well where to finde him; and climbes vp, in the ſight of Elijah, for his arreſt; The ſteepneſſe of the aſcent (when they drew neere to the higheſt reach) yeelded a conuenience both of reſpiration and parle; thence doth the Captaine imperiouſly call downe the Prophet. Who would not tremble at the dreadfull anſwer of Elijah, If I be a man of God, then let fire come downe from heauen and conſume thee, and thy fiftie; What ſhall we ſay? That a Prophet is reuengefull, that Souldiers ſuffer whiles a Prophet ſtrikes; that a Princes command is anſwered with imprecation, words with fire, that an vnarmed Seer ſhould kill one and fiftie at a blow? There are few tracks of Elijah that are ordinary, and fit for common feet; His actions are more for wonder, than for precedent: Not in his owne defence would the Prophet hauehave beene the death of ſo many, if God had not by a peculiar inſtinct made him an inſtrument of this iuſt vengeance; The diuine iuſtice findes it meer to doe this for the terror of Iſrael, that he might teach them, what it was to contemne, to perſecute a Prophet; that they might learne to feare him whom they had forſaken, and confeſſe that heauen was ſenſible of their inſolencies, and impieties; If not as viſibly, yet as certainly doth God puniſh the violations of his ordinances, the affronts offered to his meſſengers ſtill and euer: Not euer with the ſame ſpeed; ſometimes, the puniſhment ouertakes the act; ſometimes dogs it afarre off, and ſeizeth vponupon the offender, when his crime is forgotten. Here, no ſooner is the word out of Elijahs mouth, than the fire is out of heauen: Oh the wonderfull power of a Prophet! There ſits Elijah in his courſe mantle, on the top of the hill, and commands the heauens, and they obey him, Let fire fall downe from heauen; Hee needs no more but ſay what he would hauehave done; The fire fals downe, as before, vponupon the ſacrifice in Carmel, ſo now vponupon the Souldiers of Ahaziah; What is man in the hands of his Maker? One flaſh of lightning hath conſumed theſe one and fiftie; And if all the hoſts of Iſrael, yea of the world, had beene in their roomes, there had needed no other force; What madneſſe is it for him whoſe breath is in his noſthrils, to contend with the Almightie? The time was, when two zealous Diſciples would faine hauehave imitated this fiery reuenge of Elijah, and were repelled with a checke; The very place puts them in minde of the iudgement: Not farre from Samaria was this done by Elijah, and wiſht to bee done by the Diſciples: So churliſh a reiection of a Sauiour ſeemed no leſſe hainous, than the endeuour of apprehending a Prophet; Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heauen, and conſume them, as Elias did. The world yeelded but one Elias; That which was zeale in him, might he fury in another; the leaſt variation of circumſtance may make an example dangerous; preſently therefore doe they heare, Ye know not of what ſpirit ye are; It is the calling that varies the ſpirit; Elijah was Gods miniſter for the execution of ſo ſeuere a iudgement, they were but the Seruants of their owne impotent anger; there was fire in their breaſts, which God neuer kindled; farre was it from the Sauiour of men, to ſecond their earthly fire, with his heauenly; He came indeed to ſend fire vponupon earth; but to warme, not to burne; and if to burne, not the perſons of men, but their corruptions; How much more ſafe is it for vsus to follow the meeke Prophet of the New Teſtament, than that feruent Prophet of the Old: Let the matter of our prayers be the ſweet dewes of mercy, not the fires of vengeance.
Would not any man hauehave thought Ahaziah ſufficiently warned by ſo terrible a iudgement: Could he chuſe but ſay, It is no medling with a man that can ſpeak lightning and death; What he hath ſaid concerning me, is too well approued by what he hath done to my meſſengers; Gods hand is with him, mine ſhall not be againſt him; Yet now, behold, the rage of Ahaziah is ſo much the more kindled by this fire from heauen; and a more reſolute Captaine, with a ſecond band, is ſent to fetch Elijah to death; This man is in haſte; and commands not onelyonly his deſcent, but his ſpeed; Come downe quickly: The charge implyes a threat; Elijah muſt looke for force, if hee yeeld not; There needs no other weapon for defence, for offence, than the ſame tongue, the ſame breath; God hath fire enough for all the troupes of Ahaziah: Immediatly, doth a ſudden flame breake out of heauen, and conſume this forward Leader, and his bold followers: It is a iuſt preſage and deſert of ruine, not to bee warned: Worthily are they made examples, that will not take them.
