1 Kings 21

Agrippina poisoned the Emperor Commodus with wine in a perfumed cup; the cup being perfumed and given him by his wife, it was the less suspected. Satan knew a temptation coming to Adam from his wife, would be more prevailing, and would be less suspected: O bitter! sometimes rela…

(5.) Murder is committed by plotting another's death. Thus Jezebel, though she did not lay hands herself upon Naboth, yet because she contrived his death, and caused two false witnesses to swear against him, and bring him within the compass of treason, she was a murderer (1 King…

And he is a sword: his tongue is a sword to wound him he witnesses against in his goods or life. Thus there came in two men, children of Belial, and witnessed against Naboth, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king: and their witness took away his life (1 Kings 21:13). The…

6. Covetousness is a breach of the Sixth Commandment, You shalt not kill. Covetous Ahab killed Naboth to get his vineyard (1 Kings 21:13). How many have swum to the crown in blood!

When God's hand lies heavy upon a man, (he is sick or lame) he may vent a sigh or tear, and say, Lord, have mercy; yet this is no true repentance. Ahab did more than all this; (1 Kings 21:27) he rent his clothes and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. His clothes were…

It was the thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). 3. It produces murder: It was the inordinate love of the vineyard that made Ahab conspire Naboth's death (1 Kings 21:13). 4. It is the root of perjury (2 Timothy 3:3): Men shall be 〈in non-Latin alphabet〉, covetous, and it foll…

2. There is an outward change, which is like the washing of a swine. Ahab was much changed to outward view, when he rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth (1 Kings 21:27), insomuch that God stands and wonders at him: Do you see how Ahab humbles himself? Yet for all this, he was…

Naboth had a little Vineyard, that came to him from his Father by inheritance: Ahab the King, would give him money, or a better Vineyard for it. But Naboth would not: Nay (said he) God forbid I should sell my Father's inheritance, 1 Kings 21:3, etc. If he made such account of an…

When Ahab abased himself, though he did [illegible] in hypocrisy, yet God had some respect to it. 1 Kings 21:29. says the Lord to Elijah, Do you see how Ahab is humbled before me? This contrition of heart stands in two things.

We never cleanse ourselves from these: but such woeful cleansing it is, that if we go about to purge them out, by the motions of the spirit of grace, that he casts into our hearts; we think it is a troublesome work, and does cross the tranquility and peace of our estates, we thi…

It is a wonder to see what a change prophetical gifts will work in a man (1 Samuel 10:10, 12): there Saul had a spirit of prophecy come upon him, and the people wondered at it, it works a strange change in a man, and so in the next chapter, the nineteenth and twenty-third verse,…

David was ensnared by his eyes (2 Samuel 11:2): From the roof he saw a woman washing herself, and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. Naboth's vineyard was ever in Ahab's eye, as being near his palace, therefore he is troubled, and falls sick for it (1 Kings 21:1-2). Now…

In that Paul rejects the blasphemous objection with, God forbid: we are taught to avoid things said or done to the dishonor of God, with loathing and detestation. When it was related to Ahab and Jezebel, that Naboth had blasphemed God, they being idolaters, solemnize a fast pret…

Secondly, he gives a reward, in respect of his free and merciful promise, and thus he rewards only believers. Thirdly, he gives rewards to hypocrites, unbelievers, heathens, etc., being neither bound by his own promise, nor by their merit, when they perform the outward works of…

It is evident that there are Counterfeits of all Kinds of gracious Affections; as of Love to God, and Love to the Brethren, as has been just now observed: So of godly Sorrow for Sin, as in Pharaoh, Saul, and Ahab, and the Children of Israel in the Wilderness; Exodus 9:27, 1 Samu…

The Scripture represents it as of a contrary Nature. Ahab, when he had a visible Humility, a Resemblance of true Humility, went softly, 1 Kings 21:27. A Penitent, in the Exercise of true Humiliation, is represented as still and silent, Lamentations 3:28.

