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to-go-round about Idumea; the journey was long and troublesome. They had sent entreaties to Edom for licence of passage the next way, reasonably, submissively; it was churlishly denied them. Esau lives still in his posterity; Jacob, in Israel: the combat which they began in Rebecca's belly is not yet ended. Amalek, which was one limb of Esau, follows them at the heels; the Edomite, which was another, meets them in the face: so long as there is a world, there will be opposition to the chosen of God. They may come at their peril; the way had been nearer, but bloody; they dare not go it, and yet complain of length.

If they were afraid to purchase their resting place with war, how much less would they their passage! What should God do with impatient men? They will not go the nearest way, and yet complain to go about. He, that will pass to the promised land, must neither stand upon length of way nor difficulty. Every way hath its inconveniencies; the nearest hath more danger, the farthest hath more pain; either or both must be overcome, if ever we will enter the rest of God.

Aaron and Miriam were now past the danger of their mutinies; for want of another match, they join God with Moses, in their murmurings: though they had not mentioned him, they could not sever him in their insurrection; for, in the causes of his own servants, he challenges even when he is not challenged. What will become of thee, Ŏ Israel, when thou makest thy Maker thine enemy? Impatience is the cousin to frenzy; this causes men not to care upon whom they run, so they may breathe out some revenge. How often have we heard men that have been displeased by others, tear the name of their Maker in pieces! He, that will judge, and can confound, is fetched into the quarrel without cause. But if to strive with a mighty man be unwise and unsafe, what shall it be to strive with the mighty God?

As an angry child casts away that which is given him, because he hath not that he would, so do these foolish Israelites: their bread is light and their water unsatisfying, because their way displeased them. Was ever people fed with such bread or water? Twice hath the very rock yielded them water, and every day the heaven affords them bread. Did any one soul amongst them miscarry, either for hunger or thirst? But no bread will down with them, save that which the earth yields; no water but from the natural wells or rivers. Unless nature may be allowed to be her own carver, she is never contented.

Manna had no fault, but that it was too good and too frequent: the pulse of Egypt had been fitter for these coarse mouths. This heavenly bread was unspeakably delicious; it tasted like wafers of honey; and yet even this angels' food is contemned. He that is full despiseth a honeycomb. How sweet and delicate is the Gospel! Not only the fathers of the Old Testament, but the angels, desired to look into the glorious mysteries of it; and yet we are cloyed. This supernatural food is too light: the bread-corn of our human reason, and profound discourse, would better content us,

Moses will not revenge this wrong, God will; yet will he not deal with them himself, but he sends the fiery serpents to answer for him: how fitly! They had carried themselves like serpents to their governors; how often had they stung Moses and Aaron, near to death! If the serpent bite when he is not charmed, no better is a slanderer. Now these venomous adders revenge it, which are therefore called fiery because their poison scalded to death: God hath a hand in the annoyance and hurt of the basest creature; how much less can the sting of an ill tongue, or the malice of an ill spirit, strike us without him! While they were in Goshen, the frogs, lice, caterpillars spared them, and plagued the Egyptians; now they are rebellious in the desert, the serpents find them out and sting them to death. He, that brought the quails thither to feed them, fetches these serpents thither to punish them. While we are at war with God, we can look for no peace with his creatures: every thing rejoices to execute the vengeance of his Maker. The stones of the field will not be in league with us, while we are not in league with God.

These men, when the spies had told them news of the giants of Canaan, a little before had wished, Would God we were dead in this wilderness: now God hath heard their prayers, what with the plague, what with the serpents, many thousands of them died. The ill wishes of our impatience are many times heard. As those good things are not granted us, which we pray for without care; so those evils, which we pray for and would not have, are often granted. The ears of God are not only open to the prayers of faith, but to the imprecations of infidelity. It is dangerous wishing evil to ourselves or ours: it is just with God to take us at our word, and to effect that which our lips speak against our heart.

