O Ioash thou art a mourner at Elishâ—â— death Vse 1. but who thinkst thou will lament at thine The righteous indeed fall and the City is mooved all cry after him and the streets ring with their lamentations but the wicked are cut off and all is still they are neither missed nor desired nor lamented We will not crosse he proverb yet may we limit it Eccl. 2.15 So dyeth the wise man even as the foole so dieth he indeed for the nature of his death his soule is separated from his body but not so for the manner issue and consequents of his death hee dyeth a wise man but this a foole he like a Saint expecting to rise againe gloriously but this as a beast which perisheth for ever he dieth and is lost as a pearl this and is never missed like carrion he is taken away and bitterly lamented but this is cut off and not so much as desired Will ye see how they use him when he is gone It was Iehoiakims case sonne to Iosiah king of Iudah a wicked wretch whom God thus cursed when he was dead Ier. 22.18 19 Non plangent eum vae ob fratrem meum vae ob sororem non plangent eum vae ob regem vae ob regnum eius Sicut proiiciunt cadaver asini sic proiicient cadaver eius lacerabitur proiicietur ultra portas Ierusalem Calv. paraph. They shall not lament for him saying Ah my brother or ah sister they shall not lament for him saying Ah Lord or ah his glory He shall he buried with the buriall of an asse drawne and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem Reade here and see your doome ye generation of evil doers though ye be the sonnes of kings and children of Princes yet your iniquities make you stinke ye die and are dragged and tumbled out like carrion this is your sentence from heauen It is the curse of folly to be buried like an asse Secondly Vse 2. O Israel how art thou beholding to Elisha Thy child indeed yet thy father thy guide thy counsellour thy charet and thy horsemen thy sinewes thy very strength and safety and 〈◊〉 this why doest thou not love him oh how would I weepe over thee with Ierusalems lamentation O Israel Israel thou that keepest the oracles of God and callest thy selfe by the name of his Church why art thou weary of thy righteous Princes thy righteous Prophets thy righteous soldiers and righteous people thou seemest not to regard though they be persecuted killed and stoned oh that thou wouldst consider in this thy day the things which concerne thy peace before they bee taken from thine eyes thy peace thy safety thy strength is in thy righteous members doest thou so slight them while thou now inioyest them Woe is thee thou wilt be feeble when they are gone then shalt thou weepe bitterly and they will not be How is it that thou art become unnaturall thou forsakest thine owne and thou harbourest strange children can salvation be thy walls when unrighteousnes and oppression are among thy rulers profanenes among thy Prophets strange altars in thy temples and idolatry in thy habitatations Alas thy leannesse thy leannesse thou art become weake and feeble and thy destructions are now upon thee Were I worthy to counsell thee yet I may call to thy remembrance Gods counsell unto thee O that righteousnes might abide rule in thy habitations that thou wouldest ingrave it on thy Nobles on thy Iudges on thy Prophets on thy Captaines and on thy Souldiers that in thee might dwell only a people of righteousnes then shouldst thou be as the strong City which the Lord hath founded salvation should be thy wals the name of Iehovah thy tower thy rereward and thine everlasting strength thou shouldest be built as on a rocke that can never be shaken and be established as mount Sion Gods holy place which shall never be remooved Lastly is Elisha among the sicke Vse 3. and maimed and cripples and feeble what doest thou heere Elisha How commest thou thus tyred and weak and faint thou righteous soule thou strength of Israel hast thou bin dallying playing the waÌ„ton in the harlots lap are thy locks shoâ—â— oh Sampson and hast thou betrayed thy strength into the hands of thine enemies Hast thou lost thy Captain thy Assistance thy weapons where is faith now where is that Almighty praier that openeth and shuts heaven that calleth for legions of Angels Alas thou hast sinned thy God is hidden from thee and thy confederates dare not come neere thee thou canst not hand before the enemy nor wind a weapon for thy defence thy strength is become weaknes and thou hast made thy selfe a scorne to the adversaries whom thou hast sometimes wounded Shouldst thou thus tempt God and fall this is thy rebuke yet let me advise thee too Come shelter thy selfe a little under the wing of thy redeemer stay there while thy locks are growne thy Captaine will come that way then lay hold on him thy forces goe along with him gather them together draw out thy weapons again and begin to use them let faith pitch it selfe upon thy God through thy Christ tell him thou wilt throw thy