History of the Old Testament Volume 7, Part 6
ELIjAH with the SAREPTAN.
WHo ſhould be match't with Moſes, in the hill of Tabor, but Elijah? Surely next after Moſes, there was neuer any Prophet of the old Teſtament more glorious than hee: None more glorious, none more obſcure; The other Prophets are not mentioned without the name of their parent, for the mutuall honour both of the father, and the ſonne; Elijah (as if he had beene a ſonne of the earth) comes forth with the bare mention of the place of his birth; Meaneneſſe of deſcent is no blocke in Gods way to the moſt honourable vocations; It matters not whoſe ſonne hee be whom God will grace with his ſeruice: In the greateſt honours that humane nature is capable of, God forgets our parents: As when we ſhall be raiſed vp to a glorious life, there ſhall be no reſpect had to the loines whence we came; ſo it is proportionally in theſe ſpirituall aduancements.
Theſe times were fit for an Elijah; an Elijah was fit for them; The eminenteſt Prophet is reſerued for the corrupteſt age; Iſrael had neuer ſuch a King as Ahab, for impiety; neuer ſo miraculous a Prophet, as Elijah; This Elijah is addreſſed to this Ahab; The God of Spirits knowes how to proportion men to the occaſions; and to raiſe vp to himſelfe ſuch witneſſes, as may be moſt able to conuince the world: A milde Moſes was for the low eſtate of afflicted Iſrael; milde of ſpirit, but mighty in wonders; milde of ſpirit, becauſe he had to doe with a perſecuted, and yet a techy and peruerſe people; mighty in wonders, becauſe he had to doe with a Pharaoh: A graue and holy Samuel was for the quiet conſiſtence of Iſrael; A fierie-ſpirited Elijah was for the deſperateſt declination of Iſrael: And if in the late times of the depraued condition of his Church, God hauehave raiſed vp ſome ſpirits that hauehave beene more warme, and ſtirring, than thoſe of common mould, we cannot cenſure the choyce, when we ſee the ſeruice.
The firſt word that wee heare from Elijah, is an oath, and a threat to Ahab, to Iſrael: As the Lord God of Iſrael liueth, before whom I ſtand, there ſhall not be dew, nor raine theſe yeares, but according to my word: He comes in like a Tempeſt, who went out in a whirlwind; Doubtleſſe he had ſpoken faire, & peaceable inuitations to Iſrael (though we heare them not) This was but the ſtorme which followed his repulſe, their obſtinacy; After many ſolicitations, and warnings, Iſrael is ſtricken by the ſame tongue that had praied for it; Elijah dares auouch theſe iudgements to their head; to Ahab: I doe not ſo much wonder at the boldneſſe of Elijah, as at his power; Yea, who ſo ſees his power, can no whit wonder at his boldneſſe: How could he be but bold to the face of a man, who was thus powerfull with God? As if God had lent him the keies of heauen to ſhut it vp, and open it at pleaſure; he can ſay, There ſhall be neither dew, nor raine, theſe yeares, but according to my word; Oh God, how farre it hath pleaſed thee to communicate thy ſelfe to a weake man? What Angell could euer ſay thus? Thy hand, ô Lord, is not ſhortned; Why art thou not thus maruellous in the miniſters of thy Goſpell? Is it for that their miracles were ours? Is it for that thou wouldſt hauehave vsus liue by faith, not by ſenſe? Is it for that our taske is more ſpirituall, and therefore more abſtracted from bodily helps? we cannot command the ſunne with Ioſhua, nor the thunder with Samuel, nor the raine with Elijah; It ſhall content vsus if we can fixe the Sunne of righteouſneſſe in the ſoule, if wee can thunder out the iudgements of God againſt ſinne, if we can water the earthen hearts of men with the former, and latter raine of heauenly doctrine.
Elijahs mantle cannot make him forget his fleſh; whiles hee knowes himſelfe a Prophet, hee remembers to be a man; he doth not therefore arrogate this power, as his owne, but publiſheth it as his maſters; This reſtraint muſt be according to his word; and that word was from an higher mouth, than his: He ſpake from him by whom he ſware; whoſe word was as ſure as his life; and therefore he durſt ſay, As the Lord liueth, there ſhall be no raine: Man onelyonly can denounce what God will execute; which when it is once reuealed, can no more faile, than the Almightie himſelfe.
