Hath the Lord indeed only spoken by Moses hath he not spoken also by us Here was Envy and Emulation at the Government intrusted by God in the Hands of Moses Disobedience would undoubtedly have followed the Leprosi of Original Sin dâ—d cleave so fast to their Loyns that altho' they were Saints upon Earth yet they were nâ—t quite free from stumbling upon the Threshould oâ— Original Corruption true Children oâ— Disobediâ—nt Parents Adam and Eve our first Parents would set up for themselves and be as Gods Miriam and Aaron will Rule and Govern as well as Moses Hath the Lord indeed say they spoken onely by Moses Hath he not spoken also by us No wonder Moses was not angry with his Brother and Sister for aspiring to share with him in a piece of Earthly Government when he knew that his own first Parents aspired to an Heavenly Throne by endeavouring to be as Gods Nay Aaron in another sinful Act of his outdid his Progenitors for they presumed to be but as Gods to know Good and Evil but Aaron presumed to make a God nay to make many Gods Make us Gods saith sinful Israel that may go before us Bring your Ear rings saith Aaron and I 'le make you some Original Sin like a Snow ball gathers by rolling from place to place The same Serpent that perswaded our first Parents to conceit themselves Gods hath prevailed with Aaron not to conceit himself to be one but take upon him the Employment of making a God and so to be greater than God For as he that makes a King is said to be greater then a King so he that makes a God may conceit himself greater than the God he hath made Oâ— the horrible Contagion and Infection of Original Sin which like a foul Leprosie hath spread it self into the whole Masse of Mankind And as thus the Leprosie of Original Sin had spread it self into the several Faculties of Miriams and Aarons Soul so the Lord Plagâ—ed Miriam with a soul Leprosie in several parts of her Body a Punishment suitable to her Sin If it should here be askt why Aaron guilty of the same Sin with his Sister Miriam was not Plagued with the same Punishment of Leprosie as she was according to the rule of Justice the same Sin the same Punishment I answer it is true the Lord might in Justice have smitten Aaron with the Plague of Leprosie as he did Miriam but he did not he spared Aaron and Punished Miriam and that for several good and weighty Reasons as I humbly conceive 1. That the Church and all the World may know that he hath two Hands as well as two Eyes the one to lay on the stroak of Justice and the other to extend Grace and Mercy that he is Mercy as well as Justice and Judgment as well as Mercy 2. That the Sons of Men may know that God is a free Agent and may do with his own what he pleaseth that he can have Mercy upon whom he will have Mercy and Punish others for the Iniquity of their Transgressions and leave them to the hardness of their own Hearts 3. The Sin was greater in Miriam then in Aaron Aaron might have a seeming colour for what he said having formerly been Moses's Speaker for God to Pharaoh but for Miriam to assume the Privilege of a Speaker was neither proper to her Sex nor ever an Office in the Church for a Woman to Execute I permit not a Woman saith St. Paul to Speak in the Church 4. Aarons Office might excuse him and speak something for him being by a special Decree and Ordinance of God Anointed with Holy Oyl High Priest to offer Sacrifice for the Sins of all Israel and no Leper was to Officiate in that calling nor stand at Gods Altar so that the Purity of his Office freed him from that foul and lothsom Punishment of the Plague of Leprosie God's Altar was nor a fit place for a Deformed Person to stand at to offer Sacrifices therefore for the Glory of his Name and the Holiness of his Altar he exempted the Sacrificer from the Punishment of so loathsom a Disease altho ' he went not Scot-free for for this and other failings he was debarr'd both of the sight and enterance into the Land of Canaan the Land of Promise 5. It might probable be that Aaron was not Principal but Accessary to this Sin for Miriam is first named in the Text Numb 12. And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Aethiopian Woman whom he had Married If she had not been Principal in the Sin it s very likely she had not been named first in the Inditement And it is very likely that the Quarrel began betwixt the two Sisters In-law Ziporah and Miriam about what I know not but be it what it will Miriam hath engaged her Brother Aaron in the Quarrel and both of them knew that Moses was so Just and so good a Man that if the matter on Ziporah's part were not a Breach of God's Sacred Law he was bound by the Sacred Tye of Marriage to Vindicate her against them both they resolve therefore to bring him in for a Party and make him Faulty for fuch a Choice and so begin a Quarrel with him who it may be knew nothing of their Discontents Dr. Hall late Bishop of Norwich that English Seneca that Painful Pious Prelate in his Contemplations on the Holy Story hath an excellent Passage upon this Place Lib. 6 Pag. 196. in Oct. Miriam and Aaron are in Mutiny against Moses Who is so Holy that Sins not What Sin is so unnatural that the best can avoid without God's preventing Grace Who can but grieve to see Aaron at the end of so many Sins Of late I saw him Carving the Molten Image and Consecrating an Altar to a False God now I see him seconding an uukind Mutiny against his Brother both find him Accessary neither Principal in the first Sin of Mankind the Servent who was Principal in it found no Mercy nor Grace Whereas Adam and his Wife who were but Accessarieâ— had upon their Repentance the offer of both and therefore 6. A fixth Râ—son â—hy Aaron escaped the Punishment inflicte upon Miriam was because oâ— his speedy Repentance for no sooner did he perceive the Leprosie upon Miriams Face he knew there was but one way to escape that or a greater punishment viz. a Conâ—ssion 〈◊〉 in and a speedy Repentance And therefore having offended his Brother Moses he first asketh him Forgiveness saying Alas my Lord lay not this Sin upon us wherein we have done Foolishly and wherein we have Sinned The universal Ant dote against all Gods Judgments is Unfeignâ—d and speedy Repentance Had Miriam Repented at the Word of the Lord to her as Aaron did at the Hand of the Lord upon hâ—r 't is very likly that she had eâ—caped the Leprosie as well as he for that God who is rich in Mercy to one is rich in Mercy to all that Unfeignedly call
to Posterity that no Man hereafter shall dare to think other wise of thy Majesty then becometh him and my Ministry shall be approved to proceed from thy Direction But if those Crimes be truly urged which are Inforced against me then let the Curses Return and light on my own Head and let those whom I have Cursed live in safety and thus exacting a Punishment from those that disturb thy People keep the rest of the Multitude in Peace Concord and Observation of thy Commandments secure and void of that Punishment which is due unto wicked Men for that it is contrary to thy Justice that the Innocent Multitude of the Israelites should answer their misdeeds and suffer their Punishments Whilest he spake these Words and intermixed them with Tears the Earth instantly trembled and shaking began to remove after such a manner as when by the Violence of the Wind a great Billow of the Sea floteth and Waltereth hereat were all the People amazed but after that a horrible and shattering noise was made about their Tents and the Earth opened and swallowed them up both them and all that which they esteemed dear which was after a manner so exterminated as nothing remained of theirs to be beheld where upon in a Moment the Earth closed again and the vast gaping was fast shut so as there appeared not any sight of that which had happened Thus perished they all leaving behind them an example of Gods Power and Judgments And this Accident was the more miserable in that there was not any one of their Kinsfolk and Allies that had Compassion on them so that all the People whatsoever forgetting these things that were past did allow Gods Justice with Joyful Acclamations esteeming them unworthy to be bemoaned but to be beheld as the Plague and