consuming Happy are those that are from vnder the terrours of that Law which was giuen in fire and in fire shall be required God would haue Israel see that they had not to doe vvith some impotent commander that is faine to publish his Lawes without noise in dead paper which can more easily inioyne then punish or descry then execute and therefore before he giues them a Law he showes them that hee can command heauen earth fire aire in reuenge of the breach of the Law That they could not but think it deadly to displease such a Lawgiuer or violate such dreadfull statutes That they might see all the Elements examples of that obedience which they shold yeeld vnto their Maker This fire wherein the Law was giuen is still in it and will neuer out Hence are those terrours vvhich it flashes in euery conscience that hath felt remorse of sinne Euery mans heart is a Sinai and resembles to him both heauen and hell The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law That they might see hee could finde out their closest sinnes hee deliuers his Law in the light of fire from out of the smoke That they might see vvhat is due to their sinnes they see fire aboue to represent the fire that should be belowe them That they might knowe he could waken their security the thunder and louder voyce of GOD speaks to their hearts That they might see what their hearts should doe the earth quakes vnder them That they might see they could not shift their appearance the Angels call them together Oh royall Law mighty Lawgiuer How could they thinke of hauing any other God that had such proofes of this How could they think of making any resenblance of him vvhom they saw could not be seene and vvhom they saw in not being seene infinite How could they thinke of daring to profane his name vvhom they heard to name himself with that voyce Iehouah How could they thinke of standing vvith him for a day vvhom they saw to command that heauen vvhich makes and measures day How could they thinke of disobeying his deputies vvhom they saw so able to reuenge How could they think of killing when they vvere halfe dead vvith the feare of him that could kill both body and soule How could they thinke of the flames of lust that saw such fires of vengeance How could they think of stealing from others that saw vvhose the heauen and earth vvas to dispose of at his pleasure How could they thinke of speaking falsly that heard God speak in so fearefull a tone How could they thinke of coueting others goods that saw how weake and vncertaine right they had to their owne Yea to vs was this Law so deliuered to vs in them neither had there bin such state in the promulgation of it if God had not intended it for Eternity We men that so feare the breach of humane Lawes for some small mulcts of forfaiture how should we fear thee O Lord that canst cast body and soule into hell The Golden Calfe IT was not much aboue a moneth since Israel made their couenāt w th God since they trembled to heare him say Thou shalt haue no other Gods but mee Since they saw Moses part from them and climbe vppe the hill to God and now they say Make vs Gods we knowe not what is becom of this Moses Oh ye mad Israelites haue yee so soon forgotten that fire and thunder which you heard and saw Is that smoke vanished out of your minde as soon as out of your sight Could your hearts cease to tremble with the earth Can yee in the very sight of Sinai cal for other Gods And for Moses was it not for your sakes that he thrust himselfe into the midst of that smoke and fire which yee feared to see afar off Was hee not now gone after so many sudden embassages to be your lieger with God If yee had seene him take his heeles and run away from you into the Wildernesse what could ye haue said or done more Behold our better Moses vvas with vs awhile vpon earth hee is now ascended into the mount of heauen to mediate for vs shall we now thinke of another Sauiour shall vve not hold it our happines that hee is for our sakes aboue And what if your Moses had beene gone for euer Must yee therefore haue Gods made If yee had said Choose vs another gouernour it had been a wicked and vnthankfull motion ye were too vnwoorthy of a Moses that could so soon forget him but to say Make vs Gods was absurdly impious Moses vvas not your God but your gouernour Neither was the presence of God tyed to Moses You saw God still when hee was gone in his pillar and in his Manna and yet ye say Make vs Gods Euery word is full of senselesse wickednesse How many Gods vvould you haue Or what Gods are those that can be made Or what euer the Idolatrous Egyptians did with vvhat face can yee after so many miraculous obligations speak of another God Had the voyce of God scarce done thundering in your eares Did ye so lately heare see him to be an infinite God Did ye quake to hear him say out of the midst of the flames I am IEHOVAH the GOD thou shalt haue no goddes but mee Did yee acknowledge GOD your Maker and doe yee now speake of making of gods If ye had said Make vs another man to goe before vs it had been an impossible suite Aaron might help to marre you and himselfe He could not make one hayre of a man and do ye say Make vs Gods And what should those Gods doe Go before you How could they go before you that cannot stand alone your help makes them to stand yet they must conduct you Oh the impatient ingratitude of carnall minds Oh the sottishnes of Idolatry Who would not haue said Moses is not with vs but he is with God for vs Hee staies long He that called him withholds him His delay is for our sakes as well as his ascent Though we see him not we will hope for him His fauours to vs haue deserued not to be reiected Or if God will keep him frō vs he that withholds him can supply him He that sent him can lead vs without him His fire cloud is alsufficient God hath said and done enough for vs to make vs trust him We will wee can haue no other God wee care not for any other guide But behold heere none of this Moses stayes but some fiue and thirty dayes and now hee is forgotten and is become but This Moses Yea God is forgotten with him and as if God and Moses had been lost at once they say Make vs Gods Naturall men must haue God at their bent and if he come not at a call hee is cast off and they take themselues to their owne shifts like as the Chinois whip their God◠when they answere them not Whereas his holy
