SERMON V.

The Cafe of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath confidered.

I KINGS XVII. 16.

And the barrel of meal wafted not, neither did the crufe of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord which he fpake by the prophet Elijah.

HE words of the text are the re

TH

cord of a miracle wrought in behalf of the widow of Zarephath, who had charitably taken Elijah under her roof, and administered unto him in a time of great fcarcity and diftrefs. There is fomething very interefting and affectionate in the manner this ftory is related in holy writ: and as it concludes with a fecond ftill more remarkable proof of GoD's favour to the fame perfon, in the reftoration of her dead fon to life, one cannot but confider both miracles as rewards of that act of piety, wrought by infinite power, and

left upon record in fcripture, not merely as teftimonies of the prophet's divine miffion, but likewife as two encouraging inftances of GOD Almighty's bleffing upon works of charity and benevolence.

In this view I have made choice of this piece of facred hiftory, which I fhall beg leave to make use of as the groundwork for an exhortation to charity in general: and that it may better answer the particular purpofe of this folemnity, I will endeavour to enlarge upon it with fuch reflections, as, I truft in GoD, will excite fome fentiments of compaffion which may be profitable to fo pious a defign.

Elijah had fled from two dreadful evils, the approach of a famine, and the perfecution of Ahab, an enraged enemy: and in obedience to the command of GOD had hid himself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. In this fafe and peaceful folitude, bleffed with daily marks of GoD's providence, the holy man dwelt free both from the cares and glories of the world: by miraculous im

pulfe the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook; till by continuance of drought (the windows of heaven being fhut up in those days for three years and fix months, which was the natural caufe likewife of the famine) it came to pafs after a while that the brook, the great fountain of his fupport, dried up; and he is again directed by the word of the Lord where to betake himfelf for fhelter. He is commanded to arife and go to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, with an affurance that he had difpofed the heart of a widow woman there to fuftain him.

The prophet follows the call of his GOD: the fame hand which brought him to the gate of the city, had led alfo the poor widow out of her doors, oppreffed with forrow. She had come forth upon a melancholy errand, to make preparation to eat her laft meal, and share it with her child.

No doubt, fhe had long fenced against this tragical event with all the thrifty

ment which felf-prefervation and parental love could infpire; full no cbt of cares and many tender appreAs ons Tord the fender flock fhould fail cen door the retura of plenty,

But as he was a widow, having loft the only thehild friend who would beft have a liked her in this virtuous ftruggate probe necefity of the times at not everu me her; and the was just cown a car prey to it, when came to the place where the was. de e à ma ker, criaid, Fetch #tane write in a vessel, dad es he was going to ina to, oni zid, Bring a mga bread in thine So the Ford thy God

for a che, is a bandful of extended in a crufe:

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o me and my son, and do tad Elijah ma das ge, and do jan make me thereef a ariz me, and

after make for thee and for thy fon. For thus faith the Lord God of Ifrael, The barrel of meal fhall not waste, neither shall the crufe of oil fail, until the day that the Lord fendeth rain upon the earth.

True charity is always unwilling to find excufes-elfe here was a fair opportunity of pleading many: the might have infifted over again upon her fituation, which neceffarily tied up her hands -fhe might have urged the unreafonableness of the requeft;-that he was reduced to the loweft extremity already --and that it was contrary to juflice and the first law of nature, to rob herself and child of their laft morfel, and give it to a stranger.

But in generous fpirits, compaffion is fometimes more than a balance for felfprefervation. For, as GoD certainly interwove that friendly foftnefs in our nature to be a check upon too great a propenfity towards felf-love-fo it feemed to operate here. For it is obfervable, that though the prophet backed his requeft with the promife of an immediate