78 Chap,t8. Of tbepteparatíon tzltródu&. Pfal.69.s ;. as thole duties are required, For the Devil infinuates,into us, and deceives us, not ro9.7. only by evil things,but alfo by thofe whichare good in their own nature ; by Gods good.Crcatures, by his gifts, and we areno lefs to take heed of hun its indifferent Natth.6.5. thingii, than inevil. Our Tables maybe a fnareunto us : And the thing which thouki be unto us for our welfare maybe an occafionof falling. So Prayer (one ofthe molt excellent duties of a Chriftianj may be turned into fin. The like may be faid of Alins.,,Thefe things are fpoken to this purport, that as Mofes cousin was, Come nor atyour wives, which is a thing lawful; yet if by circumifance of time or place, or the like,thefc lawful things make a man flow in the fervice of ,God, we ought tore- frain them, and to follow the counfel of Ages. 3 The third and laft point in preparation is fetdown in the ra and zt Verfes , which was, to fet bounds and marksabout the Mountain, which the Ifraelites were not to pals. Md the repeating of it mutt needs caufe us to conceive that there is fome weighty thing in it of which we are to take notice. For the Scripture hath nothing vainor needlefs : but as Welk faid of Pharaohs dreams, that the doubling of them did thew thecertainty ; fo the doubling hete thews the danger if this Command be not kept. And the Command is to keep the Ifraelites within their bounds.: for as the fief(part was to make them willing, and, the fecond tomake themable ; fo be- caufe a manmay be overwilling, or rather curious, and may run too far; here he is a- bridged, this third means topreparation Pets limits and bounds to our curiofity, that wepats not themarks which God hath fet in knowledge of him and his will, but content our felveswith the knowledge of fuch things as are needful for us, and re- waled to us. And here we may take notice of a foolifhaffeftion that we naturally have in ha- zardingneceffary things,by our curiofity in thofe that areneedlefs : and not only in. adventuring thingsneceffary for thofe which are unneceffary, but with toogreedy a delire of them to break Gods Commandments. Sowe fee in the beginningGods den 3 prohibition gavethe Devil occafion to tempt .Eve to be overcurious to know that the lhould not. And afterwards, a little before the Law given, Mofes commanded that Éx04.16.19, none fhould referve Manna till the morning, and yet fome of them itched to try eon- clufions-and laved it fo it flank. And they were charged not to go forth on the Stab- bath.day to gather it,for they fhould finde none, yet Come would needs goout, but r Sam.6.19. they were deceived. The men of Bethfhemefb would needs be prying into theArk of the Lord, but they paid ,for it; for fifty thoufand and threefeore and tenof them di- ed for their foolilh curiofity. And therefore in this place God commanded, that on -painofdeath, norman nor beaft fhould pars their bounds. ;;iim.' 4.44, God prohibited, the people becaufe they hadmurmured, not to gointo Canaan,yee 45 they would needs go up to thehill too, and were difcomfited. It was no neceffary thing togoup, yet go they would: and here they were not it fecros fohafty tohear and to know, as to gaze: it was not theLaw they defired to know , but the place and the Mount, and to be idly occupied : andtherefore Godgave thecharge three times : for curiofity is an odious thing toGod. iftsli7..i. Andwe feethat this very affe8ionof curiofity reigned afterwards in the Sons of i6 Adam in moving curious Queßions, concerning Heaven andHell, how andwhere they be, omittingmany needful things it the mean time ; like the Athenians, that gave themfelvesto nothing but to tell or hear new things. The Apoft!es muft needs be asking our Saviuor, Lord, wilt thou at thistime refloro the Kingdom ? and tell us, ar,%: ' s When pal there things be ? andwhatfhall be thefine of thy corning, and of the endofthe world ? But as Chritt anfwered them, Iris not for you to know the times and fealons, which the Father bath put inhis own power. So here Mofes, Non eft vefirum afcendere montern., It is not for you to comenear theMount, or to fee what is done there, it be- longeth not to you. This then muft be our wifdom, tobe content with the knowledge of that which God hath revealed to us : and not to be too curious in prying after thofe things Dcut.s9. 29. which hehath'referved to himfelf. SecretaDea, aperta & revelara, nobis & filou naßris, as Mofes raid, Secret things belong toGod our. Lord; but thole things which are revealed, belong to us and to our children. And this is the fame which the Apo - file counfelleth us to do, to keep within the limits which the Holy Ghoft bath let us : Notto think of our felves more highly than we ought to think, hut tothink fobetly, to
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