Israel inclined to God it was from God hee inquires after his owne gifts in vs for our capacity of more They had not receiued the Law vnlesse they had first receiued a disposition fit to be commanded As there was an inclination to heare so there must be a preparation for hearing Gods iustice had before prepared his Israelites by hunger thirst feare of enemies his mercy had prepared them by deliuerances by prouisions of water meat bread and yet besides all the sight of God in his miracles they must be three dayes prepared to hear him When our soules are at the best our approch to God requires particular addresses And if three dayes were little enough to prepare them to receiue the Law how is all our life short enough to prepare for the reckoning of our obseruing it And if the vvord of a commaund expected such readines what shall the word of promise the promise of Christ and saluation The moraine of Egypt was not so infectious as their vices the contagion of these stuck still by Israell All the water of the red Sea and of Marah and that which gushed out of the rocke had not washed it off From these they must now be sanctified As sinne is alwayes dangerous so most when we bring it into Gods sight It enuenometh both our persons and seruices and turnes our good into euill As therfore we must be alwaies holy so most when wee present our selues to the holy eyes of our Creator Wee wash our hands euery day but when wee are to sit with some great person wee scoure them with balles And if wee must be so sanctified onely to receiue the Law how holy must we be to receiue the grace promised in the Gospell Neither must themselues only bee cleansed but their very clothes Their garments smelt of Egypt euen they must be washed Neither can clothes be capable of sinne nor can water cleanse from sinne The danger was neither in their garments nor their skin yet they must be washed that they might learne by their clothes with what soules to appear before their God Those garments must be washed which should neuer waxe old that now they might begin their age in purity as those which were in more danger of being foule then bare It is fit that our reuerence to Gods presence should appeare in our very garments that both without and within wee may be cleanly but little would neatnesse of vestures auaile vs with a filthy soule The God of spirits looks to the inner man and challenges the purity of that part which resembles himselfe Cleanse your hands yee sinners and purge your hearts ye double minded Yet euen whē they were washed and sanctified they may not touch the mount not onely with their feet but not with their eies The smoke keeps it from their eyes the marks from their feet Not only men that had some impurity at their best are restrained but euen beasts which are not capable of any vnholines Those beasts which must touch his altars yet might not touch his hill And if a beast touch it he must die yet so as no hands may touch that which hath touched the hill Vnreasonablenes might seem to be an excuse in these creatures that therfore which is death to a beast must needs be capitall to them whose reason should guide them to auoid presumption Those Israelites which saw God euery day in the piller of fire and the cloud must not come neere him in the mount God loues at once familiarity and feare Familiarity in our conuersation and feare in his commands Hee loues to be acquainted with men in the walks of their obedience yet hee takes state vpon him in his ordinances and will be trembled at in his word and iudgements I see the difference of Gods carriage to men in the Law and in the Gospell There the very hill where he appeared may not be touched of the purest Israelite Here the hemme of his garment is touched by the woman that had the fluxe of blood yea his very face was touched with the lippes of Iudas There the very earth was prohibited them on which hee descended Here his very body and blood is profered to our touch and taste Oh the maruellous kindnes of our God! How vnthankfull are wee if wee doe not acknowledge this mercy aboue his ancient people They were his owne yet strangers in comparison of our libertie It is our shame and sinne if in these meanes of intirenesse we bee no better acquainted vvith God then they vvhich in their greatest familiarity were commanded aloof God was euer wonderfull in his workes and fearefull in his iudgements but he was neuer so terrible in the execution of his will as now in the promulgation of it Here was nothing but a maiesticall terrour in the eyes in the ears of the Israelites as if God meant to shew them by this how fearful he could be Here was the lightning darted in their eyes the thunders roaring in their eares the trumpet of GOD drowning the thunder-claps the voyce of God out-speaking the trumpet of the Angel The cloud enwrapping the smoke ascending the fire flaming the mount trembling Moses climbing and quaking palenesse and death in the face of Israel vprore in the Elements and all the glory of heauen turned into terrour In the destruction of the first World there were clouds without fire In the