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 counsellors; 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 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 we 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 Ahab! 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 vendure 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 fetched in the light of so glorious a consession 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. Howsoever, it is enough for him that he is believed, that he is seconded. All the great inquest of these prophets gave up their verdict by 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 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 purposes.

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 so yields that 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 showed 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 particulariseth the means of this dangerous error. While the two kings sat majestically in 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 and 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 mixed with parable, proffering the service of his lie, accepted, employed, succesful.

These figures are not void of truth. The action and event are 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 ordinates all evil to good. It is good that is just; it is good 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 applaused 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 prophcts 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, Jehoshaphat 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

smite a prophet in the The act was much unProphets may reprove,

to speak unto thee? For a prophet to face of two kings was intolerably insolent. beseeming the person, more the presence. they may not strike. It was enough for Ahab to punish with the hand. No weapon was for Zedekiah but his tongue. Neither could this, rude presumption have been well taken if malice had not made magistracy insensible of this usurpation. Ahab was well content to see that hated mouth beaten by any hand. It is no new condition of God's faithful messengers to smart for saying truth. Falsehood doth not more bewray itself in any thing than in blows. Truth suffers while error persecutes. None are more ready to boast of the Spirit of God than those that have the least; as in vessels, the full are silent.

Innocent Micaiah neither defends nor complains. It would have well beseemed the religious king of Judah to have spoken in the cause of the dumb; to have checked insolent Zedekiah : he is content to give way to this tide of peremptory and general opposition.

The helpless prophet stands alone, yet lays about him with his tongue; Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber and hide thyself. Now, the proud Baalite showed himself too much; ere long he shall be glad to lurk unseen; his horns of iron cannot bear off his danger. The son of Ahab cannot choose but, in the zeal of revenging his father's deadly seducement, call for that false head of Zedekiah: in vain shall that impostor seek to hide himself from justice; but in the mean while he goes away with honour, Micaiah with censure; Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son; and say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace. An hard doom of truth! The gaol for his lodging, coarse bread and water for his food, shall but reserve Micaiah for a further revenge. The return of Ahab shall be the bane of the prophet.

Was not this he that advised Benhadad not to boast in the putting on his armour as in the ungirding it? and doth he now promise himself peace and victory before he buckle it on? No warning will dissuade the wilful.

So assured doth Ahab make himself of success, that he threats, ere he go, what he will do when he returns in peace. How justly doth God deride the misreckonings of proud and foolish

BP. HALL, VOL. II.

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