the agent Yet Israel and Iuda were now peeced in friendship Iehosaphat the good King of Iuda had made affinity with Ahab the Idolatrous King of Israel and besides a personall visitation ioynes his forces with his new Kinsman against an old confederate Iuda had calld in Syria against Israel and now Israel calls in Iuda against Syria Thus rather should it be It is fit that the more pure Church should ioine with the more corrupt against a common Paganish enemy Iehosaphat hath match't with Ahab not with a diuorce of his deuotion Hee will fight not without God Inquire I pray thee at the Word of the Lord to day Had hee done thus sooner I feare Athaliah had neuer call'd him father This motion was newes in Israel It was wont to bee said Inquire of Baal The good King of Iudah will bring Religion into fashion in the Court of Israel Ahab had inquired of his Counsellors What needed he be so deuout as to inquire of his Prophets Onely Iehosaphats presence made him thus godly It is an happy thing to conuerse with the vertuous their counsell and example cannot but leaue some tincture behind them of a good profession if not of piety Those that are truly religious dare not but take God with them in all their affaires with him they can be as valiant as timorous without him Ahab had Clergy enough such as it was Foure hundred Prophets of the groues were reserued from appearing to Elijahs challenge these are now consulted by Ahab they liue to betray the life of him who saued theirs These care not so much to inquire what God would say as what Ahab would haue them say they saw which way the Kings heart was bent that way they bent their tongues Goe vp for the Lord shall deliuer it into the hands of the King False Prophets care onely to please a plausible falshood passes with them aboue an harsh truth Had they seene Ahab fearfull they had said Peace Peace now they see him resolute war victory It is a fearfull presage of ruine when the Prophets conspire in assentation Their number consent confidence hath easily won credit with Ahab We doe all willingly beleeue what we wish Iehosaphat is not so soone satisfied These Prophets were it is like obtruded to him a stranger for the true Prophets of the true God The iudicious King sees cause to suspect them and now perceiuing at what altars they serued hates to rest in their testimony Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord besides that wee might inquire of him One single Prophet speaking from the Oracles of God is more worth than foure hundred Baalites Truth may not euer be measured by the poll It is not number but weight that must carry it in a Councell of Prophets A solid Verity in one mouth is worthy to preponderate light falshood in a thousand Euen King Ahab as bad as hee was kept tale of his Prophets and could giue account of one that was missing There is yet one man Michaiah the sonne of Imlah by whom we may inquire of the Lord but I hate him for hee doth not prophecy good concerning mee but euill It is very probable that Micaiah was that disguised Prophet who brought to Ahab the fearefull message of displeasure and death for dismissing Benhadad for which he was euer since fast in prison deepe in disgrace Oh corrupt heart of selfe condemned Ahab If Micaiah spake true to thee how was it euill If others said false how was it good and if Micaiah spake from the Lord why doest thou hate him This hath wont to be the ancient lot of Truth censure and hatred Censure of the message hatred of the bearer To carnall eares the message is euill if vnpleasing and if plausible good If it be sweet it cannot bee poison if bitter it cannot bee wholsome The distemper of the receiuer is guilty of this mis-conceit In it selfe euery truth as it is good so amiable euery falshood loathsome as euill A sick palate cries out of the taste of those liquors which are well allowed of the healthfull It is a signe of a good state of the soule when euery verdure can receiue his proper iudgement Wise and good Iehoshaphat disswades Ahab from so hard an opinion and sees cause so much more to vrge the consultation of Michaiah by how much he findes him more vnpleasing The King of Israel to satisfie the importunitie of so great and deare an allie sends an Officer for Michaiah He knew well belike where to finde him within those foure walls where vniust cruelty had disposed of that innocent Seer Out of the obscuritie of the prison is the poore Prophet fetcht into the light of so glorious a Confession of two Kings who thought this Conuocation of Prophets not vnworthy of their greatest representation of State and Maiestie There he finds Zedekiah the leader of that false crue not speaking onely but acting his prediction Signes were no lesse vsed by the Prophets than words this arch-flatterer