destruction of Sodome there was fire raining without clouds but here was fire smoke clouds thunder earthquakes and whatsoeuer might worke more astonishment then euer was in any vengeance inflicted And if the Law were thus giuen how shall it be required If such vvere the proclamation of Gods statutes what shall the sessions be I see and tremble at the resemblance The Trumpet of the Angell call'd vnto the one The voyce of an Archangell the Trumpet of God shall summon vs to the other To the one Moses that climbd vp that hill and alone saw it saies God came with tenne thousands of his Saints In the other thousand thousands shall minister to him and tenne thousand thousands shall stand before him In the one mount Sinai only was on a flame all the world shall be so in the other In the one there was fire smoke thunder and lightning In the other a fiery stream shall issue from him wherewith the heauens shall be dissolued and the Elements shall melt away with a noise Oh God how powerfull art thou to inflict vengeance vpon sinners who didst thus forbid sinne and if thou wert so terrible a Law-giuer what a Iudge shalt thou appeare What shall become of the breakers of so fiery a Law Oh where shall those appeare that are guiltie of the transgressing that Law whose very deliuery was little lesse then death If our God should exact his Law but in the same rigour wherein hee gaue it sinne could not quite the cost But now the fire wherein it was deliuered was but terrifying the fire wherein it shall be required is
to reuenge this impietie because the sons of Aaron did it God had both pardoned graced their father he had honored thē of the thousands of Israel culling them out for his altar and now as their father set vp a false God so they bring false fire vnto the true God If the sonnes of Infidels liue godlesly they doe their kinde their punishment shall be though iust yet lesse but if the children of religious parents after all Christian nourture shall shame their Education GOD takes it more haynously and reuenges it more sharply The more bonds of duty the more plagues of neglect If from the agents we looke to the act it selfe set aside the originall descent vvhat difference vvas there betwixt these fyres Both lookt alike heated alike ascended alike consumed alike Both were fedde with the same materiall wood both vanished into smoake There was no difference but in the commandement of God If God had inioyned ordinary fyre they had sinned to look for celestiall now he commaunded onely the fire which hee sent they sinned in sending vp incense in that fire which he commaunded not It is a dangerous thing in the seruice of God to decline from his owne institutions vvee haue to do with a power which is wise to prescribe his own worship iust to require what he hath prescribed powerfull to reuenge that which he hath not required If God had strooke them with some leprosie in their forehead as he did their Aunt Miriam soon after or with some palsy or lingering consumption the punishment had been grieuous but he whose iudgments are euer iust sometimes secret saw fire the fittest reuenge for a sin of fire his owne fire fittest to punish strange fire A suddaine iudgement fitte for a present and exemplary sin Hee saw that if hee had winkt at this his seruice had been exposed to profanation It is wisedome in Gouernours to take sinne at the first bound and so to reuenge it that their punishments may bee preuentions Speed of death is not alwaies a iudgement suddennes as it is euer iustly suspicable so then certainely argues anger when it findes vs in an act of sin Leasure of repentance is an argument of fauour when God giues a man lawe it implyes that hee would not haue iudgement surprise him Doubtlesse Aaron lookt somewhat heauily on this sad spectacle It could not but appall him to see his two sonnes dead before him dead in displeasure dead suddenly dead by the immediat hand of God And now hee could repent him of his new honor to see it succeed so ill with the sonnes of his loines neither could he chuse but see himself striken in them But his brother Moses that had learned not to knowe either nephews or brother when they stood in his way to God wisely turned his eies from the dead carcasses of his sonnes to his respect of the liuing GOD My Brother this euent is fearefull but iust These vvere thy sonnes but they sinned it vvas not for GOD it is not for thee to looke so much who they were as what they did It was their honor and thine that they were chosen to minister before the Lord Hee that called them iustly required their sanctification and obedience If they haue profaned God and themselues can thy naturall affection so miscary thee that thou couldest wish their impunity with the blemish of thy Maker Our sons are not ours if they disobey our Father to pitty their misery is to partake of their sinne If thou grudge at their iudgement take heed least the same fyre of GOD come forth vpon this strange fyre of nature Showe now whether thou more louest GOD or thy sonnes Show whether thou be a better father or a sonne Aaron weighing these things holds his peace not out of an amazement or fullennesse but out of patient and humble submission and seeing Gods pleasure their desert is content to forget that he had sons He might haue had a silent tongue and a clamorous hart There is no voice lowder in the eares of GOD then a a speechless repining of the soule Heat is more intended with keeping in but Aarons silence was no lesse inward Hee knew how little hee should get by brauling with GOD. If hee breathed out discontentment hee saw GOD could speake fire to him againe And therefore he quietly submits to the will of God and held his peace because the Lord had done it There is no greater