[ontemplations. LIB.Vli. -~orh Iojhu• fucceed Mojis; The very aets ofGod ofold were alkoories, A where theLaw ends,rhere theSaviour begins; we may fee rhe Land ofPro~ife in the Law; Only }ES\ s the mediator of the new Tdhmemcan bring us inro ir. So was he a fervam ofthe Law, that hdi1pplies all the defeCts of the Law ro us : He bath taken polleffton ofthe promifed Land for us,he fl10ll carry us from this wilder· neffe, ro our refl:. Iris no fmall happinetfe ro any Srare,when theirGovernours are chofen by wor. rhine!fe;and fuch deetions are ever fromGod; whereas the imrufions ofbribery & injufl: filVour or violence,asrhey make rhe c01nmon·wealthmiferable,forhey come from h1m wh1ch 1s the author ofconfufion:Woe be to rhar State that fuffers it;woe be to thzr perfon that works it; forborh ofrhem have fold rhemfdves; the onero fervitude, the other to fin. B I <loe nor heare Mofes repine ar Gods choyce,and grudge that this Sceprerofhis is nor heredirary;but he willingly laies handsupon his fervanr,to confecrate himfor his fucceffor.Iojhua was agood man,yer he had fome fparks ofenvy;for whenE/d,uJ and MrdadprJphefied,he !lomackrit; (My LordMofes,forbidthem. )Herhar would nor abide two ofthe Elders of lfrael to prophefie, howwould he have allowed his fervant to fir in his rhrone~Whar an exampleofmeekne!fe(befides all the re!l)dorh he here fee in this lafl: aet of his ma!ler,whowirhour all murmuringrefigns his chair ofSrare to his Page! ltis all one to a gracious heart,whom Godwill pleafe roadvance: Emulation and difcomemmenr arerheatfetlions ofcarnall mindes.Humiliry goes ever with regeneration; which reaches amanro think (what ever honour be put upon others) I have morerhen I amworthyof. C The fame God rhat bythe hands ofhis Angels caried up the foule ofM•fes to his glory, doth alfoby the hand ofhis Angels cary his body dowoe into the valley of <.Moab,ro his fepulrure.Thofe hands which hadra!.:en the Law from him,thofe eies rhar had feene his prefence, rhofe lips rhathad conferred fo oftwith him, that face that did fo lhinewith the beames ofhis glory, may nor be negleCted when the foul is gone: He that took charge ofhis birth and prefetvation inthe Reeds,rakes charge ofhis cariage our ofthe world: The care ofGod ceafeth nor over his own, eith<r indearhor after it.How juf\ly doewe rakecare ofrhe comelyburialsofour frionds, when God himfelfgives us rhisexample! Ifrhe minifl:ery ofman had binufedin this grave of Mofes, the place might have bin known to the Ifraelites; but God purpofely canceales this treafure, both from D men and devils; that fo he might both cro!fe their curiofiry,andprevent their fuporfl:ition. IfGod had loved rhe adoration ofhis fervants reliques;he could never have had a finer opportunity forthis devotion, rhenin the body of <.Mofes. It is folly to placeReligion in rhofethings,w~ichGodhides on purpo!efrom us;It is nottheproperty of the Alm•ghry, ro re!lrame us from good. Yet that divine band which lockt up this rreafure, and keptthe key ofir, brought it fo1th afterwards, glorious. In.rhe transfiguration, this body which was hid in the valley ofMoa6,ape.cared in the hill ofTabor; that we may know, rhefe bodies of ou(s are not loft,but laid up ; aod lhall as fure be raifed in glory, as they are laid downe in corruption. We knowthat when he lhall appeare, E wel!Jall alfo appeare with him in Glory. Contemplations.
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