Page images
PDF
EPUB

this were holiness? They had scarce wiped their mouths, or washed their hands, since their last obstinacy; and yet these pick-thanks say, "All Israel is holy."

I would never desire a better proof of a false teacher than flattery. True meaning nced not uphold itself by soothing. There is nothing easier than to persuade men well of themselves; when a man's self-love meets with another's flattery, it is an high praise that will not be believed. It was more out of opposition than belief, that these men plead the holiness of Israel. Violent adversaries, to uphold a side, will maintain those things they believe not.

Moses argues not for himself, but appeals to God; neither speaks for his own right, but his brother Aaron's. He knew that God's immediate service was worthy to be more precious than his government: that his princedom served but to the glory of his master. Good magistrates are more tender over God's honour than their own; and more sensible of the wrongs offered to religion, than to themselves.

It is safest to trust God with his own causes. If Aaron had been chosen by Israel, Moses would have sheltered him under their authority. Now that God did immediately appoint him, his patronage is sought, whose the election was. We may easily fault in the managing of divine affairs; and so our want of success cannot want sin; he knows how to use, how to bless his own means.

As there was a difference betwixt the people and Levites, so betwixt the Levites and priests. The God of order loves to have our decrees kept. While the Levites would be looking up to the priests, Moses sends down their eyes to the people. The way not to repine at those above us, is to look at those below us. There is no better remedy for ambition, than to cast up our former receipts, and to compare them with our deservings, and to confer our own estate with inferiors, so shall we find cause to be thankful that we are above any, rather than of envy that any is above us.

Moses hath chid the sons of Levi for mutinying against Aaron; and so much the more, because they were of his own tribe. Now he sends for the Reubenites, who rose against himself. They come not, and their message is worse than their absence. Moses is accused of injustice, cruelty, falsehood, treachery, usurpation; and Egypt itself must be commended rather than Moses shall want reproach. Innocency

is no shelter from ill tongues; malice never regards how true any accusation is, but how spiteful.

Now it was time for Moses to be angry. They durst not have been thus bold, if they had not seen his mildness. Lenity is ill bestowed upon stubborn natures: it is an injurious senselessness, not to feel the wounds of our reputation. It well appears he is angry, when he prays against them. He was displeased before; but, when he was most bitter against them, he still prayed for them; but now, he bends his very prayers against them. "Look not to their offering.' There can be no greater revenge than the imprecation of the righteous there can be no greater judgment, than God's rejection of their services. With us men, what more argues dislike of the person, than the turning back of his present? What will God accept from us, if not prayers?

"

The innocence of Moses calls for revenge on his adversaries. If he had wronged them in his government, in vain should he have looked to God's hand for right. Our sins exclude us from God's protection; whereas uprightness challenges, and finds his patronage. An ass taken, had made him incapable of favour. Corrupt governors lose the comfort of their own breast, and the tuition of God.

The same tongue that prayed against the conspirators, prays for the people. As lewd men think to carry it with number, Korah had so far prevailed, that he had drawn the multitude to his side. God, the avenger of treasons, would have consumed them all at once. Moses and Aaron pray for these rebels. Although they were worthy of death, and nothing but death could stop their mouths, yet their merciful leaders will not buy their own peace with the loss of such enemies. Oh rare and inimitable mercy! The people rise up against their governors; their governors fall on their faces to God for the people; so far are they from plotting revenge, that they will not endure God should revenge for them.

Moses knew well enough, that all those Israelites must perish in the wilderness; God had vowed it, for their former insurrection; yet how earnestly doth he sue to God, not to consume them at once! The very respite of evils is a favour next to the removal.

Korah kindled the fire, the two hundred and fifty captains brought sticks to it; all Israel warmed themselves by it; only the incendiaries perish. Now do the Israelites owe their life

to them, whose death they intended. God and Moses knew to distinguish betwixt the heads of the faction and the train; though neither be faultless, yet the one is plagued, the other forgiven. God's vengeance, when it is at the hottest, makes differences of men. "Get you away from about the tabernacles of Korah." Ever before common judgment, there is a separation. In the universal judgment of all the earth, the Judge himself will separate; in these particular executions, we must separate ourselves. The society of wicked men, especially in their sins, is mortally dangerous; while we will not be parted, how can we complain if we be enwrapped in their condemnation? Our very company sins with them, why should we not smart with them also?

Moses had well hoped, that when these rebels should see all the Israelites run from them, as from monsters, and looking affrightedly upon their tents, and should hear that fearful proclamation of vengeance against them (howsoever they did before set a face on their conspiracy; yet now) their hearts would have misgiven. But lo, these bold traitors stand impudently staring in the door of their tents, as if they would out-face the revenge of God; as if Moses had never wrought a miracle before them; as if no one Israelite had ever bled for rebelling. Those that shall perish are blinded. Pride and infidelity obdures the heart, and makes even cowards fearless.