proofe of grace then to smart patiently humbly and contentedly to rest the hart in the iustice wisdome of Gods proceeding and to be so far from chiding that we dispute not Nature is froward and tho she well knowes wee meddle not with our match when wee striue with our Maker yet she pricks vs forward to this idle quarrell and bids vs with Iobs wife Curse and die If God either chide or smite as seruants are charged to their Maisters we may not answere againe when Gods hand is on our backe our hand must bee on our mouth else as mothers do their children God shall whippe vs so much the more for crying It is hard for a stander by in this case to distinguish betwixt hard-hartednes and pietie There Aaron sees his sons ly hee may neither put his hand to them to bury them nor shed a teare for theyr death Neuer parent can haue iuster cause of mourning then to see his sons dead in their sinne if prepared and penitent yet vvho can but sorrow for their end but to part with children to the danger of a second death is woorthy of more then teares Yet Aaron must learne so farre to denie nature that hee must more magnify the iustice of GOD then lament the iudgement Those vvhom GOD hath called to his immediat seruice must knowe that hee will not allow them the common passions and cares of others Nothing is more naturall then sorrow for the death of our owne if euer griefe bee seasonable it becoms a funerall And if Nadab Abihu had died in their beds this fauour had been allowed them the sorow of their father and brethren for when GOD forbids solemne mourning to his Priests ouer the dead he excepts the cases of this neerenesse of bloud Now all Israel may mourne for these two onely the father and brethren may not God is iealous least their sorow should seeme to countenance the sinne which he had punished euen the fearfullest acts of GOD must bee applauded by the heauiest hearts of the faithfull That which the father brother may not doe the cozens are commanded Dead carcasses are not for the presence of GOD His iustice was showne sufficiently in killing them They are now fit for the graue not the sanctuarie Neither are they carried out naked but in their coats It was an vnusuall sight for Israell to see a linnen Ephod vpon the beere The iudgement vvas so much more remarkable because they had the badge of their calling vpon their backs Nothing is either
that both the bloud of that wicked Citie should be spilt to him not to their owne reuenge and that the treasure should bee reserued for his vse not for theirs VVho but a miscreant can grudge that GOD should serue himselfe of his owne I cannot blame the rest of Israel if they were well pleased with these conditions onely one Achan troubles the peace and his sinne is imputed to Israel the innocence of so many thousand Israelites is not so forceable to excuse his one sinne as his one sinne is to taint all Israel A lewd man is a pernicious creature That hee damnes his ovvne soule is the least part of his mischiefe hee commonlie drawes vengeance vpon a thousand either by the desert of his sinne or by the infection VVho vvould not haue hoped that the same GOD vvhich for tenne righteous men would haue spared fiue vvicked Citties should not haue been content to drovvne one sinne in the obedience of so many righteous But so venomous is sinne especiallie vvhen it lights among GODs people that one â—ramme of it is able to infect the â—hole mass of Israel Oh righteous people of Israel that had but one Achan How had their late circumcision cut away the vncleane foreskin of their disobedience How had the blood of their Paschall Lambe scoured their soules from couetous desires The world was well mended with them since their stubburne murmurings in the desert Since the death of Moses and the gouernment of Ioshua I doe not finde them in any disorder After that the Law hath brought vs vnder the conduct of the true Iesus our sinnes are more rare and our liues more conscionable Whiles we are vnder the Law wee do noâ— so keepe it as when wee are deliuered from it our Christian freedome is more holy then our seruitude Then haue the Sacraments of God their due effect when their receit purgeth vs from our old sinnes and makes our conuersation cleane and spirituall Little did Iosua know that there was any sacriledge committed by Israel that sinne is not halfe cunning enough that hath not learned secrecy Ioshua was a vigilant Leader yet some sins will escape him Onely that eye which is euery where findes vs out in our close wickednesse It is no blame to authority that some sinnes are secretly committed The holiest congregation or family may be blemisht with some malefactors It is iust blame that open sinnes are not punished we shall wrong gouernment if wee shall expect the reach of it should be infinite Hee therefore which if hee had knowne the offence would haue sent vp prayers and teares to GOD now sends Spyes for a further discouery of Ai They returne with newes of the weaknesse of their aduersaries and as contemning their paucitie perswade Ioshua that a vving of Israel is enough to ouershadow this Citie of Ai. The Israelites were so fleshed vvith their former victorie that now they think no walls or men can stand before them Good successe lifts vppe the heart vvith too much confidence and vvhiles it disswades men from dooing their best oft-times disappoynts them With God the meanes can neuer be too weake without him neuer strong enough It is not good to contemne an impotent enemy In this second battell the Israelites are beaten It was not the fewness of their assaylants that ouerthrew them but the sin that lay lurking at home If all the host of Israel had sette vpon this poore village of Ai â—hey had beene all equally discomfited