History of the Old Testament Volume 7, Part 4
Jeroboams Wife.
IT is no meaſuring Gods fauour by the line of outward welfare; Ieroboam the idolatrous vſurper of Iſrael proſpers better, than the true heires of Dauid; He 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 crowne of his keepe his head alwaies from aching; Hee hath his croſſes too: God whips ſometimes more than his owne; 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 back 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 peeces of their Parents in another skinne, ſo Parents are no leſſe ſtriken in their children, than in their naturall lims, Ieroboam doth not more feele his arme, than 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 ſonnes diſgrace, no whit bettered; I would hauehave heard him ſay; God followes me with his afflictions; it is for mine impietie; 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 wickedneſſe, O God turne thou from thy wrath; Theſe thoughts were too good for that obdured heart; His ſonne is ſicke, hee is ſorrowfull; but (as an amazed man ſeekes to goe forth at the wrong doore) his diſtraction ſends him to a falſe help: He thinks not of God, he thinkes of his Prophet: Hee thinkes of the Prophet that had foretold him he ſhould be a King; he thinkes not of the God of that Prophet who made him a King; It is the propertie of a carnall heart to confine both his Obligations, and his hopes to the means, neglecting the Authour of good. Vaine is the reſpect that is giuen to the ſeruant, where the Maſter is contemned.
Extremitie 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, he 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 ſmoake of his Palace; whoſe viſions had beene too well approued; why would Ieroboam ſend ſo farre to an Ahijah?
Certainely, his heart deſpiſed thoſe baſe Prieſts of his high places; neither could truſt either to the gods, or the Clergie of his owne making; His conſcience reſts vponupon the fidelitie of that man, whoſe doctrine he had forſaken; How did this Idolater ſtriue againſt his owne heart, whiles hee inwardly deſpiſed thoſe, whom he profeſſed to honour; and inwardly honoured them, whom he profeſſed to deſpiſe? Wicked breaſts 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 bee ſelfe-condemned, than wiſe and penitent: As for that old Seer, it is like Ieroboam knew his skill, but doubted of his fincerity; that man was too much his neighbour to be good; Ahijahs truth had beene tried 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 bee faithfull; this loadſtone of our fidelity ſhall draw to vsus euen hearts of iron, and 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 we doe not truſt thee in the ſequell, we are worthy of our loſſe, worthy of thy deſertions.
Yet I doe not ſee that Ieroboam ſends to the Prophet for his aid, but for his intelligence, Curioſity is guilty of this meſſage, and not deuotion; he calls not for the praiers, 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 hee may reſtore my hand; ſaies 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 thinks 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, and how, but diſguiſed? Why her, and why thus? Neither durſt he truſt this errand with another, nor with her in her owne forme: It was a ſeceet 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 beene noiſed in Iſrael, the example had beene dangerous; Who would not hauehave ſaid, The King is glad to leaue his counterfeit deities, and ſeeke 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 bee 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, and to hide their counſells from that all-ſeeing ere! If this change of habit were neceſſary at Bethel, yet what needs it at Shiloh; though ſhe would hide her face from her ſubiects, yet why would ſhe not pull off her muffler, and ſhew her ſelfe to the Prophet? Certainly, what policy began, guiltineſſe muſt continue; Well might ſhee thinke, there can be no good anſwer expected of the wife of Ieroboam; my preſence will doe no leſſe, than ſolicit 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 eies 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 thinke that the Prophet could know the euent of his ſonnes diſeaſe, and did hee thinke that hee could not know the diſguiſe of his Wife? the one was preſent, the other future; this face was but wrapt vp in a clout, that euent was wrapt vp in the counſell of God; Yet this politique 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 than in thoſe things wherein he hoped moſt to tranſcend the reach of others.
Ahijah ſhunning the iniquity of the times, was retired to a ſolitary 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, and ſends his Wife to that poore cell, laden with preſents; preſents that diſſembled their bearer: had ſhee offered iewels, or gold, her greatneſſe had beene ſuſpected; now ſhe brings loaues, and cracknels, and honie, 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 carry from them.
Ieroboam was a bad man, yet, as he had a towardly ſonne, 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 perills of ſo long and ſolitary a walke; perhaps a Lion might bee in the way; the Lion that tore the Prophet in peeces; perhaps robbers; or if not they, perhaps her chaſtity might be in danger; an vnguarded ſolitarines in the weaker ſex might be 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 rayment, ſhe ſets vponupon the iourney, and ouercomes it: What needed this diſguiſe to an old Prophet whoſe dimme eies were ſet with age? All clothes, all faces were alike to a blinde Seer; The viſions of Ahijah were inward, neither was his bodily ſight more duskie, than the eies of his minde were cleare, and 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, than preſent things are to vsus; Ere the quicke eies of that great Lady can diſcerne him, he hath eſpied her; and ſo ſoone as hee heares the ſound of her feet, ſhe heares from him the ſound of her name, Come in thou Wife of Ieroboam; How God laughes in heauen at the friuolous fetches of craftie 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 ſhe is; her very name ſtruck her with aſtoniſhment; and prepares her for the aſſured horror of following iudgements, I am ſent to thee with heauie tidings; Goe tell Ieroboam; Thus ſaith the Lord God of Iſrael. Could this Lady leſſe wonder at the mercy of this ſtile of God, than tremble at the ſequell of his iuſtice? Loe Iſrael had forſaken God, yet God ſtill ownes Iſrael. Iſrael had gone a whoring, yet God hath not diuorced her; Oh the infinite goodneſſe of our long-ſuffering God, whom our fouleſt ſinnes cannot robbe 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, than that, by which it was firſt foretold, fore-promiſed; EueryEvery circumſtance of the aduancement aggrauates the ſinne, I exalted thee; Thou couldſt 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 childe 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 ſinnes of this Prince were no leſſe eminent than his obligations, therefore his iudgements ſhall be no leſſe eminent than 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 city ſhall the dogs eat, and him that dieth in the field, ſhall the fowles of the aire eat; Oh heauy load that this diſguiſed Princeſſe muſt carry to her Husband; but becauſe theſe euills, 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 childe ſhall die; It is heauy newes for a mother that ſhee muſt leeſe her ſonne, but worſe yet that ſhe may not ſee him; In theſe caſes of our finall departures, our preſence giues ſome mitigation to our griefe: might ſhe but hauehave cloſed the eies, and hauehave receiued the laſt breath of her dying ſonne, the loſſe had beene 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 beſeene of her Abijah; She ſhall no ſooner be in the city, than he ſhall be 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; ſhee 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 ſeuerity and fauour in one act? fauour to the ſonne, ſeuerity to the father; Seuerity to the father, that he muſt leeſe ſuch a ſonne; fauor 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 he ſhall be remoued from the danger of the deprauation of Ieroboam: Sometimes God ſtrikes in fauour, but more often forbeares out of ſeuerity: The beſt are fitteſt for heauen; the earth is fitteſt for the worſt; this is the region of ſinne, and miſery, that of immortality; 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 fauored 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; Tho the carkaſſe bee inſenſible of any poſition, yet honeſt Sepulture is a bleſſing; It is fit the body ſhould be duely reſpected on earth, whoſe ſoule is glorious in heauen.