hath made him hornes of iron the horne is forceable the iron irresistible by an irresistible force shall Ahab push the Syrians as if there were more certaintie in this mans hands than in his tongue If this sonne of Chenaanah had not had a forehead of brasse for impudency and an heart of Lead for flexiblenesse to humours and times hee had neuer deuised these hornes of iron wherewith his King was goared vnto bloud Howsoeuer it is enough for him that he is beleeued that he is seconded All the great Inquest of these Prophets gaue vp their verdict by this foreman not one of foure hundred dissented Vnanimitie of opinion in the greatest Ecclesiastical assemblies is not euer an argument of truth There may be as common and as firme agreement in error The messenger that came frō Micaiah like a carnall friend sets him in a way of fauour tels him what the rest said how they pleased how vnsafe it would be for him to varie how beneficiall to assent Those that adore earthly greatnesse thinke euery man should dote vpon their Idols and hold no termes too high for their ambitious purchases Faithfull Micaiah scornes the motion hee knowes the price of the world and contemnes it As the Lord liueth what the Lord saith vnto me that will I speake Neither feares nor fauours can tempt the holily resolute They can trample vpon dangers or honours with a carelesse foot and whether they bee smiled or frowned on by the great dare not either alter or conceale their errand The question is moued to Micaiah He at first so yeelds that he contradicts yeelds in words contradicts in pronunciation The syllables are for them the sound against them Ironies deny strongest in affirming and now being pressed home hee tels them that God had shewed him those sheepe of Israel should ere long by this meanes want their Shepheard The very resemblance to a good Prince had beene affectiue The sheepe is an helplesse creature not able either
his brethren There Goal against Abimelech There was Ioseph sold by his brethren As if the very soile had beene stained with perfidiousnesse The time is no lesse ill chosen Rehoboam had ill counsell ere he bewrayed it For had hee speedily called vp Israel before Ieroboam could haue beene sent for out of Egypt he had found the way cleere A little delay may leese a great deale of opportunity what shall we say of both but that misery is led in by infatuation Had not Israel beene somewhat predisposed to a mutinie they had neuer sent into Egypt for such a spokesman as Ieroboam a fugitiue a traitor to Salomon long had that crafty conspirator lurked in a forraine court The alliances of Princes are not euer necessary bonds of friendship The brother in law of Salomon harbours this snake in his bosome and giues that heat which is repaid with a sting to the posterity of so neere an allye And now Salomons death calls him backe to his natiue soile That Israel would entertaine a rebell it was an ill signe worse yet that they would countenance him worst of all that they would imploy him Nothing doth more bewray euill intentions than the choise of vicious Agents Those that meane well will not hazard either the successe or credit of their actions vpon offensiue instruments None but the sluttish will wipe their faces with foule clothes Vpright hearts would haue said as Dauid did to God so to his anointed Doe not I hate them that hate thee Yea I hate them with a perfect hatred Ieroboams head had beene a fit present to haue tendered vnto their new King and now in stead thereof they tender themselues to Ieroboam as the head of their faction Had not Rehoboam wanted spirits hee had first after Salomons example done iustice to his fathers traytor and then haue treated of mercy towards his subiects The people soone found the weakenesse of their new Soueraigne else they durst not haue spoken to him by so obnoxious a tongue Thy father made our yoke grieuous make thou it lighter and wee will serue thee Doubtlesse the crafty head of Ieroboam was in this suit which his mouth vttered in the name of Israel Nothing could haue beene more subtill It seemed a promise it was a threat that which seemed a supplication was a complaint humility was but a vaile for discontentment One hand held a paper the other a sword Had they said Free vs from Tributes the capitulation had beene grosse and strongly sauoring of sedition now they say Ease vs they professe his power to impose and their willingnesse to yeeld only crauing fauour in the weight of the imposition If Rehoboam yeeld he blemisheth his father If he deny hee indangers his kingdome His wilfulnesse shall seeme worthily to abandon his scepter if he sticke at so reasonable a suit Surely Israel came with a purpose to cauill Ieroboam had secretly troubled these waters that he might fish