Perverters of the People After that Dathan with his Family was extinguished Moses Assembled all those that contended for the Priest-Hood committing again the Election of the Priest-Hood unto God that the Estate thereof should be Confirmed to him whose Sacrifice should be most acceptable in God's sight for which cause the Two Hundred and Fifty Men Assembled themselves who were both Honoured for the Vertue of their Ancesters and for their own Abilities far greater than theirs with those also stood Aaron and Chore and all of them Offered with their Censers before the Tabernacle with Perfumes such as they brought with them when so great a Fire shone as neither the like was ever kindled by Mans Hand nor usually breaketh from the Bowels of the burning Earth nor was ever quickned in the Woods in the Summer-time by a Southern Breeze But such a one as seemed to be kind in Heaven most brightsom and flaming By force and Power whereof those Two Hundred and Fifty Men together with Chore were so Consumed that there scarce appeared any Relicks of their Carcases only Aaron remained untouched to the end it might appear that this Fire came from Heaven These things thus brought to pass Moses intending to leave a perpetual Memory to Posterity of that Punishment to the end they should not be igorant of it Commanded Eleazer the Son of Aaron to Consecrate their Censers affixed to the Brazen Altar that by Reason of this Monument all Men might be terrified who think that the Divine Power can be Circumvented by Humane Policy THE BANNER OF Corah Dathan and Abiram Display'd and their SIN Discover'd In several SERMONS Preach'd at BRISTOLL Numbers xvi xxiii xxiv xxv xxvi And the Lord Spake unto Moses saying Speak unto the Congregation of Israel saying Get you up from about the Tabernacle of Corah Dathan and Abiram And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram and the Elders of Israel followed him And he spake unto the Congregation saying Depart I pray you from the Tents of â—hese wicked Men and touch nothing of theirs least ye be Consumed in all their Sins ISrael was once Gods choicest Jewel snatch'd forth of the Fire of sore Affliction A People wonderfully Redeemed with a Mighty Hand and Stretched out Arm of Heavenly Power from cruel and bitter Bondage A People thorowly Taught and Instructed in the Sacred Oracles of God and purest of his ways A People fed with Bread from Heaven for Man did eat Angels Food A People that had God and Christ for their Guide and Conduct and Angels and the best of Men for their Guards and Governors A People that wanted no Mercy nor Blessing that either Heaven or Earth could aford And yet from amongst this People did such a Root of Bitterness spring up and such a deadly Sin a deadly Sin appear'd which did more highly provoke the Lord to Anger and more hotly kindle the Fire of his Jealousie and wrathfull Indignation than either the Sin of Sodom or the Wickedness of Egypt For when the Lord sent his Angels to destroy Sâ—â—om for their Sins of Pride and fulness of Bread Idleness and hard Heartedness to the Poor he meekly heard Abrahams Petition for them and patiently suffered him to Pray and Interceed for them as long a sin reason he could desire O Let not the Lord be Angery saith he and I will speak but this once Peradventure there shall be Ten that is Ten Righteous Persons found there and the Lord said I will not destâ—oy it for Ten sake Gen. 18. 32. And before he Executed his Judgments upon Egypt for their unjust Dealings and exercise of Cruelty upon this very self same People in my Text he treated with Pharaoh from day to day by Moses and Aaron with Signs and Wonders to try if he would soften his hard Heart towards them But for the Sin of these his lately and for a long time beloved People he was so deeply incensed against them that he hastily and suddenly commanded Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from them that he might Consume them in a Moment ver 21. The first thing then before I come to the Words of my Text must be to enquire what their Sin was that so we may the more readily and easily understand the Doctrine we are to learn from thence Their Sin and Wickedness under the cloak and colour of Holiness is drawn up in a brief Remonstrance in ver 3 in these Words They gathered themselves togather against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are Holy every one of them and the Lord is amongst them wherefore then lift ye up your selues above the Congregation of the Lord. In which bold Remonstrance of theirs there are four Articles which they xehibited in foro in open Court two directly against Moses and Aaron one pretendedly for God and the other point blank for themselves 1. In the First they draw up a charge against Moses and Aaron for exceeding the Bounds of their Commission Ye take too much upon you ye do more than you can justifie more than ye have Warrant from God to do This Lordliness of yours is not
Jure Divino we know our Duty to God without your Lordly teaching of us Hence it was that Moses told them ver 28. Hereby shall ye know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these Works for I have not done them of my own Mind 2. The second Article contains a Plea for their own Holiness to Justifie the Innocency of their Enterprize and to let all Israel know that their Proceedings were from Religious Principles that Religion is the Center of all that they go about to compass seeing all the Congregation are Holy they will not allow one prophane Person to be amongst them If we were a wicked and prophane People ye might have some colour 3. In the third Article they take God to witness thâ—t â—heir Intents were Just and Honest that they thought nor meant any Harm nor Evil to any one and avouch God to be the Primum Mobile of their Intents and Purposes as if they had said Be it known unto you Moses and Aaron and let all Israel take notice that what we do proceeds not from our selves we are moved of God to do it and that it is a Revelation of the Mind and Will of God the Lord is amongst us 4. The fourth Article contains a seemingly Rational Argument for the Confirmation of the former three Wherefore then mark that word Wherefore then lift ye up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord Are not we the Congregation and People of the Lord Are not we the only holy People of an holy God Have not we the presence of the Almighty God amongst us What Reason have you then to lift up your selves above us Can ye teach us better than the Lord who is in us for so one Latin Translation reads the Text Omnis multitudo Sunctorum est et in ipsis est Dominus the People are all Holy and the Lord is in them Why do ye then go about to prescribe us a way or tye us up to a Form of Worshiping God This was the substance of their Charge against their faithful Rulers Their Prolocutors were Corah a self-wil'd Levite and Dathan and Abiram two unstable Reubenites accompany'd with the Aid and Assistance of 250 Chieftains the boldest and and most confident that they could pick or chuse in the Warlike Camp of Israel Now who could presently think or immagin that under these Words we are all Holy and the Lord is amongst us there should lie so great a Sin as to provoke a Gracious and Merciful God to destroy miraculously those very People whom not many Years before he had miraculously deliver'd from Opression and Slavery Who would have thought that this outside clean Cup and Platter had been inwardly filled with Ravening and Wickedness That those white Painted Sepulchres had been full of dead Mens Bones and Rottenness Who would have imagined that these Mens Principles would have digged so many Graves for the Israelites Carcases as afterwards they did That such Confusions and Disorders would have followed the Heels of these Men professing extraordinary Holyness and Righteousness Our work then at this time will be to get the true and real Knowledge of these Mens Sin that knowing it we may the more resolvedly derest and abhor it and thence shun and avoid them And this way we must go to work even to enquire of the Oracles of God what they were in a three-fold respect 1. What they were in their Generation and Tribe 2. In their