What Marble, or Flint is harder than a wicked heart? As if Ahaziah would deſpightfully ſpit in the face of heauen, and wreſtle a fall with the Almightie, he will needs yet againe ſet a third Captaine, vponupon ſo deſperate an imployment; How hot a ſeruice muſt this Commander needs thinke himſelfe put vponupon? Who can but pittie his ſtraits? There is death before him, death behinde him: If he goe not, the Kings wrath is the meſſenger of death; if he goe, the Prophets tongue is the executioner of death; Many an hard taske will follow the ſeruice of a Prince wedded to his paſſion, diuorced from God; Vnwillingly, doubtleſſe, and fearefully doth this Captaine climbe vp the hill, to ſcale that impregnable Fort; but now, when he comes neere to the aſſault, the batterie that he laies to it, is his prayers; his ſureſt fight is vponupon his knees; He went vp, and came, and fell vponupon his knees, before Elijah, and beſought him, and ſaid vntounto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of theſe fiftie thy ſeruants, be pretious in thy ſight; hee confeſſes the iudgement that befell his Predeceſſors; the monuments of their deſtruction were in his eye, and the terror of it, in his heart; of an enemy therefore he is become a ſuppliant, and ſues not ſo much for the Prophets yeeldance, as for his owne life; This was the way to offer violence to the Prophet of God, to the God of that Prophet, euen humble ſupplications; Wee muſt deprecate that euill, which wee would auoid; if wee would force bleſſings, we muſt intreat them; There is nothing to be gotten from God by ſtrong hand, any thing by ſuit. The life of the Captaine is preſerued; Elijah is by the Angell commanded to goe downe with him, ſpeedily, feareleſly. The Prophet caſts not with himſelfe: What ſafetie can there bee in this iourney? I ſhall put my ſelfe into the hands of rude Souldiers, and by them, into the hands of an enraged King; if hee did not eagerly thirſt after my bloud, he had neuer ſought it, with ſo much loſſe; But, ſo ſoone as he had a charge from the Angell, hee walkes downe reſolutely, and (as it were) dares the dangers of ſo great an hoſtilitie: Hee knew that the ſame God, who had fought for him, vponupon the hill, would not leaue him in the Valley; hee knew that the Angell which bade him goe, was guard enough againſt a world of enemies. Faith knowes not how to feare; and can as eaſily contemne the ſuggeſtion of perils, as infidelitie can raiſe them.
The Prophet lookes boldly vponupon the Court; which doubtleſſe was not a little diſ-affected to him; and comes confidently into the bed-chamber of Ahaziah; and ſticks not to ſpeake ouer the ſame words to his head, which hee had ſent him not long ſince by his firſt meſſengers; Not one ſyllable will the Prophet abate of his errand; It is not for an Herald of heauen to be out of countenance; or to mince ought of the moſt killing meſſages of his God.
Whether the inexpected confidence both of the man, and of the ſpeech amazed the ſicke King of Iſrael, or whether the feare of ſome preſent iudgement (wherewith hee might ſuſpect Elijah to come armed vponupon any act of violence that ſhould bee offered) ouer-awed him; or whether now at the laſt, vponupon the ſight and hearing of this man of God, the Kings heart began to relent, and checke it ſelfe for that ſinne, for which hee was iuſtly reproued; I know not; but ſure I am, the Prophet goes away vntouched; neither the furious purpoſes of Ahaziah, nor the exaſperations of a Iezebel can hurt that Prophet, whom God hath intended to a fiery Chariot; The hearts of Kings are not their owne: Subiects are not ſo much in their hands, as they are in their Makers: How eaſily can God tame the fierceneſſe of any creature, and in the midſt of their moſt heady careere, ſtop them on the ſudden, & fetcht them vponupon the knees of their humble ſubmiſſion: It is good truſting God with the euents of his owne commands; who can at pleaſure either auert euils, or improue them to good.
According to the word of the Prophet, Ahaziah dies; not two whole yeeres doth he ſit in the throne of Iſrael; which he now muſt yeeld (in the want of children) to his brother. Wickedneſſe ſhortens his reigne; he had too much of Ahab, & Iezebel, to expect the bleſſing, either of length, or proſperitie of gouernment: As alwaies in the other, ſo oft-times in this world doth God teſtifie his anger to wicked men; Some liue long, that they may aggrauate their iudgement; others die ſoone, that they may haſten it.