both see and feele it He knowes how to make the fittest choise of the times of euill and withholds that one while which hee sends another not vvithout a iust reason why he sends and withholds it And though to vs they come euer as we thinke vnseasonably and at sometimes more vnfitly then others yet hee that sends them knowes their opportunities VVho vvould not haue thought a worse time could neuer haue beene pickt for Israels warre then now In the feeblenesse of their troupes when they were wearied thirsty vnweaponed Yet now must the Amalekites doe that which before the Philistims might not doe We are not worthy not able to choose for our selues To be sicke and dy in the strength of youth in the minoritie of children To bee pinched with pouerty or miscarriage of children in our age how harshly vnseasonable it seemes But the infinite wisedom that orders our euents knowes how to order our times Vnlesse wee will bee shamelesse vnbeleeuers O Lord we must trust thee with our selues and our seasons and know that not that which we desire but that which thou hast appointed is the fittest time for our sufferings Amalek was Esaues grandchild and these Israelites the Sons of Iacob The abode of Amalek was not so farre from Egypt but they might well heare what became of their cozens of Israel and now doubtlesse out of enuie watcht their opportunitie of reuenge for their old grudge Malice is commonly hereditary and runnes in the blood and as we vse to say of runnet the older it is the stronger Hence is that foolish hostilitie which some men vniustly nourish vppon no other grounds then the quarrels of their forefathers To wreak ouâ— malice vpon posteritie is at the best but the humour of an Amalekite How cowardly and how crafty was this skirmish of Amalek They doe not bid them battel in faire tearms of warre but without all noise of warning come stealing vpon the hindmost and fall vpon the weake and scattered remnants of Israel There is no looking for fauour at the hands of malice The worst that either force or fraud can doe must be expected of an aduersary but much more of our spirituall enemie by how much his hatred is deeper Behold this Amalek lieâ— in ambush to hinder our passage vnto our Land of promise and subtilly takes all aduantages of our weaknesses Wee cannot be wise or safe if we stay behinde our colours and strengthen not those parts where is most perill of opposition I doe not heare Moses say to his Ioshua Amalek is come vp against vs it matters not whether thou goe against him or not or if thou go whether alone or with companie or if accompanied vvhether vvith manie or few strong or weake Or if strong men vvhether they fight or no I vvill pray on the hill but Choose vs out men and goe fight Then onely can vvee pray with hope vvhen wee haue done our best And though the meanes cannot effect that which wee desire yet God will haue and vse the likeliest meanes on our part to effect it Where it comes immediately from the charge of GOD any meanes are effectuall One stick of wood shall fetch vvater out of the rock another shall fetch bitternesse out of the water But in those proiects which vve make for our owne purposes vve must choose those helps vvhich promise most efficacy In vaine shall Moses be vpon the hill if Ioshua be not in the vally Prayer without meanes is a mockerie of GOD. Here are two shadowes of one substance The same Christ in Ioshua fights against our spirituall Amalek and in Moses spreads out his armes vpon the hill and in both conquers And why doth he climbe vp the hill rather then pray in the valley Perhaps that he might haue the more freedom to his thoughts which following the sense are so much more heauenly as the eye sees more of heauen Though vertue lies not in the place yet choise must be made of those places which may be most helpe to our deuotion Perhaps that hee might be in the eye of Israel The presence and sight of the leader giues heart to the people neither dooth any thing more moue the multitude then example A publique person cannot hide himselfe in the valley but yet it becomes him best to shew himselfe vppon the hill The hand of Moses must be raised but not emptie neither is it his owne rod that he holds but Gods In the first meeting of God with Moses the rod was Moseses it is like for the vse of his trade now the propriety is altered God hath so wrought by it that now he challenges it and Moses dare not call it his owne Those things which it pleases God to vse for his owne seruice are now changed in their condition The bread of the Sacrament was once the Bakers now it is Gods the water was once euery mans now it is the Laver of Regeneration It is both vniust and vnsafe to hold those things common vvherein God hath a peculiarity At other times vpon occasion of the plagues and of the Quayles and of the rock he was commanded to take the rodde in his hand now hee doth it vnbidden He doth it not now for miraculous operation but for incouragement For when the Israelites should cast vp their eyes to the hill and see Moses and his rod the man and the meanes that had wrought so powerfully for them they could not but take heart to themselues and thinke There is the man that deliuered vs from the Egyptian Why not now from the Amalekite There is the rod which turned waters to