Qualifications or Parts 3. In their Estimation or Credit and that 1. With God 2. With the People 1. For their Generation or Tribe we read that they were of the two Tribes of Reuben and Levi as the first ver of the chap. plainly shews in these words Now Corah the Son of Izhar the Son of Kohah the Son of Levi and Dathan and Abiram the Sons of Eliab and On the Son of Peleth Sons of Reuben took Men. Of which two Tribes these two things are Recorded that they were Unstable and Self-will'd and by no worse a Man than their own Father And this upon his Death-bed too two infamous Blots in both their Escutcheons the Records are written in Gen. 49. the Blot upon Reubens Escutcheon at ver 3. Reuben thou art my First-born my Might and the beginning of my Strength the excellency of Dignity and the excellency of Power Unstable as Water a foul Blot in a fair Escutcheon The Blot in Levi's Escutcheon at ver 5 6. Simeon and Levi are Brethren Instruments of Cruelty are in their Habitations O my Soul come not thou into their Secret unto their Assembly mine Honor be not thou united For in their Anger they Slew a Man and in their Self-will they digged down a Wall In their Self-will there is the Blot in Levi's Escutcheon Now if we joyn the Blots in both their Escutcheons together and compare them with these Mens Words and Actions in my Text we may safely conclude the truth of that Proverb Naturae sequitur Semina quisque suae And take this for a Maxim in Divinity That Instability of Heart to walk with God in his antient ways and Self-will'dness of Spirit to prefer a private Error in Judgment before the publick Peace and welfare of the Church Is the grand Anvil upon which the Devil hath forged all his Machination of Heresy and Scisme to the Continual disturbance of the Church in all Ages of the World 2. In the next place we will consider them in their Qualifications and Endowments and this to 1. Negatively 2. Possitively 1. Negatively they were not the Ignorant sort altho Thousands of those were seduced by their Leaders nor yet of the lowest basest and meanest among them altho Thousands of these were ready to Aid and Assist them in their Enterprize nor were they openly Prophane or Debauch'd Persons altho' such had there been any such in Israel would easily have become Sticklers to these Mens Principles 2. But Possitively for their Qualifications they were Men of excellent Gifts and Parts for there were many Levites amongst them and many of good Rank and Quality Reubenites of the Tribe of Jacobs First-born and without all Peradventure Stout Men of their Hands too if need required And this is clear from what is Recorded in ver 2. And they i.e. Corah and his Confederates rose up before Moses with certain of the Children of Israel Two Hundred and Fifty Princes of the Assembly famous in the Congregation Men of Renown The Fame of these Men spread far and near throughout all Israel sparkling in the Firmament of the Church like blazing Stars talkt of in every Tent especially of these Two Tribes Thus did their Renown ring in the Ears of unsteadfast and backsliding Israel Famous and Renowned they were for what Not for any open or vissible Sin or Wickedness for the Iniquity of these Men was a Misterious Riddle to many honest Hearted Israelites Latet anguis in Herba The green Herbs of their admirable Knowledge and seeming Holiness did so
flourish and spread it self in the sight of all the Redeemed Tribes of Israel that they could not see nor perceive the Serpent at the Root Israel was Gods chosen People above all Nations upon the face of the Earth and these Men the choisest of all Israel Psal 78. 31. Having now considered them in their Generations and Qualifications it remains that we consider them in their Estimation in what Esteem they were both with God and the People And 1. That they were once in high Esteem with God Moses himself acknowledgeth it in ver 8 9. And Moses said unto Corah Hear I pray you ye Sons of Levi Seemeth it a small thing to you that the God of Israel hath separated you from all Israel to bring you near to himself to do the Service of the Tabernacle and to stand before the Congregation to Minister unto them And that they werein great Credit and Esteem with the People we have their own words for it in ver 41. But on the Morrow all the Congregation of Israel Murmured against Moses and against Aaron Saying ye have Killed the People of the Lord. How strong were the delusions of these Men When notwithstanding the visible and unheard of Judgments which the Lord Plagued them with In causing the Earth to open her Mouth and swallow up some of them and Fire from Heaven to consume the rest Yet on the Morrow whilest these things were fresh in their sight and memory they could tell Moses and Aaroâ— with murmuring Words that they were guilty of Murder in the the Death of these Men Ye have Killed the People of the Lord. Ye have not only lifted up you selves and made your selves Lords over Gods Heritage but Treacherously and Cruely Murdered the Saints and People of God Thus did they by way of Recrimination charge the Meekest and Faithfullest Man upon the face of the Earth with the Guilt of the greatest Wickedness that could possibly be Committed And doubtless had they had an Armed Power answerable to their Envious and Arrogant Hearts they would have Erected a Sanedrim of their own and Arraigned him as Guilty of the Death of all the Israelites that dyed for their Wickedness in the Wilderness since the Day that they came up out of the Land of Egypt till then Just so the worst of Hellish Villanes except Judas and Julian the Apostates Araigned the best of Kings Jesus Christ excepted King Charles the First I mean as Guilty of all that Blood that had been shed in the three Kingdoms of England Ireland and Scotland in the time of those unnatural and Bloody Wars continued for so many dreadful Years of that Pious Prince's Raign And here I could willingly make a Digression from my matter in hand by saying That I could wish that my Head were Waters and mine Eyes Fountains of Tears that I might Weep Day and Night not only for the Sins of mine own unstable Heart but for the ensuing Miseries which without speedy and unfeigned Repentance will certainly fall upon the Church of God in these Kingdoms the Lord hath shak'd his Rod at us for several Years past nor hath he yet laid it aside for the noise of it is still in our Ears and we seem to take little or no notice of it as if we did either stop our Ears at it and so refuse to hear it or by a careless slighting of it make a puff at it or were wholly void of Sence and Reason not to understand the meaning of it like those whom the Prophet Isaiah exclaim'd against chap. 1. ver 3. The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but Israel doth not know my People doth not consider I must confess it is very sad to think that when God condescends to speak to poor Mortal Creatures in so many different ways as he hath done to the People of these Kingdoms and so few of us understand his meaning in any of them That we should be so destitute of Evangelical Wisdom that we should neither Hear nor See nor Tast nor Feel God in the various Dispensations of his Providences but continue in a senceless stupid dull frame of Spirit as if we resolved to walk contrary to his Providences be they what they will But least a larger Digression should divert your Thoughts from the Subject I am discoursing of I will immediately return to them where I left them and shew you more of their Sin and Wickedness for so strangly and so strongly were these Israelites ensnared and bound with the Cords and Chains of this spiritual Delusion and so cheated by the seeming Holyness of these eminent and famous Men that they adventur'd to Canonize them for Saints after they were dead altho' they died Impenitent Rebels And a probable Reason why they had such an esteem for them after they were dead was either because the Two Hundred and Fifty Men Confederates with Corah Justified their doings to the Face of Moses in the Tabernacle of the Lord and in the presence of God and died with Censors in their Hands and Incense burning thereon Or else it was because they intended to play over again