the wedge of Achan did more fight against them then â—ll the swords of the Canaanites The victories of GOD go not by strength but by innocence Doubtlesse these men of Ai insulted in this foyle of Israel and said Loe these are the men from whose presence the waters of Iordan ran back now they run as fast away from ours These are they before whom the walls of Iericho fell downe now they are fallen as fast before vs all their neighbours tooke heart from this victory Wherein I doubt not but besides the punishment of Israels sin God intended the further obduration of the Canaanites Like as some skilfull player loses on purpose at the beginning of the game to draw on the more abetments The newes of their ouerthrow spred as far as the fame of their speed and euery Cittie of Canaan could say Why not wee as well as Ai But good Ioshua that succeeded Moses no lesse in the care of Gods glory then in his gouernment is much deiected with this euent Hee rends his clothes falls on his face casts dust vpon his head and as if he had learned of his Maister how to expostulate with GOD sayes What wilt thou doe to thy mighty Name That Ioshua might see GOD tooke no pleasure to let the Israelites lie dead vpon the earth before their enemies himselfe is taxed for but lying all day vpon his face before the Arke All his expostulations are answered in one word Get thee vp Israel hath sinned I doe not heare God say Ly still and moure for the sinne of Israel It is to no purpose to pray against punishment while the sin continues And though GOD loues to be sued to yet hee holds our requests vnseasonable till there be care had of satisfaction When we haue risen and redressed sinne then may we fall down for pardon Victorie is in the free hand of God to dispose where hee will and no man can maruell that the dice of Warre run euer with hazard on both sides so as GOD needed not to haue giuen any other reason of this discomfiture of Israel but his owne pleasure yet Ioshua must now know that Israel which before preuailed for their faith is beaten for their sin When we are crossed in iust and holie quarrells we may well think there is some secret euil vnrepented of which GOD would punish in vs which tho we see not yet hee so hates that he will rather be wanting to his owne cause then not reuenge it When we goe about any enterprise of God it is good to see that our hearts bee cleare from any pollution of sinne and when wee are thwarted in our hopes it is our best course to ransack our selues and to search for some sinne hid from vs in our bosome but open to the view of GOD. The oracle of God which told him a great offence was committed yet reueales not the person It had beene as easie for him to haue named the man as the crime Neither dooth Ioshua request it but referres that discouery to such a meanes as whereby the offender finding himselfe singled out by the lot might bee most conuinced Achan thought he might haue lyen as close in all that throng of Israel as the wedge of Gold lay in his Tent. The same hope of secrecie which mooued him to sinne mooued him to confidence in his sin but now when he saw the lot fall vpon his Tribe hee began to start a little when vpon his family hee beganne to change
with one stroke ioynes these two bodyes in their death vvhich were ioyned in their sinne and in the very flagrance of their lust makes a new way for their soules to their own place O noble heroicall courage of Phineas which as it was rewarded of GOD so is woorthy to bee admired of men Hee doth not stand casting of scruples Who am I to do this The sonne of the high Priest My place is all for peace and mercie It is for mee to sacrifice and pray for the sin of the people not to sacrifice any of the people for their sin My duty calls mee to appease the anger of GOD what I may not to reuenge the sins of men to pray for their conuersion not to work the confusion of any sinner and who are these Is not the one a great Prince in Israel the other a Princesse of Midian Can the death of two so famous persons goe vnreuenged Or if it be safe and fit why doth my Vncle Moses rather shed his owne tears then their bloud I will mourne with the rest let them reuenge whom it concerneth But the zeale of God hath barred out all weake deliberations and hee holds it now both his duty and his glory to be an executioner of so shamelesse a payre of offenders God loues this heate of zeale in all the carriages of his seruants And if it transport vs too far hee pardoneth the errours of our feruencie rather then the indifferencies of luke warmnesse As these two were more beasts then any that euer he sacrificed so the shedding of their bloud was the acceptablest sacrifice that euer hee offied vnto GOD for both all Israel is freed from the plague all his posterity haue the priesthood entayled to them so long as the Iewes were a people Next to our prayers there is no better sacrifice then the bloud of malefactors not as it is theirs but as it is shed by authority Gouernors are faulty of those sinnes they punish not There can be no better sight in any State then to see a malefactor at the gallowes It is not enough for vs to stand gazing vpon the wickednesse of the times yea altho with teares vnlesse wee endeuour to redresse it especially publique persons carry not their Iauelin in their hand for nought Euery one is ready to aske Phineas for his commission and those that are willing to salue vp the act plead extraordinary instinct from God who no doubt would not haue accepted that which himselfe wrought not But what need I runne so farre for this warrant when I heare GOD say to Moses Hang vp all the Heads of Israel and Moses say to the vnder-Rulers Euery one slay his men that are ioyned to Baal-Peor Euery Israelite