2 Kings 2:25

REFLECTIONS

I PASS over all lesser considerations in the perusal of this chapter, to behold with all suitable thankfulness to the Lord, as the gracious author of the mercy, thy happy privilege Elijah, whom thy God was pleased to take to himself in glory, without passing through the dark valley of the shadow of death. Thou wert indeed an highly favoured servant of our Lord! no doubt as Enoch, so Elijah, found the translation by faith. For nothing but God's covenant love and grace in Christ Jesus, could either have first procured heaven, or have opened a way of translation thither. In this believing view of Jesus, and by faith in his blood and righteousness, all the faithful have lived, and died as they lived, in the exercise of it. In this most dear and holy name I would hail thee, thou prophet of my God and Saviour on this happy departure of thine. And though now so many ages have run out since, yet in the faith of him who is the same yesterday, and today, and forever, I would bless the Lord Jesus in the recollection of his grace and goodness toward thee. At the same time praising his most holy name for all his departed servants, who while passing through the grave to their home in glory, were not less beloved, neither less happy, but found in the same complete and finished salvation; the same entrance being abundantly administered unto them, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

But let not my meditations end here. Do I not behold in the servant some of the faint outlines of the master? Shall I see the prophet Elijah going up by a whirlwind into heaven, and shall I not recollect that the Lord God of the prophets ascended visibly into heaven in the presence of his apostles, attended with angels to grace his triumph? Yes! precious Lord! thou risen, ascended, and exalted Redeemer, my soul would take her flight on the wing of faith to the mount of Bethany, and gaze on thy blessed person, until that I followed thee to the right hand of power, and beheld all things put under thy feet! And surely the distinguished mercy manifested to the prophet Elijah in this instance, was principally with a view to show to thy church under the Old Testament dispensation, that such would be thy glorious triumphs when thou hadst conquered sin, death, hell, and the grave; and hereby opened thy kingdom to all believers.

And was not this Elijah a type in many other similar situations wherein a servant might be supposed to mark out the features of his Lord. Was the prophet poor, and was our Jesus rich? Did he go in the strength of the Lord's sustenance forty days and nights to mount Horeb? And was not Jesus led up of the Spirit forty days into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil? Did the widow's cruse multiply under Elijah's ministry by the word of Jehovah? And shall I not call to mind, blessed Jesus, how the loaves and the fishes multiplied under thine own Almighty hand, to give bread to the people in the wilderness? Did the Lord so far honour his servant as to raise the widow of Zarephath's son; and shall I overlook him who by his own power called from death the widow of Nain's son; and as a confirmation that he was God, brought up Lazarus from the grave, and will at the last day raise the bodies of all his saints, because he is the resurrection and the life? Oh! precious Lord of all thy people, I would bless thy holy name in all I read of thy ministering servants, of grace and mercy manifested to them. And in all I behold of miracles wrought by their instrumentality, I would ever be looking unto thee as the cause. Thou art the author and the finisher. By thee kings reign, and princes decree justice. Patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, and the faithful in all ages, have acted under thy commission, and in thy name. To thee they bend the knee, and now the whole army of them, both in heaven and earth, joyfully confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.