the same Game that their Brethren had lost and so prove a second Brood of Religious Rebels That this is more then probable the words in ver 42. do plainly demonstrate for do but mark the Words And it came to pass when the Congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaroâ— that they looked toward the Tabereacle of the Congregation and behold the Cloud covered it and the Glory of the Lord appeared Hence it is very evident that these Chips of the old Block were resolved to revive the good old Cause of their deceased Friends and had not the Lord again Graciously preserved his Church this last Seditious Commotion might have been worie than the former For Corah and his Company did but charge Moses and Aaron with the Sin of self-promotion But these Off-spring of theirs charge them with the shedding of Innocent Blood even the Blood of the People of the Lord and so might pretend that God had put into their Hand the Sword of Vengeance for Innocent Blood These things being well weighed and considered without doubt this was the Root and Rise of their Sin The high conceit which they had of their own Knowledge and Holyness together with the Applause and Estimation which they had with the People had so lifted them up with Pride that they thought themselves so full of Knowledge and so Holy and in both so perfect that their Consciences would not suffer them to live any longer in obedience to a written Law that is to such a Law or to such Rules and Orders as should be delivered to them by any other hand then their own And this is clear if we consider the time of their publick discovering of it and we shall find that it was immediately upon Moses's pressing them to a strickt Observation of an harmless Ceremony for Decency and Order to
Heresie and Scisme and so undiscernibly maâ—age their Crafty Devices that the very elect choise and eminent Christians will hardly escape from being entangled with such Deceits Now then seeing that these things are certainly true it cannot but be dangerous and unsafe for the best of Christians to venture themselves into any such Congregations as have made a causeless Separation from such a Church where the the Word of God is truely taught Publick Prayer in a Form of sound Word suitable to every State and Condition of Men answerable to all their wants both for Soul and Body and all put up to God in the Name of his only Son Jesus Christ And all this Confirm'd and Establish'd by the Successive Royal Laws and Sacred Statutes Acts and Ordinances of the most Christian Kings Princes and Parliaments that ever were since the Reformation as the Church of England is in Statu quo Our Blessed Saviour hath assnred us by the words of his Sacred Lips That many will come in his Name and deceive not a few but many And the Apostle St. John saith That there are many Antichrists and exhorts them not to believe every Spirit because many false Prophets were gone forth into the World Seeing then that the number of Deceivers are many and the Deceived a Thousand times more I hold it the greatest Wisdom that can be in a Christian to take heed how he adventures into every Congregation of People least he become one of those many that Christ fiath foretold will certainly be deceived for want of this special Gift of the Holy-Ghost to discern Spirits Reason 2. A second Reason is because such Mens Principles will leave a black Brand of detestable hatred upon their very Names amongst the Generations of the People of God that shall Survive them For tho' they may prosper for a time and take their swinge for a time and run their Wildgoose chase for a time and tho' they take liberty to kindle these Fires and compas themselves about with such Sparks and tho' they walk in the Light of these Fires and Sparks of their own kindling yet this shall they have at the hand of the Lord they shall lie down in Sorrow and leave a Curse upon their Names amongst the Surviving Genâ—rations And this was verified on these very Men in my Text for when the Geneologies of the Surviving Tribes were Numbred and Recorded there lieth a Bloâ— of Disgrace upon their Names so that in plain Terms their Names stunck after they were dead The Record is to be seen in Chap. 26. of the Book of Numbers ver 7 8 9. the Words of the Record are these These are the Families of the Reubenites and they that were Numbred of them were Forty and three Thousand and seven Hundred and Thirty And the Sons of Pallu Eliab And the Sons of Eliab Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram This is that Dathan and Abiram which were Famous in the Congregaâ—tion who strove against Moses and against Aaron in that Company of Corah when they strove against the Lord. And the Earth opened her Mouth and swallowed them up together with Corah when that Company Died what time the Fire Devoured two Hundred and Fifty Men and they became a Sign Nor did their Names stink only upon Record but in the Memories and Thoughts of the Surviveing honest Hearted Israelites as appeareth by the Words of the Plea of the Daughters of Zelophehad made in open Court for Inheritance of their Fathers which Plea was also Recorded aud continueth to this Day Num. 27. ver 1 2. Ver. 1. Then came the Daughters of Zelophehad the Son of Hepher the Son of Gilead the Son of Machir the Son of Manasses the Son of Joseph And these are the Names of his Danghters Mahlah Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah And they stood before Moses and Eliazar the Priest for Aaron was then Dead and before the Princes and all the Congregation by the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation saying Our Father Died in the Wilderness and he was not in the Company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the Company of Corah but died in his own Sin and had no Sons 4 Why then should the Name of our Father be done away from amongst his Family because he hath no Son give unto us therefore a Possession amongst the Brethren of our Fathers 5. And Moses brought their Cause before the Lord and the Lord spake unto Moses saying 6. The Daughters of Zelophehad speak right thou shalt surely give them a Possession of an Inheritance amongst their Fathers Brethreu and thou shalt cause the Inheritance of their Father to pass unto them By the Contents of which Record it is evident that the Remembrance of these Mens Doings was Odious to Posterity more Instances we have as in Simeon and Levi Simon Magus Thudas Judas of Gallilee Nicolitans c. Reason 3. Is because the Breath of such Mens Doctrine is infectious to a sound Judgment the Sons of Men are as really snbject to Spiritual Infection as the Body is to that which is Carnal the Body is not more liable to the Infection of the Plague of Pestilence than the Judgments of the Sons and Daughters of Men are to the Plague of Spiritual Delusions And this my Assertion I ground upon Reason drawn from the Testimonies of Sacred Writ besides Woful and Daily Experience There are three Diseases amongst Men notably Infectious above others viz the Leprosie the Pestilence and the Cancer all whieh three Diseases of the Body do paralell the three grand Infectious Diseases of the Soul viz. Disobedience Heresie and Scisme The first whereof is Epidemical and hath Infected all Mankind with the Leprosie of Original Sin The second is more Secret and indiscernable falling upon sound Constitutions when they think least on 't even whilest they are Talking and Drinking with their Friend and concerning this Disease it is observable that the Party Infected hath a desire to Infect others tho' never so near and dear to them the like desire have all Scismaticks The third Infectious Disease viz. the Cancer hath its Residence for the most part in the Mouth or Tongue that they who drink of the same Cup with them are in danger of Infection For Confirmation of this Assertion I shall give you a Precedent and Precept from the Sacred Scriptures The Precedent is double and of Lamentable Memory because the Sin appeared in the Punishment of those that Committed it The Precept is alone yet worthy of a serious notice because it was Transmitted by an Epistle from an Universal Apostle to a Bishop of a particular Charge 2 Tim. 16. 17. 18. The first Precedent or Example is Recorded in Numb 12. where two prime Servants of God are found Tardy in their Obedience to him which shewed it felf in the Malignant Humour of Miriam and Aarons Murmuring against Moses who tho' their own Brother yet under God their Supream Governour nevertheless they could say
