to reuenge this impietie because the sons of Aaron did it God had both pardoned graced their father he had honored thē of the thousands of Israel culling them out for his altar and now as their father set vp a false God so they bring false fire vnto the true God If the sonnes of Infidels liue godlesly they doe their kinde their punishment shall be though iust yet lesse but if the children of religious parents after all Christian nourture shall shame their Education GOD takes it more haynously and reuenges it more sharply The more bonds of duty the more plagues of neglect If from the agents we looke to the act it selfe set aside the originall descent vvhat difference vvas there betwixt these fyres Both lookt alike heated alike ascended alike consumed alike Both were fedde with the same materiall wood both vanished into smoake There was no difference but in the commandement of God If God had inioyned ordinary fyre they had sinned to look for celestiall now he commaunded onely the fire which hee sent they sinned in sending vp incense in that fire which he commaunded not It is a dangerous thing in the seruice of God to decline from his owne institutions vvee haue to do with a power which is wise to prescribe his own worship iust to require what he hath prescribed powerfull to reuenge that which he hath not required If God had strooke them with some leprosie in their forehead as he did their Aunt Miriam soon after or with some palsy or lingering consumption the punishment had been grieuous but he whose iudgments are euer iust sometimes secret saw fire the fittest reuenge for a sin of fire his owne fire fittest to punish strange fire A suddaine iudgement fitte for a present and exemplary sin Hee saw that if hee had winkt at this his seruice had been exposed to profanation It is wisedome in Gouernours to take sinne at the first bound and so to reuenge it that their punishments may bee preuentions Speed of death is not alwaies a iudgement suddennes as it is euer iustly suspicable so then certainely argues anger when it findes vs in an act of sin Leasure of repentance is an argument of fauour when God giues a man lawe it implyes that hee would not haue iudgement surprise him Doubtlesse Aaron lookt somewhat heauily on this sad spectacle It could not but appall him to see his two sonnes dead before him dead in displeasure dead suddenly dead by the immediat hand of God And now hee could repent him of his new honor to see it succeed so ill with the sonnes of his loines neither could he chuse but see himself striken in them But his brother Moses that had learned not to knowe either nephews or brother when they stood in his way to God wisely turned his eies from the dead carcasses of his sonnes to his respect of the liuing GOD My Brother this euent is fearefull but iust These vvere thy sonnes but they sinned it vvas not for GOD it is not for thee to looke so much who they were as what they did It was their honor and thine that they were chosen to minister before the Lord Hee that called them iustly required their sanctification and obedience If they haue profaned God and themselues can thy naturall affection so miscary thee that thou couldest wish their impunity with the blemish of thy Maker Our sons are not ours if they disobey our Father to pitty their misery is to partake of their sinne If thou grudge at their iudgement take heed least the same fyre of GOD come forth vpon this strange fyre of nature Showe now whether thou more louest GOD or thy sonnes Show whether thou be a better father or a sonne Aaron weighing these things holds his peace not out of an amazement or fullennesse but out of patient and humble submission and seeing Gods pleasure their desert is content to forget that he had sons He might haue had a silent tongue and a clamorous hart There is no voice lowder in the eares of GOD then a a speechless repining of the soule Heat is more intended with keeping in but Aarons silence was no lesse inward Hee knew how little hee should get by brauling with GOD. If hee breathed out discontentment hee saw GOD could speake fire to him againe And therefore he quietly submits to the will of God and held his peace because the Lord had done it There is no greater proofe of grace then to smart patiently humbly and contentedly to rest the hart in the iustice wisdome of Gods proceeding and to be so far from chiding that we dispute not Nature is froward and tho she well knowes wee meddle not with our match when wee striue with our Maker yet she pricks vs forward to this idle quarrell and bids vs with Iobs wife Curse and die If God either chide or smite as seruants are charged to their Maisters we may not answere againe when Gods hand is on our backe our hand must bee on our mouth else as mothers do their children God shall whippe vs so much the more for crying It is hard for a stander by in this case to distinguish betwixt hard-hartednes and pietie There Aaron sees his sons ly hee may neither put his hand to them to bury them nor shed a teare for theyr death Neuer parent can haue iuster cause of mourning then to see his sons dead in their sinne if prepared and penitent yet vvho can but sorrow for their end but to part with