He that had this intereſt and power in heauen, what needed he flee from an earthly purſuit? Could his prayers reſtraine the clouds, and not hold the hands of fleſh and blood? Yet behold Elijah muſt flee from Ahab, & hide him by the brooke Cherith; The wiſdome of God doth not thinke fit ſo to make a beaten path of miracles, as that he will not walke beſide it; He will hauehave our owne indeuours concurre to our preſeruation; Elijah wanted neither courage of heart, nor ſtrength of hand, and yet he muſt truſt to his feet for ſafetie; How much more lawfull is it for our impotency to flee from perſecution? Euen that God ſends him to hide his head, who could as eaſily hauehave protected, as nouriſhed him: He that wilfully ſtands ſtill to latch dangers, tempteth God in ſtead of truſting him.
The Prophet muſt be gone; not without order taken for his purueyance; Oh the ſtrange Cators for Elijah; I hauehave commanded the Rauens to feed thee there; I know not whether had beene more miraculous, to preſerue him without meat, or to prouide meat by ſuch mouthes: The Rauen, a deuouring and rauenous fowle, that vſes to ſnatch away meat from others, brings it to him: Hee that could hauehave fed Elijah by Angels, will feed him by Rauens; There was then in Iſrael an hoſpitall Obadiah, that kept a ſecret table in two ſeuerall caues, for an hundred Prophets of God; There were ſeuen thouſand faithfull Iſraelites (in ſpight of the Diuell) who had neuer bowed knee to Baal; Doubtleſſe, any of theſe would hauehave had a trencher ready for Elijah, and hauehave thought himſelfe happy to hauehave defrauded his own maw, for ſo noble a Prophet; God rather chooſes to make vſe of the moſt vnlikely fowles of the ayre, than their bountie; that hee might giuegive both to his Prophet, and vsus a pregnant proofe of his abſolute command ouer all his creatures, and win our truſt in all extremities. Who can make queſtion of the prouiſions of God, when he ſees the very Rauens ſhal forget their owne hunger, and puruey for Elijah? Oh God, thou that prouideſt meat for the fowles of the ayre, wilt make the fowles of the ayre prouide meat for man, rather than his dependance on thee ſhall be diſappointed; Oh let not our faith be wanting to thee, thy care can neuer bee wanting to vsus.
Elijah might hauehave liued for the time with bread, and water; neither had his fare beene worſe than his fellowes in the caues of Obadijah; but the munificence of God will hauehave his meales better furniſhed; the Rauens ſhall bring him both bread, and fleſh twice in the day; It is not for a perſecuted Prophet to long after delicates; God giues order for competency, not for wantonneſſe; Not out of the daintie compoſitions in Iezebels kitchin, nor out of the pleaſant Wines in her celler, would God prouide for Elijah; but the Rauens ſhall bring him plaine, and homely victuals, and the riuer ſhall affoord him drinke; If we hauehave wherewith to ſuſtaine nature (though not to pamper it) we owe thankes to the giuer; Thoſe of Gods family may not be curious, not diſdainfull: Ill doth it become a ſeruant of the higheſt, to be a ſlaue to his palate. Doubtleſſe, one bit from the mouth of the Rauen was more pleaſing to Elijah, than a whole Table-full of Ahab: Nothing is more comfortable to Gods children then to ſee the ſenſible demonſtrations of the diuine care, and prouidence.
The brooke Cherith cannot laſt alwaies; that ſtreame ſhall not for Elijahs ſake be exempted from the vniuerſall exſiccation; Yea the Prophet himſelfe feeles the ſmart of this drought, which he had denounced; It is no vnvſuall thing with God to ſuffer his owne deare children to be inwrapped in the common calamities of offenders: Hee makes difference in the vſe, and iſſue of their ſtripes, not in the infliction; The corne is cut downe with the weeds, but to a better purpoſe.
