Survivors inquiring after the GOD OF Their pious Predeceffors. A II. Kings, 2. 14. -Where is the LORD God of Elijah ? $ there's no Hiftory in the World of like Antiquity with the Bible, so none of fuch extensive and happy Influence; none of equal Ufe and Service to Mankind. For in the facred Story we have fuch Accounts of the Works of God, Creation, Providence, and Redemption, as present his amiable (but ftill tremendous) Perfections to our View in the beft and strongest Light, far tranfcending the highest Discoveries of mere natural Reafon; and confequently have a powerful Tendency both to awaken in every confidering Soul very awful Apprehenfions of his Majefty and Greatnefs, and to encourage our Hope and Confidence in his Wifdom, Goodness, and Truth: And here too we have fuch Narratives of innumerable Saints and Servants of God in former Ages of the World, their Character and Conduct, Experiences and Obfervations, Lives and Deaths, as are eminently useful for the Direction of our Faith and Practice, afford very convincing Arguments for the Reality, Excellency and Advan B 2 Advantage of Divine Revelation, and tend to acquaint us more fully with the glorious Principles of our holy Religion, to establish our Belief of its important Doctrines, and engage our Attention and Obedience to its incomparably wife and righteous Precepts. As an admirable Harmony runs thro' all the Revelations of God to the Sons of Men, fo a beautiful Congruity every where appears in the Faith, Worship, and Morals of all Saints (tho' variously excelling in Proportion to the Divine Light and Grace difpens'd to them) thro' all fucceffive Ages of the World. The infpired Records of the Apoftolick Age may have furnish'd us with the plaineft and faireft, the most familiar and most indefective Copies for our Imitation: Yet Mofes and the Prophets are not to be thrown by as ufelefs, nor the Examples of Old Testament-Saints to be neglected, as of no Importance to us under the Chriftian Difpenfation; but even these are applicable for the Regulation of our Belief, our Temper and Deportment, in the moit effential Inftances, with relation to the Things of God and Eternity, and for our Encouragement and Affiftance upon many Occafions in the Courfe of the Chriftian Life. On the prefent Occafion, when we are call'd to mourn the Death of an eminently pious and useful Servant of God, I have fingled out the Example of renowned Elifba (who had his Master taken from his head) to teach us the moft proper Conduct under fuch a Difpenfation. My Text ftands in Connection with the remarkable Story of Elijah's Tranflation to the Church triumphant above, and Elifba's Succeffion into his Place in the Church militant below. We hear Elifba pathetically mourning the Departure of the old illuftrious Prophet: As he faw him afcend in a Chariot of Fire, carry'd up by a Whirlwind into Heaven, he rent his Clothes, and with the Paffion of a bereaved Son cried after him, My Father, Father, my Father, the Chariot of Ifrael and the Horfemen thereof! However, he did not long ftand gazing up into Heaven: but prefently taking up the Mantle of Elijah, that had fallen from him at his fudden Rapture, and welcoming this defirable Memorial of his endeared Father, the vifible Badge of his Office, and a happy Pledge of his inheriting the Bleffing that had been promis'd him, he goes forth in the Spirit of Elias to enter into his Labours, and goes on his way crying after the GOD of his Mafter, and walking in the Steps of his Faith. That is now his folicitous Inquiry, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? Not fatisfied with having Elijah's Mantle, he must have Elijah's GOD too, in the fenfible Effects of his powerful and gracious Prefence with him (the fame as had been with his holy Predeceffor) which wou'd abundantly make Amends for the Lofs he was mourning under, be the most effectual Relief to his forrowful Heart, the beft Help to him in the important Work now devolv'd upon him, and an encouraging Prefage of his future Ufefulnefs.He do's not employ himself in a fruitless Search for Elijah; like the Sons of the Prophets, who cou'd not believe his bodily Tranflation to Heaven, but imagining that his dead Corpfe might be dropt upon fome remote Mountain, or rather perhaps that he was tranfported alive to fome diftant obfcure Place, and (if fo) ought ftill to retain his Dignity and Station, as