History of the Old Testament Volume 7, Part 13
THE RAPTVRE of ELIjAH.
LOng and happily hath Elijah fought the wars of his God; and now after his noble, and glorious victories, God will ſend him a Chariot of Triumph: Not ſuddenly would God ſnatch away his Prophet without warning, without expectation; but acquaints him before hand with the determination of his glory. How full of heauenly ioy was the ſoule of Elijah, whiles he foreknew, and lookt for this inſtant happineſſe; With what contempt did hee caſt his eies vponupon that earth which hee was now preſently to leaue, with what rauiſhments of inward pleaſure did he looke vponupon that heauen which he was to inioy? For a meet fare-well to the earth, Elijah will goe viſit the ſchooles of the Prophets, before his departure: Theſe were in his way; Of any part of the earth they were neereſt vntounto heauen; In an holy progreſſe therefore he walks his laſt round, from Gilgal, (neere Iordan) to Bethel, from Bethel to Iericho, from Iericho to Iordan againe; In all theſe ſacred Colledges of Diuines, hee meant to leaue the legacie of his louelove, counſell, confirmation, bleſſing. How happy a thing it is, whiles we are vponupon earth to improue our time and gifts to the beſt behoofe of Gods Church? And after the aſſurance of our owne bleſſedneſſe, to help others to the ſame heauen? But, O God, who can but wonder at the courſe of thy wiſe and powerfull adminiſtrations? Euen in the midſt of the degeneration, and Idolatries of Iſrael haſt thou reſerued to thy ſelfe whole ſocieties of holy Prophets; and out of thoſe ſinfull and reuolted Tribes, haſt raiſed the two great miracles of Prophets, Elijah, and Eliſha, in an immediat ſucceſſion: Iudah it ſelfe vnderunder a religious Iehoſhaphat, yeelded not ſo eminent, and cleerely illuminated ſpirits: The mercy of our prouident God will neither bee confined, nor excluded; neither confined to the places of publike profeſſion, nor excluded from the depraued Congregations of his owne people; where he hath loued, he cannot eaſily bee eſtranged: Rather, where ſinne abounds, his grace aboundeth much more; and raiſeth ſo much ſtronger helps, as hee ſees the dangers greater.
Happy was Eliſha in the attendance of ſo gracious a maſter, and more happy that he knows it: Faine would Elijah ſhake him off at Gilgal; if not there, at Bethel; if not yet there, at Iericho. A priuate meſſage (on which Elijah muſt goe alone) is pretended, from the Lord; Whether ſhall wee ſay the Prophet did this for the triall of the conſtant affection of his carefull and diligent ſeruant, or, that it was concealed from Elijah that his departure was reuealed to Eliſha: Perhaps he that knew of his owne reception into heauen, did not know what witneſſes would be allowed to that miraculous act: and now his humble modeſtie affected a ſilent and vn-noted paſſage; Euen Eliſha knew ſomething that was hid from his maſter, now vponupon the threſhold of heauen: No meere creature was euer made of the whole counſell of the Higheſt: Some things hauehave bin diſcloſed to babes and nouices, that hauehave beene cloſed vp to the moſt wiſe and iudicious: In naturall ſpeculations the greater wit, and deeper iudgement ſtill caries it; but in the reuelations of God, the fauour of his choice ſwaies all; not the power of our apprehenſion: The maſter may both command and intreat his ſeruants ſtay, in vaine; Eliſha muſt be pardoned this holy and zealous diſobedience, As the Lord liueth, and as thy ſoule liueth, I will not leaue thee; His maſter may be withdrawne from him, hee will not be withdrawne from his maſter. He knew that the bleſſing was at the parting; and if hee had diligently attended all his life, and now ſlacked in the laſt act, he had loſt the reward of his ſeruice. The euening praiſes the day; and the chiefe grace of the theater is in the laſt Scene; Bee faithfull to the death, and I will giuegive thee a Crowne of life.