more gainefully One male-content is enough to embroile a whole kingdome How harshly must it needs sound in the eares of Rehoboam that the first word hee heares from his people is a querulous challenge of his fathers gouernment Thy father made our yoke grieuous For ought I see the suggestion was not more spightfull than vniust where was the weight of this yoke the toyle of these seruices Here were none of the turmoyles of warre no traynings marchings encampings entrenching watchings minings sieges fortifications none of that tedious world of worke that attends hostility Salomon had not his name for nought All was calme during that long reigne And if they had paid deare for their peace they had no cause to complaine of an hard match The warlike times of Saul and Dauid had exhausted their bloud together with their substance what ingratitude was this to cry out of ease Yea but that peace brought forth costly and laborious buildings Gods house and the Kings the walls of Ierusalem Hazor Megiddo and Gezer the cities of store the cities of defence could not rise without many a shoulder True but not of any Israelites The remainders of Amorites Hittites Perizzites Hiuites and Iebusites were put to all the drudgery of these great workes the taskes of Israel were easie and ingenuous free from seruility free from painfulnesse But the charge was theirs whose-soeuer was the labour The diet of so endlesse a retinue the attendance of his Seraglio the purueyance for his forty thousand stables the cost of his sacrifices must needs weigh heauy Certainly if it had layne on none but his owne But wherefore went Salomons Nauy euery three yeeres to Ophir to what vse serued the six hundred threescore and six Talents of Gold that came in one yeare to his Exchequer wherefore serued the large tributes of forraine nations How did hee make siluer to be in Ierusalem as stones if the exactions were so pressiue The multitude is euer prone to picke quarrells with their Gouernours and whom they feared aliue to censure dead The benefits of so quiet and happy a reigne are past ouer in silence the grieuances are recounted with clamour Who can hope that merit or greatnesse can shield him from obloquie when Salomon is traduced to his owne loynes The proposition of Israel puts Rehoboam to a deliberation Depart yee for three daies then come againe to me I heare no other word of his that argued wisdome Not to giue sudden resolutions in cases of importance was a point that might well beseeme the sonne of Salomon I wonder that hee who had so much wit as to call for leisure in his answer should shew so little wit in the improuing of that leisure in the returne of that answer Who cannot but hope well to see the grey heads of Salomons secret Counsell called to Rehoboams Cabinet As Counsellors as ancient as Salomons they cannot choose but see the best the safest course for their new Soueraigne They had learned of their old master that a soft answer appeaseth wrath wisely therefore doe they aduise him If thou wilt be a seruant to this people this day and speake good words to them they will be thy seruants for euer It was an easie condition with one mouthfull of breath to purchase an euerlasting homage with one gentle motion of his tongue to binde all his peoples hearts to his allegeance for euer Yet as if the motion had beene vnfit a new Counsell Table is called well might this people say What will not Rehoboam grudge vs if he thinke much to giue good words for a Kingdome There is not more wisdome in taking variety of aduice where the matter is doubtfull than folly when it is plaine The young heads are consulted This very change argues weakenes Some reason might bee pleaded for passing from the younger Counsell to the aged none for the contrary Age brings experience and it is a shame if with the ancient be not wisdome Youth is commonly rash heady insolent vngouerned wedded to will led by
of Nature Oh God how easie is it for thee when this hard and heauy heart of mine is sunke downe into the mud of the world to fetch it vp againe by thy mighty word and cause it to float vpon the streames of life and to see the face of heauen againe Yet still doe the sides of Israel complaine of the thornes of Aram The children of Ahab rue their fathers vniust mercy From an enemy it is no making question whether of strength or wile The King of Syria consults with his seruants where to encampe for his greatest aduantage their opinion is not more required than their secrecie Elisha is a thousand Scouts hee sends word to the King of Israel of the proiects of the remoues of his enemy More than once hath Iehoram saued both his life and his hoast by these close admonitions It is well that in something yet a Prophet may bee obeyed What strange State-seruice