When the brooke failes God hath a Zarephath for Elijah; In ſtead of the Rauens, a Widdow ſhall there feed him; yea her ſelfe by him: Who can enough wonder at the pitch of this ſelectiue prouidence of the Almightie; Zarephath was a towne of Sidon, and and therefore without the pale of the Church; Pouertie was the beſt of this Widow, ſhe was a Pagan by birth, heathniſhly ſuperſtitious by inſtitution; Many Widowes were in Iſrael in the daies of Elijah when the heauen was ſhut vp three yeares, and ſix moneths, when great famine was throughout all the land, but vntounto none of them was Elias ſent, ſaue vntounto this Sarepta, a Citie of Sidon, vntounto a woman that was a widow; He that firſt fed the Prophet by the mouth of vncleane fowles, will now feed him by the hand of an heatheniſh Hoſteſſe: His onelyonly command ſanctifies thoſe creatures which by a generall charge were legally impure.
There were other birds beſides Rauens, other widowes beſides this Sareptan; none but the Rauens, none but the Sareptan ſhall nouriſh Elijah. Gods choice is not led in the ſtring of humane reaſon; his holy will is the guide, and the ground of all his elections. It is not in him that wils, nor in him that runs, but in God that ſhowes mercy.
The Prophet followes the call of his God; the ſame hand that brought him to the gate of Sarepta, led alſo this poore widdow out of her doores; ſhe ſhall then goe to ſeeke her ſticks, when ſhe ſhall be found of Elijah; ſhe thought of her hearth, ſhe thought not of a Prophet; when the man of God cals to her, Fetch me a little water (I pray thee) in a veſſell, that I may drinke. It was no eaſie ſuit in ſo droughtie a ſeaſon; and yet, at the firſt ſight, the Prophet dares ſecond it with a greater; Bring me a morſell of bread in thine hand; That long drought had made eueryevery drop, eueryevery crum precious; yet the Prophet is emboldened by the charge of God to cal for both water and bread; He had found the Rauens ſo officious, that he cānot make doubt of the Sareptan: She ſticks not at the water; ſhe would not ſtick at the bread, if neceſſitie had not preſſed her; As the Lord thy God liueth, I hauehave not a cake, but an handfull of meale in a barrell, and a little oyle in a cruſe; and behold I am gathering two ſtickes, that I may go in and dreſſe it for me and my ſon, that we may eate it and dye.
If ſhe knew not the man, how did ſhe know his God? and if ſhe knew not the God of Elijah, how did ſhe ſweare by him? Certainly though ſhee were without the bounds of Iſrael, yet ſhe was within the borders; ſo much ſhee had gained by her neighbourhood; to know an Iſraelite, a Prophet by his habit; to know the onelyonly liuing God was the God of the Prophet, the God of Iſrael; and if this had not beene, it is no maruell if the widow knew Elijah, ſince the Rauens knew him. It was high time for the Prophet to viſit the Sareptan; pooreſoule, ſhe was now making her laſt meale; after one meane morſell ſhe was yeelding her ſelfe ouer to death. How oportunely hath God prouided ſuccours to our diſtreſſes? It is his glory to helpe at a pinch; to begin where wee hauehave giuen ouer: that our reliefe might be ſo much the more welcome, by how much it is leſſe look't for.
