which a& of his providence, eſpecially compared with that Law, 5t was moſt evident, that this man was appointed by God to Deſtru- Aion, as is here ſaid: Bur 4hab was ſo ſar from puniſhing this Blaſphemer, thathe doth nor ſo much as Rebuke him, bur Treats himlike a Friend, and a Brother ; diſmiſſeth him upon eaſie Terms, and takes his Word for the performance, and takes not the leaſt Care for the Reparation of Gods Honour, bur only for the Amplification 'of his own power. # Queſt. Why were the people puniſhed for 4hats Sin ? Anſ. 1. Becauſe 4hab was puniſhed in the loſs of his people '2. The people were puniſhed for their own Sins, which were many, 'and great 3 though God took this occaſion to inflift ir. 3. The eat injury and, miſchief was hereby done to his own people ; who Þy this moſt fooliſh and wicked at, were expoſed ro all thoſe Rapines and Slaughters which Benhadad either did commir, or might have;commitred againſt chem afterwards : of which, conſequently Ahab was guilty. And it muſt be conſidered, Thar all the Jraelites (ere the Lords peculiar people; nor did their Apoſtacy from God. de prive God of his Right: & the Kings of Jrael and Judah had theſe "committed to them, in way of Truſt, ro be Governed and Prote&ed 'by them. And therefore Ahab for this groſs breach of his Truſt, was juſtly liable, though nor to the Cenſures of his people, yer to the Hand of God, who was his King and Governour. 43 And the king of Iſrael went to his houſe, heay
anddiſpleaſed uw, and came to Samaria. - & Not for his ſin, bur for the ſad effeAs of ir upon himſelf, and le ; which he might confidently expett, having had many ex- Periences, that Ged did not ſuffer the Words of his Prophets ro fall
to the ground. , SH M2. X Xp hab covetetb to buy Naboth's Vineyard : Which u denied him, and he is grieved, 1-— 4. Jezebel writeth Letters againſt Naboth : He is condemned of Blaſphemy, and floned, 5 — 14. A44ab poſſeſeth the Vineyard, 15, 16, Elijah denouncech Judgment againſt Aheb and Jezebel, 17 ==26, 1; repenting, God deferreth the Judgment, 24 —— 29. [ A N D it came. to paſs after theſe things, 1has Naboth | | the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jez- reel «, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. a Where one of Ahabs Palaces was, as the other was in Samaria. 2 And Abab ſpake unto Naboth, ſaying, Give me thy * vineyard that may have ic for a garden of herbs, be- cauſe it 3s near unto my houſe, and I will give thee for + Hzb, ita better vineyard than it : or if it + ſeem good to thee, be good in T will give thee the worth of it in money. thine eyes. And Naboth ſaid tro Ahab, the LORD forbid it me, that I ſhovld give the inheritance of my fathers b For God hath expreſly, and for divers weighty Reaſons forbidden - thealienation of Lands from the Tribes and Families to which they were allotted, Lev 25. 15, 23, 25- Num. 36. 7. Ezek. 46. 18. And although theſe might have been alienated till the Jubilee, yer he durſt nor {cll it ro the King for that time ; becauſe he ſuppoſed, |
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that if once it came into the Kings Hand, eſpecially to be made + Garden of Pleaſure, and affixed to his Palace, neither he nor his Poſterity, could ever recover itagain; and ſo he ſhould both offeng God, and wrong his Poſterity ; which, being, as it ſeems, a Pious Man, he durſt dot do.
4 And Ahab came into his houſe, heavy and difplea- ſed, becauſe of the word which Naboch the Jezreelice had ſpoken to him : for he had ſaid, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers: and he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face c, and would eatno bread 4.
c From the Light, and Company which either then were with him, or might cometo him, to the Wall, as Hezekiah did under » like dejeCion of Spirir, 1a. 38. 2» d Refuſed to cat meat in his uſual rime.
5 CU But Jezebel hiswife came to him, andſaid unto him, Why 3s thy ſpirit ſo ſad, that thou eateſt no bread >
6 Andhefſaidunco her, Becauſe Iſpake unto Naboth the Jezreelice, and ſaid unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money ; or elſe if it pleaſe thee, I will give thee enother vineyard for it: and heanſwered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
7 And Jezebel his wife ſaid unto him, Doeſt thou now govern the kingdom of Iſrael e ? ariſe, and ear bread, and let thine heart be merry : I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,
e Art thou fit to be King, that canſt pur up ſuch Afferonts from thy Subje&s, and haſt not the Courage touſe thy Abſolute power to diſpoſe of them, and theirs, as ſeemeth good unto thee *
8 So {the wrote letters in Ahabs name, and ſealed thew with his ſeal, and ſent the letters unto the elders, and to the nobles f that were in his City g dwelling with Naboth. |
f Whom ſhe very well knew to be fit for her purpoſe: g 5.e. In Jezrecl. So ſhe ſeeks to deſtroy him with a pretence of Juſtice, and with as little reflectiofi upon 4hab, as might be.
9 And jhe wrote in the lecters, ſaying, Proclaim a faſt þ, and ſet Naboth || on high # among the people. | Hy
h To romove all ſuſpicion of hatred, orevil deſign in ab, and I thnyy to beget a good opinion of him among his people, as if his AfMli- the pal, &ions had done him good, and as if he were grown zealous for Gods . Honour, and careful of his Peoples welfare, and therefore deſirous to prevent the further diſpleature of God againſt his City and Kingdom, and in order thereunto, to enquire into all thole ins which provoked God againit them, and effeCtually to purge them out. 7 In a Scaffold, or ſome other high-place, where Malefaftors were uſually and fitly placed, that they might beſeen, and their defence heard by all the people.
10 And ſer ewo men, ſons of Belial, before him, to bear witneſs againſt him, ſaying, Thou didſt || * blaf-! He.
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pheme & God and the king : and then carry him out 4, (; and * ſtone him m that he may die ». Job:25g