IncroduL. Themanner bass the Lawwasgiven. Chap.t 9 ¡'9 tobe Wife to fubdety. This curious enquiring and fearchmg after needlefs matters, hash hecn the decay of Learning. And the Apoftle faith,that fuch curious inquifitors t Tim.i.4 fñoh Imiguith, and be lick with foolifh Qrultions, ever learning, and never able to 34. OM to -the knowledgeof the truth. S`,ni inventaveritate (faithSt. 4Iugufti»e) aliud iielt rnendgpiuminticnerit, He that finding the truth, feeketh further; thall finde a tie, w have a tearful example of it in Solomon: I gave myheart (faithhe)to know wifdorn, and to know madnefs and folly : his too great curiofity made him ltray too Ecél.i. áße for, Gilt' :ry degrees to connive at molt grofs lddlatry. tifcr.4rator eft diving Ma- oath. ppp'imtrur a glpriá, they whichare COO in feeking out things too tie for them, fháli perish in their folly. Therefore it is belt for us to know onr bars, and Beep our di(lance. And thus much for the fevcral means of Preparation: CHAP. XIX. 7'e ttgnncr of delivering the Law. a. With thick cloak. z. With thunder and light. 'lbw. 3. With found of a Tramper. The terrible delivering of the Law, comparedWith ihr f errpr of the lag judgment, when we waft give accountfor thekeeping of it. The e®ft?pgri fnn in all the parrtcularr. Theaft ofthin, Ttiqrc is added alto by the Learned another Point, not a Point of Preparition, The gunner. but ä neccffary oblervation in the delivery of the Law, fit for meditation, and óf¢elivering theLaw. kit gathered from the manner of the delivery of it, in the before- mentioned Chap- Esod,q;, ter of Ezodxá, upon which the Apoftle ferms toCois..r nt. For whatfoever might Helkia.t8; km terrible to man, Godmade it to concur with the&livery of theLaw: The par- tjeulárs are theft. t. The Lord told Mopes, he would come in a thick Cloud. vetI9; , With Thundring, with Lightning, with the found of a Trumpet: r6.' Now all thefe as they are feartul fights and objects, fo it was done purpofely by God, that his Law might be received with the more reverence. And we fee it took EXO4.tO.t8. e(t and wrought upon them : For upon the quakingof the Mount, and thofc ter- tible fights, the people removed and food afar off, and Paid to Mofe:, Speak thoí i9 with fta, andwe will hear, but let not God fpeab, with na, left we die. Nay, the fight of theft things was fo terrible, that it wrought upon Mofes himfelf, for there we read that ildpfeá raid, I exceedingly quake and fear. lieb.r. s.ae. Theft fights and rounds afett us not, becaufethey arepalt t but yet the Apoffles argument may affeft us. If the delivery of the Lawwas fo terrible, how dreadful =f' Mall the account be how it is kept ? And if the Law being delivered by the Miniftery of Angels (as St. Stephen Paid) were thus terrible,how dreadful (hall it be whenGod Afta 7.53. In the power of his Majefty (hall come to require account of it ? Now thiswill ap- hleb.s:z' pear more plainly, by comparing the circumftancesin the delivery of the Law, with the dayof Judgment. I. That which is fir(t mentioned, is a thick and dark Cloud. And the Prophet Aaos`q.? B, t9 (peaking of theday of Judgment, faith, Theday of the Lord is darknefs and no J 3' hght. Saint ?ude calls it, theblackncfs of darknefs: And the Prophet Ad gives joel ;'t S the reafon; becaufe theSun and Moon (hall bedarkned, and the Stars (hall withdraw their light. ;!. The fécond, there wereThundcrclaps. AndSaint Peter faith, that when the a Pet.;.to dayof the Lord (halt come, the Heavens (hall pats away with a great noire, and the elements (hall melt with fervent hear, and the earth (hall be burnt up: And no man doubts but there things are more terrible to the eye and the car, than the noire of a Thunder-clap. I. The third is Lightning or fire,which then was but upon the Mount of Sinai on- iy but at the laft day, it shall be all over the earth. This fire was but as that in the 6`z'4 tu(h, which Wasnot confumed by it, nor Sinai by this. But our God is a confu- Apoc. a . ming fire, and fucha fire aswill torment for ever. St. yohn faith, the fmoke of it fhall Matk ? afeend for ever, and the fire (hap never bequenched. r}. The fourth is the found of a Trumpet, that pierced the earsofthe living only; but there (hall be a more thrill Trumpet, that (hall beheard, not be the living only, boy
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