selfe upon his power and faithfulnes to preserve thee let thy prayer set upon him mightily and give him no rest untill hee come againe and renew tsty strength like the Eagles Then comfort thy selfe oh thou charet of Israel and the horsemen thereof the eyes of all Israel are upon thee for their strength thou mighty man of God they weepe with bitter lamentation when thou art taken from them and shouldest thou quaile for any adverse power Consider thy strength thou hast power to combat with hell and overthrow it to grapple with death and to defeat it to make the grave tremble and open unto thee that thou maist arise againe come forth a conquerour Death may humme about but it is a drone it hath no sting sinne may make a bluster but it hath no strength hell may belch foorth great words but it is already vanquished to thy hand and the grave may threaten much but it can doe nothing against such a mighty man as thou art thou hast now nothing to doe but resting in Jehovah thine everlasting strength sit downe and sing Death is swallowed up in victory 〈◊〉 death where is thy sting oh grave or 〈◊〉 where is thy victory The sting of death is 〈◊〉 and the strength of sinne is the law But thâ—nkâ— be to God who hath given me victory through our Lord Iesus Christ I have now done with my Text. I mistooke I have not yet done I must have one cursory more over it for this heavy and sad occasion then I close up indeed yet the corrupt custome of our dayes maketh mee almost afraid when men of corrupt minds enemies to godlines and children of their father the divell must bee made Saints at their funeralls and though all their life time they
from them brinish teares have besmeared all faces Israel Gods Church sitteth as a desolate widdow and heavy burdens are sounded in all her coasts woe is us how is the glory of Israel this day decayed how are her charets and her horsemen confounded how is her strength become feeble for thou art taken from us O my father my father a Melioripsi Israel eratin cratione sua curribus equitibus Calv paraph. who wert a greater safeguard unto us then all the charets of Israel or the horsemen thereof Oh thou strength of Israel our bowells are turned within us we are sorely grieved for thee That wee may yet speake more profitably from the text it will be good to ranke these out-cries into some method though indeed griefe be so unruly that it is no easie matter to keepe it in order neverthelesse we will tye it up a little and if we can looke with dry eyes upon the text these two things are obvious to our consideration 1 The persoÌ„ produced in this mournfull scene 1 The mourner Ioasâ— King of Israel 2 The bemoaned Elisha the Prophet now a dying man 2. The lamentation it self made over him wherof we read 2 The manner of it in the doubled broken and distracted repetition O my father my father 1 The matter of it which was a 2. fold losse 2 Of a father ô my father Of the stay and strâ—gth of Israel â— the Charet c. First the persons here presented in this mournefull act are Ioash the mourner and Elisha the sicke dying and lamented father as we looke upon them and eye them more narrowly wee will forget them in their more speciall callings eyther Ioash to be a king or Elisha to bee a Prophet this will be of no great use unto us more profit we may expect in the diligent view of their generall conditions according to the description which the Spirit giveth of them Of Ioash who commeth downe to weepe over the face of this departing Prophet we read 2 Kin. 1 3.11 He did that which was evill in the ssght of the Lord he departed not from all the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat who made Israel sinne but he walked therein What could bee said worse of a man He was as wicked as any it was his trade to sinne nay more he was as bad as the worst a conspiratour with that Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat the most abominable idolater that ever breathed on the earth Of Elisha againe who lay now sicke unto death and is here lamented we read 1 Kin. 19 16. he was the anointed of the Lord on whom the Spirit of Eliiah was doubled after his departure 2 Kin. 2.9 10. hee was a zealous champion for the Lord of Hosts a righteous soule an heavenly Saint and a deadly enemy to Ieroboams sinne and his idolatrous brood yet this Ioash commeth to this Elisha in his last sicknesse weepeth over his face aâ— now departing and cryeth after him iâ— this pittifull lamentation O my father my father Mat 11 19â— It is true that wisedome is iustified of her children and as true thâ—â— God maketh her to be iustified of her adversaries also even of them that hate her Doctrine 1 The righteous soule departeth lamented desired honoured by the very enemies of righteâ—â—snesse It is a strange sight to see the same man a murderer and a mourner at the same funerall or any one to lament that person upon the biere whom he hated to the death