3$. Ofmurmuring. t r Whenthe Lordprouethhispeople,he thereby laboureth tobringthem toprayer s tromvvethe yet on the contrary, they thefrotnhftn, and murmur againfthim:thereafonfs,fordtat fromGain trouble. they thiokeitafnallcomfort to prayvnto him in their trouble, but ratherthinkeitvety har heto acknowledge their fumes and fo toobtaine the forgiuenes ofthem,whichbeing obtained,nothingcan be morecouafortable:they muffhaue thatthey want,orelsnothin. nothing= wiltpleafethena. As the lfraelitesdid murmur agam$ the Lord when they wantedwater, p1eafevsmóan nothingelfe would pleafethem: fo is it with manywhen-they cannotobtaine fome corpo, vvebauenot rail orexternaibleffing,whichtheydomuchlong for.Butwhoartthouohthou vileman, our deßrer, that thus dealeft with theLord,and never.haft had thy heart wafhedbythe blood ofleft]; aria? for ifthou haddeft, thouwouldeftneuer murmur fomuch for wanting that thou wouldeft háue,but rather snake him at alltimes thychiefeft comfort,and inall thy nete; fitics,patientlyandmeekely call.vponhim inferuent and faithful'! prayer. tá Mendoe not onely faile in prayer vnto the Lord : but alfo they murmur many timesagainft fuck as hebath fet suer themto be theirguides : forthelatter finne arileth of the former.TheIfraelitcs quarrelled withMofes : yet what hadMoreldoneagainst them? they thought no doubt that heof malice,and contrary tothewill oftheLord, had brought theminto the wildernes, for they thought God had a nearer way and a better to bong theminto the promifedland : andbecaufe they couldnotconfider the workeofthe Lord, therefore theymutt needesquarrell against fomebody,and wrcaketheir griefe vpon him, laying thefault vponMofes. Thusdid Rahell, whom when the Lord puntfhed,for thatfhe -was proud (becaufe herhusband loued her bell) and modellerbarren,when hegaue chil- drencoLeah,fhenot confideringthatthe Lord punifhed her pridewith barrennes,began to quarrel' with her husband; asking him why bee gaue no children to her? Towhom heanfwered Am ¡inJteadofGod veto thee, togiue thee children ? And this is the manner ofthe people in all ages, that when they cannot fee the Lord punifhing them for their floors, they ftraightway lay thefault vpon lomeorother, by wisornduty thinkr it-corn. mech. As now ifthe Lord doe fend tumultes and ftormes into the commonwealth, fothat the peoplebe brought to fome trouble,; doewe not ltraightwayes lay the faulc vpon the Magslloates, and lay, is not this the doingof the Magiflrates? They confidernot that the Lord dockby thismeares punilhthem fortheir finne : forit is certaine that the Lordlo- ueth a multitude betterthen oneorfew,: andthereforehewill not punilh awholerealme or nation;ifthe finnes of amultiendedidnotproaokehimthereunto. Butis oftentimes eommcthtopaflè, thatfor the finnesgftheppeople, hedoth harden theheartesoftheMa- Magifiretes. gifirates, that they cannot loue their fubic&s to well, nor that they can be foprofitable, and doe them fo much good, as otherwife they might, as is reportedby Ieholtiaphat, á. Chron.zo.- Thisif thepeople could or would confider, theywould notbelo ready to lay the faulteson theirMagiltrates, when troubleor triall comtnethvpon them: in like cafe doethey alto dealewith their Minifters. -If troublecome, doe theynot ftraightwayes fay, leewhat our preachershaue done ? and is notthis the fruit of their preaching? fothey willahvayes have one-or other to lay the faulte vpon.. But what was Mops conafortein this cafe, and that which flayed him from murmuring againstthem? Euen that (no deubcc)winch other of Gods Minifters hauehad in the like cafes. Ieremiahm the feauen- teenth chapter againft the raging of the-people madethiahis fure defence that fleehad not thrufb in himlèlfe into that office to betheir pallor, but tile Lord appointed andcal- led him thereunto. Secondly, that of affeOlion lie had fpoken nothing but onelythat whirls the Lord commaunded; did-he declare vnto them ; and from- hencemay all the true Minifters of-Godhaue comfort : for idle Lord fend them, he will nodoubtdefend them, lo longas they doehis melfàge faithfully, and therefore the peoplemufttakeheede how thcy titherreceuie.or retcbl anythat. f eaketothens in the nameoftheLord. Foras they may not recemeany that brmgeth not the word of truth, norbe fearedby them; for alnwcbas the caufeles.curlè thall palle without hurt: fo likewife, and as Purely (hall the word of God.fpokentrudy by his Minifter ccrtaiuclyhaue his effe/f, and fhall notre- turne u; vane : Andthis is common toall kinds of calling, thatmen may bee confinnçd therein. Contrariwife; when 'we being in afflaioncan pray vnto the Lord for his helpe and
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