LIB.V. 'The 'R.ocftof <f\ephidim. A fent,unldfe every moment lhould have renued miracks~The plagues ofEgypt,and '1 the divilion ofthe Sea were fo famous, that the very lnnes of fericho rang ofthem. Thdr waters werelately fweerncd; theQuailes wete yer in their reeth ; theManna j was yet in their eye; yea,they faw God in the Pillar ofthe Cloud,and yettheyfayi Js the Lord amMgfl 114 ?Noargument is enough to an incrc:dulous heart; nor reafon not fenfe,not experience.Howmuch better w» that f.1ith ofThom;u ,that would be~ leeve his eyes and hands, though his eares hewoula not~ Oh the deep infidelity of thefei[rat/itts,that faw and beleeved not! And how will they know ifGod beamongl1rhem ~ As ifhe could not be with them,and they be athirl1: either God mul1 humourcarnall minds, or be dil1rul1ed: Iftheyprofper (though it be with wickedneffe) Godis with them;Ifthey bethwarb ted in their own defigaes; !1raight,h God with"' ? It was the ~ay to put God from them,to dit1rul1and murmure. Ifhe hod not bin with them, they had not lived; If he hadbeen in them,they had not mutined.They can think him abfent in their want and cannot fee him abfent in thdr lin:and yet wickednelfe,not atlliction,argues bin: gone; yetthenis he mol1prefenr,when hemot1chal1ifes. Whowould not have looked,thatthis anfwer <:>fMojis lhould have appeafed their fury! Aswhat cant1illhimthatwill not be quietto think he bath God for hisAdverfary~ But as jftheywould wilfully warre againt1 heaven,they proceed; yet with no ldfe er~ then violence;bending their exception to one parrofthe onfwer: and fmoothly omitting,what they could not exceptagaint1.They wil not hearoftemp. ting God J they maintain their !1rifewith .ilfo{es,both with words and !1ones.How C malicious, how heady is impatiertce! The ac!twas Gods, they call it upon c.Msfer, whmfirt h.jl thou bro•ght us?The aC\ ofGodwas mercifull,they make it cruell, T• J:iU"'and"" children.' As ifGod and Mofes meant nothing but their ruine,who intended nothing but their life and liberty. Foolifh men! What needed this journey to de;~th~ Were they not as obnoxiOus to God m Algypt~ Couldnot God by r.Mofis as eafily have killed themin_Algypt,or in the Sea,as their enemies~ Impatience is full ofmifconllruction; If 1t be poflible ro finde out any glolfe to corrupt the Text ofGodsaC\ions,they !hall bee fure ndrlo fcapeumainred. It was no expot1ulltingwith anunre~fonable multitude; c.Mo[i, runs !1raightto himthat was able at once to quench the1rthtrl1,and thm fury: What jha!IJ douo thn ptoplt ? It is the bel1 way to !ruft God with his own caufes: when men will be inD termedling with his affaires,theyundoethemfdves in vaine.Welhallfindedifficulties in all great cnterprifes : Ifwe be fure we havebegun them from God, we may fecurely call all evertrs upon his providence,whkh knows how to difpofe,and how toendthem. · c.Moji,perceived rage,not inthe tongues olily,but in the hands ofrhe Ifraelites. Tet a while longer and they will jlont mt. Even the Leader of Gods people, feared death;aod finned not in fearing.Lifeis worthy to be deare to all;;fpecially ro him, whom publikechargehath made neceffary:Meerefeare is not linftfll;It is imporenco and dil1rul1 that accompany ir,which make it evil!.Howwell is that feare bellowed, that fends usrhemore importunately to God! Some man would have thought of flight; t.Jitoft' flies to his Prayers; and that not for revenge,but for help. Who but E t.Jifoji' would not have faid,Tpis twice they have mutined,and been p>tdoned;and nowagainthou feet1,0 Lotd,how madly they rebell;and howbloudily they intend •&aint1me; preferve me,I befeech thee, andplaguethem.I heare noneofthis, but imitatingthe long-fuffering ofhis God,htfeeks to God for them, which fought to kill him forthequarrell ofGod. Neither i'i-God foonerfought then found:All!frad might fee Mojis goe towards the Rock: None butthe Elders might fee him f\rike it.Theirunbeliefe made them unworthy ofthis priviled,ge. It is no fmal favour ofGod,to make us wirneffesofhis greatWorks; Th3thecrucifies his Son before us; that he fetches the water ofLife out ofthe true Rock, in our fight, is an highprerogative; Ifhis rigour would have taken it,our infidelity had equally excludedus,whom now his mercy hath received. ~to!;, mut1take his Rod;Godcould have done it by his wil,withoutaword;or by Dddd his
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