Before, God hath ever consulted with Moses, and threatened ere he punished; now he strikes, and says nothing. The anger is so much more, by how much less notified. When God is not heard before he is felt, (as in the hewing of wood, the blow is not heard till the axe be seen to have struck) it is a fearful sign of displeasure it is with God as with us men, that still revenges are ever most dangerous. Till now all was well enough with Israel, and yet they grudged: those, that will complain without a cause, shall have cause to complain for something. Discontented hu mours seldom escape unpunished, but receive that most justly whereat they repined unjustly.

Now the people are glad to seek to Moses unbidden. Ever heretofore they have been wont to be sued to, and entreated for without their own entreaty; now their misery makes them importunate there needs no solicitor, where there is sense of smart. It were pity men should want affliction, since it sends them to their prayers and confessions. All the persuasions of Moses could not do that, which the serpents have done for him. O God, thou seest how necessary it is we should be stung sometimes, else we should run wild, and never come to a sound humiliation: we should never seek thee, if thy hand did not find us out.

It was

They had spoken against God and Moses, and now they humbly speak to Moses that he would pray to God for them. He, that so often prayed for them unbidden, cannot but much more do it requested; and now obtains the means of their cure. equally in the power of God to remove the serpents, and to heal their stinging; to have cured the Israelites by his word, and by his sign: but he finds it best for his people (to exercise their faith) that the serpents may bite, and their bitings may envenom, and that this venom may endanger the Israelites; and that they, thus affected, may seek to him for remedy, and seeking may find it from such means as should have no power but in signification; that while their bodies were cured by the sign, their souls might be confirmed by the matter signified. A serpent of brass could no more heal than sting them. What remedy could their eyes give to their legs? Or what could a serpent of cold brass prevail against a living and fiery serpent? In this troublesome desert we are all stung by that fiery and old serpent: O Saviour, it is to thee we must look, and be cured; it is thou that wert their paschal lamb, their manna, their rock, their serpent. To all purposes dost thou vary thyself to thy Church, that we may find thee every where: thou art for our nourishment, refreshing, cure; as bereafter, so even now, all in all.

This serpent, which was appointed for cure to Israel, at last stings them to death, by idolatrous abuse. What poison there is in idolatry, that makes even antidotes deadly! As Moses therefore raised this serpent, so Hezekiah pulled it down: God commanded the raising of it, God approved the demolishing of it. Superstitious use can mar the very institutions of God; how much more the most wise and well-grounded devices of men! Num. xxi.

on.

OF BALAAM.

MOAB and Midian had been all this while standers by and lookers If they had not seen the pattern of their own ruin in these neighbours, it had never troubled them, to see the kings of the Amorites and Bashan to fall before Israel. Had not the Israelites camped in the plains of Moab, their victories had been no eyesore to Balac. Wicked men never care to observe God's judgments till themselves be touched: the fire of a neighbour's house would not so affect us, if it were not with the danger of our own: secure minds never startle till God come home to their very senses. Balac and his Moabites had wit enough to fear, not wit enough to prevent judgment: they see an enemy in their borders, and yet take no right course for their safety. Who would not have looked, that they should have come to Israel with conditions of peace Or why did they not think, "Either Israel's God is stronger than ours, or he is not. If he be not, why are we afraid of him? If he be, why do we not serve him? The same hand, which gives them victory, can give us protection." Carnal men, that are se cure of the vengeance of God ere it do come, are mastered with

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it when it doth come; and not knowing which way to turn them, run forth at the wrong door.

The Midianites join with the Moabites in consultation, in action, against Israel: one would have thought, they should have looked for favour from Moses for Jethro's sake, which was both a prince of their country, and father-in-law to Moses; and either now, or not long before, was with Israel in the wilderness. Neither is it like, but that Moses having found forty years harbour amongst them, would have been (what he might) inclinable to favourable treaties with them; but now they are so fast linked to Moab, that they will either sink or swim together. Entireness with wicked consorts is one of the strongest chains of hell, and binds us to a participation both of sin and punishment: an easy occasion will knit wicked hearts together in conspiracy against the Church of God.