is now made a Magistrate for this execution and why not Phineas amongst the rest Dooth his Priesthood exempt him from the bloud of sinners How then doth Samuel heaw Agag in peeces Euen those may make a carcasse which may not touch it And if Leui got the Priesthood by shedding the blood of Idolaters why may it not stand with that Priesthood to spill the bloud of a fornicator and Idolater Ordinary iustice will beare out Phineas in this act It is not for euery man to challenge this office which this double proclamation allowed to Phineas All that priuate persons can doe is either to lift vppe their hands to heauen for redresse of sin or to lift vp their hands against the sin not against the person Who made thee a Iudge is a lawful question if it meet with a person vnwarranted Now the sinne is punished the plague ceaseth The reuenge of God sets out euer after the sinne but if the reuenge of men which commonly comes later can ouertake it GOD giues ouer the chase How oft hath the infliction of a lesse punishment auoyded a greater There are none so good friends to the State as courageous and impartiall ministers of iustice These are the reconcilers of God and the people more then the prayers of them that sit still and do nothing The death of Moses AFter many painfull and perilous enterprises now is Moses drawing to his rest Hee hath brought his Israelites from Egypt through the Sea and wildernesse within the sight of their promised Land now himselfe must take possession of that Land whereof Canaan was but a type When wee haue done that wee came for it is time for vs to be gone This earth is onely made for action not for fruition The seruices of Gods children should be ill rewarded if they must stay heere alwaies Let no man thinke much that those are fetcht away which are faithfull to GOD They should not change if it were not to their preferment It is our folly that we would haue good men liue for euer and account it an hard measure that they vvere Hee that lends them to the vvorld owes them a better turne then this earth can pay them It vvere iniurious to wish that goodnesse should hinder any man from glorie So is the death of Gods Saints precious that it is certaine Moses must go vp to mount Nebo and die The time the place and euery circumstance of his dissolution is determined That one dies in the field another in his bed another in the water one in a forraine nation another in his owne is fore-decreed in heauen And tho we heare it not vocally yet God hath call'd euerie man by his name and saith Die thou there One man seemes to die casually another by an inexpected violence both fall by a destiny and all is set downe to vs by an eternall decree Hee that brought vs into the world wil cary vs out according to his owne purposes Moses must ascend vp to the hil to die Hee receiued his charge for Israel vpon the hill of Sinai And now hee deliuers vppe his charge on the hill of Nebo His brother Aaron dyed on one hill hee on another As Christ was transfigur'd on an hill so was this excellent type of his Neither doubt I but that these hills were types to them of that heauen whither they were aspiring It is the goodnes of our God that hee will not haue his children die any where but where they may see the Land of Promise before them neither can they depart vvithout much comfort to haue seene it Contrarily a vvicked man that looks downe and sees hell before him how can he choose but finde more horror in the ende of death then in the way How familiarly doth Moses hear of his end It is no more betwixt God and Moses but Goe vp and die If hee had inuited him to a meale it could not haue beene in a more sociable compellation No otherwise then he said to his other Prophet Vp and eate It is neither harsh nor newes to Gods children to hear or think of their departure To them death hath lost his horror through acquaintance Those faces which at first sight seemed ill fauoured by oft viewing growe
out of dislike They haue so oft thought and resolued of the necessity of the issue of their dissolution that they cannot holde it either strange or vnwelcome Hee that hath hadde such entire conuersation vvith GOD cannot feare to goe to him Those that knowe him not or knowe that hee will not knowe them no maruell if they tremble This is no small fauour that God warnes Moses of his end He that hadde so oft made Moses of counsell what hee meant to doe with Israel would not now doe ought with himselfe without his knowledge Expectation of any maine euent is a great aduantage to a wise heart If the fiery chariot had fetcht away Elias vnlookt for we shold haue doubted of the fauor of his transportation It is a tokeÌ„ of iudgemeÌ„t to come as a theef in the night God forewarns one by sicknes another by age another by his secret instincts to prepare for their end If our hearts be not now in a readinesse we are worthy to be surprized But what is this I heare Displeasure mixed with loue that to so faithfull a seruant as Moses He must but see the Land of Promise he shall not tread vpon it because he once long agoe sinned in distrusting Death tho it were to him an entrance into glory yet shal be also a chastisement of his infidelity How many noble proofes had Moses giuen of his courage strength of faith How many gracious seruices had hee done to his Maister Yet for one act of distrust he must be gathered to his Fathers All our obediences cannot beare out one sin against God How vainely shall we hope to make amends to God for our former trespasses by our better behauior when Moses hath this one sin laid in his dish after so many and worthy testimonies of his fidelity When wee haue forgotten our sinnes yet GOD remembers them and altho not in anger yet he calls for our arerages Alas