Rational Proof of the danger hazard and Jeapardy which unstable Souls incur by gladding from their Mothers House to enquire after strange Novelties and to exchange a good old Way for a deceitfull By-path and I have insisted the longer upon it out of Duty to my Mother the Church of England and the Testimony of a good Conscience towards my Brethren whose Feet yet stand fast in the High-way of Salvation to keep them steady and fast therein and out of Love aâ—d Pity to my Brethren and Friends that have made an unkind Separation from us if possible to recover them back again that they may be as formerly they have been Ornaments of Grace to our Assemblies and let them think of me what they 〈◊〉 I still retain an unfeigned Love and Respect for their Immortal and Pretious Souls â— Reason 4. Such Mens Principles do lead Souls into a state of Rebellion not only against Man but even against God himâ—elf aâ—d under pretence of taking faster hold oâ— Religion and getting nearer unto God do throw themselves into the Pit of Error and shake hands with their Allegiaâ—ce to their Lawfull Governors as these pretended Saints did for which the Lord himself gives them the Title and Epithite of â—ebell â—7 Chap. 10 ver And the Lord sâ—id unto Moses Bring Aarons Rod again before tâ—e Testimony to be kept for a token against the Rebells These were once a People conformable to the Word and Will of God walking in all the Laws and Ordinances of the Lord and thâ—n God called them his People and own'd them for his Church Testified by the word of the Lord to Moses Eâ—od 3. 7 8 9. And the Lord said I have surely seen the Affliction of my People which are in Egypt and have heard their or by reason of their Task masters for I know their Sorrows And I am come down to dâ—liver them out of the Hands of the Egyâ—tians Now therefore behold the cry of the Children of Israel is come unto me and I have seen the Oprâ—ssion werewith the Egyptians Oppress them Come now therefore and I will send thee unto Phâ—raoh that thou mayest bring forth my Peopâ—e the Children of Israel out of Egypt Hâ—re ye see he owns them for his People and calls them Children of Israel the Seed of Jacob his chosen And afterwards commends them for acknowledging his Rule and Government over them by the Hand and Word of Moses when they spake thus to him at the Foot of Mount Sinai Goye near say they and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall Speake unto thee and we will â—ear it and do it And the Lord heard the Voice of your words saith Moses when â—e spake unto me and the Lord said unto me I have heard the Voice of the Words of the People which they have spoken â—nto thee they have well spoken Deut. 5. 27 28. Thrice besides this time had they made the like Protestation in Exo. 19. 2. They departed from Rephidim and were come to the Desart of Sinai and encamp'd before the Mount And Moses went up unto God and the Lord called unto him out of the Mountain saying Thus shalt thou say unto the House of Jacob and tell the Children of Israel Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagles Wings and brought you unto my self Now therefore if ye will Obey my Voice indeed and keep my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all People for all the Earth is mine And ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation These are the words which thou shall speak unto the Children of Israel And Moses came and called for the Elders of the People and laid before their Faces all these words which the Lord commanded him And all the People answered together and said All that the Lord hath spoken that will we do and Moses returned the Words of the People unto the Lord. And at another time Exod. 24. 3. Moses came and told the People all the words of the Lords and all the Judgments and all the People answered with one Voice and said All the Words which the Lord hath said will we do And again at ver 7. Moses took the Book of the Covenant and Read in the Audience of the People and they said All that the Lord hath said will we do and be Obedient Now who would ever have thought that these Men after such Solemn Vows Promises and Protestations made in the hearing of God Angels and Men would so soon after as they did utterly renounce and deny them and wipe their Mouths with a clean Handkerchief of pretended Holyness as if they had never promised any such thing at all To day they promise to obey him in all things and in a short time after in an assaulting manner tell him to his Face That he took too much upon him to lift up himself above them to exercise Authority in Commanding them or shewing them their Duty and this so unexpectedly to Moses that with astonishment and wonder he fell upon his Face and admires that such formerly so good Subjects should now turn Rebells For he only is a Rebel which was a good Subject and afterwards Revolts from his obedience O that I could say that â—hat subtil insiâ—uating Beast that old â—erpeâ—t which is called the Devil aâ—d Satan had not in our Daies put into practice and acted upon the Stage oâ— the World the like nay worse things by many Degrees if worse may be against a Faithfull Pious Prudent Prince to his Subjects as ever Moses was to the People undâ—r him all Circumstances considered I mean King Charles I. of Blessed Memory For who would have believed Or who would have thought that those English Patrio's Seir-named the Long Parliament Legally Elected to sit there for the Service of God their King and Country after they had at the beginning of their Session taken the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacie and within a while aâ—ter form'd and took a Solemn Protestation explaining the sence and meaning of them both and in such a form of dreadfull Words which I would not here incert did Inot sear from many Symptoms apâ—arent that there are yet some Men alive sick of the same Disease and are still sitting to hatch the Cockatrice Egg the Fruit whereof may if God in Mercy prevent it not prove a fiery flying Serpent The Protestaâ—ion generally ordâ—red to be taken Die Mercu. 5 May 1641. I A. B Do in the Presence of Almighty God Promise Vow and Protest to maintain and defâ—nd as far as Lawfully I may with my Life Power and Estate the true Reformed Protestant Religion expressâ—d in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations within this Realm co-trary to the same and according to the Duty of my Allegiance to His Majesties Royal Person Honor and Estate as
also the Power and Privileges of Parliament the Lawful Rights and Liberties of the Subject and eâ—ery Person that makes this Protestation in whatsoever he shall do in the Lawfull pursuance of the same And to my Power as far as Lawfully I may I will oppose and by all good ways and means endeavour to bring to Conaigne Punishment all such as shall either by Force Practice Councils Plots Conspiracies or otherwise do anythâ—ng to the contrary of any thing in this present Protestation contained And further that I shall in all Just and Honorable ways endeâ—vour to preseâ—ve the Union and Peace between the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland and neither for Fear Hope nor other Respect shall Relinquish this Promise Vow and Protestation Now what could be more said to Testifie and declare Loyalty and Allegiance then these Men did in this their Protestation and who ever performed less For in a short time after they violated every Branch of it and like mad Men tore it all to pieces so that in them was fulfilled the word of the Lord by the Prophet Hosea The Spiritual Man is mad Nay like worse than Bedlams who violate themselves no farther then their Garments and the Hair of their Heads but these Men stript not the Body only which are all the Kings Subjects the whole Common-wealth of their Garments of Justice Equity and Right Law and Property Reason and Religion but the Head of all its Hair