That Elijah ſhould be tranſlated, and what day he ſhould be tranſlated, God would hauehave no ſecret; The ſonnes of the Prophets at Bethel, at Iericho, both know it, and aske Eliſha if hee knew it not; Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head this day? and he anſwered, Yea, I know it, hold yee your peace. How familiarly doe theſe Prophets inter-know one another? How kindly doe they communicate their viſions? Seldome euer was any knowledge giuen to keepe, but to impart; The grace of this rich Iewell is loſt in concealement. The remouall of an Elijah is ſo important a buſineſſe, that it is not fit to be done without noiſe; Many ſhall hauehave their ſhare in his loſſe; he muſt be miſſed on the ſudden; it was meet therefore that the world ſhould know his rapture ſhould be diuine and glorious. I doe not finde where the day of any naturall death is notified to ſo many; by how much more wonder there was in this Aſſumption, by ſo much more ſhall it be fore-reuealed. It is enough for ordinary occurrents to be knowne in their euent: ſupernaturall things hauehave need of premonition, that mens hearts may bee both prepared for their receit, and confirmed in their certaintie. Thrice was Eliſha intreated, thrice hath he denied, to ſtay behinde his now-departing maſter; on whom both his eyes and his thoughts are ſo fixed, that he cannot giuegive allowance ſo much as to the interpellation of a queſtion of his fellow-Prophets: Together therefore are this wonderfull paire comne to the laſt ſtage of their ſeparation, the bankes of Iordan. Thoſe that were not admitted to bee attendants of the iourney, yet will not be debarred from being ſpectators of ſo maruellous an iſſue; Fiftie men of the ſonnes of the Prophets went and ſtood to view a farre off; I maruell there were no more; How could any ſonne of the Prophets ſtay within his Colledge-walls that day; when hee knew what was meant to Elijah? Perhaps, though they knew that to be the Prophets laſt day; yet they might thinke his diſparition ſhould be ſudden, and inſenſible; beſides, they found how much he affected ſecrecy in this intended departure: yet the fiftie Prophets of Iericho will make proofe of their eies, & with much intention aſſay who ſhall hauehave the laſt ſight of Elijah; Miracles are not purpoſed to ſilence and obſcuritie; God will not worke wonders without witneſſes; ſince hee doth them on purpoſe to win glory to his name, his end were fruſtrate without their notice. Euen ſo, O Sauiour, when thou hadſt raiſed thy ſelfe from the dead, thou wouldſt bee ſeene of more than fiue hundred brethren at once; and when thou wouldſt raiſe vp thy glorified body from earth into heauen, thou didſt not aſcend from ſome cloſe valley, but from the mount of Oliues; not in the night, not alone, but in the cleere day, in the view of many eyes; which were ſo fixed vponupon that point of thine heauen, that they could ſcarce bee remoued by the checke of Angels.
Iordan muſt be croſſed by Elijah in his way to heauen: There muſt be a meet parallel betwixt the two great Prophets, that ſhall meet Chriſt vponupon Tabor; Moſes and Elias; Both receiued viſions on Horeb, to both God appeared there in fire, and other formes of terrour; both were ſent to Kings; one to Pharaoh, the other to Ahab; Both prepared miraculous Tables, the one of Quailes and Manna in the Deſert, the other of Meale and Oyle in Sarepta; Both opened heauen, the one for that nouriſhing dew, the other for thoſe refreſhing ſhowres; Both reuenged Idolatries with the ſword, the one vponupon the worſhippers of the golden Calfe, the other vponupon the foure hundred Baalites; Both quenched the drought of Iſrael, the one out of the Rocke, the other out of the Cloud; Both diuided the waters, the one of the Red ſea, the other of Iordan: Both of them are forewarned of their departure; Both muſt be fetcht away beyond Iordan; The body of Elijah is tranſlated, the body of Moſes is hid: What Moſes doth by his Rod, Elijah doth by his Mantle; with that he ſmites the waters, and they (as fearing the diuine power which wrought with the Prophet) run away from him; and ſtand on heapes, leauing their dry channell for the paſſage of thoſe awfull feet: It is not long ſince hee mulcted them with a generall exſiccation; now he only bids them ſtand aſide, and giuegive way to his laſt walk; that he might with dry feet mount vp into the celeſtiall chariot.
