Ofthe golden [alft. A 1 drink ; that they might hav,e it in their guts, in !leadof t~eir eyes : How he hafleth todeflroy the Idol,wheremthey finned! that,as an !dolls nothmg, fo 1t might be brought ro nothing; and Aromts and dufl is nearell to nothing : that in!leadof go. ' ingbefore Ifrael,it might paffe thorow them; foas the next day they might finde their god in theirexcrements;to the jufllhameof!frael, when they lhould fee their new God cannot defend himfelfe, from being eithernothing, or worfe. Who can but wonder to fee :r multitude offomany hundred thoufands (when Noftscame running downethe Hill) to turne thdr eyes from their god, to him; And on a fudden,in !loadof worlhippin~ their Idol,to batter it in pieces,in the very height ofthe novelty ~ In /1ead ofbuilding Altars,and kindling fires to it,to kind!~ an hotter fire than that,wherewith it wasmdted,toconfume it~ Inlleadofdancing a before ir,toabhorre onddeface it;in !lead offioging,to weep before it! There was never amore fliffc-necked people: yet I .doe not hoare any onemanofthem fay He is but one man,We aremany! how eafily may we deflroy him, rarher then he 'our god! Ifhis brother durfl not rdifl our motion in making it : Why will we fuffer him to dare refifl the keeping ofit! It is our aet,and we will mainraine it. Here was noneofthis;but an humble obeylance to the hafefl & bloudieftrevenge that Moftt fillllimpofe. God both fet fuch an impreffion ofMajefly inthe-faceoflawfullau. thority,that wickedneffeis confoundedin it felfe eo behold it. Iffrom hence vifible powers were normore feared than theinviftble Gocl,che world would be over-run with out-rage.Sin hath fuch aguiltindfein it fdf,that when it is feafonably checked, it pulls in his head, and feekes rather an hiding place than 3 fort. c The Idol isnot capable ofa further revenge: It is notenough, unlelfe the Idolaters fmart: Thegold was good, ifthe Ifraehces had not beene evil!: fo great a ftn cannot be expiatrowithoutbloud. Behold,that meek fpirit, which in histlea with God, would rather perilh himfelfe, then Ifrael lhould perilh, armes the evites a• gainft theirbrethren, and rejoyces to fee thoufands ofthe Ifraelites bleed, and bleffcs their executioners. . . It was the mercy of MofiJ that madehim cruell:He had beencruell to all,iffome had not found him cruel!. They are mercilelf<hands,which arenot fomerimes imbrued in bloud : There is no leffe charity, then juflice, in puni!hingftMers with death; Goddelights no lelfe in a killin~ morcy,than in apitifull juflice:fome tender heartswould be ready to cenfurethengour ?f MoftJ. Might not Ifrael have repenD ted and lived~ Or if they muft dyo,muft theit brerhrens hand beupon them! Or, if theirthroarsmuitbe cut by their brethren, !hall it be done inthe very heat oftheir fin~ But they muft karne a diiferencebetwixt picy,andfondnelfe; mercy and unjuilice. t.Mofot had an heart as fofi: astheits, but more hot; as pitifull, butwifer. He was agood Phyfitian, and fawthat Ifrael could not live unleife he bled: he therefore lets out this corrupt bloud, to favethe wholebody. There cannot be a better facritice to God thenthe bloud ofMalefaCtors : and this lirft facti. E fice fo pleafed God in the hands ofthe Levites,that he would have · none but them facrificeto himfor ever. The bloudofthe Idolatrous Ifrae!ites cleared that Tribe from tno bloudof the innocent Skhemites.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=