that is the King of his Militia and proceeded yet further in their Madness as to tear their own Head the Head of their own King from their own Body the Body of the Common-wealth All which the Engine of Rebellion Compleated for so that Blessed Marâ—yr Stiles it and compares the creeping Insinuations of it to an Instrument with Screws which moves and Screws Men on 1 to question the Lawfull Commands of Superiors then 2 to dislike them 3 then to disobey them 4 then to resist them 5 after that to assault them 7 and at last to embrew their Hands in the Sacred Blood of their Prince Not much unlike to this Comparison of Rebellion to an Engine with Screws doth the Prophet Samuel compare Rebellion to Whitchcraft Now Whitchcraft is a deceitfull Cheat and hath these seven Devils Heads growing upon its Shoulders 1. To be that in appearance which in Substance it is not 2. To promise what it never performeth 3. To envy the happy Estate of others 4. To Bless and Curse with one Breath 5. To pretend that what it Acts is done by the Power of God and good Prayers 6. To please it self in doing Mischief 7. To be hardned with Impenitency Now what smart proficients these Men in my Text were in this Cursed Act their Life and Death plainly shew'd 1. They were Saints in their Words but in their Actions wicked Mâ—n 2. They promise that Obedience which they never performed 3. They envy the happiness of Moses and Aaron Psal 106. 16. They envyed Moses also in the Camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. 4. They call Moses their Lord to day and cry him down for an Usurpâ—r tomorrow Deliver their Sacrâ—fices into Aarâ—ns Hâ—nds today and wrest the Offiâ—e of a Sacrificer out of his Hands on the morrow Hâ—nce Moses charged thâ—m with this presumption ver 10 1. And seek ye the Priesthood also and for whâ—ch Cause both thouâ—and all thy Compaâ—y are gathered against the Lord. 5. That they pretendâ—d the Power of God amongst them it hath been already proved out oâ— their own Mouths ver 3. 6. That they did delight in Mischief their gathering the People together against the Rulers which God had placed oâ—er them was a clear Evidence 7. And that they dyed under the Charms of Spiritual Whitchcraft Impenitent Rebels the just Judgment of God did plainly shew Reaso 5. Such Mens Principles if hearkned to and followed will lead unstable Souls into a State of Reprobation And indeed there is little or no difference betwixt a Rebel and a Reprobate If ye call a Man a Rebel ye call him a Reprobate and if he be really the one he is certainly the other They are inseparable Companions for he only is a Reprobate that hath once known the Truth and in some measure profest it and at last withdraws his Affection from it and gives himself up to follow the Dictates of his own â—nstable Heart Here comes in Reprobation in its right place for he is not a Reprobate that dieth in the State of natural blindness and ignorance of God and his Ways but he that hath known both and revolts from them this Man is a right Reprobate Five times in the Sacred Scriptures is the word Reprobate mentioned and in every one of them the word bears the same Sence The Prophet Jeremiah is the first that mentions it Chap. 6. 30. he was a Prophet Ordained of God before he was born to be a Teacher to the Nations and Sanctified from his Mothers Womb to shew them the true and right way to eternal Happiness and therefore perfectly knew what Epithite to give to every one of them in their several Degrees and Stations and he hath given the unstable and Revolting Israelites the Epithite of Reprobate Chap. 6. 30. Reprobate Silver shall Men call them because the Lord hath rejected them The Latin Translation renders it thus Argentum reprobum vocantur illi quia Reprobat Jehova illos So that by the Latin Translation and our English Translation compared the Words Reprobate and Reject have one Signification And why did the Lord Reject and call them Reprobates Why verily the Prophet himself hath shew'd it unto us in such large Characters that he that runs may read it except he willfully shuts his Eyes and resolves not to see it it is set down in ver 16 17 18 19. Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old Paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your Souls but they said We will not walk therein Also I set Watchmen over you saying Hearken to the sound of the Trumpet but they said We will not hearken Therefore hear ye Nations and know O Congregation what is among them Hâ—ar O Earth behold I will bring Evil upon this People even the Fruit of their thoughts because they have not hearkned unto my Word nor to my Law but Rejected it From hence it is evident that by their first Revolting from their antient Paths and good old Ways which God had bounded out for them by the Ministry of his Word and Authority of those Watchmen or Overseers whom he had set over them and their Contumatious Refusal to return to them again they Reprobated themselves and so God Rejected them and calls them grievious Revolters walking with Slanderers out-faceing with brazen Impudency the Commands of their Governors ver 28. and at last Proclaims them by the Mouth of the Prophet Reprobate Silver shall Men call them because
proud but giveth Grace to the Humble James 4. 6. But the Apostle St. Peter is much larger in this point 1 Pet. 5. 5. Likewise ye Younger submit your selves unto the Elder yea all of you be subject one to another and be Clothed with Humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth Grace to the humble Both of these Apostles have their Quotation from Solomon who in the Original is larger then both Proverbs 3. 33. 34. 35. The Curse of the Lord is in the House of the Wicked But he blesseth the Habitation of the Just Surely he scorneth the Scorners but he giveth Grace unto the lowly The Wise shall inherite Glory but shame shall be the promotion of Fools Spiritual Pride tho'it be an horrible Sin yet it is very hard to be discerned The Apostle St. Paul was very near falling into this Sin and very likly he was for it as he Testifies himself 2 Cor. 12. 7. Least I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of Revelations there was given to me a Thorn in the Flesh the Messenger of Satan to buffet me The pricking Briers of Hunger Cold Nakedness Reproaches Necessities Distresses for Christ ver 9 10. O my Friends with Grief I speak it it was spiritual Pride that laid the Corner-Stone of England's late and Lamentable Miseries Acted by a Company of Pretended Saints who never left exalting themselves till they had trod upon the Crown and Dignity of the Lords Anointed and at that time with him the true Protestant Religion and all the Devout and Sincere Professors thereof and at last Murdered him at the Gates of his own Palace and trampled his Sacred Blood under their base and dirty Feet All this the Pride of their Spirit carried them forth to Enact against as sweetly qualified and as bravely an accomplished Prince as ever breathed upon the face of the of the Earth still I say Jesus Christ excepted Nor is it to be doubted but these spiritual proud Men in my Text had not God by a sudden overthrow prevented them would have served Moses and Aaron with the same Sauce having already drawn up a Charge against them as implacable Enemies to the Liberty they aimed at and Murdering so many of the People of the Lord. as they call'd themselves altho' they were Eye Witnesses that it was the immediate Hand of God that struck some of them Dead with Fire and that the Earth of her own accord opened her Mouth and swallowed up the rest O Lord for thy Mercies sake save us for the time to come from such evil proud Spirits And I beseech you my Brethren and Friends hear and receive King Solomon's advice Prov. 25. 21. My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change for their Calamity shall rise suddenly For every one that is proud in Heart is an abomination to the Lord tho' hand joyn in hand he shall not go unpunished The Lord will destroy the House of the proud Prov. 16. And elsewhere he saith A Mans pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in Spirit Prov. 29. 