The waters doe not now firſt obey him; they know that mantle of old; which hath oft giuen lawes to their falling, riſing, ſtanding: they are paſt ouer; and now when Elijah findes himſelfe treading on his laſt earth, he profers a munificent boone to his faithfull ſeruant, Aske what I ſhall doe for thee before I am taken frō thee; I doe not heare him ſay, Aske of me when I am gone, In my glorified condition, I ſhall be more able to beſtead thee; but aske before I goe. We hauehave a communion with the Saints departed, not a commerce; when they are inabled to doe more for vsus, they are leſſe apt to be ſolicited by vsus; It is ſafe ſuing where we are ſure that wee are heard. Had not Elijah receiued a peculiar inſtinct for this profer, he had not beene thus liberall: It were preſumption to be bountifull on anothers coſt, without leaue of the owner; The mercy of our good God allowes his fauourites not onelyonly to receiue, but to giuegive; not onelyonly to receiue for themſelues, but to conuey bleſſings to others; What can that man want that is befriended of the faithfull?
Eliſha needs not goe farre to ſeeke for a ſuit; It was in his heart, in his mouth; Let a double portion of thy ſpirit be vponupon me. EueryEvery Prophet muſt bee a ſonne to Elijah; but Eliſha would be his heire, and craues the happy right of his primogeniture, the double ſhare to his brethren: It was not wealth, nor ſafetie, nor eaſe, nor honour that Eliſha cares for, the world lies open before him, he may take his choice; the reſt hee contemneth, nothing will ſerue him but a large meaſure of his maſters ſpirit; No carnall thought was guiltie of this ſacred ambition; Affectation of eminence was too baſe a conceit to fall into that man of God; He ſaw that the times needed ſtrong conuictions, he ſaw that he could not otherwiſe weild the ſucceſſion to ſuch a maſter, therefore he ſues for a double portion of ſpirit; the ſpirit of propheſie to foreknow, the ſpirit of power to worke; We cannot be too couetous, too ambitious of ſpirituall gifts, ſuch eſpecially as may inable vsus to win moſt aduantage to God in our vocations. Our wiſhes are the true touchſtone of our eſtate; ſuch as wee wiſh to be, we are; worldly hearts affect earthly things, ſpirituall, diuine; wee cannot better know what we are in deed, than by what we would be.
Elijah acknowledges the difficultie, and promiſes the grant of ſo great a requeſt: ſuſpended yet vponupon the condition of Eliſhaes eye-ſight. If thou ſee mee when I am taken from thee, it ſhall be ſo vntounto thee; but if not, it ſhall not bee; What are the eyes to the furniture of the ſoule? What power is there in thoſe viſiue beames to draw downe a double portion of Elijahs Spirit? God doth not alwaies looke at efficacie and merit in the conditions of our actions, but at the freedome of his owne appointments; The eye was onelyonly to bee imployed as the ſeruant of the heart; that the deſires might bee ſo much more intended with the ſight; Vehemence is the way to ſpeed both in earth, and in heauen; If but the eye-lids of Eliſha fall, if his thoughts ſlacken, his hopes are daſhed; There muſt bee fixedneſſe and vigilancie, in thoſe that deſire double graces.
Elijah was going on, and talking, when the Chariot of heauen came to fetch him; Surely, had not that conference been needful & diuine, it had giuen way to meditation; and Elijah had beene taken vp rather from his knees, than from his feet; There can bee no better poſture, or ſtate, for the meſſenger of our diſſolution to finde vsus in, than in a diligent proſecution of our calling, The buſie attendance of our holy vocation is no leſſe pleaſing to God, than an immediate deuotion; Happy is the ſeruant whom the maſter (when he comes) ſhall finde ſo doing.
Oh the ſingular glory of Elijah! What mortall creature euer had this honour to be viſibly fetched by the Angels of God to his heauen? EueryEvery ſoule of the elect is attended and carried to bleſſedneſſe by thoſe inuiſible meſſengers, but, what fleſh and bloud was euer graced with ſuch a conuoy? There are three bodily Inhabitants of Heauen; Henoch, Elijah, our Sauiour Chriſt. The firſt before the Law; the ſecond vnderunder the Law; the third vnderunder the Goſpell; All three in a ſeuerall forme of tranſlation; Our bleſſed Sauiour raiſed himſelfe to and aboue the heauens, by his owne immediate power; he aſcended as the ſonne, they as ſeruants; he as God, they as creatures; Elijah aſcended by the viſible miniſtery of Angels; Henoch inſenſibly; Wherefore, O God, haſt thou done thus, but to giuegive vsus a taſte of what ſhall be? to let vsus ſee that heauen was neuer ſhut to the faithfull; to giuegive vsus aſſurance of the future glorification of this mortall and corruptible part?