But oh, what a tryall is this of the faith of a weake Proſelyte, if ſhe were ſo much; Feare not, goe doe as thou haſt ſaid; but make mee thereof a little cake firſt; and bring it to me, and after make for thee, and thy ſonne; For, thus ſaith the God of Iſrael; The barrell of meale ſhall not waſte, nor the cruſe of oyle faile till the day that God ſend raine vponupon the earth; She muſt goe ſpend vponupon a ſtranger part of that little ſhe hath, in hope of more which ſhe hath not, which ſhe may hauehave; ſhee muſt part with her preſent food, which ſhe ſaw, in truſt of future which ſhe could not ſee; ſhe muſt rob her ſenſe in the exerciſe of her beleefe; and ſhorten her life in being, vponupon the hope of a protraction of it, in promiſe; ſhe muſt beleeue God will miraculouſly increaſe what ſhe hath yeelded to conſume; ſhee muſt firſt feed the ſtranger with her laſt victuals, and then after her ſelfe, and her ſonne; Some ſharpe dame would hauehave ſhaken vp the Prophet, and hauehave ſent him away with an angry repulſe: Bold Iſraelite, there is no reaſon in this requeſt, wer't thou a friend, or a brother, with what face couldſt thou require to pull my laſt bit out of my mouth? Had I ſuperfluitie of prouiſion, thou might'ſt hope for this effect of my charity; now, that I hauehave but one morſell for my ſelfe, and my ſonne, this is an iniurious importunitie; what can induce thee to think thy life (an vnknowne traueller) ſhould be more deare to me, than my ſonnes, than my owne? How vnciuill is this motion that I ſhould firſt make prouiſion for thee, in this dying extremitie? It had beene too much to hauehave begged my laſt ſcraps; Thou telleſt me the meale ſhall not waſte, nor the oyle faile; how ſhall I beleeue thee? Let me ſee that done, before thou eateſt; In vaine ſhould I challenge thee when the remainder of my poore ſtore is conſumed; If thou canſt ſo eaſily multiply victuals, how is it that thou wanteſt? Doe that before-hand, which thou promiſeſt ſhall be afterwards performed, there will be no need of my litle. But this good Sareptan was wrought by God not to miſtruſt a Prophet; ſhe will do what he bids, and hope for what hee promiſes; ſhe will liue by faith rather than by ſenſe; and giuegive away the preſent, in the confidence of a future remuneration; firſt, ſhee bakes Elijahs cake, than her owne; not grudging to ſee her laſt morſels goe downe anothers throat, whiles her ſelfe was famiſhing. How hard precepts doth God lay where he intends bountie; Had not God ment her preſeruation, he had ſuffered her to eat her laſt cake alone, without any interpellation: now the mercy of the Almightie purpoſing as well this miraculous fauour to her, as to his Prophet, requires of her this taske, which fleſh and blood would hauehave thought vnreaſonable. So wee are wont to put hard queſtions to thoſe ſchollers, whom we would promote to higher formes. So in all atchieuements the difficultie of the enterpriſe makes way for the glory of the actor.
Happy was it for this widow, that ſhe did not ſhut her hand to the man of God; that ſhe was no niggard of her laſt handfull; Neuer corne or oliue did ſo increaſe in growing, as here in conſuming; This barrell, this cruſe of hers had no bottome; the barrell of meale waſted not, the cruſe of oyle failed not; Behold, not getting, not ſauing, is the way to abundance, but giuing. The mercy of God crownes our benificence with the bleſſing of ſtore; who can feare want by a mercifull liberalitie, when he ſees the Sareptan had famiſhed, if ſhe had not giuen, and by giuing, abounded? With what thankfull deuotion muſt this woman eueryevery day needs looke vponupon her barrell, and cruſe, wherein ſhe ſaw the mercy of God renewed to her continually? Doubtleſſe her ſoule was no leſſe fed by faith, than her body with this ſupernaturall prouiſion. How welcome a gueſt muſt Elijah needs bee to this widow, that gaue her life and her ſonnes to her, for his board? yea, that in that wofull famine gaue her and her ſon their board for his houſe-roome.
The dearth thus ouercome, the mother lookes hopefully vponupon her onelyonly ſonne, promiſing her ſelfe much ioy in his life and proſperitie; when an inexpected ſickneſſe ſurprizeth him, and doth that which the famine but threatned; When can we hold our ſelues ſecure from euils? no ſooner is one of theſe Sergeants compounded withall, than we are arreſted by another.
How ready we are to miſtake the grounds of our afflictions; and to caſt them vponupon falſe cauſes; The paſſionate mother cannot finde whither to impute the death of her ſonne, but to the preſence of Elijah; to whom ſhee comes diſtracted with perplexitie, not without an vnkinde challenge of him from whom ſhe had receiued both that life ſhee had loſt, and that ſhe had; What hauehave I to doe with thee, O thou man of God, Art thou come to me to call my ſinne to remembrance, and to ſlay my ſonne?