Henry the Second of France in a great rage against a Protestant Counsellor, committed him to the hands of one of his Nobles to be imprisoned, and that with these words, that he would see him burned with his own eyes: but mark the righteous Providence of God, within a ew days aft…

Now this translation is maintained by a figure, either by an Antiphrasis, which is the speaking of a thing sounding one way when it is meant another way, when there is an opposition between the letter of the word and the meaning of the word. Thus (1 Kings 21:13) Naboth is charge…

Fourthly, those who are in authority, and don't punish a murder, when committed and known, are themselves guilty of it. Thus when by the wicked artifice of Jezebel, Naboth was condemned to die, although Ahab knew nothing of the contrivance till after the execution; yet because h…

It is promised (Psalm 22:26) that the meek shall eat and be satisfied. He has whatever sweetness is to be had in his common comforts, while the angry man either cannot eat, his stomach is too full, and too high, as Ahab (1 Kings 21:4), or eats and is not satisfied, unless he can…

This, as it is in itself a vile vice, so is it a cause of many other vices, as of presumption, rebellion, and even of adultery itself many times: and it is also a main hindrance of all duty. It commonly rises either from self-conceit (whereby wives overween their own gifts, thin…

If it be objected, that God allowed of their Repentance for Sin in this his Law or Covenant as their King, and sometimes he saved the Nation upon their Repentance, and therefore it must include the Gospel or Covenant of Grace; yet I answer, it may still be called a Covenant of W…

Would a man Grow rich: he sets his Thoughts a work how to compass an estate, he will circumvent, and pull down his Soul to build up an estate. Would he wreak his Malice on another; he frames an Engine in his Thoughts to take away his Life: as Iezabel (that Painted Harlot) when s…

The matter of a lie is a falsehood; but the formality of it is with an intention to deceive; therefore a falsehood is one thing, a lie another; then we lie, when we not only do or speak falsely, but knowingly, and with purpose to deceive. Now this may be done by gestures, as whe…

That fired his heart, and brought such mischiefs upon him. Naboth's vineyard was hard by Ahab's palace, (1 Kings 21:1) it was ever in his eye, and therefore he is troubled and falls sick for it. So how many may thus complain that their souls have been by their eyes betrayed.

A parallel in the Fifth of November. So Jezebel's plot against Naboth for his vineyard, makes use of God's name and worship to bring it about (1 Kings 21:8-10). But I must stop, being carried beyond my first intention; plotted mischiefs are an ancient practice.

Take heed of being an occasion of, a partaker of, or but accessory to other men's sins. God forbids it, that it may not be (Ephesians 5:7-11; 1 Timothy 5:22), and sharply reproves and punishes it, where he finds it to be (Psalm 50:18; 2 Samuel 12:9; 1 Kings 21:19), in which two…

From this comes all those quarrels, [illegible] that contention between the heart and the word, [illegible] men are not able to bear or hear the blessed truth [illegible] God, that it should reveal or remove their [illegible] from them. The soul says to the word as he did: [ille…

Information: It's not only in the liberty, but it's the duty of a minister, according as the text suits, and the condition of the hearers answers, to aim at the sins of the persons and people to whom he speaks. Particular application implies a special intention of the parties (1…

Read the plunderer's curse (Isaiah 33:1): Woe to you that spoil, and you were not spoiled; when you shall cease to spoil, you shall be spoiled. Ahab paid dearly for the vineyard, when the devil carried away his soul and the dogs licked his blood (1 Kings 21:19). He that lives on…

Fourth, covetousness is the root of murder. Why did Ahab stone Naboth to death but to possess the vineyard (1 Kings 21:13)? Covetousness has made many swim to the crown in blood.

Thus Amnon mourned and was sick, until he had defiled his sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:2). Thus Ahab mourned for Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21:4): He laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. This was a devilish mourning.

For the sin of David, seventy thousand of the people were destroyed by an angel, concerning whom he said, "It is I who have sinned and done evil; these sheep, what have they done?" (2 Samuel 24:15, 17). See also 1 Kings 21:29. So it was with all the children and infants that per…

Of Ahab: when Ahab heard these words he rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted and went softly. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah saying, do you see how Ahab is humbled before me (1 Samuel 15:24-30; 1 Kings 21:27-29)? Dissembled repentance may be discerned becaus…

9th Commandment: You shall not bear, etc. He breaks this commandment: who envies at the prosperity of his neighbor (1 Timothy 6:4); who seeks only his own good report; who is suspicious (1 Corinthians 13:5); who gives rash or hard sentence against others (Matthew 7:1); who takes…

All unregenerate men are the servants of sin; they subject themselves to its commands. The Scripture sometimes calls this a conversation in the lusts of the flesh (Ephesians 2:3); sometimes the selling of themselves to sin (1 Kings 21:20). Now as a judicious divine observes, tho…

Now they seeing their hearts pierced, for doing what the priests bade them do, it was not likely they should heal that wound, but should rather daub with them, and tell them, Christ was but a deceiver, and that they had done well to hang him up out of the way; therefore now, the…