So soon as the innocent are severed, the guilty perish; the earth cleaves and swallows up the rebels. This element was not used to such morsels. It devours the carcasses of men: but bodies informed with living souls, never before. To have seen them struck dead upon the earth had been fearful; but to see the earth at once their executioner and grave, was more horrible. Neither the sea nor the earth are fit to give passage; the sea is moist and flowing, and will not be divided, for the continuity of it; the earth is dry and massy, and will neither yield naturally, nor meet again when it hath yielded; yet the waters did cleave to give way unto Israel, for their preservation; the earth did cleave to give way to the conspirators, in judgment: both sea and earth did shut their jaws again upon the adversaries of God.

There was more wonder in this latter. It was a marvel that the waters opened; it was no wonder that they shut again; for the retiring and flowing was natural. It was no less marvel that the earth opened; but more marvel that it

shut again; because it had no natural disposition to meet, when it was divided. Now might Israel see, they had to do with a God that could revenge with ease.

There were two sorts of traitors; the earth swallowed up the one, the fire the other. All the elements agree to serve the vengeance of their Maker. Nadab and Abihu brought fit persons, but unfit fire to God; these Levites bring the right fire, but unwarranted persons before him; fire from God consumes both. It is a dangerous thing to usurp sacred functions. The ministry will not grace the man; the man may disgrace the ministry.

The common people were not so fast gathered to Korah's flattering persuasion before, as now they ran from the sight and fear of his judgment. I marvel not if they could not trust that earth whereon they stood, while they knew their hearts had been false. It is a madness to run away from punishment, and not from sin.

BOOK VII.

CONTEMPLATION I.

Aaron's Censer and Rod.

WHEN shall we see an end of these murmurings, and these judgments? Because these men rose up against Moses and Aaron, therefore God consumed them; and because God consumed them, therefore the people rise up against Moses and Aaron and now, because the people thus murmur, God hath again begun to consume them. What a circle is here of sins and judgments! Wrath is gone out from God; Moses is quick-sighted, and spies it at the setting out. By how much more faithful and familiar we are with God, so much earlier do we discern his judgments; as those which are well acquainted with men, know, by their looks and gestures, that which strangers understand but by their actions; as finer tempers are more sensible of the changes of weather: hence the seers of God have ever, from their watch-tower, descried the judgments of God afar off. If another man had seen from Carmel a cloud of a hand-breadth, he could not have told Ahab

he should be wet. It is enough for God's messengers, out of their acquaintance with their Master's proceedings, to foresee punishment: no marvel if those see it not, which are wilfully sinful. We men reveal not our secret purposes, either to enemies or strangers: all their favour is to feel the plague, ere they can espy it.

Moses, though he were great with God, yet he takes not upon him this reconciliation; he may advise Aaron what to do, himself undertakes not to act it. It is the work of the priesthood to make an atonement for the people; Aaron was first his brother's tongue to Pharaoh, now is he the people's tongue to God: he only must offer up the incense of the public prayers to God. Who would not think it a small thing to hold a censer in his hand? yet, if any other had done it, he had fallen with the dead, and not stood betwixt the living and the dead; instead of the smoke ascending, the fire had descended upon him: and shall there be less use, or less regard of the evangelical ministry, than the legal? When the world hath poured out all his contempt, we are they that must reconcile men to God, and without us they perish.

I know not whether more to marvel at the courage or mercy of Aaron; his mercy, that he would yet save so rebellious a people; his courage, that he would save them with so great a danger of himself. For, as one that would part a fray, he thrusts himself under the strokes of God, and puts it to the choice of the revenger, whether he will smite him, or forbear the rest; he stands boldly betwixt the living and the dead, as one that will either die with them, or have thein live with him: the sight of fourteen hundred carcasses dismayed him not he that before feared the threats of the people, now fears not the strokes of God. It is not for God's ministers to stand upon their own perils in the common causes of the church: their prayers must oppose the judgments of the Almighty; when the fire of God's anger is kindled, their censers must smoke with fire from the altar. Every Christian must pray the removal of vengeance; how much more they whom God hath appointed to mediate for his people; every man's mouth is his own; but they are the mouths of all.

·

Had Aaron thrust in himself with empty hands, I doubt whether he had prevailed; now his censer was his protection. When we come with supplications in our hands, we need not fear the strokes of God. We have leave to resist the divine

« PreviousContinue »