eminent saint, if unassisted by fresh communicaticns of grace, sinks, and becomes, like Samson shorn of his locks, as weak as other men. In the instance before us we have a striking evi- dence, that man of himself can do nothing.]
2. His impatient desire —
[Wearied and disconsolate, he requested of God to " take away his life^." He had seen how little effect had been pro- duced by former prophets ; and from present appearances he thought that " he was no better than they," nor likely to have any more success ; and therefore he desired a speedy termina- tion of his fruitless troubles. But how unbecoming was this ! Whether successful or not in his endeavours, he was glorifying God by them, and should have accounted that an ample reward for all that he could do or suffer in his cause. Had he desired to depart in order that he might have a richer enjoyment of his God, the wish might have been good: but to desire death through mere disgust and weariness of life, was the sad fruit of criminal impatience*^.]
3. His hasty self-vindication —
[When the Lord interrogated him, " Wliat doest thou here, Elijah?" he thought of nothing but his own services, and the sins of others : yea, when the question was repeated, he returned the same answer. How strange that he should not, on the repetition of the question especially, suspect himself, and acknowledge that he had come thither without any call or direction from his God! But so it too often is with the best of men : they are more ready to look with complacency on their virtues, than with contrition on their sins; and to censure with severity the faults of others, whilst they overlook their own. According to the prophet's own account, he had done nothing amiss: but, if he had fairly stated the whole matter, his crimi- nality would instantly have appeared. This shews, that there is not a man in the universe whose representation can be fully trusted in things which affect his own character : there is a partiality in all, which leads them to some degree of conceal- ment in their own favour, and that, not only in the things which concern their conduct towards men, but even in the things which relate to God.]
Let us now contemplate,
H. The goodness of God towards him —
God, ever slow to anger, and rich in mercy, exer-
^ ver. 4.
c See the two contrasted ; 2 Cor. v. 4. " Not to be unclothed, but clothed upon."