As if her ſonne could not hauehave died if Elijah had not beene her gueſt; when as her ſonne had died, but for him; why ſhould ſhe thinke that the Prophet had ſaued him from the famine, to kill him with ſickneſſe? As if God had not beene free in his actions; and muſt needs ſtrike by the ſame hands, by which hee preſerued; She had the grace to know that her affliction was for her ſinne; yet was ſo vnwiſe, to imagine the arerages of her iniquities had not beene called for, if Elijah had not beene the remembrancer; Hee, who had appeaſed God towards her, is ſuſpected to hauehave incenſed him; This wrongfull miſ-conſtruction was enough to moue any patience; Elijah was of an hot ſpirit; yet his holineſſe kept him from fury; This challenge rather increaſed the zeale of his prayer, than ſtirred his choller to the offendent: He takes the dead childe out of his mothers boſome, and laies him vponupon his owne bed, and cries vntounto the Lord; Oh Lord my God, haſt thou brought euill alſo vponupon the Widow with whom I ſoiourne, by ſlaying her ſonne? In ſtead of chiding the Sareptan, out of the feruency of his ſoule, he humbly expoſtulates with his God: His only remedy is in his prayer; that which ſhut heauen for raine, muſt open it for life. EueryEvery word inforceth; Firſt he pleads his intereſt in God; Oh Lord my God; then the quality of the patient; a Widow, and therefore, both moſt diſtreſſed with the loſſe, and moſt peculiar to the charge of the Almighty. Then, his intereſt, as in God, ſo in this patient; with whom I ſoiourne; as if the ſtroke were giuen to himſelfe, through her ſides; and laſtly, the quality of the puniſhment, By ſlaying her ſonne, the only comfort of her life; and in all theſe, implying the ſcandall, that muſt needs ariſe from this euent, where euer it ſhould bee noiſed, to the name of his God, to his owne; when it ſhould be ſaid; Loe how Elijahs entertainement is rewarded; Surely the Prophet is either impotent, or vnthankfull.
Neither doth his tongue moue thus only; Thrice doth he ſtretch himſelfe vponupon the dead body; as if he could wiſh to infuſe of his owne life into the childe; and ſo often calls to his God for the reſtitution of that ſoule: What can Elijah aske to be denied? The Lord heard the voice of his Prophet, the ſoule of the child came into him againe, and he reuiued: What miracle is impoſſible to faithfull prayers? There cannot be more difference betwixt Elijahs deuotion, and ours, than betwixt ſupernaturall and ordinary acts; If he therefore obtained miraculous fauours by his prayers, doe wee doubt of thoſe which are within the ſphere of nature, and vſe? What could we want, if we did not ſlacke to plye heauen with our prayers?
Certainly Elijah had not beene premoniſhed of this ſudden ſickneſſe, and death of the child; He who knew the remote affaires of the world, might not know what God would doe within his owne roofe; The greateſt Prophet muſt content himſelfe with ſo much of Gods counſell, as he will pleaſe to reueale; and he will ſometimes reueale the greater ſecrets, and conceale the leſſe, to make good both his owne liberty, and mans humiliation. So much more vnexpected as the ſtroke was, ſo much more welcome is the cure; How ioyfully doth the man of God take the reuiued child into his armes, and preſent him to his mother? How doth his heart leape within him, at this proofe of Gods fauour to him, mercy to the widdow, power to the child?
What life and ioy did now ſhow it ſelfe in the face of that amazed mother, when ſhee ſaw againe the eyes of her ſonne fixed vponupon hers; when ſhe felt his fleſh warme, his motions vitall? Now ſhee can ſay to Elijah; By this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth; Did ſhee not till now know this? Had ſhee not ſaid before, What hauehave I to doe with thee, ô thou man of God? Were not her cruſe, and her barrell ſufficient proofes of his diuine commiſſion? Doubtleſſe what her meale and oyle had aſſured her of, the death of her ſonne made her to doubt; and now the reuiuing did reaſcertaine. Euen the ſtrongeſt faith ſometimes ſtaggereth, and needeth new acts of heauenly ſupportation; the end of miracles is confirmation of truth; It ſeemes had this widowes ſonne continued dead, her beleefe had beene buried in his graue: notwithſtanding her meale and her oile, her ſoule had languiſhed: The mercy of God is faine to prouide new helpes for our infirmities, and graciouſly condeſcends to our owne termes, that he may worke out our faith, and ſaluation.