what shall become of them with whom God hath tenne thousand greater quarrels That amongst many millions of sinnes haue scattered some fewe acts of formal seruices If Moses must die â—he first death for one fault how â—hall they escape the second for â—inning alwayes Euen where God loues hee will not winke at sinne and if he do not punish yet he wil chastice How much lesse can it stand with that eternall iustice to let wilfull sinners escape iudgement It might haue beene iust vvith God to haue reserued the cause to himselfe and in a generality to haue tolde Moses that his sin must shorten his iourney but it is more of mercy then iustice that his children shall knowe why they smart That GOD may at once both iustifie himselfe and humble them for their particular offences Those to whom hee meanes vengeance haue not the sight of their sinnes till they be past repentance Complaine not that God vpbraides thee with thy old sins whosoeuer thou art but knowe it is an argument of loue whereas concealement is a fearful signe of a secret dislike froÌ„ God But what was that noted sinne vvhich deserues this late exprobration and shall carry so sharpe a chastisement Israel murmur'd for water God bids Moses take the rod in his hand and speake to the rock to giue water Moses in stead of speaking and striking the rock with his voyce strikes it with the rod Heere was his sinne An ouer-reaching of his commission A fearefulnes and distrust of the effect The rod hee knew was approued for miracles hee knew not how powerful his voice might be therfore he did not speak but strike and he stroke twise for failing And now after these many yeeres he is striken for it of God It is a dangerous thing in diuine matters to goe beyond our warrant Those sinnes which seeme triuiall to men are hainous in the account of God Any thing that sauors of infidelity displeases him more then some other crimes of morality Yet the mouing of the rod was but a diuerse thing from the moouing of the tongue it was not contrary He did not forbid the one but hee commanded the other This was but acrosse the streame not against it where shal they appeare whose whole courses are quite contrary to the commandements of God Vpon the act done God passed the sentence of restrayning Moses with the rest from the promised Land now he performes it Since that time Moses had many fauors from God All which could not reuerse this decreed castigation That euerlasting rule is grounded vpon the very essence of God I am Iehouah I change not Our purposes are as our selues fickle incertaine His are certain and immutable some things which he reueales he alters nothing that he hath decreed Besides the soule of Moses to the glory whereof God principally intended this change I finde him carefull of two things His Successor and his Body Moses moues for the one the other God doth vnasked Hee was so tender ouer the welfare of Israel in his life would not slaken his care in death Hee takes no thought for himself for he knew how gainfull an exchange he must make All his care is for his charge Some enuious natures desire to be missed when they must goe and wish that the weaknes or want of a successour may be the foyle of their memory honor Moses is in a contrary disposition It sufficeth him not to finde contentment in his owne happinesse vnlesse he may haue an assurance that Israel shall prosper after him Carnall mindes are all for themselues and make vse of gouernment only for their owne aduantages But good hearts look euer to the future good of the Church aboue their own against their own Moses did well to show his good affection to his people but in his silence God wold haue prouided for his owne Hee that call'd him from the sheep of Iethro will not want a gouernour for his chosen to succeed him God hath fitted him whom he will choose Who can be more meet then he whose name whose experience whose graces might supply yea reuiue Moses to the people He that searched the Land before was fittest to guide Israel into it Hee that vvas indued vvith the spirite of GOD was the fittest deputie for GOD He that abode still in the Tabernacle of Ohel-moed as Gods attendant was fittest to be sent forth from him as his lieutenant But oh the vnsearchable counsell of the Almighty Aged Caleb and all the Princes of Israel are past ouer and Ioshua the seruant of Moses is chosen to succeed his maister The eye of God is not blinded either with gifts or with blood or with beauty or with strength but as in his eternall elections so in his temporary hee will haue mercie on vvhom hee will And well doth Ioshua succeed Moses The very acts of God of olde were allegories where the Law ends there the Sauiour begins we may see the Land of Pâ—omise in the Law Onely Iesus the mediatour of the new Testament can bring
countenance when vpon his houshold to tremble and fear when vpon his person to be vtterly confounded in himselfe Foolish men thinke to run away with their priuie sinnes and say Tush no eye shall see me but wheÌ„ they think themselues safest God pulls them out with shame The man that hath escaped iustice and now is lying downe in death vvould thinke My shame shall neuer be disclosed but before men and Angels shall hee bee brought on the scaffold and finde confusion as sure as late What needed any other euidence when GOD had accused Achan Yet Ioshua will haue the sinne out of his mouth in whose hart it was hatched My sonne I beseech thee giue glory to GOD. Whom God had conuinced as a malefactor Ioshua beseeches as a son Some hote spirit would haue said Thou wretched traytor how hast thou pilfred from thy GOD and shedde the bloud of so many Israelites and caused the host of Israel to show their backs with dishonour to the heathens now shall wee fetch