_L_I B_._I_I_I_I.____ O_:_'fi_t_he_c_afl_in-=~:....:of_M_o s_a _s ·------~~-- A ing ofrhe other is more lively, and dorh more then recompmcc the Wlnts ol thlt ·I emhly halfe. . . _ God could not rlefcribe himfdfe by amore fweet nome :hen this, I am the Godof ' rh; fuher,and of..Ahrd!Jam,C,· c. yetMofcs hid•s his face for kart .Ifht had (aid,! am rhe glorious God that made heaven>nd e:mh,that dwels10 light macccffibk,whom rhe Angels cannotbehold; or, llm God the :tVenger,juft: and terrible,a confuming fire tomine enemies, here had bcene jufl: caufe ofterror. But why was Mofcs [o frighred with Jfamiliarcompellarion' God i< no lelfe J\V.· full to his own inhis very mercies. Great ts thy mercy that thou moyeft be feared:for to them no le(fe !TIJjefl:y {hints in the f.wours of God, then in his judgements,·and jullice. Thewicked heort never feares God but thundnng, or fl10king the emh;or B raining fire from heaven;but tbe good can dr~ad htm mhts very funne-fl1ine: his loving deliverances and bld!ings affeCt them with awfulnelfe. Nofrs was the true fon of Iacolr, who when he faw nothing but vifions ofloveand mercy, could f•y, How dreadful/ is this place ? . I ke Nofcs now at the bufl1 hiding his face at fo mild a reprefentaiion: hereaft t we fhlll fee him in this very Mount betwixt heaven <ndearth; in Thunder, Light- 1 ning, Smoak, Earth-quakes, fpeakin<>mourh to mouth with God, barc-faced,and fearlelfe : God was thenmorererrible, but No[<s was lelfe I\ range. This WlS f1 is fidl. meetingwith God, furtheracqu•inrance makes him familiar, and familiarity m•kes him bold: Frequenceofconverfation gives us freedome ofacceffe to God; and makes us pour< om our hearts to him as fully and as featldly as to our frieads; C In thcmeane rime now at firllheemadenotfomuchhalletofee,burhernadeas much to hide his eyes: Twice did N•fes hide his face;once for theglorywhich God put upon hi~n,which made him fo fhine,that he could not be beheld ofo[hers; once for Gods own glory,which he could nor behold.No marveii.Someofthe creawres are too glorious for mortal! eyes:how much more, when God appeares to us in the eafiefl: m•nner,mufl: his glory needs overcome us~Behold the difference betwixt our prefentand furtfte el\are :Then the moreMljelly ofappearance, the more delight: whenour finrie is quite gone, all our feare at Gods prefence fltalt be turned into joy. God appeared to A dam before his fione with comfort,but in the flme forme which after his fin was terrible. And if N•[<scannot abide to look U{'On. Gods<>lory when he defcends to us in mercy,how lhall wicked ones abide to fee his fearf~JJ prerence b when he fers uporivengeance! Inthis fire heflamed andconfumednot,but in his re: vengC: our God is acOilfuming fire. Fi~ll,Mofcs hides himfelfiu feare,now in modelly.Who am I? None in all Algypt or Mtdtanwas comparably fir forthts embalfage. Whtchofrhe Jfrlelues had bin brou~ht up aCourtier,a Scholler, an Ifraelite.by bloud,by education an £<>yptiln learned;wife,valiant ,experienced? Yet,Who am I? Themore fit anymanis fgrwhat~_ foever voc~tiori, the le(fe he thinks !Umfelf. Forwardnelfe arg\'es i ~fufficiency. Jhe unwort~y tht.nks fl:tl\, Who am I not~ M<;>defl: begmmngs ~tve hope.fulj proceedmgs,and happy,en!fmgs,Oncebefore,M ofrs !lad tlkenupon htm,•nd btrl about him; hoping then they would have known,rhat by his hand God meant to deliver lfrael: but nowwlieti it comes to the point, Who am I? Godsbell fervants are not ever in an. E eqmll difpofirion to gdod duries. Ifwe find differences in our fdves fometimes,' it argues that grace is not otlt owne. It is our frailty, tnlt thofe Cervices which we ore forwltd to,a loofeoff,we lhrink at,nearc hand,ancl fearfully milfe-give.How tmny ofus cahbid defiances to death, and fuggefl: anfwers to abfent temptations, which when they come home tO us, WC flye off,and changeOUt note,and in.fl:ead ofaaion;' el<pofl:ulate! bf l ' ~
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