of a temporary penitence. As Ahab might be thus sorrowful, and never the better; so he may be thus favoured, and never the happier. O God, how graciously art thou ready to reward a sound and holy repentance, who art thus indulgent to a carnal and servile dejection.

CONTEMPLATION III.

Ahab and Micaiah: or, the Death of Ahab.

WHO would have looked to have heard any more of the wars of the Syrians with Israel, after so great a slaughter, after so firm a league; a league not of peace only, but of brotherhood; the halters, the sackcloth of Benhadad's followers were worn out, as of use, so of memory, and now they are changed for iron and steel. It is but three years that this peace lasts; and now that war begins which shall make an end of Ahab. The king of Israel rues his unjust mercy; according to the word of the prophet, that gift of a life was but an exchange; because Ahab gave Benhadad his life, Benhadad shall take Ahab's; he must forfeit in himself what he hath given to another. There can be no better fruit of too much kindness to infidels. It was one article of the league betwixt Ahab and his brother Benhadad, that there should be a speedy restitution of all the Israelitish cities; the rest are yielded, only Ramoth-Gilead is held back, unthankfully, injuriously. He that begged but his life, receives his kingdom, and now rests not content with his own bounds. Justly doth Ahab challenge his own, justly doth he move a war to recover his own from a perfidious tributary: the lawfulness of actions may not be judged by the events, but by the grounds. The wise and holy Arbiter of the world knows why, many times, the better cause hath the worst success. Many a just business is crossed, for a punishment to the agent.

Yet Israel and Judah were now pierced in friendship. Jehoshaphat, the good king of Judah, had made affinity with Ahab, the idolatrous king of Israel; and, besides a personal visitation, joins his forces with his new kinsman, against an old confederate. Judah had called in Syria against Israel; and now Israel calls in Judah against Syria: thus rather should it be; it is fit that the more pure church should join with the more corrupt, against a common paganish enemy.

Jehoshaphat hath matched with Ahab; not with a divorce of his devotion. He will fight, not without God; "Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to-day." Had he done thus sooner, I fear, Athaliah had never called him father: this motion was news in Israel. It was wont to be said, Inquire of Baal. The good king of Judah will bring religion into fashion in the court of Israel. Ahab had inquired of his counsellor ; what needed he be so devout, as to inquire of his prophets? Only Jehoshaphat's presence made him thus godly. It is an happy thing to converse with the virtuous; their counsel and example cannot but leave 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 affairs; with him they can be as valiant, as timorous without him.

Ahab had clergy enough, such as it was; four hundred prophets of the groves were reserved from appearing to Elijah's challenge: These are now consulted by Ahab; they live to betray the life of him who saved theirs. These care not so much to inquire about what God would say, as what Ahab would have them say; they saw which way the king's heart was bent, that way they bent their tongues; "Go up, for the Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the king." False prophets care only to please; a plausible falsehood passes with them above an harsh truth. Had they seen Ahab fearful, they had said, "Peace, peace;" now they see him resolute, War and victory. It is a fearful presage of ruin, when the prophets conspire in assentation.

Their number consent; confidence hath easily won credit with Ahab; we do all willingly believe what we wish. Jehoshaphat is not so soon satisfied; these prophets were, it is like, obtruded to him (a stranger) for the true prophets of the true God. The judicious king sees cause to suspect them, and now, perceiving at what altars they served, hates to rest in their testimony; "Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might inquire of him?" One single prophet, speaking from the oracles of God, is more worth than four hundred Baalites: truth may not ever be measured by the poll. It is not number, but weight that must carry it in a council of prophets. A solid verity in one mouth is worthy to preponderate light falsehood in a thousand.

Even king Ahab, as bad as he was, kept tale of his prophets, and could give account of one that was missing;

"There is yet one man, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, by whom they may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." It is very probable, that Micaiah was that disguised prophet, who brought to Ahab the fearful message of displeasure and death, for dismissing Benhadad, for which he was ever since fast in prison, deep in disgrace. O corrupt heart of self-condemned Abab! If Micaiah spake true to thee, how was it evil? If others said false, how was it good? And if Micaiah spake from the Lord, why dost 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 carnal ears the message is evil, if unpleasing; and, if plausible, good; if it be sweet, it cannot be poison; if bitter, it cannot be wholesome. The distemper of the receiver is guilty of this misconceit: in itself every truth as it is good, so amiable; every falsehood loathsome, as evil. A sick palate cries out of the taste of those liquors which are well allowed of the healthful. It is a sign of a good state of the soul, when every verdure can receive his proper judgment.