blood and brought varieties of plagues on Egypt Why not now on Amaleck Nothing can more hearten our faith then the view of the monuments of Gods fauour If euer wee haue found any word or act of God cordial to vs it is good to fetch it forth oft to the eye The renuing of our sense and remembrance makes euery gift of God perpetually beneficiall If Moses had receiued a command that rod which fetcht water from the rock could as well haue fetcht the blood of the Amalekites out of their bodies God will not worke miracles alwayes neither must wee expect them vnbidden Not as a standerd-bearer so much as a suppliant dooth Moses lift vp his hand The gesture of the body should both expresse further the piety of the soul. This flesh of ours is not a good seruant vnlesse it help vs in the best offices The God of spirits dooth most respect the soule of our deuotion yet it is both vnmannerly and irreligious to be misgestured in our prayers The carelesse and vncomely carriage of the body helps both to signifie and make a profane soule The hand the rod of Moses neuer moued in vaine Though the rod did not strike Amalek as it had done the rock yet it smote heauen and fetcht downe victory And that the Israelites might see the hand of Moses had a greater stroke in the
Israel inclined to God it was from God hee inquires after his owne gifts in vs for our capacity of more They had not receiued the Law vnlesse they had first receiued a disposition fit to be commanded As there was an inclination to heare so there must be a preparation for hearing Gods iustice had before prepared his Israelites by hunger thirst feare of enemies his mercy had prepared them by deliuerances by prouisions of water meat bread and yet besides all the sight of God in his miracles they must be three dayes prepared to hear him When our soules are at the best our approch to God requires particular addresses And if three dayes were little enough to prepare them to receiue the Law how is all our life short enough to prepare for the reckoning of our obseruing it And if the vvord of a commaund expected such readines what shall the word of promise the promise of Christ and saluation The moraine of Egypt was not so infectious as their vices the contagion of these stuck still by Israell All the water of the red Sea and of Marah and that which gushed out of the rocke had not washed it off From these they must now be sanctified As sinne is alwayes dangerous so most when we bring it into Gods sight It enuenometh both our persons and seruices and turnes our good into euill As therfore we must be alwaies holy so most when wee present our selues to the holy eyes of our Creator Wee wash our hands euery day but when wee are to sit with some great person wee scoure them with balles And if wee must be so sanctified onely to receiue the Law how holy must we be to receiue the grace promised in the Gospell Neither must themselues only bee cleansed but their very clothes Their garments smelt of Egypt euen they must be washed Neither can clothes be capable of sinne nor can water cleanse from sinne The danger was neither in their garments nor their skin yet they must be washed that they might learne by their clothes with what soules to appear before their God Those garments must be washed which should neuer waxe old that now they might begin their age in purity as those which were in more danger of being foule then bare It is fit that our reuerence to Gods presence should appeare in our very garments that both without and within wee may be cleanly but little would neatnesse of vestures auaile vs with a filthy soule The God of spirits looks to the inner man and challenges the purity of that part which resembles himselfe Cleanse your hands yee sinners and purge your hearts ye double minded Yet euen whē they were washed and sanctified they may not touch the mount not onely with their feet but not with their eies The smoke keeps it from their eyes the marks from their feet Not only men that had some impurity at their best are restrained but euen beasts which are not capable of any vnholines Those beasts which must touch his altars yet might not touch his hill And if a beast touch it he must die yet so as no hands may touch that which hath touched the hill Vnreasonablenes might seem to be an excuse in these creatures that therfore which is death to a beast must needs be capitall to them whose reason should guide them to auoid presumption Those Israelites which saw God euery day in the piller of fire and the cloud must not come neere him in the mount God loues at once familiarity and feare Familiarity in our conuersation and feare in his commands Hee loues to be acquainted with men in the walks of their obedience yet hee takes state vpon him in his ordinances and will be trembled at in his word and iudgements I see the difference of Gods carriage to men in the Law and in the Gospell There the very hill where he appeared may not be touched of the purest Israelite Here the hemme of his garment is touched by the woman that had the fluxe of blood yea his very face was touched with the lippes of Iudas There the very earth was prohibited them on which hee descended Here his very body and blood is profered to our touch and taste Oh the maruellous kindnes of our God! How vnthankfull