SERMON XXX.

ELISHA

AND THE

WIDOW OF SAREPTA.

Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.

1 KINGS Xvii. 14.

THE prophets whom God raised up among the Jewish people, are divisible into two distinct classes; those who prophesied and wrote, and those who prophesied and acted; the former were by far the most numerous ; but I am decidedly of opinion with Mr. Henry, that the latter class were as useful, and did as much good by their actions, as the former by their writings. I know not a more interesting portion in universal history, than

that part of the Book of Kings which commences with the history of Elijah, and concludes with that of Elisha, his servant and successor. In the reign of the wicked King Ahab, this good man steps forth from obscurity, and first engages our attention, by foretelling a dearth and famine. When that dreaded event took place, he was commanded to repair to the brook Cherith, and it was promised, that he should be regularly supplied with food, which promise was miraculously fulfilled. "The ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook." But, in process of time, the brook dried up, and every means of sustenance consequently failed. Where was he then to go? Our limited views would probably have sent him to Obadiah, the excellent governor of the house of Ahab, who, in this time of scarcity and distress, had taken the prophets of the Lord, and hid them by fifties in a cave. But no; "God's thoughts are not as our thoughts, neither are his ways like ours;" his providential care was to be specially displayed, and this would not have been so strikingly exemplified in the house of Obadiah, as in that of the poor widow who dwelt at Zarephath, or, as it is called in the New Testament, Sarepta ; for let us recollect, that the portion of Scrip

ture we are now considering, is one which our Saviour honoured by recognizing and applying.

I shall offer my remarks upon this subject, under four heads.

I. The object of this miracle was worthy of God, and benevolent to man.

II. Though a miracle, the use of means was adopted.

III. The circumstance of this miracle holds out encouragement to the Heathen world.

IV. It was not performed indiscriminately, but in consequence of amiable qualities, and as an instructive lesson for future ages.

I. The object of this miracle was worthy of God, and benevolent to man.

If we examine into all the miracles which have been brought forward, real or pretended, this will in general be found a good criterion of their authenticity. Let us examine the nature of this miracle, and inquire into the circumstances of the objects. A poor widow and her son are nearly perishing from the scarcity of provision; they are reduced to the scanty pittance of a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse; but this reduced allowance is miraculously increased and continued for many days, which we find,

by the succeeding history, to have been nearly two years. You must perceive, in a moment, the benevolence of this interposition; not only was this poor widow and her son supported, but Elijah, the Prophet of the Lord, was by the same method miraculously preserved. This was the man who was afterwards to contend with the priests of Baal; this was the man who was to divide Jordan; this was the man who was to warn guilty kings and guilty palaces; this was the man who was to defend the name of the Lord, in the midst of a degenerate age; you must be struck with the propriety, beauty, and harmony, which are discoverable in this instance of miraculous interference. You may leave the drops of St. Januarius's blood, with other fooleries of the Romish Church, to be accounted for as they can. You must admire the superior excellence of those recorded by Scripture.

II. Though a miracle, the use of means was not forgotten.

We have many instances, both in the Old Testament and in the New, where a miraculous interference does not supersede the use of means. When Hezekiah was sick, and prayed to God to restore health, a plaster of figs was ordered by the same voice which pronounced his recovery; doubtless, the

Almighty, in the present instance, could have prolonged the lives of his servants by a word, as our Saviour was miraculously sustained forty days in the wilderness without food, but he rather chose to prolong the usual means of existence, than to supersede them; by this method, exposing the folly of those who, in after ages, should expect relief without applying to the assistance of means.

III. This interesting story holds out great encouragement to the Heathen world.

To whom was the Prophet sent? Not to an Israelite, not to one of those who styled themselves God's peculiar people; but to a poor despised Pagan, and for her support, and that of her family, was the miracle performed. Though the express design of our Saviour's coming was to the Jews, and his Apostles and followers were to address themselves more especially to the Heathen, yet, even during his ministry, he was not wholly unmindful of their claim upon his regard; witness the healing of the Centurion's servant, with various other instances of attention to their welfare which might be adduced. To the Jew, first, were the offers of mercy to be made; "He came unto his own," but when "his own received him not," he turned to

the Gentiles. Doubtless, there were many