8]0 [ontemplationi. L1a.VI. whiles infteadofthat which his owne hand did formerly make, he faith now y,,. A thee; And yet thefe fecond Tabies are kept reverently in theArk, when the 'other lay mouldred in lhivers uponSinai; like as the repaired Image ofGodinour Regeneration is prefcrved,perfired,and laid "fa at laft,fafein Heaven;whereas the firll Ima~e of our created innocence is quite de aced;fo the fecond Temple h~d the to· ry ot.Chrifts exhibition,thoughmeaner inframe.The mercifull refpeCl:s ofGo are not tyed to glorious out-fides; or the inward wonhindfe ofthings or perfons :He hath chofen the weak and fimpk,to confound the wife and mighty. Yet God did this work by Mojis; Mojis hewed,and God wrote: Our true <.Mofis repaircs that Law ofGod which we in our nature had broken; He revives ir for us, and iris accepted ofGod,noleffe then ifthe ffrft Characters ofhisLawhad bin !till entire.We can give nothing but the Table;ir is God chat mull write in it.Ourhearts B are but a bare board,till God by his finger engravehis Lawin them; yea,Lord,we are awugh Q!arry ; hew thou us our,and fquare us fit for thee to write upon. Well may we marvell,to fee Mofcs,after this overlight, admitted to this char~e againe: Who ofus would not have faid,Your careind<ed deferves rrull; you did o carefully keep the lirft Tables,that itwould doewell to trull you with fuch another burden. It was good for <.Mofis, that he had to doe with God,n~t with men: The God ofmercy will not impute thdlips ofour infirmity to the prejudice ofour faithfulne(fe. Hethatafterrhemif-anfwer of the one Talent, would not truft the evillfervant with a fecond,becaufe he faw a wilfull negletl;will truft Mof's with his fecond Law,becaufe he faw fidelity in theworfterror ofhiszeale.o ·ur ~harity mull learqe c as to forgive,fo to beleevewhere we have beendeceived : Nottliat we lhould wilfully beguile our felves in an unjuft credulicy,but that we lhould fearch diligently into the difpofition ofperfons, and grounds oftheiral\ions 1 perhaps none may be fo fure asthey that have oncedifappoinredus. Yea,Mofos brakethe firll;therefore he mull hew the feccind :IfGod had broken them,he would' have repaired them;The amends mull bewhere the fault was. Both Godand his Churcli looke for a fatif-- f.1crion in that wherein we have offended. Invas not long fince <.Mofis his former fall offorty dayes: when he then came down from the hill,his firll queftion was not for meat : and now going up againe to Sinai, he takes not any repaft with him: That God which fent the Q!;liles to the Holl ofIfrael,and Manna fromHeaven,could have fed him with dainties: He !loes D up confidently ina fecuretruft ofGods provifion. Thereis no life to that offruth; Man livesnot /fy hreadontly : The Vifion ofGod did not only fatiate but feaft him. VVhat a blelfed fatiety fhall there be,when we !hall fee him as he is; and he!hall be all in all to us; fince this very fraile monality of Mofts was fullained,and comforted but with reprefentarions ofhis prefence! I fee Mojisrhe receiver oftheLaw,Eii,u theRellorerofthe Law,Chri{ltheFulfiller ofthe old Law,and Authorofthe new,all falling fortydaycs: and thefethree reat falters l finde together glorious in MountTabor. Abftinence meritsnot; For eligion confifis not in the belly,eitherfull<;>r empty: What are meats or drinks to theKingdom< ofGod,which is like himfelf,fpirituall!Butit prepares bell for good dutks.Full bellies are fitter for reft:not the body,fo much as the foul,is more aaive E wirh emptineffe; Hence,folemne prayer takes ever falling to attend it,and fo much the rather fpeeds in Heaven,when it is fo accompanied. It is good fo to diet the bo. dy, that the foule may be farned. When Mofos came down before,his eyes fparkled with anger; and his face was both interchangeably pale, and redwirh indignation : now it is bright with glory. Before;there werethe flames o£fucyin it,now the beamesofMajefty.Mofc' had before fpoken with God;why did not his face fhine before!! cannot laythecauf~ upon the inward trouble of his paffions, for this brighrneffe was externall. Wh1ther !hall \ve impureit,but to his molt intireneffe wi_th God. The more f.1miliar acquaintance we have wtth God,the more doewepartake of him.He that palfes bythe fire,may have fome gfeames ofheat;but he that ftands ~y Jt,
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