Their errand is devilish, Come, curse Israel: that which Satan could not do by the swords of Og and Sehon, he will now try to effect by the tongue of Balaam. If either strength or policy would prevail against God's Church, it could not stand. And why should not we be as industrious to promote the glory of God, and bend both our hands and heads to the causes of the Almighty? When all helps fail Moab, the magician is sought to. It is a sign of a desperate cause, to make Satan either our counsellor, or our refuge.

Why did they not send to Balaam to bless themselves, rather than to curse Israel? It had been more easy to be defended from the hurt of their enemies, than to have their enemies laid open to be hurt by them. Pride and malice did not care so much for safety, as for conquest; it would not content them to escape Israel, if Israel may escape them; it was not thank-worthy to save their own blood, if they did not spill the blood of others; as if their own prosperity had been nothing, if Israel also prospered. If there be one project worse than another, a wicked heart will find it out: nothing but destruction will content the malicious.

I know not whether Balaam were more famous, or Balac more confident. If the king had not been persuaded of the strength of his charm, he had not sent so far, and paid so dear for it: now he trusts more to his enchantment, than to the forces of Moab and Midian; and, as if heaven and earth were in the power of a charmer's tongue, he saith, He that thou blessest is blessed; and he whom thou cursest is cursed. Magic, through the permission of God, is powerful; for whatsoever the devil can do, the magician may do; but it is madness to think either of them omnipotent. If either the curses of men, or the endeavours of the powers of darkness, should be effectual, all would be hell. No, Balac: so short is the power of thy Balaam, that neither thou, nor thy prophet himself can avoid that curse, which thou wouldst have brought upon Israel. Had Balaam been a true prophet of God, this bold assurance had been but just. Both those ancient seers and the prophets of the Gospel, have the ratification of God in heaven to their sentences on earth. Why have we less care of the bless

ings, and less fear of the curses and censures of God's ministers? Who would not rather have Elisha's guard, than both the kings of Israel and Assyria? He himself, as he had the angelical chariots and horsemen about him, so was he the chariots and horsemen of Israel. Why should our faith be less strong than superstition? Or why should God's agents have less virtue than Satan's?

I should wonder to hear God speak with a false prophet, if I did not know, it hath been no rare thing with him (as with men) to bestow words, even where he will not bestow favour. Pharaoh, Abimelech, Nebuchadnezzar, receive visions from God: neither can I think this strange, when I hear God speaking to Satan in a question no less familiar than this of Balaam, Whence comest thou, Satan? Not the sound of the voice of God, but the matter which he speaks argues love: he may speak to an enemy; he speaks peace to none but his own. It is a vain brag, "God hath spoken to me;" so may he do to reprobates or devils. But what said he? Did he say to my soul, I am thy salvation? Hath he indented with me that he will be my God, and I shall be his? I cannot hear this voice, and not live.

God heard all the consultation and message of these Moabites: these messengers could not have moved their foot or their tongue but in him; and yet he, which asked Adam where he was, asks Balaam, What men are these? I have ever seen, that God loves to take occasion of proceeding with us from ourselves, rather than from his own immediate prescience. Hence it is, that we lay open our wants, and confess our sins, to him that knows both better than our own hearts, because he will deal with us from our own mouths.

The prevention of God forbids both his journey and his curse: and what if he had been suffered to go and curse? What corn had this wind shaken, when God meant to bless them? How many bulls have bellowed out execrations against this Church of God? What are we the worse? Yet I doubt, if we had been so much blessed, had not those Balaamitish curses been spent upon us. He that knows what waste wind the causeless curses of wicked men are, yet will not have Balaam curse Israel; because he will not allow Balac so much encouragement in his opposition, as the conceit of this help. Or perhaps, if Balac thought this sorcerer a true prophet, God would not have his name, so much as in the opinion of the heathen, scandalized, in usurping it to a purpose which he meant not should succeed.

The hand of God is in the restraint of many evils, which we never knew to be towards us. The Israelites sat still in their tents; they little thought what mischief was brewing against them: without ever making them of counsel, God crosses the designs of their enemies. He, that keepeth Israel, is both a sure and a secret friend.

The reward of the divination had easily commanded the journey and curse of the covetous prophet, if God had not stayed him. How oft are wicked men curbed by a divine hand, even

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