L IB.VII. 7."he death of M o s .r. s. A waits~ Evenwhere God loves,hewill not wink-at fin; andif he doe not punifh,yet I he will chafiifc: How much leffe canitfiand with that eterOJll }uflice, to letwilfulllinners efcape judgement ~ • ' Itmight have bin jufi with God,to have referved the caufe to himfelf; and in a generality,to have told Mofos, that his fin mufi fhorten his journey : but it is more ofmercy,then jufiice,that his children fh~ll know why they fmatt; That God may atonceboth juflifiehimfelf, and humble them for their particular offences: Thofe to whom he meanes venge<~nce, have nouhe fight oftheir fins till they be pafl repentance. Complainnot that God upbraids thee with thy old fins,whofoever thou art: but know, it is an argument of love; whereas concealment is a fearfull figne ofa focret dillike from God. Is But what was that noted fin which deferves this late exprobration,and.fhalcarry fo fharp achafiifement ~ Ifrael murmured for water; God bids Ulfofos takethe rod in his hand,and fpeak to the rock togivewater;Uifofos infu:ad offpeakinz,andfiriking the rock with his voice,firikes it with the rod:Herewas his fin; An over.reachine ofhis commiflion;l fearfulneffe and diflrufl ofthe tffett.The rod,he knew,was approved for miracles ; he knew not how powerful! his voyce might be; therefore he did not fpeak,but firike,and he flroke twice for faihng; And now,after thefe many yeares,he is firiken forit ofGod.It is a dangerous thing in divine matters,to goe beyond our warrant: Thofe fin• which feeme triviall to men,are hainous in the a~ count ofGod ; Any thing that favours ofinfidelity.difpleafes him more thert fome other crimes ofmorality. Yet the moving ofthe Rod wasbut adiverfe thing from C rhe moving of the: roogne, it was not conrrJry; He didnot forbid the one, but he commanded the other: This was but acroffc the fireame,notagainfl it; where fhall they appeore, whofe whole ~urfes are quite contrary to the Oomiriandemencs of G~r . . Vpon the att done, God pal!'ed the fentenceof refiraining <.Mofls with t!JI,refi, from the promifed Land: now he performes it: Sincethat time, Ulfofos had many favours from God; all which could not reverfethisdccreedcafligation; Thareverlafiing rule is grounded upon the very effence ofGod, I am Ithovah, I change not, Our purpofes are as our felves,fickleand incertaine; His arecertain,and immurable: fome things whj<:h pe revealc:s ~e alters; nothing that he hath decreed. Befidc~ the foule of <.JI/ofes (to the glory whereofGod principally intended this change) I D finde him carefull oftwo things: His Succeffor,and his Body: Ulfofos moves for the one :the other God doth unasked: He that was fo tenderover the welf.1re ofifra,el, in his life.wouldnotllacken his care in death: Hetakesnothought for himfelf(for he knew how gainfull an exchange he mufi make.) All his care is for his charge. Some envious natures defire to bemiffed, when they mufi goe ; and wifh that the weakneffe, or want ofa Succeffor, may be the foyle oftheir memory,and honour:, Mo{u is in a contrary difpofition; It fufficeth him not, to findecontentment in his own happineffe,unleffe hemay havean affurance,that Ifrael !hall profper afrer him. Carnall mindd are all for tbemfelves, and make ufe ofgovernment,otidy for their owne advantages; ilui .good hearts look ever to the future . ~ood of the Church, above their own,a~ainfl their own. Mofos did wdl,to fhe)v his !!oodaffet!ion to his E people; but in his filence God would have provided for his ow~: Hethat called him from the lheep of ltthro,willnot want agovertiour for his chofen,to fucceed him; God harh fitted him,whom he will chufe. Who can be more meet, t~en he whofe name, whofeexperience, whofe gqces might fupply, yea revive Mofos to th' people~ He that fearched the l.and before, was fittefi to guideifrael into it; He that wasindued with the Spirit ofGod, was the fittefi deputy for God : He that abode flill in the Tabernacle ofOhel.moed, as Gods attendant, wasfinefi to be fentfortb ftom him, as his Lieutenant: But, oh the unfearchablecounfell of the Almighty ! Aged Cale~, and all the Princes of Ifrael are pafl over ; and Iojhua the fervat\t of Mo(<s,ischof~.n to fucceedhis mafier; The' eye of God is not blinded either with g1tts,or with bloud, er with beauty, orwith firength: but as in his eternall eleCtions, fo in his tempo;ary,he will have mercy on whom he will Hhhh And
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