LIB.V. The 1l>aters of r:94~Jrah. 8+7' A unfeafonable wtather, m•kes us over-looke all the blellings ofGod; and more to mutine lt the fenfe ofour evill,~l)<:n to praifc hjm for our varieties ofgood: whereas favours well be!towed leave us both mindfull and wnfident; and will not fuffer us either to forger ordilh~{l. 0 God, I havemade an ill ule ofthy mercies, if I have notlearned to be content with thy corrections. rJ>tofis was in the fame want ofwater with them, in the fame diltalle of bitternelfe, and yet they fay to L?>tofes, What lhall we drink~ Ifthey had fccne l!im furnilbed with full vdfds offweet water,andthemfeh•es put over to thts unfavoury hquor, envy might have ~iven fome colour to this mutiny: but now their LMders common mifery,might have freed htm from thtt: murmurs.They held 1t one ptece ofthe late Egyptiantyranny,that ataske was reqmwl of them, whtch the tmpofero B knew they could not performe; to make Brickwhen they had no Straw: Yet they fay to <P•fes, What lha\1 we drink! Themfelvesaregrowne Exac1ors,and are ready to menace more then llripes,ifthey have pot their ends,without meanes. Mofes to<>ke not upon him their provifion,but their deliverance: and yer,as if he had been the common Vietualor ofthe Camp,they aske,What !hall we drink! When want meets with impatient minds, it tranfports them to fury; Every thing difquiers, and nothing fatisfies them. ' Whor courfe doth Mofls now rake~ That which they lhould have done,an<l did not: They ctied not more fervently to him,then he to God:ifhe were their Leader, God was his; That which they unjullly required ofhim, he jultly requiresofGod, that could doe it; He knew whence to look for redrelfe ofall complaints; this was c not hischarge, but hisMakers, which was able to maintaine his owneaa. I fee and acknowledge the harbour,thatwemult put into,in all our ill weather.It is to thee,O God, that we mult poure out our hearrs, whichonelycanlt Rlake our bitter waters fweet. . Might not thatRod, which tooke away theliquid nature from the waters, and made them folid 1 have alfo taken away the birter quality from rh~fe waters, and made thorn fweet: fioceto flow is narurall unto the water; to be bitteris butaccidentall. rJ>tts durll nor imploy his Rodwithout a Precept; he knew the power came from t 1e commandement..We may nqt ptefumeon likelihoods, butdepend upon warrants; therefore .Mofts doth not lift up hisRod to the Waters,but his hand and voyce to God. D The hand offaith never knocked at heaven invaine: nofooner bath Mofls lhewed his grievance, then God lhewes him the remedy: yet an unlikely one, that it might bemiraculous. !'le that made the waters,could have given them any favour : How ealie is it for him that made the maner, to alterthe quality ! It isnot more hard to take away, then to giv.-. Who doubts butthe fam~ hand that created them, might have immediatelychanged them! Yetthat Almighty power will doe itby meanes. A pi<ee ofwood muft fweeten the waters: What relation hatbwood to water ~or that which hath no favor,ro the redrdfe ofbirternes?Yer here is no more poffibility offailing,then proport<ion to the fuccelfe. All things are fubjee< to the command oftheir Maker; He that made all ofnothing, can makeevery thingof any thing : There is fo much power in every creature,as he will pleafe to give.It is the praifeof ' E omnipotencytowork by improbabilities; Elijhawith Salt, rJ>tojiswith wood, !hall lweeteri the bitterwaters;Let nomandefpife the meanes,when he knowes the Author. God taug\lt hispeople by altions, as w~II aswords. This entrance !hewed them' their whok journey ; wherein they lhould talle of much birternclfe : but at !all througll the mercy ofGod, fwoerned with comfort. Or did it nor reprefem themfdves rather,in the journey! in thefoumaines ofwhofe hearts, were the bitter w•- ters ofmanifold corruptions, -;r:.r their unfavoury foules are fweetned by thegraces ofhis Spirit. 0 Blelfed Saviour: theWood ofthyCrolfe,that is,the application of thy futferings, is rnough to fweeten a•whole ~a ofbitterndfe. I carenor how unpleafant a potion I finde in this Wildernelf~, ifthepower and benefit ofthy pr<tious death may feafoo it to my fouk. of
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