was this which Elisha did besides the spirituall The King the people of Israel owe themselues and their safetie to a despised Prophet The man of God knew and felt them Idolaters yet how carefull and vigilant is he for their rescue If they were bad yet they were his owne If they were bad yet not all God had his number amongst their worst If they were bad yet the Syrians were worse The Israelites mis-worshipped the true God the Syrians worshipped a false That if it were possible he might win them he will preserue them and if they will needs bee wanting to God yet Elisha will not bee wanting to them their impietie shall not make him vndutifull There cannot be a iuster cause of displeasure than the disclosing of those secret counsels which are laid vp in our eare in our breast The King of Syria not without reason stomackes this supposed treacherie What Prince can beare that an aduerse power should haue a partie a Pensionarie in his owne Court How famous was Elisha euen in forraine Regions Besides Naaman others of the Syrian Nobilitie take notice of the miraculous faculties of this Prophet of Israel He is accused for this secret intelligence No words can escape him though spoken in the bed-chamber O Syrian whosoeuer thou wert thou saidst not enough If thy master doe but whisper in thine eare if he smother his words within his owne lips if he do but speake within his owne bosome Elisha knowes it from an infallible information What counsell is it O God that can be hid from thee What counsell is it that thou wilt hide from thy Seer Euen this very word that accuseth the Prophet is knowne to the accused Hee heares this tale whiles it is in telling he heares the plot for his apprehension How ill doe the proiects of wicked men hang together They that confesse Elisha knowes their secretest words doe yet conferre to take him There are Spies vpon him whose espials haue moued their anger and admiration He is descried to bee in Dothan a small Towne of Manasses A whole Armie is sent thither to surprise him The opportunitie of the night is chosen for the exploit There shall bee no want either in the number or valour or secrecie of these conspired troups now when they haue fully girt in the village with a strong exquisite siege they make themselues sure of Elisha and please themselues to think how they haue incaged the miserable Prophet how they should take him at vnawares in his bed in the midst of a secure dreame how they should carrie him fettered to their King what thankes they should haue for so welcome a prisoner The successour of Gehezi riseth early in the morning and sees all the Citie encompassed with a fearefull hoast of foot horse charets His eye could meet with nothing but woods of pikes and walls of harnesse and lustre of metals and now he runs in affrighted to his master Alas my master what shall we doe He had day enough to see they were enemies that inuironed them to see himselfe helplesse and desperate and hath only so much life left in him as to lament himselfe to the partner of his miserie He cannot flee from his new master if he would he runs to him with a wofull clamour Alas my master what shall we doe Oh the vndaunted courage of faith Elisha sees all this and sits in his chamber so secure as if these had onely beene the guard of Israel for his safe protection It is an hard precept that he giues his seruant Feare not As well might hee haue bid him not to see when he saw as not to feare when hee saw so dreadfull a spectacle The operations of the senses are not lesse certaine than those of the affections where the obiects are no lesse proper But the taske is easie if the next word may finde beleefe For there are moe with vs than with them Multitude and other outward probabilities doe both leade the confidence of naturall hearts and fix it It is for none but a Dauid to say I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that haue set themselues against mee round about Flesh and bloud riseth and falleth according to the proportion of the strength or weaknesse of apparent meanes Elishaes man lookt about him yet his master praies Lord open his eyes that they may see Naturally we see not whiles we doe see Euery thing is so seene as it is Bodily eies discerne bodily obiects onely spirituall can see the things of God Some men want both eyes and light Elishaes seruant had eyes wanted illumination No sooner were his eies open than he saw the mountaine full of horses and charets of fire round about Elisha They were there before neither doth Elisha pray that those troupes may be gathered but that they may bee seene not till now were they descried Inuisible Armies guard the seruants of God whiles they seeme most forsaken of earthly aide most exposed to certaine dangers If the eies of