23. There is a Day of Account coming and it draws very near it is called The Day of the Lord of Hosts And the Prophet Isa saith That the Day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is pròud and lofty and they shall be brought low And again in Chap. 28. 1. he crieth out against this Sin in denouncing a Woe against it saying Wo to the Crown of Pride the Crown of Pride shall be troden under Foot We cannot read of proud Persons in the Scripture but we shall read of their downfall 2. They were of a self-conceited Spirit they thought none better nor Holyer then themselves for if they would have given the preference to any they would surely have given it to Moses whom the Son of God thought worthy to keep him Company fourty Days and fourty Nights at one time And afterwards on the Mount at his Transfiguration Mat. 17. And this they knew full well as the Sacred Record assures us in Exo. 24. 1. 2. 3. And he said unto Moses come up unto the Lord thou and Aaron Nadab and Abihu ánd seventy of the Elders of Israel and Worship ye afar off And Moses alone shall come near the Lord but they shall not come nigh neither shall the People go up with him And Moses came and told the People all the Words of the Lord and all the Judgments and all the People answered with one Voice and said All the Words which the Lord hath said will we do It doth not appear that at this time there was one Dissenter or Nonconformist amongst them And yet within a little time after afew seditious Israelites whereof Corah was chief had so seduced the Church of God in Israel that if God had not appeared himself with a mighty Hand and stretched out Arm of Heavenly Power they would not only have denyed Moses the Supremacy over them but have brought his Neck to the Block or otherwise have ended his Days by some violent Death for they often spake of Stoning him Thus you see that for all their pretended Holyness they shut their Eyes and will not see nor open their Ears to Hearken to God nor the Rulers of his Church For Instance take the Word of God Num. 12. 5. And the Lord came down in the Pillar of the Cloud and stood in the Door of the Tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam and they both came forth And he said Hear now my Words if there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known unto him in a Vision and will speak unto hìm in a Dream My Servant Moses is not so who ìs Faithful in all my House With him wîll I speak Mouth to Mouth even apparently and not in dark Speeches and the Similitude of the Lord shall he behold wherefore then were yé not afraid to speak against my Servant Moses And thé Anger of the Lord was kindled against them and he departed There are seven things to be enquired into from this Proof 1. Which of the three Persons in the God-Head it was that came down from Heaven in the Pillat of the Cloud the Son of God it was no doubt 2. What his business was that he came about viz. to Examin two Criminals to Arraign and Judge them 3. What their Crime was viz. Speaking against Moses 4. Aarons Penitency and the benefit of his Clergy 5. Miriams Impenitency and Punishment 6. Moses's Pitty and Prayer for her which voided the perpetuity of the Sentence 7. The fairness of the Tryal he stood in the Door of the Tabernacle that all Israel might hear and see and take warning God might have spoken so loud that Heaven and Earth should have heard it so as they should not have need to come forth for Audience but now he calls them out to the Bar that they may be seen it did
not content him to chide them within Doors the shame of their Fault had been lesser in a private Rebuke but the Scandal of it required open Reproof From these seven Considerations I have Collected these Observations 1. That God is the God of Order Rule and Government their Repining was publick and where the Sin is not affraid of the Light God loves not the Reproof should be smothered 2. That it is a greater Sin than Men are aware of to speak against the Rule and Order of Government either in Church or State 3. That in the end God will severely punish all such Dispisers of such Rule Order and Government There are two Evangelical Witnesses to these three Points Peter and Jude both of them Apostles to Christ Peters Testimony is Recorded in his first Epistle 2 Chap. 13 14. Ver. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreme Or unto Governours as unto them that are sent of him for the Punishment of Evil Doers and for the praise of them that do well And to this he adds 2. Epistle 2. to assure us that Such there are and have been as do speak Evil of Government and shall not go unpunished Ver. 9 10. The Lord knows how to deliver the Godly out of Temptation and to reserve the Vnjust unto the Day of Judgment to be Punished But chiefly them that walk after the Flesh and dispise Government Presumptious are they Self-will'd they are not afraid to speak Evil of Dignities The Apostle Jude Harps on the same String and particularizeth these Men in my Text at ver 11. Wo unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the Error of Balaam for Reward and Perish in the gain-saying of Corah And then at ver 19. gives a Mark how to know them saying These are they which separate tbemselves sensual not having the Spirit tho' they said they had 3. They were of a self confident Spirit they were confident in themselves that God would own them in their design For when Moses Summoned them to Appear before the Lord to answer to their Seditious Words they accepted the Challenge and undertook to dispute it before the Lord in a Religious Duty too manifest in ver 19 17 18 19. in these Words And Moses said unto Corah be thou and all thy Company before the Lord thou and they and Aaron to Morrow And take every Man his Censer and put Incense thereon and bring ye before the Lord every Man his Censer two Hundred and Fifty Censers thou also and Aaron each one his Censer And they took every Man his Censer and put Fire in them and laid Incense thereon and stood in the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation with Moses and Aaron Cheek by Jole with them And Corah gathered all the Congregation against them either by some Solemn League and Covenant or some Engagement or other unto the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the Glory of the Lord appeared There never was such a Challenge made in the Church of God upon Earth before or since never such apparent Confidence in a Seditious Party to accept of and answer it known or heard of altho' some People of our times have shreudly immitated them Nor did ever such a Stickler appear in a Quarrel for God himself appeared on Moses and Aarons side and at his first enterance on the Stage which was the Tabernacle he gave the Spectators a glimps of his Glory and made bare his Arm and uttered with his Lips these dreadful Words ver 21. Separate your selves from among this Congregation that I may consume them in a Moment As if God had said Moses and Aaron stand ye by and let me alone to deal with these Seditious Rebels they will be to hard for you let me lift up my Hand against them the Quarrel is mine as well as yours For I have whet my glittering Sword and my Hand shall take hold on Vengeance and I will abate their Pride asswage their Envy discover their Design and overthrow their Devices That all the Earth may know that I hate and abhor all Pretences to Religion that are acted and done in Disobedience and Rebellion to my Commands and contrary to the Rule and Order of Government that I have Established in my Church And at the first Blow he made at Corah and his Two Hundred and Fifty Confidents he struck their Censers out of their Hands and with a flash of Fire Consumed them to Ashes As if the Lord had said What have you to do to handle Censers to meddle with Publick Matters of Religion seeing ye do it in Spite and Contempt of the Government Established by Law for Strife and Debate and in Disobedience and Rebellion against the Governours that I have set over you For in very deed Envy at the Established Government in the Church was the seed Plot of Corah's Sin and Dathan and Abirams Conspiracy And therefore it was high time for God to put to his helping Hand to Vindicate Moses and Aaron for they were but God's Servants employed by him to lead them in the right way to Happiness and to Govern them therein by a Sacred Platform of good and wholsome Laws and Ordinances As it is written Psal 77. 