Wise and good Jehoshaphat dissuades Ahab from so hard an opinion, and sees cause so much more to urge the consultation of Micaiah, by how much he finds him more unpleasing. The king of Israel, to satisfy the importunity of so great and dear an ally, sends an officer for Micaiah: he knew well, belike, where to find him; within those four walls, where unjust cruelty had disposed of that innocent seer; out of the obscurity of the prison, is the poor prophet fetcht in the light of so glorious a confession of two kings, who thought this convocation of prophets not unworthy of their greatest representation of state and majesty: there he finds Zedekiah, the leader of that false crew, not speaking only, but acting his prediction. Signs were no less used by the prophets than words; this arch flatterer hath made him horns of iron; the horn is forcible, the iron irresistible; by an irresistible force shall Ahab push the Syrians, as if there were more certainty in this man's hands, than in his tongue. If this son of Chenaanah had not had a forehead of brass for impudency, and a heart of lead for flexibleness to humours and times, he had never devised these horns of iron wherewith his king was gored unto blood. However, it is enough for him that he is believed, that he is seconded. All this

great inquest of these prophets gave up their verdict to this foreman; not one of four hundred dissented. Unanimity of opinion in the greatest ecclesiastical assemblies, is not ever an argument of truth; there may be as common, and as firm agreement in error.

The messenger, that came for Micaiah, like a carnal friend, sets him in a way of favour; tells him what the rest had said, how they pleased; how unsafe it would be for him to vary, how beneficial to assent. Those that adore earthly greatness think every man should dote upon their idols, and hold no terms too high for their ambitious purchases. Faithful Micaiah scorns the motion; he knows the price of the word, and contemns it; "As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak." Neither fears, nor favours, can tempt the holily resolute: they can trample upon dangers, or honours, with a careless foot; and, whether they be smiled or frowned on by the great, dare not either alter or conceal their errand.

The question is moved to Micaiah: he at first yields, then he contradicts; yields in words, contradicts in pronunciation; the syllables are for them, the sound against them: ironies deny strongest in affirming. And now, being pressed home, he tells them, that God had shewed him those sheep of Israel should, ere long, by this means, want their shepherd. The very resemblance, to a good prince, had been affective: the sheep is an helpless creature, not able either to guard or guide itself; all the safety, all the direction of it, is from the keeper, without whom every cur chases and worries it, every track seduceth it; such shall Israel soon be, if Ahab be ruled by his prophets. The king of Israel doth not believe, but quarrel; not at himself, who had deserved evil, but at the prophet, who foresignified it; and is more careful that the king of Judah should mark how true he had foretold concerning the prophet, than how the prophet had foretold concerning him.

Bold Micaiah, as no whit discouraged with the unjust checks of greatness, doubles his prediction, and, by a second vision, particularizeth the means of this dangerous error. While the two kings sat majestically on their thrones, he tells them of a more glorious throne than theirs, whereon he saw the King of gods sitting: while they were compassed with some hundreds of prophets, and thousands of subjects and soldiers, he tells them of all the host of heaven, attending

that other throne; while they were deliberating of a war, he tells them of a God of heaven justly decreeing the judgment of a deadly deception to Ahab. The decree of the Highest is not more plainly revealed, than expressed parabolically. The wise and holy God is represented, after the manner of men, consulting of that ruin which he intended to the wicked king of Israel. That uncreated, and infinite Wisdom needs not the advice of any finite and created powers to direct him, needs not the assent nor aid of any spirit for his execution, much less of an evil one; yet, here an evil spirit is brought in, by way of vision mixt with parable, proffering the service of his lie, accepted, employed, successful. These figures are not void of truth: the action and event is reduced to a decree; the decree is shadowed out by the resemblance of human proceedings. All evil motions, and counsels, are originally from that malignant spirit; that evil spirit could have no power over men, but by the permission, by the decree of the Almighty. That Almighty, as he is no author of sin, so he ordains all evil to good: it is good that is just; it is just that one sin should be punished by another: Satan is herein no other than the executioner of that God, who is as far from infusing evil, as from not revenging it. Now Ahab sees the ground of that applauded consent of his rabble of prophets; one evil spirit hath no less deceived them, than they their master : he is one, therefore he agrees with himself; he is evil, therefore both he and they agree in deceit.

O! the noble and undaunted spirit of Micaiah; neither the thrones of the kings, nor the number of the prophets, could abate one word of his true, though displeasing, message: the king of Israel shall hear, that he is misled by liars, they by a devil. Surely, Jehosaphat cannot but wonder at so unequal a contention, to see one silly prophet affronting four hundred; with whom, lest confidence should carry it, behold Zedekiah, more bold, more zealous : if Micaiah have given him, with his fellows, the lie, he gives Micaiah the fist. Before these two great guardians of peace and justice, swaggering Zedekiah smites Micaiah on the face; and with the blow expostulates; "Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me, to speak unto thee?" For a prophet to smite a prophet, in the face of two kings, was intolerably insolent; the act was much unbeseeming the person, more the presence; prophets may reprove, they may not strike. It was enough for Ahab to