I not tell thee, that he would prophetie no good con-
* Matth, 9: 36.
, [1
and * all the hoſt of Heaven e ſtanding by him f,on his :
8.10. right hand, and on his lefr. | Eb.1.7, «© Becauſe thou giveſt credit to thy falſe Prophets,and diſtruſteſt }
I4+ /,mmy words,as it they were bur the ſuggeſtions of my own tancy,& |
Matth.
| horns df iron p: and he.faid, Thus laichithe LORD.q, |
N CG $.
hatred of thy Perſon;I will give thee a diſtinct & true account of the whole matter,in Gods Name and Preſence. d By the Eyes of my Mind for he could not fee the Lord with bodily Eyes. e 7. e. The: Angels who are oft called Gods hoſt or befts, becauſe of their great number excclient order,& conſtant readineſs to attend upon God, - & to exe. cute his Commands. : See Gen. 2, 1. Pſal 103.21.and 148.7. TRE Angels were both good and bad,the one pcſſibly on his right, the other on his left hand. Nor is it ſtrange that the Devils are cal. led the hoſt of Heaven ; if you conſider,Firit, That their original ſear was in Heaven, and Men in Scr:pture arc oft called by the name of the placc from whence they came. Secondly, That the name -of Hcav1 18 oft given to all that part of the Wor!d which is zbove the Earth,and among the reſt,to the Air. asGen.12.0:and 7,11.and 8:2, and 27, 28. Deu:4:11; and 11:11. where the Devils refidence and domiion-J:es, Epy: 2: 2. and that both Michael and bis Sneels, 2nd te Drapon anc! his Angels are ſaid tobe; and to Wate war in keatm Revii. 12. 7, 2. e. either theAir, or the Church: And this place is nor to be underſtood as ifMicsiah had ſeen with his bodily Eves, tie Lord and his Angels ting in rhe third Heaven ; but that he ſaw a repreſentation of thE Divine Preſence in the Ajr, attend<d with gocd and bad Angels f Ia the poiture of Miniſters, to recci.e and Ex=cute his Commands.
2» And the LORD ſaid, Who ſhall || perſwadeAhabg, | 9. ;. that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead ? And one iv, {aid on this manner, and another ſaid on that manner $ This is nor to be groſly unJerſtocd,as ifGod did ask and take :counic] f om his Creatures,or were at a lols to find out an expedicnt to accompliſh his own Will ; did conſider ſeveral ways; and then cloſe with that which upon debate appeared to be beſt; a!l which it 1s ridiculous to imagine concerning a God of perfe& and infinite knowledge ; but only to bring down divine things to our ſhallow ' Capacities, avd to expreſs the various means which God hath to execute his own Deſigns.
21 And there came forth a ſpirit b,and ſtood before the LORD, and ſaid, I will perſwade him.
þ An evil Spirit came out of the knot or company of them, ſtand- ing poflibly on the left hand, and preſented: him{clf before the Throne, as having ſomething to ſay to the Lord:
22 And the LORD laid unto him, Wherewith? And he {aid, 1 will go forth, & I will be a lying ſpitic in the mouth of all his prophets k. And he ſaid, * Thou ſhalt *Juds.g. perſwade him, and prevail allo / : go forth, and do ſom.
k T willinfpire a Lie into the Minds and Mouths of his Prophets:
7 I will give them up into thy hands,and blind their minds, & leave them to their own ignorance and wickedneſs,which will certainly lead them into dreadful miſtakes. 92 This is not a Command, but only a Permiſſion ; which is oft expreſſed in the Imperative Mood ; as 1 Sam:16:10. Matth:8:22. Joh:13:27. I will nor hinder thee trom rempring them.nor give them Grace to withſtand their temptation; whereby thou mayelt be aſſured of Succeſs.
23 Now therefore behold, the LORD hath put a ly- ing ſpirit in the mouth of all theſe thy -prophets,and che LORD hath ſpoken evil concerning thee.
24 But Zedekiah the ſon of Chenaanahz went near, and ſmote Micaiah on the cheek o, and ſaid, * Which *2 Cir way wene che- ſpirit of the LORD from me to ſpeak '*'
unto hee p? n The chief of the Falſe Prophets, who was much in the King's Favourgupon which he now preſumed. o In way of Contempt and Scorn, Job 16: 10: Fer: 20; 2. Lamcnite 3.30 Mark 14:65. P 7. e. In what manner went it? Foraſmugh as I and my Brethren have con- ſulred the Lord,and anſwered if his Name,and have the ſame Spi- rit which thou pretendeſt to have, and not a lying Spirit, as thou doſt falſly and maliciouſly athirm, How it is poſſible that the ſame Spirit ſhould rel us one thing, and vhee the quire contrary ? 25 And Micaiah ſaid, Behold, thou ſhalt ſee in that day, when thou ſhalt go || inco | an inner chamber to || Or, fn hide thy ſelf 9. Chanbrr, q Out ofa juſt fear and expeQation cf the deſerved puniſhment *? Cham of a falſe Prophet, and of the great Author and Abercor of this 7. , pernicious War, and of Ahbab's DeſtruQion. + Heb: b 26 And the king of Ifrael ſaid, Take Micaiah, and ©
ame carry kim back r unto Amon the governour of the city, rag 4 and to Joaſh the kings fon.
r To wit, into Priſon ; where it ſeems, he was before ſhut up ; for ſo the Lords Prophets were uſed by Ahab. And ſome think he was the Deliverer of that unwelcome Meſlage, chap. 20.41,42.
27 And fay, Thus faith the king, Pur this fellow in the priſon, and feed him with bread of aflicqion, and with water of afiiction /, until I come in peace z.
J i. e. With a very courſe and ſparing Diet, whereby he may be only ſupported to endure his Torment» See Der. 16: 3. 2 Chr: 18. 26. 1a. 30; 20. t Until Ireturn in Triumph,which I doubt nor I ſhall do in ſpight of all his maliciousSuggeſtions to the contrary, & then I ſhall call him to an account for all his Lies & impudency.
28 And Micaiah faid, If thou return ar all in peace, the LORD hath not ſpoken by me z. And he ſaid x, Hearken, O people every one of you.
4 T acknowledge my ſelf to be an Impoſtor,and to deſerve Death.
x 7, e. Micaiah, the Perſon laſt named,being aſſured of the Truth of ; his Prophecy, calls all the People to be Witneſles of it.
29 So the king of Ifraet, and Jehoſhaphat the king of Judah y went up to Ramoth-pilead. {xl 3 Who,though a good Man, yet was eaſily deceived in this mat- ter 5 partly, becauſe Micaiah was a Perſon unknown to him,and borh
| he and the other Prophets pretending to. give their Anſwer in the Name of the Lord,it ſeemed hard to him to determine the Contro= | verlie, which only the Event could decide ; and therefore it 15 no
wonder if he was over-born by the vait Diſproportion of 400 Pro- ; e | phers to one; and by his Relation, and Obligation, and afſctton ro 3 - Aa's a
Chap. xxw F
Kt
” Chap XXII.