are wee if wee doe not acknowledge this mercy aboue his ancient people They were his owne yet strangers in comparison of our libertie It is our shame and sinne if in these meanes of intirenesse we bee no better acquainted vvith God then they vvhich in their greatest familiarity were commanded aloof God was euer wonderfull in his workes and fearefull in his iudgements but he was neuer so terrible in the execution of his will as now in the promulgation of it Here was nothing but a maiesticall terrour in the eyes in the ears of the Israelites as if God meant to shew them by this how fearful he could be Here was the lightning darted in their eyes the thunders roaring in their eares the trumpet of GOD drowning the thunder-claps the voyce of God out-speaking the trumpet of the Angel The cloud enwrapping the smoke ascending the fire flaming the mount trembling Moses climbing and quaking palenesse and death in the face of Israel vprore in the Elements and all the glory of heauen turned into terrour In the destruction of the first World there were clouds without fire In the destruction of Sodome there was fire raining without clouds but here was fire smoke clouds thunder earthquakes and whatsoeuer might worke more astonishment then euer was in any vengeance inflicted And if the Law were thus giuen how shall it be required If such vvere the proclamation of Gods statutes what shall the sessions be I see and tremble at the resemblance The Trumpet of the Angell call'd vnto the one The voyce of an Archangell the Trumpet of God shall summon vs to the other To the one Moses that climbd vp that hill and alone saw it saies God came with tenne thousands of his Saints In the other thousand thousands shall minister to him and tenne thousand thousands shall stand before him In the one mount Sinai only was on a flame all the world shall be so in the other In the one there was fire smoke thunder and lightning In the other a fiery stream shall issue from him wherewith the heauens shall be dissolued and the Elements shall melt away with a noise Oh God how powerfull art thou to inflict vengeance vpon sinners who didst thus forbid sinne and if thou wert so terrible a Law-giuer what a Iudge shalt thou appeare What shall become of the breakers of so fiery a Law Oh where shall those appeare that are guiltie of the transgressing that Law whose very deliuery was little lesse then death If our God should exact his Law but in the same rigour wherein hee gaue it sinne could not quite the cost But now the fire wherein it was deliuered was but terrifying the fire wherein it shall be required is
be a better sacrifice to God then the bloud of malefactors and this first sacrifice so pleased GOD in the hands of the Leuites that hee would haue none but them sacrifice to him for euer The blood of the Idolatrous Israelites cleared that tribe from the blood of the innocent Sichemites The end of the fist Book Contemplations THE SIXT BOOKE The vayle of Moses Nadab and Abihu Aaron and Miriam The Searchers of Canaan Corah's Conspiracy At London printed by H. L. for Samuel Macham are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Bull-head 1614. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THOMAS LORD VISCOVNT FENTON Captaine of the Royall Gard one of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuy Counsellors One of the happy rescuers of the deare life of our gratious Soueraigne LORD A worthy patterne of all true Honor I. H. Dedicates this part of his Meditations and vvisheth all increase of Grace and Happinesse ⸪ CONTEMPLATIONS THE SIXT BOOKE The Vayle of Moses IT is a woonder that neither Moses nor any Israelite gathered vp the shiuers of the former Tables Euery sheard of that stone and euery letter of that writing had beene a relique woorth laying vppe but hee well saw how headlong the people vvere to superstition and how vnsafe it were to feede that disposition in them The same zeale that burnt the Calfe to ashes concealed the ruines of this Monument Holy things besides their vse challenge no further respect The breaking of the Tables did as good as blot out all the writing and the vvriting defaced left no vertue in the stone no reuerence to it If GOD had not been friends with Israell hee had not renued his Law As the Israelites were wilfullie blinde if they did not see GODs anger in the Tables broken so could they not but holde it a good signe of grace that GOD gaue them his Testimonies There was nothing wherein Israel out-stripped all the rest of the world more then in this priuiledge the pledge of his couenant the Law written with GODs owne hand Oh what a fauour then is it vvhere GOD bestowes his Gospell vpon any Nation That was but a killing letter this is the power of God to saluation Neuer is GOD throughlie displeased vvith any people where that continues For like as those vvhich purposed loue vvhen they fall off call for their tokens backe againe So vvhen GOD beginnes once perfectlie to mislike the first thing hee withdrawes is his Gospell Israel recouers this fauor but with an abatement Heaw thee two Tables God made the first Tables The matter the forme was his now Moses must heaw the next As God created the first man after his owne image but that once defaced Adam begat Cain after his owne Or as the first Temple