and was ever restlesse untill hee had layd him there yet nothing more common between the righteous and the wicked It is the crie of the ungodly against the inst while he liveth kill him stone him away with him from the earth he is not worthy to live but when hee is dead indeed the same mouth desireth him iustifieth him surely this man was the Son God 2 Sam. 3.27 31 3â— Looke upon Ioab but in his treachery hee hated Abner in his soule he sendeth good greetings unto him taketh him aside at his returne smites him and kills him can yet expect him now before Abners hearse renting his cloathes clad in sack cloath lamenting and whining as a mourner yet thus wee finde him Who would thinke that Ioash should be a mourner at Eliah's funerall he a conspirator with Ieroboam this a righteous Prophet of the Lord of Hosts yet here he is and weeps and cryes with a bitter mourning oh my father my father But why weepeth he and how is it that hee commeth to doe the Prophet this honour at his death Is it because he loved him as Christ wept over Lazarus I dare not say so no not so much as thinke so that a man of Belial could so sincerely affect a Sonne of God and should not question it but for some who are yet contrary minded An hic anime stâ—cere honoreus illum prophetae detulerit aliqui in quaestiouem vocant c. Mihi vero frustra videtur queri quandonen erat causa qus moveretur ad estentandum Ioh. Wolph in tex It is therefore commented by one thus Some doubt whether Ioash did this honour to the Prophet in his lamentation with sincere affection c. But it seemeth to me not worth the questioning when now hee could bee moved by no cause to flattery Yet with good leave it seemeth otherwise to other pious and learned iudgments and I thinke upon better reason Had Ioash beene in Elisha's stead a dying man I should think as the Author doâ—â— there were then no cause of flattering but Elisha was now dying and Ioash lustie lively and I doubt not but an ungracious sonne for a blessing or a portion may flatter his father upon his bed of death nay sooner then when most unlikely to bee discovered But not desire his life as Ioash did yea earnestly desire it and bitterly bemoane the losse of it if his safety and peace depend upon it as the health of Ioash and his kingdome upon Elisha did there was then cause enough of flattery The desperate patient careth not for the mannay perhaps doth truely hate him yet heartily desireth his Physitian loveth his physicke and his skill and bemoaneth himselfe when he wanteth them he loveth not the man then but he loves his owne life Let Ioash looke upon Elisha as a righteous Prophet crying down his sin and beating downe Ierobâ—ams altars and he cannot endure him he hateth him to the death yet when hee seeth him as a father on whom all his dependance is he earnestly desireth him he loveth not Elisha then but he loveth his father scarcely can I beleeve he weepeth for him because he loveth him or that this lamen cation is from sincere affection Why then doth he thus bemoane him and doe him this honour as to weepe over his face but at the thought of his funerall while hee was yet alive Negatively wee have answered it was not because he so intirely loved him
and positively wee now reply these considerations might move Ioash or such a wretch as he to bemoane Elisha's losse or such a soule as this First a partiall conviction of some good in the righteous soule commendable and desireable by the very enemy for howsover wicked men are not so farre nor so fully convinced of righteousnes as truely to affect it and earnestly to labour after it yet such a conviction there is most commonly which stops their mouths against it and maketh them to wish for it aâ—aine when once they want it It fareth as with the God of righteousnesse so with the people of righteousnesse in this 〈◊〉 His very eternall power and Godhead the invisable things of him are so cleerâ—ly seems by meere Naturalists Rom. 1.20 yea by the whole world that it is not grievous unto them to confesse him to be God howbeit all this while they glorifie him not as God nay ver 21.30 they are the very haters of God so vainely are they convinced of a deity yet againe when God is departed from them and executes his iust iudgements upon them they cannot but iustifie him in his proceedings and bewaile themselves for the losse of him when hee is gone Such sparkles of divine knowledge are left in corrupted man and are kindled something more by education within the bosome of the Church God may bee thus knowne by his enemies but never honourd or desired before hee turne away in wrath and hide away his face in displeasure then Saul will seeme to honour him 1 Sam. 15.25 though erewhile his rebellion branded him for an enemy Such entertainment and esteeme in the world have his servants likewise as they partake of the goodnesse of their God to they doe of his usage also amongst men Their piety