our Faith be as open as those of our sense to see Angels as well as Syrians wee cannot be appalled with the most vnequall termes of hostilitie Those blessed Spirits are ready either to rescue our bodies or to carrie vp our soules to blessednesse whether euer shall be inioyned of their Maker there is iust comfort in both in either Both those charets that came to fetch Elijah and those that came to defend Elisha were fiery God is not lesse louely to his owne in the midst of his iudgements than hee is terrible to his enemies in the demonstrations of his mercies Thus guarded it is no maruell if Elisha dare walke forth into the midst of the Syrians Not one of those heauenly Presidiaries strucke a stroke for the Prophet neither doth he require their blowes only he turnes his prayer to his God and sayes Smite this people I pray thee with blindnesse With no other than deadly intentions did these Aramites come downe to Elisha yet doth not hee say Smite them with the sword but Smite
taken her part of so prodigious a banquet with-drawes her childe and hides him from the knife Hunger and enuy make the Plaintiffe importunate and now she craues the benefit of royall iustice She that made the first motion with-holds her part of the bargaine and flies from that promise whose trust had made this mother childlesse Oh the direfull effects of famine that turnes off all respects of nature and giues no place to horror causing the tender mother to lay her hands yea her teeth vpon the fruit of her owne body and to receiue that into her stomacke which she hath brought forth of her wombe What should Iehoram doe The match was monstrous The challenge was iust yet vnnaturall This complainant had purchased one halfe of the liuing childe by the one halfe of hers dead The mother of the furuiuing Infant is pressed by couenant by hunger restrained by nature To force a mother to deliuer vp her childe to voluntarie slaughter had beene cruell To force a Debtor to pay a confessed arerage seemed but equall If the remaining childe be not dressed for food this mother of the deuoured childe is both robbed and affamished If he bee innocent bloud is shed by authoritie It is no maruell if the question astonished the Iudge not so much for the difficultie of the demand as the horror of the occasion To what lamentable distresse did Iehoram finde his people driuen Not without cause did the King of Israel rend his garments and shew his sack-cloth well might he see his people branded with that ancient curse which God had denounced against the rebellious The Lord shall bring a Nation against thee of a fierce countenance which shall not regard the person of the old nor shew fauour to the young And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine owne body the flesh of thy sonnes and of thy daughters The tender and delicate woman her eies shall be euill towards her young one that commeth out from betweene her feet and towards the children which she shall beare for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitnesse Hee mournes for the plague hee mournes not for the cause of this plague his sin and theirs I finde his sorrow I finde not his repentance The worst man may grieue for his smart onely the good heart grieues for his offence In stead of being penitent Iehoram is furious and turnes his rage from his sins against the Prophet God doe so to me and more also if the head of Elisha the sonne of Shaphat shall stand on him this day Alas what hath the righteous done Perhaps Elisha that wee may imagine some colours of this displeasure fore-threatned this iudgement but they deserued it perhaps he might haue auerted it by his prayers their vnrepentance disabled him Perhaps hee perswaded Iehoram to hold out the siege though through much hardnesse he foresaw the deliuerance In all this how hath Elisha forfeited his head All Israel did not afford an head so guiltlesse as this that was destin'd to slaughter This is the fashion of the world the lewd blames the innocent and will reuenge their owne sinnes vpon others vprightnesse In the midst of all this sad estate of Samaria and these stormes of Iehoram the Prophet sits quietly in his owne house amongst his holy Consorts bewailing no doubt both the sinnes and misery of their people and prophetically conferring of the issue when suddenly God reueales to him the bloudy intent and message of Iehoram and he at once reueales it to his fellowes See yee how this sonne of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head Oh the vnimitable libertie of a Prophet The same God that shew'd him his danger suggested his words He may bee bold where we must bee awfull Still is Naboths bloud laid in Iehorams dish The foule fact of Ahab blemisheth his posteritie and now when the sonne threats