20. Thou leadest thy People like a Flock by the Hand of Moses and Aaron i. e. Magistracy and Ministry 'T is true Christ Jesus is the Supream Governour and Lord of all things in Heaven and in Earth but he doth not Govern in either place by his own and immediate Power But by Angels and Men Deligated by him to bear Rule for him over their fellow Creatures and from them expects an Account of their Steward-ship in such their places of Trust The Sacred Text is my Voucher for this Assertion Prov. 8 15 16. By me Kings Reign and Princes Decree Justice By me Princes Rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the Earth And elsewhere in Psal 78. 70 71 72. He chose David also his Servant and took him from the Sheep-fold From following the Ews great with Young he brought him to feed Jacob his People and Israel his Inheritance So he fed them according to the Integrity of his Heart and guided them by the skilfulness of his Hands Our Church Translation of the Psalms reads it thus So he fed them with a Faithful and a true Heart and Ruled them Prudently with all his Power This of the Psalmist is an Extract of that Message which God sent by the Prophet Nathan to King David 2 Sam. 7 8 9. Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my Servant David Thus saith the Lord of Hosts I took thee from the Sheep-fould from following the Sheep to be Ruler over my People Israel And I was with thee whither soever thou wentest and have cut off all thine Enemies out of thy sight and have made thee a great name like unto the name of the great Men
that are in the Earth Now when the Spirit of Sedition shall possess the Minds of Men and prompt them not only to dislike but speak Evil of such Dignities and those that enioy them and to assemble in Companies to Assault their Governours as these Men in my Text did Moses and Aaron whom they knew God had set over them and frequently acknowledged it No wonder the Psalmist in Psal 119. 126. said It was time for God to work when Men went about to undermine the Laws of God to make them void The Translation of our Church Psalms reads it thus It is time for the Lord to lay to thy Hand for they have destroyed thy Law When these Men in my Text had gathered the Congregation together against Moses and Aaron what to do Why to cut them off and Subvert the Government both of Church and State It was high time for God to appear in flaming Fire to take Vengeance upon them and pluck of the Crown of spiritual Pride from their haughty Heads Which he did as you have heard and so rejected their Confidences and blasted their intended Proceedings 4. They were of an envious Spirit they envied the State and Dignity which God had conferred upon Moses and Aaron in Constituting them their Governours in the Church This ill Quality Cooperated with the rest to provoke them to a Commotion and civil Discord amongst themselves And that the old Serpent had shed the Spawn of Envy into their Spirits the Kingly Propet affirms it with a sad Memento 106. 16. 17 18. They envied Moses in the Camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. The Earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the Congregation of Abiram And a Fire was kindled in their Company the Flame burnt up the ungodly By the last words in ver 17. viz. The Congregation of Abiram It is very probable that Abiram had a gathered Church which some of our Modern Dissenters call the Congregational or Independent way of gathering Churches And if so as it is very likly then he was the first that ever I read of who gathered a false Church out of a true one And so by the Text it is clear that whilst Corah and his Confederates were affronting Moses and Aaron in publick Dathan and Abiram were at a private Meeting in their Tents Praying for their good Success or waiting for a Watch word from them when they should rush forth with Weapons to Assault their Rulers For when Moses gave a charge to the rest of the People to come away from their Tents they came forth and stood in their Tent-doores with their Wives and Children with brazen faced Impudency as if they would outface God and all just Authority I did not know till after more than Forty times reading this Antient Record of Holy Writ and an exact Inspection into the Design of the Seditious Party with a deligent Observation of their prerended Holiness grounded upon false Principles Their gathering the Common People like Herds of Goats in a Tumultuous manner against their Rulers their crying them down to get into their places I say till I had diligently consulted the Record of this lamentable History I did not know that Presbiterâ— and Independency were of so long a standing in the World For Chorah an inferior Levite contends with Aaron to level the Office of an High-Priest to that of a Levite and flatly tells him that he takes too much upon him to lift up himself above them being all of one Tribe he sawnoreason there should be any difference in Dignity and therefore he resolves to Conform no longer but set up for himself and have Elders under him of his own choosing And as for Dathan and Abiram they defiâ— all Superintendency for it were they as well as Corah that told Moses and Aaron That they took too much upon them to lift up themselves above them They were able of themselves to give Laws and Orders to their Congregated Proselites without their Lordly â—urisdiction and in this State of Independency they died Impenitently How fitly may we apply the Words of Solomon to the Former and Latter Troubles of the Church Eccle. 1. 9 10. The thing that hath been is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall bedone and there is no new thing under the Sun Is there any thing whereof it may be said see this is new It hath been of old time before us And whence is it but from the Envy and Malice of the old Serpenr who is called the Devil and Satan Who as our Saviour saith John 8. 44. Was a Murderer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth And so became an Enemy to all Government above himself which Practice he continues still in the World by seducing the Sons of Men into his old Principles of Disobedience 'T is true indeed this old Serpent doth often renew his Shape but never alters his ill Qualities he often changeth his Habit but not his Disposition alters his name but not his Nature shifts places but retains still his old Principles I will conclude this Branch with the Sacred Caution of the Apostle St. Peter 1. Eph. 3. 17 18. Therefore Beloved seeing ye know these things before beware least ye being lead away with the Error of the Wicked fall from your own Stedfastness But grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to whom be Glory both now and for ever Amen 5. They were of a sullen selfwill'd Spirit nothing would please them but what proceeded from their own Wills They answeared Moses as some of their Successors did the Prophet Jeremy Chap. 19. 11. Return ye from the Evil of your ways They said Ver. 19 There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the Imagination of his evil Heart Yea when they were in Captivity in Babilon they would not be Reclaimed from their own Wills but they made him this desperate Answer As for the Word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken to thee but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own Mouth Jer. 44. 14. Spiritual Wickedness doth not only blind but bind the Spirits of unstable Men with strong Cords of selfwill'dness It is a hard thing to recover any one out of any Error that hath laid the Reins of his own will into the neck of his own Judgment Sic volo sic Jubeo stat proratione voluntas His own Will is the Rule he resolves to walk by and to any other Persuasion he is like the deaf Adder that stops her Ear at the Voice of the Charmer charm he never so wisely One of the sorest Plagues that God can inflict on any Man is to leave him to his own Will and the Councils of his own Heart which must needs destroy him Some do think that Liberty of Conscience is the only way to propogate the