uprightnesse humility and continuall study of doing good convince the very enemy and force a confession of their goodnesse yet hate they them to the very death though afterward their heart smite them and when they are taken away they cry for them alas my brother The Sonne of God fareth no better his righteous conversation doubtles convinced the world of his innocency Pilate proclaimeth it before iudgement Mat. 27.23.24 What evill hath hee done yet hee hath enmity in himselfe against him and to doe the Iewes a pleasure he casts him and condemns him neverthelesse at his death he doth him this honour againe to proclaime his righteousnesse I am innocent of the bloud of this iust person It s strange to see with what violence and ravenous desire of bloud Saul hunted David he is convinced of his innocency yet he cannot love him but pursueth him to the death and after that hee had murdered him in his heart his conviction driveth him to this confession â— this thy voyce my sonne David I have 〈◊〉 returne my sonne David 1 Sam 26.27 12 25. I will 〈◊〉 more doe thee harme I have played the soule â—â—â—â—â—red exceedingly Thus precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 116.15 and such God maketh it to be in the sight of men also That wretched Balaam that cursed sorcerer confesseth this to the eternall honour of the Saints of whom he giveth no other commendation than to wish his soule in their soules stead Numb 23.10 Let mee dye the death of the righteous and let my last and but like his and yet who a more deadly enemy to their lives than he This lamentation therefore of Ioash upon Elisha might be forced by conviction not invited by affection Secondly self-love might reach him this mournefull note himself was like to be the greatest looser by Elisha's death and no wonder then if he make the greatest lamentation If we observe the story Ioash was at this time sorely distressed because of the Syrians they had made the people of Israel in the dayes of Jehoahaz his father like the dust by threshing and were yet domineering over them Ioash had no great strength lest him of his father to defend himselfe or offend his enemies and now Elisha is departing too his father his oracle for aduice and counsell his strength and safeguard of himself and kingdome the charet of Israel and the horsemen thereof were now falling and now he and his people in all likelihood exposed to the tyranny of the mercilesse Syrians can he love himselfe so ill think we as not to mourne and weepe and cry O my father A parallel no this we reade betwixt Saul and Samuel a wicked King and a righteous Prophet Samuel may declare the word of the Lord unto him but Saul reiects it and in his heart disdaineth both the Prophet and his message he harboureth an enmity against God and him in his flesh and careth not how little hee seeth him he being now his greatest eye-sore yet when Samuel is gone indeed 1 Sam. 28.3.6 14 15. grievous distresse befalls him and now hee wants him Oh what shall hee doe for his Samuel more worth were he at 〈◊〉 time than his crowne unto him 〈◊〉 he beshreweth himselfe he honourâ—â— him and desires him nay when he was sore distressed the Philistines made wants against him God was departed from him and answered him no more neither by Prophets nor by Vrim nor by 〈◊〉 then would he scrape Samuel out of his grave yea rather than faile he goeth to the divell for him and when he seeth him he stoupeth boweth himselfe to do him honor though in the event he was mistaken worshipping the divell not Samulel yet all this while he loveth not the Prophet but himselfe This honour have all Gods Saints Prov. 11.30 that they be trees of life not onely living themselves but also giving life and diffusing their good wheresoever they come though they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by-words and signes of contradiction the very markes whereat the scornes and scoffes of worldlings are bolted for their abode in this theatre yet whence they are transplanted they are missed and wished for not for themselves but for the good which followeth them Selfe-love is enough to make a man act the friend though otherwise in his heart he bee a deadly enemy and so doe the wicked be-friend the godly honour them and desire them because they love themselves I have now but two words to speake to each party Ioash and Elisha the mourning king and the lamented Saint then they goe out and we proceed Vse 1. First I have a message to thee oh king not a dagger for a private stabbe but a word to smite thee with in the open sunne Iudg. 3.20.21 even before the face of all Israel Is this the voice of Ioash over Elisha O my father my father Whence learnedst thou this note thou painted Sepulchre Doest thou conspire with the wicked against the Lord content and delight thy selfe in Ieroboams life and commest thou to be a mourner at Elishas death God will iudge thee thou cursed hypocrite