child of their laft morfel, and give it to a stranger.

But, in generous fpirits, compaffion is fometimes more than a ballance for selfprefervation. 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 seemed to operate here. that though the prophet backed his requeft with the promise of an immediate recompence in multiplying her stock; yet it is not evident, fhe was influenced at all by that temptation. For if the had, doubtlefs it must have wrought fuch a mixture of felf-intereft into the motive of her compliance, as muft greatly have allayed the merit of the action. But this I fay, does not appear, but rather the contrary, from the reflection I 4

For it is obfervable,

fhe

fhe makes upon the whole in the last verfe of the chapter. Now by this I

f

know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.

Befides as he was an inhabitant of Zerephath, (or, as it is called by St. Luke, Sarepta, fubject to Sidon the metropolis of Phoenicia, without the bounds of God's people,) fhe had been brought up in grofs darknefs and idolatry, in utter ignorance of the Lord GOD of Ifrael: or, if fhe had heard of his name, which is all that seems probable, she had been taught to difbelieve the mighty wonders of his hand, and was ftill lefs likely to believe his prophet.

Moreover the might argue, if this man by fome fecret myftery of his own,

.or

or through the power of his GOD, is able to procure fo preternatural a fupply for me, whence comes it to pafs, that he now ftands in want himself, oppreffed both with hunger and thirst?

It appears therefore, that the muft have been wrought upon by an unmixed principle of humanity. She look'd upon him as a fellow-partner almost in the fame affliction with herfelf. She confidered he had come a weary pilgrimage, in a fultry climate, through an exhaufted country; where neither bread or water were to be had, but by acts of liberality. That he had come an unknown traveller, and as a hard heart never wants a pretence, that this circumftance, which fhould rather have befriended, might have helped to opprefs him. She confidered, for charity is

ever fruitful in kind reafons, that he was now far from his own country, and had ftrayed out of the reach of the tender offices of fome one who affectionately mourned his abfence her heart was

touched with pity. She turned in filence and went and did according as be had faid. And behold, both she and be and her boufe did eat many days; or, as in the margin, one whole year. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the crufe of oil fail, until the day that God fent rain upon the earth.

Though it may not feem neceffary to raife conjectures here upon this event, yet it is natural to fuppofe, the danger of the famine being thus unexpectedly got over, that the mother began to look hopefully forwards upon the reft of her days. There were many widows in If

rael

rael at that time, when the heavens were fhut up for three years and fix months, yet, as St. Luke observes, to none of them was the prophet fent, fave to this widow of Sarepta: in all likelihood, fhe would not be the laft in making the fame obfervation, and drawing from it fome flattering conclufion in favour of her fon. Many a parent would build high, upon a worse foundation.

"Since the GOD of Ifrael has thus fent "his own meffenger to us in our distress,

66

to pass by so many houfes of his own people, and stop at mine, to fave it in fo miraculous a manner from de"ftruction; doubtlefs, this is but an "earneft of his future kind intentions "to us at leaft, his goodness has decreed to comfort my old age by the long life and health of my fon: — but perhaps, he has fomething greater

• ftill