children to the danger of a second death is woorthy of more then teares Yet Aaron must learne so farre to denie nature that hee must more magnify the iustice of GOD then lament the iudgement Those vvhom GOD hath called to his immediat seruice must knowe that hee will not allow them the common passions and cares of others Nothing is more naturall then sorrow for the death of our owne if euer griefe bee seasonable it becoms a funerall And if Nadab Abihu had died in their beds this fauour had been allowed them the sorow of their father and brethren for when GOD forbids solemne mourning to his Priests ouer the dead he excepts the cases of this neerenesse of bloud Now all Israel may mourne for these two onely the father and brethren may not God is iealous least their sorow should seeme to countenance the sinne which he had punished euen the fearfullest acts of GOD must bee applauded by the heauiest hearts of the faithfull That which the father brother may not doe the cozens are commanded Dead carcasses are not for the presence of GOD His iustice was showne sufficiently in killing them They are now fit for the graue not the sanctuarie Neither are they carried out naked but in their coats It was an vnusuall sight for Israell to see a linnen Ephod vpon the beere The iudgement vvas so much more remarkable because they had the badge of their calling vpon their backs Nothing is either
easily create a voyce without a body as a body without a voyce Who now can heerafter plead his simplicity and dulnes of apprehending spiritual things when he sees how God exalts the eyes of a beast to see a spirit Who can be proud of seeing visions since an Angel appeared to a beast neither was his skin better after it then others of his kinde Who can complaine of his owne rudenesse and inability to reply in a good cause when the very beast is inabled by God to conuince his maister There is no mouth into which GOD cannot put words and how oft dooth he choose the weake and vnwise to confound the learned and mighty What had it beene better for the asse to see the Angell if hee had rushed still vpon his sword Euills were as good not seene as not auoyded But now hee declines the way and saues his burden It were happy for peruerse sinners if they could learne of this beast to run away from foreseene iudgements The reuenging Angel stands before vs and though we knowe we shall as sure die as sinne yet we haue not the witte or grace to giue backe though it bee with the hurt of a foot to saue the body with the paine of the body to saue the soule I see what fury and stripes the impotent Prophet bestowes vpon this poore beast because hee will not goe on yet if he had gone on himselfe had perished How oft doe we wish those things the not obtaining whereof is mercy We grudge to be staid in the way to death fly vpon those which oppose our perdition I doe not as who would not expect see Balaams haire stand vpright nor himselfe alighting and appalled at this monster of miracles But as if no new thing had happened he returnes words to the beast full of anger voyde of admiration Whether his trade of sorcering had so inured him to receiue voyces from his familiars in shape of beasts that this euent seemed not strange to him Or whether his rage and couetousnes had so transported him that hee had no leasure to obserue the vnnaturall vnusualnes of the euent Some men make nothing of those things which ouercome others with horror and astonishment I heare the Angel of GOD taking notice of the cruelty of Balaam to his beast His first vvordes to the vnmercifull Prophet are in expostulating of this wrong Wee little thinke it but God shal call vs to an account for the vnkinde and cruell vsages of his poor mute creatures He hath made vs Lords not tyrants owners not tormentors hee that hath giuen vs leaue to kill them for our vse hath not giuen vs leaue to abuse them at our pleasure they are so our drudges that they are our fellowes by creation It was a signe the Magician would easily wish to strike Israell vvith a curse vvhen hee vvished a sworde to strike his harmelesse beast It is ill falling into those hands whome beasts finde vnmercifull Notwithstanding these rubs Balaam goes on and is not afraide to ride on that beast whose voyce he hath heard And now postes are sped to Balac with the newes of so welcome a guest Hee that sent Princes to fetch him comes himselfe on the way to meet him Although hee can say Am not I able to promote thee yet hee giues this high respect to him as his better from whome hee expected the promotion of himselfe and his people Oh the honour that hath beene formerlie done by heathens to them that haue borne but the face of Prophets I shame and grieue to compare the times and men Onely O GOD bee thou mercifull to the contempt of thy seruants As if nothing needed but the presence of Balaam the superstitious King out of the ioy of his hope feasts his gods his Prophet his Princes and on the morrowe carryes him vppe to the high-places of his Idol Who can doubt whether Balaam were a false Prophet that sees him sacrificing in the mount of Baal Had he bin from the true God he would rather haue said Pull me downe these altars of Baal then