razed a second was built yet so farre short that the Israelites wept at the sight of it The first workes of God are still the purest those that hee secondarily vvorkes by vs decline in their perfection It was reason that though God had forgiuen Israel they should still finde they had sinned They might see the foot-steps of displeasure in the differences of the agent When GOD had tolde Moses before I will not go before Israel but my Angel shall lead them Moses so noted the difference that hee rested not till God himselfe vndertooke their conduct So might the Israelites haue noted some remainders of offence whiles in stead of that which his owne hand did formerly make he saith now Heaw thee And yet these second Tables are kept reuerently in the Arke when the other lay mouldred in shiuers vpon Sinai Like as the repayred image of God in our regeneration is preserued perfited and laid vp at last safe in heauen whereas the first image of our created innocence is quite defaced So the second Temple had the glory of Christs exhibition tho meaner in frame The merciful respects of God are not tyed to glorious out-sides or the inward woorthinesse of things or persons Hee hath chosen the weake and simple to confound the wise and mighty Yet God did this vvorke by Moses Moses heawed and God wrote Our true Moses repayres that Law of GOD which wee in our nature had broken Hee reuiues it for vs and it is accepted of GOD no lesse then if the first characters of his Lavv had beene still entire Wee can giue nothing but the Table it is GOD that must write in it Our hearts are but a bare-board till GOD by his finger ingraue his Law in them Yea Lord we are a rough quarrie heaw thou vs out and square vs fit for thee to write vpon Well may wee maruell to see Moses after this ouersight admitted to this charge again Who of vs would not haue said Your care indeede deserues trust you did so carefully keepe the first Tables that it would doe well to trust you with such another burden It was good for Moses that hee had to doe with GOD not with men The GOD of mercy will not impute the slippes of our infirmity to the preiudice of our faithfulnes Hee that after the misse-answere of the one talent would not trust the euill seruant with a second because hee saw a wilfull neglect will trust Moses with his second Law because hee saw fidelitie in the worst errour of his zeale Our charity must learne as to forgiue so to beleeue vvhere vvee haue beene deceiued Not that wee should wilfully beguile our selues in an vniust credulity but that wee should search diligentlie into the disposition of persons and grounds of their actions perhaps none maie bee so sure as they that haue once disappointed vs. Yea Moses brake the first therefore hee must heaw the second If GOD had broken them hee would haue repayred them The amends must bee where the fault was Both GOD and his Church looke for a satisfaction in that wherein wee haue offended It was not long since Moses his former fast of fortie dayes When he then came down from the hill his first question vvas not for meate and now going vppe againe to Sinai hee takes not any repast with him That GOD which sent the Quayles to the host of Israel and Manna from heauen coulde haue fedde him with dainties Hee goes vppe confidently in a secure trust of GODs prouision There is no life to that of faith Man liues not by bread onely The vision of GOD did not onely sate but feast him VVhat a blessed satiety shall there bee when wee shall see him as hee is and hee shall bee all in all to vs since this verie frayle mortalitie of Moses vvas sustained and comforted but with representations of his presence I see Moses the receiuer of the Lavv Elias the restorer of the Lavv CHRIST the fulfiller of the olde Law and authour of the nevv all fasting fortie dayes and these three great fasters I finde together glorious in Mount Tabor Abstinence merits not For Religion consists not in the bellie either full or emptie what are meates or
so pretious a monument as the Tables written with Gods owne hand If we see but the stone vvhich Iacobs head rested on or on which the foot of Christ did once tread we looke vpon it with more then ordinary respect With what eye should wee haue beheld this stone which was hewed and written with the very finger of God Any manuscript scroll written by the hand of a famous man is laid vp amongst our iewels What place then should we haue giuen to the hand-writing of the Almighty That which hee hath dictated to his seruants the Prophets challenges iust honour from vs how dooth that deserue veneration which his owne hand wrote immediately Prophecies and Euangelicall discourses hee hath written by others neuer did hee write any thing himselfe but these Tables of the Law neither did hee euer speak any thing audibly to whole mankinde but it The hand the stone the Law were all his By how much more precious this record was by so much vvas the fault greater of defacing it What King holds it lesse then rebellion to teare his writing and blemish his seale At the first hee ingraued his image in the Table of mans hart Adam blurr'd the image but through Gods mercy sav'd the Tablet Now he writes his will in the Tables of stone Moses breakes the Tables and defac't the writing If they had beene giuen him for himselfe