violence to the innocent murder is obiected to him as hereditary He that foresaw his owne perill prouides for his safetie Shut the doore and hold him fast at the doore No man is bound to tender his throat to an vniust stroke This bloudie commission was preuented by a propheticall fore-sight The same eye that saw the executioner comming to smite him saw also the King hasting after him to stay the blow The Prophet had beene no other than guiltie of his owne bloud if he had not reserued himselfe a while for the rescue of authoritie Oh the inconstancie of carnall hearts It was not long since Iehoram could say to Elisha My father shall I smite them now he is readie to smite him as an enemie whom hee honoured as a father Yet againe his lips had no sooner giuen sentence of death against the Prophet than his feet stirre to recall it It should seeme that Elisha vpon the challenges and expostulations of Iehorams messenger had sent a perswasiue message to the King of Israel yet a while to wait patiently vpon God for his deliuerance The discontented Prince flies off in an impotent anger Behold this euill is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer Oh the desperate resolutions of impatient mindes They haue stinted God both for his time and his measure if he exceed either they either turne their backs vpon him or flie in his face The position was true the inference deadly All that euill was of the Lord they deserued it he sent it What then It should haue beene therefore argued Hee that sent it can remoue it I will wait vpon his mercie vnder whose iustice I suffer Impatience and distrust shal but aggrauate my iudgement It is the Lord let him doe what he will But now to despaire because God is iust to defie mercy because it lingers to reiect God for correction it is a presumptuous madnesse an impious pettishnesse Yet in spight of all these prouocations both of King and people Elisha hath good newes for Iehoram Thus saith the Lord To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flowre bee sold for a Shekell and two measures of Barley for a Shekell in the gate of Samaria Miserable Israel now sees an end of this hard triall One daies patience shall free them both of siege and famine Gods deliuerances may ouer-stay our expectation not the due period of his owne counsels Oh infinite mercy when man saies No longer God sayes To morrow As if hee would condescend where hee might iudge and would please them who deserued nothing but punishment The word seemed not more comfortable than incredible A Lord on whose hand the King leaned answered the man of God and said Behold if the Lord would make windowes in heauen might this thing be Prophesies before they be fulfilled are riddles no spirit can areed them but that by which they are deliuered It is a foolish and iniurious infidelity to question a possibilitie where wee know the message is Gods How
quiet possession How still doth God sit in heauen and looke vpon the complots of treachery and villanies as if they did not concerne him The successe so answers their desires as if both heauen and earth were their friends It is the plague which seemes the felicitie of sinners to speed well in their lewd enterprises No reckoning is brought in the midst of the meale the end payes for all Whiles Ahab is reioycing in his new garden-plot and promising himselfe contentment in this commodious enlargement in comes Elijah sent from God with an errand of vengeance Me thinkes I see how the Kings countenance changed with what agast eyes and pale cheekes he lookt vpon that vnwelcome Prophet Little pleasure tooke he in his prospect whiles it was clogged with such a guest yet his tongue begins first Hast thou found me O mine enemy Great is the power of conscience vpon the last meeting for ought wee know Ahab and Elijah parted friends The Prophet had lacquaied his coach and tooke a peaceable leaue at this Townes end now Ahabs heart told him neither needed any other messenger that God and his Prophet were falne out with him His continuing Idolatry now seconded with bloud bids him looke for nothing but frownes from heauen A guiltie heart can neuer be at peace Had not Ahab knowne how ill he had deserued of God he had neuer saluted his Prophet by the name of an enemy Hee had neuer beene troubled to bee found by Elijah if his owne breast had not found him out for an enemy to God Much good may thy vineyard doe thee O thou King of Israel many faire flowers and sauoury herbes may thy new Garden yeeld thee please thy selfe with thy Iezebel in the triumph ouer the carkasse of a scrupulous subiect let me rather die with Naboth than reioyce with thee His turne is ouer thine is to come The stones that ouerwhelmed innocent Naboth were nothing to those that smite thee Host thou