this sin out of thee with tortures and plague thee with a condigne death But like the disciple of him whose seruant he was he meekly intreates that which hee might haue extorted by violence My son I beseech thee Sweetnes of compellation is a great help towards the good entertainment of an admonition roughnes and rigor many times hardens those harts which meeknesse would haue melted to repentance whether wee sue oâ— conuince or reproue little good is gotten by bitternesse Detestation of the sinne may well stand with fauour to the person And these two not distinguished cause great wrong either in our charity or iustice for either wee vncharitably hate the creature of GOD or vniustly affect the euil of men Subiects are as they are called sonnes to the Magistrate All Israel was not onely of the family but as of the loynes of Ioshua such must be the corrections such the prouisions of Gouernours as for their children as againe the obedience and loue of subiects must be filiall GOD had glorified himselfe sufficiently in finding out the wickednesse of Achan neither need he honor from men much lesse from sinners They can dishonor him by their iniquities but what recompence can they giue him for their wrongs yet Ioshua sayes My sonne giue glory to God Israel should now see that the tongue of Achan did iustifie God in his lot The confession of our sinnes doth no lesse honour God then his glory is blemished by their commission Who would not be glad to redeem the honor of his Redeemer with his owne shame The lot of God and the milde words of Ioshua won Achan to accuse himself ingenuously impartially a storm perhaps would not haue done that which a sunshine hath done If Achan had come in vncalled and before any question made out of an honest remorse had brought in this sacrilegious booty cast himselfe and it at the foot of Ioshua doubtless Israel had prospered his sin had caried away pardon now he hath gotten thus much thanke that he is not a desperat sinner GOD will once wring froÌ„ the conscience of wicked men their owne inditements They haue not more carefullie hid their sin then they shall one day freely proclaime their owne shame Achans confession tho it were â—ate yet was it free and full For hee doth not onely acknowledge the act but the ground 〈◊〉 his sin I saw and coueted and tooâ—â— The eye betrayed the heart anâ— that the hand and now all conspire in the offence If we list nâ—â— to flatter our selues this hath bâ— the order of our crimes Euill 〈◊〉 vniforme and beginning at thâ— senses takes the inmost fort 〈◊〉 the soule and then armes oâ— owne outward forces against vâ— This shall once be the lasciuioâ— mans song I saw and coueted tooke This the thieues this thâ— idolaters this the gluttons anâ— drunkards All these receiue the death by their eye But oh foâ—â—lish Achan with what eyes did thou look vpon that spoile whiâ—â— thy fellowes saw and contemned Why couldest thou not before well as now see shame hid vnder â—hat gay Babylonish garment and â—n heape of stones couered with â—hose shekels of siluer The ouerâ—rizing ouer-desiring of these â—arthly things caries vs into all mischiefe and hides vs from the â—â—ght of Gods iudgements whosoeuer admires the glory of meâ—alls or of gay clothes or honor â—annot be innocent Well might Ioshua haue proâ—eeded to the execution of him whom GOD and his own mouth â—ccused but as one that thought â—o euidence could be too strong 〈◊〉 a case that was capitall hee â—ends to see whether there was â—s much truth in the confession as â—ere was falshood in the stealth Magistrates and Iudges must pase slowly sure in the punishment of offenders Presumptions are not ground enough for the sentence of death no not in some cases the confessions of the guiltie It is no warrant for the Law to wrong a man that hee hath before wronged himselfe There is lesse ill in sparing an offender then in punishing the innocent Who wold not haue expected since the confession of Achan was ingenuous and his pillage still found entyre that his life should haue beene pardoned But heere was Confesse and dye He had been too long sick of this disease to bee recouered Had his confession beene speedy and free it had saued him How dangerous it is to suffer sin to lye fretting into the soule vvhich if it vvere washt off betimes with our repentance could not kill vs. In mortall offences the course of humane iustice is not stayd by our penitence It is wel for our soules that we haue repented but the lawes of men take not notice of our sorrow I knowe not whether the death or the teares of a malefactor be a better sight The censures of the Church are wip't off with vveeping not the penalties of lawes Neither is Achan alone cald foorth to death but all his familie all his substance The actor alone doth not smart with sacriledge all that concerns him is enwrapped in the iudgement Those that defile their hands with holy goods are enemies to their owne flesh blood Gods first reuenges are so much the more fearefull because they must be exemplary The Gibeonites THe newes of Israels victory had flowne ouer all the mountains and vallyes of Canaan yet those heathenish Kings and people are mustered together against them They might haue seene themselues in Iericho and Ai and haue wel perceiued it was not an arme of flesh that they must resist yet they gather their forces and say Tush wee shall speed better It is madnesse in a man not to be warned but to runne vpon the poynt of those iudgements wherewith hee sees others miscary and not to belieue till he cannot recouer Our assent is purchased too late when we haue ouer-stayd preuention trust to that experience which we cannot liue to redeeme Only the Hiuites are wiser then their fellowes will rather yield