[ontentp!ationr. LIB. V. The O!!_ai!es andManna. HE thirfi oflfrad is well quenched' forbelides the cl13n<>e of the waters of Marah, their fi:arion is chlngedtoElim; wherc: 0 were twelve Foumaines,for their twelve Tribes, and now they complaine as fall of hunger. A Comenration is a rare bleffing; becaufeit arifes either from a fruition ofall comfom,oranotdeliringoffome which we have not. Now, w~are neverfo bare as notto have fame benefirs ; never fo full, as not to want fomething, yea as not tdbe full ofwants. God hath much adoewith us; either we lack health or quietneffe or B children, or wealth, or company, or our fdves in all thefe.It is a wonder thefe n:en found not fault with the want offawte to their ~ailes, or with their oldcloathes or their folirary way.Natureismoderate in her delires;but conceit is unfatiable.Ye; who can deny hunger tobe a fore vexation~ Before, they were forbidden fowre bread, but now what leaven is (o fowre as want~ When meanes hold out,itis eafie to be conrent.Whiles their dough, and othercates la!led, whiks they were garhenng oftheDates of Ebm1,~e heare no newes ofthem.Who cannot pray for his dayly bread, when he hath "m ll!S cup-board? But when our owne provJtion failes us then not to dillrull theprovifion ofGod,isa noble tryall of faith.They lhould hav~ faid; He that fiopt the mouthoftheSea, that it could not devoure us, can as eafily fiop the mouthof our llomacks: It wasnoeafier marrerro kill the lirfi-borneof C £gypr,by his immediat~ hand,then to preferve us; He that commanded the Sea to fiand frill and guard us,can as eafilycommand the earth to nourifl1us:He that made the Rod a Serpent,can as wellmake thefe llones bread: He that brought armies of Frogs and Caterpillers to £g¥pt,can as well bring whole drifts ofbirds and beafis to the defart :He that fweerned the waters wirhWood,ci nas well refrefl1 our bodies with the fruits of the earrh. rWhy doe wenotwaitonhim, whom we have foundfo powerful!~ Now they fetthe mercy- and love ofGod upon a wrong lalle; Whiles they meafureironly by!theirprefeQI)fenfe.Nature isjocond and cheerefull, whilesitprofpereth: let God withdraw his hand; no fight,, no rrull. Thofe can I praife himwithTimbrels for aprefent favour, that cannot depend upon him, inthe wamof meanes fora future. Weallareneverweary ofreceiving, fooneweary I> ofattending. . · !heother muriny, was of fome fe1~ male-co~tenrs~ perhaps, rhofe llrangm, whrch fought thelt owne protechon under the wmg of Jfrael ; thiS of the whole croup.Not that none werefree:Caltb,Iojhr~~t,Mofls,AAron,Miriam were not yettain~ ted:ufuallyGod meafures the !late ofany Cburch,orcountry by the moll;the greater part caHies both the name andcenfure. Siilnes are fo much gr<ater, as they ate more univerfall : fo far is evil! from being extenuated by the multitude ofrho guilty, that nothing canmore aggravat< it. With m•n commonneffe may plead for favour;withGoditpleadsforjudgement. Many hands draw the Cable with more violence,then few: The leprofie ofthe wholebody is more loathfome, then that of a p~rr. · · · ll But what doe thefe mutiners fay~ Oh that we had dyed by the handofthe Dord! And whofe hoodwas this, Ohye fond lf•elitts, ifye mull perifl1 byf:1mine ~ God carriedvouforth; God rellrained his creatures from you:and while youare ready todyethus,ye fay,Oh tharwehad dyed by thehandofthe Lord! . It is the folly ofmen,that in immediatejudgmerus they can fee Gods hand;not m thofe, whofe fecond caufes are fenfible: whereas God holdsUimfelfequally rnter~ffed in all:challenging thatthere is no evil! io the City,but from him.lc is bur one hand,and many inllruments,rhat God llrikes us wirh : The water may not lofe the name,though it come by chanels a~d pipes from the fpnng. It "i. our farrhlefireffe, that in vifible meanes we fee not hnnthat" rnvrfible. r And whenwould they have wifht todie?Whenwe fate by the 6elh-pots of f.gypt: ' A~
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