killed and also taken possession Thus saith the Lord In the place where dogs licked the bloud of Naboth shall dogs licke thy bloud euen thine What meanest thou O Elijah to charge this murther vpon Ahab He kept his Chamber Iezebel wrote the Elders condemned the people stoned yet thou saiest Hast thou killed Well did Ahab know that Iezebel could not giue this vineyard with dry hands yet was he content to winke at what she would doe He but sits still whiles Iezebel workes Onely his Signet is suffered to walke for the sealing of this vnknowne purchase Those that are trusted with authoritie may offend no lesse in conniuencie or neglect than others in act in participation Not onely command consent countenance but verie permission feoffes publike persons in those sinnes which they might and will not preuent God loues to punish by retaliation Naboth and Ahab shall both bleed Naboth by the stones of the Iezreelites Ahab by the shafts of the Aramites The dogs shall taste of the bloud of both What Ahab hath done in crueltie he shall suffer in iustice The cause and the end make the difference happy on Naboths side on Ahabs wofull Naboth bleeds as a Martyr Ahab as a murtherer What euer is Ahabs condition Naboth changes a vineyard on earth for a Kingdome in heauen Neuer any wicked man gained by the persecution of an innocent Neuer any innocent man was a loser by suffering from the wicked Neither was this iudgement personall but hereditarie I will take away thy posteritie and will make thine house like the house of Ieroboam Him that dieth of Ahab in the Citie the Dogs shalleat and him that dieth in the field shall the Fowles of the ayre eat Ahab shall not need to take thought for the traducing of this ill gotten inheritance God hath taken order for his heires whom his sinne hath made no lesse the heires of his curse than of his body Their fathers cruelty to Naboth hath made them together with their mother Iezebel dogs-meat The reuenge of God doth at last make amends for the delay Whether now is Naboths vineyard paid for The man that had sold himselfe to worke wickednesse yet rues the bargaine I doe not heare Ahab as bad as he was reuile or threaten the Prophet but he rends his clothes and weares and lyes in sack-cloth and fasts and walkes softly Who that had seene Ahab would not haue deemed him a true penitent All this was the visor of sorrow not the face or if the face not the heart or if the sorrow of the heart yet not the repentance A sorrow for the iudgement not a repentance for the sin The very deuils howle to be tormented Griefe is not euer a signe of grace Ahab rends his clothes he did not rend his heart he puts on sack-cloth not amendment he lies in sack-cloth but he lies in his Idolatry he walkes softly he walkes not sincerely Worldly sorrow causeth death Happy is that griefe for which the soule is the holier Yet what is this I see This very shadow of penitence carries away mercy It is no small mercy to deferre an euill Euen Ahabs humiliation shal prorogue the iudgement such as the penitence was such shal bee the reward a temporary reward of a temporary penitence As Ahab might be thus sorrowfull and neuer the better so he may be thus fauoured and neuer the happier Oh God how graciously art thou ready to reward a sound and holy repentance who art thus indulgent to a carnall and seruile deiection AHAB and MICAIAH OR The Death of AHAB WHo would haue look't to haue heard any more of the warres of the Syrians with Israel after so great a slaughter after so firme a league a league not of peace onely but of Brotherhood The haltars the sack-cloth of Benhadads followers were worne out as of vse so of memory and now they are changed for Iron and steele It is but three yeares that this peace lasts and now that warre begins which shall make an end of Ahab The King of Israel rues his vniust mercie according to the word of the Prophet that gift of a life was but an exchange Because Ahab gaue Benhadad his life Benhadad shall take Ahabs He must forfeit in himselfe what he hath giuen to another There can be no better fruit of too much kindnesse to Infidels It was one Article of the league betwixt Ahab his brother Benhadad that there should be a speedy restitution of all the Israelitish Cities The rest are yeelded onely Ramoth Gilead is held backe vnthankfully iniuriously He that beg'd but his life receiues his Kingdome and now rests not content with his owne bounds Iustly doth Ahab challenge his owne iustly doth he moue a war to recouer his owne from a perfidious tributary the lawfulnesse of actions may not be iudged by the euents but by the grounds the wise and holy arbiter of the world knowes why many times the better cause hath the worse successe Many a iust businesse is crossed for a punishment to