Hall - HP BX5133 .H34 1647

Contemplations. T H E s l X T H B 0 0 K J:. rtheYt~yleof M os as. C T is awonder, thatneither Moftt nor any Ifraelitegathered up the lhivet'S of the former Tables: Every £heard ofthat fione, and every letter of that writing had been a Reliqneworth layingup: buthe well faw how headlong the pc;ople were to Superftition; and how unfafe it were to feed that difpofition in them. The fame zeale ;hat burnt the Calfe to a£hes,cone<aled the ruines of this Monument. Holy things, befides their ufe, ahi\llenge no further refpe~. The breaking of the Tables did as good as blot out all the Writing; defaced,leftno venue in the fione, no reverence to it. not been friends with Iltael,he had not renewed his Law. As the Ifwerewilfully blinde,ifthey did not fee Godsanger in the Tables broken: fo coold they nor but hold it agood figne ofgraoe, that Godgave them his Teftimonies. 1• There was nothing wherein Ifrad outftripped all the reft ofthe world more, then in this priviledge; the pledgeof his Covenant, the Law written with Gods owne hand.Oh what a favour then is it, whei:e God be(lowes his Gofpell upon any Nation~ That was but a killing letter: this is the power ofGod ro falvation. Never is God throughly difpleafed with any people,where that continues. For, like as thofe which purpofe love, when they fall off, call for their tokens back againe; fawhen Godbegins once perfectly to mifiike,the firft thing he withdrawes1 E is his Gofptll. · . Ifrad recovers this favour,but with an abatemeru;llew thu troo Tahles.God made the firft Tabi<S: The mmer,rheform was his; now Mofes mufthew the next: As God created the firft man after his owhe Jmage;but,that once def3Ced, Ada#> begat Cain after his own;Or,os the firft Temple razed,a fecond was built;yet fa far £hart, that the Ifradites wept at the fight ofit. The firft wor)<s ofGod ate ftill the pureft : thofe that he fecondarily works by u•,decline in their perfeCtion.It was reafon,that though God had forp,iven Ifrael, they 1hould ftill find they had finned.They might fee the footfteps ofctifplcafure in the differences ofthe Agent: When l!iod had told UWofcs b'efore, l!Villnotgoe btfore Ijratl, but my AngeOfoal/ leadshun; l(o[ts fo noted the diffcreoce,that he refted nottill God himfelfeunder. took their condu~ : Somight the !fraelires hav.c.oored fome remainders ofoffence, Eeee 3 . whiles

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=