the author the matter had deserv'd that as they were written in stone for permanency So they should be kept for euer and as they were euerlasting in vse so they should bee in preseruation Had they been written in clay they could but haue been broken But now they were giuen for all Israell for all mankind He was but the messenger not the owner Howsoeuer therefore Israell had deserued by breaking this Couenant with GOD to haue this monument of Gods Couenant vvith them broken by the same hand that wrote it Yet how durst Moses thus carelesly cast away the treasure of all the world and by his hands vndoe that which was with such cost and care done by his Creator How durst he faile the trust of that GOD whose pledge he receiued with awe and reuerence Hee that expostulated with God to haue Israel liue and prosper why would hee deface the rule of their life in the keeping wherof they should prosper I see that forty dayes talk with God cannot bereaue a man of passionate infirmity Hee that was the meekest vpon earth in a sudden indignation abandons that which in colde blood hee would haue held faster then his life He forgets the Law written when he saw it broken His zeale for GOD hath transported him from himselfe and his duty to the charge of God Hee more hates the golden Calfe wherein hee saw ingrauen the Idolatry of Israell then hee honor'd the Tables of stone wherein God had ingrauen his commandements and more longed to deface the Idol then hee cared to preserue the Tables Yet that God which so sharply reuenged the breach of one Law vpon the Israelites checks not Moses for breaking both the Tables of the Law The Law of God is spirituall the internall breach of one Law is so haynous that in comparison of it God scarce counts the breaking of the outward Tables a breach of the Law The goodnes of God winks at the errours of honest zeale and so loues the strength of good affections that it passeth ouer their infirmities How highly God doth esteeme a well gouerned zeale vvhen his mercy crownes it with all the faults The Tables had not offended the Calfe had and Israel in it Moses takes reuenge on both Hee burnes and stamps the Calfe to powder and giues it Israel to drinke that they might haue it in their guts in stead of their eies How he hasteth to destroy the Idoll wherein they sinned that as an Idoll is nothing so it might be brought to nothing and Atomes and dust is nearest to nothing that in stead of going before Israel it might passe through them so as the next day they might finde their God in their excrements To the iust shame of Israel when they should see their new God cannot defend himselfe from being either nothing or worse Who can but wonder to see a multitude of so many hundred thousands wheÌ„ Moses came running down the â—ill to turne their eies froÌ„ their god to him And on a sudden in stead of worshipping their Idol to batter it in pieces in the very height of the nouelty In stead of building altars kindling fires to it to kindle an hoter fire then that wherewith it was melted to consume it In stead of dancing before it to abhorre and deface it in stead of singing to weep before it There was neuer a more stiffe-necked people Yet I doe not heare any one man of them say Hee is but one man We are many how easily may we destroy him rather then he our god If his brother durst not resist our motion in making it Why will wee suffer him to dare resist the keeping of it It is our act and we will maintaine it Here was none of this but an humble obeysance to the basest and bloodiest reuenge that Moses shall impose God hath set such an impression of Maiestie in the face of lawfull authoritie that wickednesse is confounded in it selfe to behold it If from hence visible powers were not more feared then the inuisible God the world would be ouerrunne vvith outrage Sinne hath such a guiltinesse in it selfe that vvhen it is seasonably checked it puls in his head and seekes rather an hiding place then a fort The Idoll is not capable of a further reuenge It is not enough vnlesse the Idolaters smart The gold was good if the Israelites had not beene euill So great a sinne cannot be expiated vvithout blood Behold that meeke spirite vvhich in his plea vvith GOD vvould rather perish himself then Israel should perish armes the Leuites against their brethren and reioyces to see thousands of the Israelites bleed and blesses their executioners It was the mercy of Moses that made him cruell Hee had beene cruell to all if some had not found him cruell They are mercilesse hands which are not sometimes embrued in blood There is no lesse charitie then iustice in punishing sinners vvith death GOD delights no lesse in a killing mercy then in a pittifull iustice Some tender hearts would bee ready to censure the rigor of Moses Might not Israell haue repented liued Or if they must die must their brethrens hand be vpon them Or if their throates must bee cut by their brethren shall it be done in the very heat of their sinne But they must learne a difference betwixt pitty and fondnesse mercy and vniustice Moses had an hart as soft as theirs but more hote as pittiful but wiser Hee was a good Physician and saw that Israel could not liue vnlesse he bled he therefore le ts out this corrupt bloud to saue the whole body There cannot