L1s.VII. · 'I he 'Braz:.en Serpent. A 1 Mannahad no f.mlr,but that it was too good,and too f«quent;the pulf of£oypr had been fitter for rhefe coorfe mouthes: This heavenly bread was unfpeak~bly delicious,ir rafied likewafers ofhoney; & yer even1his Angels food is Contemned. He that is full defptferh an honey-combe.Howfweer & delicate is rh~ Gofpd!Not onelythe fathers ofthe Old Tefiamenr,but the Angds de fired to look inrorhe glorious myfieries ofit,and ycr we are cloyed. This fupern:tturall food is too light: the bread-corn ofour humane reafon,and profounddifcourfe,would better content us. M•foswill not revenge this wrong,God will;yet will he notdeal with rhem himfelf,but he fend<rhe fiery Serpents ro anf~er for him: How fitly!They had carried themfelves likeferpems to their governo{s;how oft had they flung Mofos & A4ron, near eo death~ Ifrhe Serpent bite when he is not charmed, no better is a llanderer. Is Now thefe venemous adders revenge ir,whicli are therefore calkd fiery; becaufe their poyfon fcalded ro death; God hath an hand in the annoyance and hurt ofthe bafe(\ creature; how much leffe canthe fling ofan ill tongue, or the maliceofan ill fpirit,llrike us without him ~ Whiles they were in Golhen,the Frogs, Lice, Caterpillers fparcd them,and plagued the Algyptians; now they are rebellious in the defart ,the ferpenrs find them out and llingrhemto death. He that brought the Q!_ails thither to feed rhem,ferches thefe ferpents thither to punilh them. While we are'at wars with God, we can look for no peace with his creatures: Every thing rejoyces eo execute the vengeanceofhis Maker.The fiones ofthe fidd will not be in league wirh us,while Wt' are nor mleague wtrh God. Thefemen,when the Spits had told them news ofthe Gyanrs ofCanaan,a little' C before had wilht,Wo11ld God'"' were dead in thi& nJJldtrntj[' .- Now God hath heard their prayers,what with the plague,what with theferpenrs,many rhoufands ofthern dyed.The ill wifltes ofour impatience are many times heard. As rhofe good things are not granted us which we pray for wirhout care, fothofe evils which we pray for and would not have,are oft granted.The eares ofGod are not onely open torhe prayers offaith, but to the imprecations of infidelity. It is dan~erous wilhing evil! to our felves or ours; it is jufi with God to take us at our word, and to effect that which our lips [peak again!! our hem. Before,God hath everconfulred with Mofos, and thrcarned ere he punifltt; now he llrikes & fayes nothing.The anger is fo much more,by how much ldfe notified. When God is not he3rd before he is fdr,(as in the hewing ofwood,the blowis not D heard till the axe be feen to have llruck) it is a fearfull fign ofdifpleafitre : iris with God as with us men,thatftill revenges ate ever mofrda.ngerous. Till now all was well enough with Ifrael,and yet they grudged;Thofe that will complain without a caufe,lhall have caufe to complaine for fomething. Difcomentedhumours feldome fcapeunpunillted,burreceive chat mofi jufily where~t they repined unjufi!y. Now the people are glad t? foek to Mof's unbidden: Ever heretofore they have been wont to be fued to, and Intre.:ned for wtthour rhe1r own mtre:uy; now their mifery makes them importunate; Thereneeds no folicitor where there is fenfe of fmarr. It were pitty men lhould want affii~ion, fince it fends them to their prayers and confeflions.All the perfwafions ofMofos could nordoethlt which the Serpents have done for him. 0 God, rhoufeefihQW neceffary it is we lhouldbe flung fomeE times, elfe we lhould run wilde, artd never come to a found humiliation; we lltould never feek thee, ifrhy hand did not finde us out. They had fpoken again I! God and Mofes ,and now they humbly fpeak to <.M of's that he would pray ro God forthem.Hethatfo oft prayed forth<' unbidden,cannot but much more doe it reqnefied,and now obtaines the meanes oftheir cure. It was equallyin thepower ofGod to remove the ferpenrs,and to heale their flinging; to have cured the Ifradires by his word, and by his figne: But he findes itbefi for his people(eo exercife their faith)thattheSerpents may bire,andtheir bitings may invenome,and that this venome may indangerthe Ifraelites; & thatthey,thusaffeCled, may feek to him for remedy,& feeking may find it from fuch means as lltould have no pow<::r bnt in figniflcation; that while their bodies were cured by the fign, their fouls might be confirmed by the matter fignified.A [erpenrofbraffe could no more Gggg 2 heale
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