L 1 a. VII J. Jordan di"Pided. 1 909 A the front ofthe Army; That as before they depended upon it for life,fo now they lhould for direction. It muft goe before themon the fi10ulders of the fonsof Levi; they muft follow it, but within light, not within breathing. The Lcvites may not rouch the Ark, butonelythe barres: The Ifraelites may not approach nearer then a thoufand paces to it. What awfull refpects dot)! God require to be given unto the tdlimoniesofhis prdence~ rz-uh paid dear for touching it;the men ofBethfiJemdh for looking into it. It is a dangerous thing to be too bold with the Ordinances of God. Thoughthe Ifraelites were (metified, yet they might not comeneare either theMount ofSinai,when theLawwas delivered,ortheArkoftheCovenom,wherein the Law \vaswritten. How fearful! !ball their eftate be,rhat come with unhallowed hearts and hands to theWordofthe Gofpel, and the trueManna of the EuangcliB call Sacrament~ Aswe ufe to fay ofthe Court and offire,fomay weofthefc :Divine Inllitutions, Wefrecze if we be far offfrom them ; andifwe be more neare then befitsus, we burn. Vnder the Lawwemight look at Chrift aloofe, now underthe Gofpel wemay come neare him : He calls us to him; yea,he enters into us. Neither was it onely for reverence that the Ark mull be, not !tumbled at, but waited on,a farre; but alfo for convenience,both oflight and palfage: Thofe thin~s that are neare us,though they be lelfe,fill our eye; Neither could fo many thoufand eyes fee the (ame objetl upon alevell, but by dillance; It would not content Gdd, that one Ifraelite lhould tell another, Now theArk goes, now it turnes, now it llands;but he would haveevery one his own,witnelfe.What can be fo comfortable to a good heart,as to fee the pledges ofGods prefence and favour~to hear ofthe loC ving kindnelfes ofGod is pleafant,buttobeholdand feelethe evidences ofhis mercy,is unfpeakably delectable: Hence the Saints ofGod, not contentingthemfdves with faith, have llil praied for lightand fruitien,andmourned when they have wanted it. Whatan happy profpecthath God fet before us, of ChriftJefus crucified for us, and offered unto us ~ Ere God will work a miracle befote Ifrael, they have charge to be fanctified. There is an holinelfe required tomakeus either patients or beholders of the great works ofGod; how much mor,e when we lhouldbeactors in his facredfervices ~ Thtre Is more ufe offancHficadon, when we mull prefent fotnething to God, then when he mull doe ought tous. . . The fame power that divided theRed-fea before Mofls ,divides Jordanbefore lo· D fb••; chat theymight fee the Ark no lelfeeffectuall then the cloud, and the hand of God as prefent with Iojhr~a,to bring them into Canaan,as it waswith Mofos to bring themour of.£gypt:The bearers oftheArk had need be faithfull;theymulllirll fet their foot into the llreames ofJordan, andbeleevethat it will give way; The fame faith that led Pcur upon the warer,mull carty them into ir.There can be no Chrillian without b'eleefe In God; but thofethat are ncare to God ii1 his imll'iediate fervices, mullgoe before others no lelfe in beleeving,then they doe in example. The watetsknow their Maker: That Jordan that flowed with fullllreames when Chrill \Ventintoitto be baptized, now gives way when the fame God mull paKe thorow it in llate: then there was ufeofhis water,nowofhis fand: I fleareno newes ofany Rod to llrike the waters1 the pr.,fence ofthe Ark ofthe Lord God,the Lord E ofall the World,is lign enough to thefe W ~ves; which now,:is ifa linewwere broken,runs;backto their Ilfues,and dore not fo much as wet the feet ofthe Priells that bore it; what ayleth thu,o Sta, that tholl jleddejl,andthOII urdan,that thOII n>trt drivtii back? Yt monntaim,thal1t ltaptd likt Rammts,andy little hils,likt Lambs? Theearth tmnbltdattht prtfonttoJtht Lord;at thtprefontt ojihtGodoJiaco6.How obferyant are all the Creatures to the God that made them~ Howglorious a God doe.we ferve ~ whom all the powers of theHeavensand Elements are willingly fubject unto; and gladly take that naturewhich'he pleafe's to give them. Hecould have made Jordan like fome folid pavement ofChryllall for the lfraelites feet to have trod upon, but this work had not bin fo p~agnrficent. Everyllrong Froll congeales the \vater in a naturall courfe; butforthe River io llarid llill, and run on heaps, and to !>e made a liquid wall forthepalfage ofGods people, is, for Nature to run out of it felf, to doe ·
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