Euen thus, O Sauiour, when thou ſhalt deſcend from heauen with a ſhout, with the voice of an Archangel, and with the trump of God, we that are aliue and remaine ſhall be caught vp together with the raiſed bodies of thy Saints, into the clouds, to meet thee in the aire, to dwell with thee in glory.
Many formes hauehave thoſe celeſtiall Spirits taken to themſelues in their apparitions to men; but of all other, moſt often hath the Almightie made his meſſengers a flame of fire; neuer more properly thau here; How had the Spirit of God kindled the hot fires of zeale in the breaſt of Elijah? How had this Prophet thrice commanded fire from heauen to earth? How fitly now at laſt doe theſe Seraphicall fires carie him frō earth to heauen?
What doe wee ſee in this rapture of Elijah, but violence and terror, whirlewind and fire? two of thoſe fearefull repreſentations which the Prophet had in the rock of Horeb; Neuer any man entred into glory with eaſe; Euen the moſt fauourable change hath ſome equiualency to a natural diſſolution. Although doubtleſſe to Elijah this fire had lightſomneſſe and reſplendence, not terror; this whirlwind had ſpeed, not violence; Thus haſt thou, O Sauiour, bidden vsus when the Elements ſhall be diſſolued, & the heauens ſhall be flaming about our eares, to lift vp our heads with ioy, becauſe our redemption draweth nigh. Come death, come fire, come whirlwind, they are worthy to be welcome that ſhall carie vsus to immortalitie.
This arreption was ſudden, yet Eliſha ſees both the Charet, and the horſes, and the aſcent; and cries to his now changed maſter, betweene heauen and earth, My father, my father, the charet of Iſrael, and the horſe-men thereof. Shaphat of Abel-meholah, hath yeelded this title to Elijah; the naturall father of Eliſha, to the ſpirituall; neither of them may bee neglected, but, after the yoke of oxen killed at the farewell, wee heare of no more greetings, no more bewailings of his bodily parent; and now that Elijah is taken from him, hee cries out, like a diſtreſſed Orphane, My father, my father; and whē he hath loſt the ſight of him, he rends his clothes in peeces, according to the faſhion of the moſt paſſionate mourners; That Eliſha ſees his maſter halfe-way in heauen, cannot take away the ſorrow of his loſſe; The departure of a faithfull Prophet of God is worthy of our lamentation; Neither is it priuate affection that muſt ſway our griefe, but reſpects to the publike; Eliſha ſaies not onelyonly, My father, but the charet and horſe-men of Iſrael. That wee hauehave forgone a father, ſhould not ſo much trouble vsus, as that Iſrael hath loſt his guard. Certainly, the view of this heauenly charet and horſes that came for Elijah, puts Eliſha in minde of that charet and horſemen, which Elijah was to Iſrael. Theſe were Gods charet, Elijah was theirs: Gods charet and theirs are vponupon the ſame wheeles mounted into heauen; No forces are ſo ſtrong as the ſpirituall; the prayers of an Elijah are more powerfull than all the Armies of fleſh; The firſt thing that this Seer diſcernes, after the ſeparation of his maſter, is, the nakedneſſe of Iſrael in his loſſe. If we muſter Souldiers, and leeſe zealous Prophets, it is but a wofull exchange.
