seer, and now is not a little troubled to see himself, in succession, haunted with that bold and ill-boding spirit.

Behold the true son of Jezebel! The anguish of his disease, the expectation of death, cannot take off his persecution of Elijah it is against his will that his deathbed is not bloody. Had Ahaziah meant any other than a cruel violence to Elijah, he had sent a peaceable messenger to call him to the court; he had not sent a captain, with a band of soldiers, to fetch him: the instruments which he useth, carry revenge in their face. If he had not thought Elijah more than a man, what needed a band of fifty men to apprehend one? and if he did think him such, why would he send to apprehend him by fifty? Surely Ahaziah knew of old, how miraculous a prophet Elijah was; what power that man had over all their base deities, what command of the elements, of the heavens; and yet he sends to attack him. It is a strange thing to see how wilfully godless men strive against the stream of their own hearts, hating that which they know good, fighting against that which they know divine. What a gross disagreement is in the message of this Israelitish captain! "Thou man of God, the king hath said, come down." If he were a man of God, how hath he offended? and if he hath justly offended the anointed of God, how is he a man of God? and if he be a man of God, and have not offended, why should he come down to punishment? Here is a kind confession, with a false heart, with bloody hands. The world is full of these windy courtesies, real cruelties. Deadly malice lurks under fair compliments, and, while it flatters, killeth. The prophet hides not himself from the pursuit of Ahaziah: rather he sits where he may be most conspicuous, on the top of a hill. This band knows well where to find him, and climbs up, in the sight of Elijah, for his arrest. The steepness of the ascent, when they drew near to the highest reach, yielded a convenience both of respiration and parley: thence doth the captain imperiously call down the prophet. Who would not tremble at the dreadful answer of Elijah?" If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty." What shall we say? that a prophet is revengeful? that soldiers suffer while a prophet strikes? that a prince's command is answered with imprecation-words with fire? that an unarmed seer should kill one and fifty 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 prece

dent. Not in his own defence would the prophet have been the death of so many, if God had not, by a peculiar instinct, made him an instrument of this just vengeance. The divine justice finds it meet to do this for the terror of Israel, that he might teach them what it was to contemn, to persecute a prophet, that they might learn to fear him whom they had forsaken, and confess that heaven was sensible of their insolences 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 ever, not ever with the same speed; sometimes the punishment overtakes the act, sometimes dogs it afar off, and seizeth upon the offender, when his crime is forgotten. Here, no sooner is the word out of Elijah's mouth, than the fire is out of heaven. O the wonderful power of a prophet! There sits Elijah in his coarse mantle, on the top of the hill, and commands the heavens, and they obey him: "Let fire fall down from heaven." He needs n more but say what he would have done : the fire falls down, as before upon the sacrifice in Carmel, so now upon the soldiers of Ahaziah. What is man in the hands of his Maker! One flash of lightning hath consumed these one and fifty: and if all the hosts of Israel, yea of the world, had been in their rooms, there had needed no other force. What madness is it for him whose breath is in his nostrils, to contend with the Almighty! The time was, when two zealous disciples would fain have imitated this fiery revenge of Elijah, and were repelled with a check the very place puts them in mind of the judgment; not far from Samaria was this done by Elijah, and wished to be done by the disciples. So churlish a rejection of a Saviour seemed no less heinous, than the endeavour of apprehending a prophet: "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, as Elias did?" The world yielded but one Elias; that, which was zeal in him, might be fury in another: the least variation of circumstance may make an example dangerous; presently, therefore, do they hear, "Ye know not of what spirit ye are." It is the calling that varies the spirit: Elijan was God's minister for the execution of so severe a judgment; they were but the servants of their own impotent anger; there was fire in their breasts which God never kindled. Far was it from the Saviour of men to second their earthly fire with this heavenly. He came indeed to send fire upon earth, but to warm, not to burn; and if to burn, not the persons of men. but their

corruptions. How much more safe is it for us to follow the meek prophet of the New Testament, than that fervent prophet of the Old! Let the matter of our prayers be the sweet dews of mercy, not the fires of

vengeance.

Would not any man have thought Ahaviah sufficiently warned by so terrible a judgment? Could he choose but say, It is no meddling with a man that can speak lightning and death? What he hath said concerning me is too well approved, by what he hath done to my messengers: God's 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 heaven; and a more resolute captain, with a second band, is sent to fetch Elijah to death. This man is in haste, and commands not only his descent, but his speed: "Come down quickly." The charge implies a threat; Elijah must look for force, if he yield not. There needs no other weapon for defence, for offence, than the same tongue, the same breath. God hath fire enough for all the troops of Ahaziah. Immediately doth a sudden flame break out of heaven, and consume this forward leader, and his bold followers. It is a just presage and desert of ruin, not to be 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 despitefully spit in the face of Heaven, and wrestle a fall with the Almighty, he will needs yet again set a third captain upon so desperate an employment. How hot a service must this commander needs think himself put upon! who can but pity his straits? There is death before him, death behind him if he go not, the king's wrath is the messenger of death; if he go, the prophet's tongue is the executioner of death. Many a hard task will follow the service of a prince wedded to his passion, divorced from God. Unwillingly, doubtless, and fearfully, doth this captain climb up the hill to scale that impregnable fort; but now, when he comes near to the assault, the battery that he lays to it is his prayers; his surest fight is upon his knees: "He went up, and came and fell upon his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight." He confesses the judgment that befel his predecessors; the monuments of their destruction were in his eye, and the terror of it in his heart: of an enemy, therelore, he is become a supplicant, and sues,

not so much for the prophet's yieldance, as for his own life. This was the way to offer violence to the prophet of God, to the God of that prophet, even humble supplications. We must deprecate that evil which we would avoid; if we would force blessings, we must entreat them. There is nothing to be gotten from God by strong hand; anything by suit. The life of the captain is preserved: Elijah is by the angel commanded to go down with him speedily, fearlessly. The prophet casts not with himself, What safety can there be in this journey? I shall put myself into the hands of rude soldiers, and, by them, into the hands of an enraged king: if he did not eagerly thirst after my blood, he had never sought it with so much loss. But so soon as he had a charge from the angel, he walks down resolutely, and, as it were, dares the dangers of so great a hostility. He knew that the same God, who had fought for him upon the hill, would not leave him in the valley: he knew the angel, which bade him go, was guard enough against a world of enemies. Faith knows not how to fear, and can as easily contemn the suggestion of perils, as infidelity can raise them.

