LIB.VI. CoR A H's [o11f}iracy, A I will not buy their owne peace,with the loffeoffi1ch enemies. Oh rare and tmitable mercy! The people rife up againlhhcir Governours;Thetr Governours fall on their . faces to God for the people; fo farre are they from plotting revenge,that they will I not endure God 01ould revengefor them. M of's knew wdl enough that all thofe Ifradites muftperifh in the Wildernelfe; God had vowed it for their former infurreCl:ion; yet how earneftly cloth he fueto God, not to confume them at once ! The very refpit ofevillsis a favour next to the removal!. - Corah kindled the fire; the two hundred and fifty Captains brought fticks to it; All Ifraell warmed rhemfdves by it; onlythe incendiaries perifh. Now doe the Ifradices owe their life to them,whofe death they intended. God and Mofos knew to b diftinguifhbetwixt the heads ofthe faction & thetrain; though neitherbe faultlelfe, yet the oneis plagued,theorher forgiven. Gods vengeance,when it is atthe hotteft, makes differences ofmen: Get you a.,ay from about tlic Tabcrwaclu ofcorah. Ever before common jud~emenr there is a fepararion. In the univerfall judgment ofall the earth, the Judge htmfelfwill feparate; in thefe paticubr executions, we muft feparare our felves. The fociety ofwicked men,efpecially in their fins,ismortally dangerous: whiles we will not be parted, how can we complaine, ifwe be enwr~pped in their condemnation~ our very company fins withthem,why fhould we not fmart with them alfo ~ <.M of's had wdl hoped, that when thefe Rebels fhould fee all the Ifraeliresrun fi·omthem,as from Monfters,andlooking affrightedly upon theirTenrs,and fhould C heare that fearfull Proclamation ofvengeance, againft them, (howfoever they did before fet aface on their confpiracy;yet now)theirheartswould have mifgiven.But lo,thefe boldTraitors !land impudently flaring in thedoorc ofthcir Tents,as ifthey wouldout-face the revenge ofGod; as if Mojis had never wrought miracle before them ; as ifno one Ifra<lire had ev~r bled for rebelling. Thofe that fhall perif11 are blinded. Pride and infidelity obdures the heart,andmakes even cowards fearlelfe. So fooncas the innocent are fevered,the guilty perifh:tl)e eatth cleaves and fwallowes uprheRebds. This element was notufed to fuch morf<ls. Itdevoursthe carkalfes ofmen; but bodies informed with living foules,never before. To have feene them ftruck dead upon the earth had bin fearful!; but to fee the earth at oncetheir executioner and gtave,was more horrible. Neither the SeJ, nor the: eanh are fir to :D give paiTage; The Seais moi!l and flowing, andwill not be divided, for the continuityofit; The earth is dryand mallie,and will neither yeeld naturally,!)or meet a· gain, when it harh yedded ; yet thewaters did cleave to give way unto Ifrad, for their prefervarion; the earth did cleave~togive \vay to the Confpirarors, in judgement: Both Seaand earth dtd fhut thetr )awes agam upon rhe adverfaries ofGod. There was morewonderin this htcr.It was amarvel! thatthc waters opened: it was no wonder that they fhut again; for, the reryring and flowing, was natural!. It was no lelfe marvel!, that the earthopened; but moremarvel! that itdid fhur again, becaufe it had no narublld.tfpo~rion to meer,when it was.divided. Now migl)t Ifrael fee, they had to doe wtth a God that could revengewttheafe. There were two forts ofTiaitors; the Earth fwallowed up rhe one,the Fire the E orher. All the Elements agree to ferve the vengeanceoftheir Maker. N adaband Ahihu brought fit perfons, butunfit fire to God; thcfe Levites bring the right fire, but unwarranted pcrfons before him; Firefrom God confumes both. It is adangerous thing to ufurp facred funCl:ions l TheMiriiftery will not grace the man ; The manmay difgrace the Miniftery. . . The commoapeoplewere not fo fall gathered to Corahs flattering perfwafion before, as now they ran from the fight and feareof his judgement. I marvell nor ifthey could not truft that earth whereon they ftood,whiles they knew their heatts had been falfe. It is a madnelfero run away from punifhmenr, and not from finne. Conss~
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