AARO Nand M IJ.U AM, A No fooner is the word out of Miriams mouth,then theWord ofGods reproofe meets it; How hebe!l:irs him,and willbcaronce feen and heard, when the nameof uuofos is in que!l:ion! Mofos wa~ zealoul!y care~ull for Gods ~lory,and. now God is zealous for his. The remunerationsofthe Almtghty,aremfimrely grauous.He cannot want honour and patronage,that fecks the honour ofhis Maker.Tne readyway to true glory,is goodndfe. . . .. God might have fpoken fo loud, that Heaven and Earth ll10uld have heard ir, w as rhey fhouldnot have needed to come forth for audience: bm now, hecalls them out to the barte, that they may be feene to heare. It did not content him, to chide •• them within doors :the fhame oftheir fault had been le fie in a private rebuke: but rhe fcandalloftheir repining was publike. Where the fin is not afraid of the light, B God loves not the reproofe lbould be fmothered. They haddeprelfedMo.fos,God advances him:They had equalled thefelves toMofos God prefers him to them.Their pleawas, rbatGod had fpoke by them,as we! as by Mofos: Gods reply is;Thar he bath in a more imire fafhion fpoken to Mofos,rhen· them.God fpake to the bell: of t~em,but ~ither intheirdream,lle_eping;or i~ Yifion, waking: But to Mofos he fpake With moremward J!lummatton,With mor.e hvely reprefenration :To others, as a ltflnge~;to M•fos ,as a friend. God had never fo much maanified Mofos ro them, but for their envy. We cannotdev1fe ro pleafure Gods fer~ants,fo much as by dcfpiring~hem.. • . ., . ,, . . God was angry when he chode them~ bur more angry when he departed. The withdrawin!; ofhis prefence, is rhe prefence ofhis wrath. Whiles he Itayes ro reC .prove,there IS favour in his difpleafure:but when he leaves either man,or Church, there is no hope bur ofvengeance.The final! abfence ofGod,is hell it felfe. When he forfakes us (though for a time) it is an inrrodutlion to his utmolt judgement. It was rime ro look for a judgment, when Goddeparted : fo foone as he is 15one frol)l the eyes of uuiria?',rholeprolie appeares in her face.: her foule to~gue IS punilhed with afoule face.Smce /he would acknowledge no difference betwixt her felfe and her brotherMo.fos,every·Ifraelitenow.fees his face glorious,hers leprous.Deformitie is a f!t cure ofpride. Becaufe the venome of her tongue would have eaten into the reputation of her brother, therefore a poifonous infection eates into her llefh. Now both Mofos and Miriamneed to wearea vaile: the one to hide his glory; the other her deformity.That uuidianiteZipporAh, whom fhe fcorned,was beautifull ill D refpetl of her. . . . . · uuiriam wasl\riken,Aaronefcaped:both finned;his Prielthood could not refcue him;the greatndfe ofhis dignity did but addeco the hainoufnelfeofhislinne:his repentance freed him 1 Alas, my Lord, I befeech thee lay not this fin upon us, which we have fooli!hlycommitted.I wonder notiOfee ..A aron free,while I fee him penitent;This very confellion faved him before,froril•bleeding for Idolatry,which now preferves him from Leprofie,for bis envious repining. The univerfall Antidote, for all the judgments ofGod,is our humble repentance. Yea, his fad deprecation prevailed,both to clear himfelf,an~ to recover Miriam; The brother fues for himfelfand his filter,to that brother whom they both emulared:for pardon from himfelf,and that Godwhich was offended in him.Where now E is that equalitywhich was pretended~Behold,he th~t fo lately made his brother his fellow,nowmakes him his God>l•J not thisJinne upon m; Let hernot 6e 111 one dead: As if Mojis had impofed rhi~ plague, and could remove it. Neve~ any oppofed the fervants ofGod, bu:r one time or other the)' have beeneconltramed to confelfe a fuperiority. , .· , . . . uuiriam would havewounded Mofos withhertongue;Mofts wouldheal herwith his,o Lord,healher now : The wrong is the greater,becaufe his filter did lt. He doth · not fay, I fought nor her lhame, lhe fought mine ; if G<>P have revenged ir, I have noreafon to looke on her, as a filter, who looktat me, as an adverfary: But, as if her leprofie were his,he cryes outfor her cure. 0 admirablemoeknelfe of uuofos ! His people the Jewes rebelled againlt him; God proffers reveoge;He would rather dye, then they 1houl4perilh .: His filter rebels againft /tim, Godworkes his reFfff ven e:
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