Head of the Prophets, would not be reftrained from going in Queft after him. Nor do's he lay out any Thought or Pains in curious Speculations upon the invisible World and hidden Life, the Prophet was exalted to: nor in paffionate Aggravations of his own and the publick Lofs, by the Departure of fo eminent a Man of God. Neither do we hear any rafh Wishes for his Return; much less any idolatrous Application to him for his Favour and Help: No, tho' Elijah be in a State of Exaltation, a glorious and happy Šaint, made like unto unto the Angels, yet Elifba knows better than to pay him Divine Honours, or place him in God's ftead. But well aware that his Help is in the Name of the Lord, and hoping to find him a very prefent Help, he looks off from the Creature, unto the Creator, who is bleffed for ever, and who will caufe the Bleffing to reft upon them, that wait for him. He afks not for Elijah, but inquires after his God. Where is the LORD God of Elijah? Or, as it may be read, Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah, even He! The Hebrew Words (APH HU) which our Verfion joyns to the following Claufe, as fpoken of Elisha, ftand in the Original connected with the Words foregoing, and are underftood by learned Criticks as adding an Emphafis to Elifba's Queftion, Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah, even He, Himfelf? "Tis not the Language of Infidelity or Diffidence, the Expoftulation of an unbelieving or doubting Soul, that queftion'd the Being of Elijah's God, difputed his Omniprefence, or fufpected his Power or Faithfulness to accomplish the great and precious Promife Elisha had lately received: But rather is the humble and earneft Expectation and Prayer of Faith, That Elijah's God would be with his furviving Son and Succeffor, and now give an early Proof of Elijah's Spirit being come upon him (according to his own former Wifh, and the departed Prophet's FarewelBenediction) in a double Portion of Gifts, Graces, and Bleffings. Our Text may receive fome Illuftration by comparing it with Ifa. 63. 11,-17. (understanding Ifrael to be fpeaking there) Then be remembred the Days of old, Mofes and bis People (recollected and reafon'd upon the Story) faying, WHERE IS HE that brought them up out of the Sea, with the Shepherd of his Flock? WHERE IS HE that put his boly Spirit within him? That led them by the right hand of Mofes, with his glori ous Arm, dividing the Water before them, to make Him Self felf an everlasting Name? Look down from Heaven s WHERE is thy Zeal and thy Strength, the found ing of thy Bowels and of thy tender Mercies towards me? Are they restrained? Doubtless Thou art our Father, the Abraham be ignorant of us, &c. Thou Lord, art our Fatber, our Redeemer, thy Name is from Everlasting. O Lord, return for thy Servants fake, the Tribes of thing Inheritance. 'Tis the Church's Complaint of God's vifible Withdraw from his People, and a paffionate Supplication for the Return of his favourable Prefence back'd with a Plea from their Forefathers Experience of the Divine Power and Mercy in commanding glo rious Deliverances for them: the Remembrance of which they now improve to encourage their Faith and embolden their Hope in the prefent Day of Darkness and Diftrefs. So Gideon, when the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, faying, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty Man of Valour; made that Reply, Ob my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and WHERE be all his Miracles, which our Fathers told us of? (Judg. 6. 13.) As if he had faid, Where is the Lord God of our Fathers? Where are the To kens of his powerful and gracious Prefence? We fee awful Signs of his Departure from us: but where are the happy Pledges of his Return to us! So the Prophet, Ifa. 51. 9, 10. Awake, awake, put on Strength, O Arm of the LORD: awake as in the ancient Days, in the Generations of old. Art thou not it that cut Rabab, and wounded the Dragon? Art thou not it which bath dried the Sea; that bath made the Depths of the Sea a Way for the Ranfomed to pass over? Thus in like manner Elifba, under a deep Concern upon the awful Frown of Heaven in taking away Elijab (who had been a Prophet mighty in Word and Deed before all the People, a Father to him and to all the other Minifters of Religion and Sons of Learning, and an eminent Means of Ifrael's Defence and Safety) and now upon |