child of their last morsel, and give it to a stranger. But, in generous spirits, compassion is fometimes more than a ballance for felfpreservation. For, as God certainly interwove that friendly softness in our nature to be a check upon too great a propensity towards self-love fo it seemed to operate here. - For it is observable, that though the prophet backed his request with the promise of an immediate recompence in multiplying her stock; yet it is not evident, she was influenced at all by that temptation. For if the had, doubtless it must have wrought such a mixture of self-interest into the motive of her compliance, as must greatly have allayed the merit of the action. But this I say, does not appear, but rather the contrary, from the reflection she makes upon the whole in the laft verse of the chapter. Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth. Besides as she was an inhabitant of Zerephath, (or, as it is called by St. Luke, Sarepta, subject to Sidon the metropolis of Phoenicia, without the bounds of God's people,) she had been brought up in gross darkness and idolatry, in utter ignorance of the Lord GOD of Ifrael: or, if she had heard of his name, which is all that feems probable, she had been taught to disbelieve the mighty wonders of his hand, and was still less likely to believe his prophet. Moreover she might argue, if this man by fome secret mystery of his own, or or through the power of his GOD, is able to procure so preternatural a fupply for me, whence comes it to pass, that he now stands in want himself, oppreffed both with hunger and thirst? She It appears therefore, that she muft have been wrought upon by an unmixed principle of humanity. - She look'd upon him as a fellow-partner almost in the fame affliction with herself. considered he had come a weary pilgrimage, in a sultry climate, through an exhausted country; where neither bread or water were to be had, but by acts of liberality. - That he had come an unknown traveller, and as a hard heart never wants a pretence, that this circumstance, which should rather have befriended, might have helped to opprefs him. - She confidered, for charity is ever fruitful in kind reasons, that he was now far from his own country, and had ftrayed out of the reach of the tender offices of some one who affectionately mourned his absence - her heart was touched with pity. - She turned in filence and went and did according as be bad said. And behold, both she and be and her house did eat many days; or, as in the margin, one whole year. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, until the day that God fent rain upon the earth. Though it may not feem neceffary to raise conjectures here upon this event, yet it is natural to suppose, the danger of the famine being thus unexpectedly got over, that the mother began to look hopefully forwards upon the rest of her days. There were many widows in Ifrael - rael at that time, when the heavens were shut up for three years and fix months, yet, as St. Luke observes, to none of them was the prophet sent, Save to this widow of Sarepta: in all likelihood, she would not be the last in making the fame observation, and drawing from it some flattering conclusion in favour of her fon. - Many a parent would build high, upon a worse foundation. "Since the God of Ifrael has thus fent " his own messenger to us in our distress, to pass by so many houses of his own " people, and stop at mine, to save it " in fo miraculous a manner from de"struction; doubtless, this is but an " earnest of his future kind intentions " to us: at least, his goodness has de" creed to comfort my old age by the " long life and health of my fon: " but perhaps, he has something greater 66 “ ftill |