The prophet looks boldly upon the court, which doubtless was not a little disaffected to him, and comes confidently into the bedchamber of Ahaziah, and sticks not to speak over the same words to his head, which he had sent him, not long since, by his first messengers. Not one syllable will the prophet abate of his errand. It is not for a herald of heaven to be out of countenance, or to mince aught of the most killing messages of his God.

Whether the unexpected confidence, both of the man and of the speech, amazed the sick king of Israel; or whether the fear of some present judgment (where with he might suspect Elijah to come armed, upon any act of violence that should be offered) overawed him; or whether now, at last, upon the sight and hearing of this man of God, the king's heart began to relent, and check itself for that sin for which he was justly reproved, I know not; but sure I am, the prophet goes away untouched: neither the furious purposes of Ahaziah, nor the exasperations of a Jezebel, can hurt that prophet, whom God hath intended to a fiery chariot. The hearts of kings are not their own; subjects are not so much in their hands, as they are in their Maker's. How easily can God tame the fierceness of any creature, and, in the midst of their most heady career, stop them on the sud. den, and fetch them upon the knees of their

interknow one another! how kindly do they communicate their visions! Seldom ever was any knowledge given to keep, but to mpart: the grace of this rich jewel is lost in concealment. The removal of an Elijah is so important a business, that it is not fit to be done without noise. Many shall have their share in his loss; he must be missed on the sudden it was meet, therefore, that the world should know his rapture should be divine and glorious. I do not find where the day of any natural death is notified to so many; by how much more wonder there was in this assumption, by so much more shall it be fore-revealed. It is enough for ordinary occurrents to be known by their event: supernatural things have need of premonition, that men's hearts may both be prepared for their receipt, and confirmed in their certainty. Thrice was Elisha entreated, thrice hath he denied to stay behind his now departing master; on whom both his eyes and his thoughts are so fixed, that he cannot give allowance so much as to the interpellation of a question of his fellowprophets: together, therefore, are this wonderful pair come to the last stage of their separation, the banks of Jordan. Those, that were not admitted to be attendants of the journey, yet will not be debarred from being spectators of so marvellous an issue. Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood to view afar off. I marvel there were no more: how could any son of the prophets stay within the college walls that day, when he knew what was meant to Elijah? Perhaps, though they knew that to be the prophet's last day, yet they might think his disparition should be sudden and insensible; besides, they found how much he affected secresy in this intended departure: yet the fifty prophets of Jericho will make proof of their eyes, and with much intention essay who shall have the last sight of Elijah. Miracles are not purposed to silence and obscurity: God will not work wonders without witnesses; since he doth them on purpose to win glory to his name, his end were frustrate without their notice. Even so, O Saviour, when thou hadst raised thyself from the dead, thou wouldst be seen of more than five hundred brethren at once; and when thou wouldst raise up thy glorified body from earth into heaven, thou didst not ascend from some close valley, but from the mount of Olives; not in the night, not alone, but in the clear day, in the view of many eyes, which were so fixed upon that point of thine heaven, that they could scarce be removed by the check of angels.

Jordan must be crossed by Elijah in his way to heaven. There must be a meet parallel betwixt the two great prophets, that shall meet Christ upon Tabor, Moses and Elias: both received visions on Horeb, to both God appeared there in fire, and other forms of terror: both were sent to kings; one to Pharaoh, the other to Ahab: both prepared miraculous tables; the one of quails and manna in the desert, the other of meal and oil in Sarepta: both opened heaven; the one for that nourishing dew, the other for those refreshing showers: both revenged idolatries with the sword; the one upon the worshippers of the golden calf, the other upon the four hundred Baalites: both quenched the drought of Israel; the one out of the rock, the other out of the cloud: both divided the waters, the one of the Red Sea, the other of Jordan: both of them are forewarned of their departure; both must be fetched away beyond Jordan: 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 Divine Power which wrought with the prophet, run away from him, and stand on heaps, leaving their dry channel for the passage of those awful feet: it is not long since he mulcted them with a general exsiccation: now he only bids them stand aside, and give way to his last walk, that he might with dry feet mount up into the celestial chariot.

The waters do not now first obey him: they know that mantle of old, which hath oft given laws to their falling, rising, standing: they are past over, and now, when Elijah finds himself treading on his last earth, he proffers a munificent boon to his faithful servant: "Ask what I shall do for thee, before I am taken from thee." I do not hear him say, Ask of me when I am gone: in my glorified condition, I shall be more able to bestead thee; but, Ask before I go. We have a communion with the saints departed, not a commerce: when they are enabled to do more for us, they are less apt to be solicited by us: it is safe suing where we are sure to be heard. Had not Elijah received a peculiar instinct for this proffer, he had not been thus liberal: it were presumption to be bountiful on another's cost, without leave of the owner. The mercy of our good God allows his favourites not only to receive, but to give; not only to receive for themselves, but to convey blessings to others: what can that man want, that is befriended of the faithful?

Elisha needs not go far to seek for a suit;

Y