L IB.V II. 1 8S7 AI ii~~~it*~~~~i~:iii~iiiiiii b J Contemplations. T H E s lt V f. N T H B 0 0 K I. A A R o N s C mftr tmd <J?.ed. Hen !hall we fee an end ofthefe murmurings, and thefe judget~~otits! &caufethefe menrofe up againft c.M•fes atid A.,-on, therefore God confumed them ; and becaufeGod confumed them,therefore the people rife up againft c.Mofis and Aaron : and nowbecaufe the people lhus murmure,God hath againebegun to confurne them. Whata c\rde is hereoflinnes,and judgments~ wrath is gone out frqm God; c.Jltofos is quick lighted,and fpies itat the fetting out. By how much more faithful! and fam!iiar we are with God. fo much earlier doewe difcern his judgments ; as thofe whiCh are well acquainted with men, know by their looks and gefturesthat which ftranget's uriC derftand but by theirathons;As linertempers are more knfible ofthe changes of weather. Hence the Seers ofGod have ever from their Watch-tower defcrled the judgements ofGod aflt off. Ifanother man had feen from Carmel a Cloud ofa hand-breadth,he could not have tolg Ahab he fhould be wet.lt is enough for Gods Meffengers, out oftheir acquaintance with their Mafters proceedings , to forefee punifhmenr :no marvell ifthofefee it not,which are vJilfully finfull: wemen reveal not our fecret purpofes either to enemies or ftrangers:all thdr favour is to feele the pbgue,ere they can efpic it. Mofos,though hewere great with God,yet he takes not upon himthis reconciliation; he may advife AATDN what to doe, himfelfe undertakes not to att it: It is the work ofthe Priefthood to make an atonement for the people; Aaron was lirft his D brothers tongue to Pharaoh,now he is the peoples tongue to God : heonly muft offer up the Jnccnfe of thepublikeprayers to God. Who would not think ita final! thing to hold a Cenfer ih his hand~yec ifany otherhad done it,he had fain with the dead,and not fi0od becwixtthe living anddead;in fiead ofthe fmoak afcending,the fire had defcendcd upon him;and fhal there be leffe ufe,or leffe regard oftheEvangelical! miniftery,then the Legal!~ When the world bath poured out all his contempt,we are they thl t mull reconcile men to God,•nd without us they perifh. I know not whether more to mltvell atthe courage or mercy of A4ron: his mercy, that he would yet faveforebelli<ms a people; his courage, that he would fave them,with fogreat a danger ofhimfelf.For,as one that would J>art afray,he thrufis himfdfe under the llrokes ofGod ; and puts it to the choice of the revenger, wheE ther he tvill fmite him,or forbcarethe reil; f.le /lands boldly betwixttheliving and the dead, asonethatwilleitherdyewiththem, orhavethcmlivewith him; the figilt offourteen hundred carkafes difmaid him not:he that before feared thethreats ofthe people,now fears not the ftrokes ofGod. It is not for GodsMinifiers to fiand upon their own perils in the common caufes of the Church:their prayers mull op· pofe the judgements ofthe Almighty;when the 6re ofGods anger is kindled,their Cenfers muft fmoak with fire from the Altar. Every Chrifiianmull pray the removal! of vengeance; how much more they whom God bath •ppoinred to mediatefor his people! every mans month is his own;butthey are the mouthesofall. Had AATon thruft inhimfelfwith empty hands,I doubtwhetherhe had prevailed; nowhis Cenferwashis protettion:whenwe come with fupplications in our hands, we need not feare the firokes.ofGod.We have leave to refill the divine judgments by
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=