Elijahs Mantle fals from him in the riſing; there was no vſe of that, whither he was going, there was, whence he was taken: Eliſha iuſtly takes vp this deare monument of his glorified maſter; A good ſupply for his rent garments; This was it which (in preſage of his future right) Elijah inueſted him withall, vponupon the firſt ſight, when he was ploughing with the twelue yoke of oxen; now it fals from heauen to his poſſeſſion; I doe not fee him adore ſo precious a relique, I ſee him take it vp, and caſt it about him; Penſiue and maſterleſſe doth hee now come backe to the bankes of Iordan, whoſe ſtreame he muſt paſſe in his returne to the Schooles of the Prophets. Ere while he ſaw what way that riuer gaue to the mantle of Elijah; he knew that power was not in the cloth, but in the Spirit of him that wore it; to trie therefore whether he were no leſſe the heire of that ſpirit, than of that garment, he tooke the mantle of Elijah and ſmote the waters, and ſaid, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? Eliſha doth not expoſtulate, and challenge, but pray; As if he ſaid, Lord God it was thy promiſe to me by my departed maſter, that if I ſhould ſee him in his last paſſage, a double portion of his Spirit ſhould be vponupon me: I followed him with my eies in that fire, and whirlewind; now therefore, O God, make good thy gracious word to thy ſeruant; ſhew ſome token vponupon mee for good; make this the first proofe of the miraculous power wherewith thou ſhalt indue me; Let Iordan giuegive the ſame way to me, that it gaue to my master. Immediatly the ſtreame (as acknowledging the ſame Mantle, though in another hand) diuides it ſelfe, and yeelds paſſage to the ſucceſſor of Elijah.
The fifty ſonnes of the Prophets hauing beene a farre off witneſſes of theſe admirable euents, doe well ſee that Elijah (though tranſlated in bodie) hath yet left his Spirit behinde him; they meet Eliſha, and bow themſelues to the ground before him; It was not the out-ſide of Elijah which they had wont to ſtoop vntounto, with ſo much veneration, it was his Spirit; which ſince they now finde in another ſubiect, they intertaine with equall reuerence; No enuy, no emulation raiſeth vp their ſtomackes againſt Elijahs ſeruant, but where they ſee eminent graces, they are willingly proſtrate. Thoſe that are truly gracious, doe no leſſe reioyce in the riches of others gifts, than humbly vnderunder-value their owne; Theſe men were trained vp in the ſchooles of the Prophets, Eliſha at the plough and cart, yet now they ſtand not vponupon termes of their worth, and his meanneſſe, but meekely fall downe before him whom God will honour; It is not to be regarded who the man is, but whom God would make him; The more vnlikely the meanes is, the more is the glory of the workman: It is the praiſe of an holy ingenuitie to magnifie the graces of God where euer it finds them.
Theſe yong Prophets are no leſſe full of zeale, than reuerence; zeale to Elijah, reuerence to Eliſha; They ſee Elijah carried vp into the ayre; they knew this was not the firſt time of his ſupernaturall remouall; Imagining it therefore poſſible that the Spirit of God had caſt him vponupon ſome remote mountaine, or valley, they profer he labour of their ſeruants to ſeeke him; In ſome things, euen profeſſed Seers are blind: Could they thinke God would ſend ſuch a charet and horſes for a leſſe voyage thā heauē?
Eliſha (knowing his maſter beyond all the ſphere of mortalitie) forbids thē: Good will makes them vnmānerly; their importunity vrges him till he is aſhamed; not his approbation, but their vehemence carries at laſt a condeſcent; Elſe he might perhaps hauehave ſeemed enuiouſly vnwilling to fetch backe ſo admired a maſter; & loth to forgoe that mantle. Some things may be yeelded for the redeeming of our own vexatiō, & auoidāce of others miſ-conſtuctiō, which out of true iudgment we ſee no cauſe to affect.
The meſſengers tired with three dayes ſearch, turne backe as wiſe as they went; ſome men are beſt ſatisfied, when they hauehave wearied themſelues in their owne waies; nothing will teach them wit, but diſappointments. Their painefull error leads them to a right conceit of Elijahs happier tranſportation; Thoſe that would finde Elijah, let them aſpire to the heauenly Paradiſe; Let them follow the high ſteps of his ſincere faithfulneſſe, ſtrong patience, vndaunted courage, feruent zeale; ſhortly, let them walke in the waies of his holy & conſtant obedience; at laſt, God ſhall ſend the fiery charet of death to fetch them vp to that heauen of heauens, where they ſhall triumph in euerlaſting ioyes.