Builde me heere seuen others The very place conuinces him of falshood and Idolatry And why seuen altars What needs all this pompe When the true God neuer required but one at once as himselfe is one why doth the false Prophet call for no lesse then seuen As if GOD stood vpon numbers As if the Almighty would haue his power either diuided or limited Here is nothing but a glorious and magnificent pretence of deuotion It hath beene euer seene that the false worshippers of GOD haue made more pompous showes and fairer flourishes of their piety and religion then the true Now when Balaam sees his seuen bulloks and seuen rams smoking vpon his seuen altars he goes vp higher into the mount as som counterfair Moses to receiue the answere of God But will GOD meet with a sorcerer wil he make a Prophet of a Magician O man who shall prescribe God what instruments to vse he knowes how to imploy not onely Saints and Angels but wicked men beasts Diuels to his owne glory Hee that put words into the mouth of the Asse puts wordes into the mouth of Balaam The words doe but passe from him They are not polluted because they are not his as the Trunk through which a man speakes is not the more eloquent for the speech that is vttred through it What a notable proclamation had the Infidels wanted of Gods fauor to his people if Balaams tongue had not beene vsed How many shall once say Lord we haue prophecied in thy name that shall heare Verely I knowe you not What madnes is this in Balaam He that found himselfe constant in soliciting thinks to finde GOD not constant in denying and as if that infinite Deity were not the same euery where hopes to change successe with places Neither is that bolde forehead ashamed to importune God againe in that wherein his owne mouth had testified an assurance of deniall The reward was in one of his eyes the reuenging Angel in the other I know not whether for the time hee more loued the bribe or feared the Angel And whiles hee is in this distraction his tongue blesses against his heart and his heart curses against his tongue It angers him that he dare not speake what he would and now at last rather then lose his hopes he resolues to speake vvorse then curses The feare of GODs iudgement in a worldly heart is at length ouer come vvith the loue of gain PHINEAS BAlaam pretended an hast homeward but he lingred so long that he left his bones in Midiam How iustly did he perish with the sword of Israel whose tongue had insensibly slain so many thousands of them As it is vsually said of the Diuell that he goes away in a stench so may it truely be saide of this Prophet of his According to the fashion of all hypocrites his words were good his actions abhominable Hee would not curse but hee
fauour Commonly those fruites which are soone ripe soone wither but these almonds of Aarons rod are not more early then lasting the same hand which brought them out before their time preserued them beyond their time and for perpetuall memory both rod and fruit must be kept in the Arke of God The tables of Moses the rod of Aaron the Manna of God are monumeÌ„ts fit for so holy a shrine The doctrine sacraments gouernmeÌ„t of Gods people are precious to him must be so to meÌ„ All times shall see wonder how his ancieÌ„t Church was fed taught ruled Moses his rod did great miracles yet I find it not in the Ark. The rod of Aaron hath this priuiledge because it caried the miracle stil in it selfe whereas the wonders of that other rod were passed Those monuments wold God haue continued in his church which cary in them the most manifest euidences of that which they import The same God which by many transient demonstrations had approued the calling of Aaron to Israel will now haue a permanent memoriall of their conviction that whensoeuer they should see this relique they should be ashamed of their presumption infidelity The name of Aaron vvas not more plainly written in that rod then the sinne of Israel was in the fruit of it and how much Israel findes their rebellion beaten with this rod appears in their present relenting complaint Behold we are dead wee perish God knowes how to pull downe the biggest stomach and can extort glory to his own Name from the most obstinate gainsayers The Brasen Serpent SEauen times alreadie hath Israel mutin'd against Moses and seauen times hath eyther been threatned or punished yet now they fal to it afresh As a teastie man findes occasion to chafe at euery trifle so this discontented people either finde or make all things troublesome One while they haue no water then bitter One while no God then one too many One while no bread then bread enough but too light One while they will not abide their Gouernours then they cannot abide their losse Aaron and Miriam were neuer so grudged aliue as they are bewailed dead Before they wanted onions garlike flesh-pots now they vvant figges vines pomgranats corne And as rabid children that cry for euery thing they can think of are whipped by their wise mother So God iustly serues these fond Israelites It was first their way that makes them repine They were faine to goe round about Idumea The iourney was long and troublesome They had sent intreaties to Edom for licence of passage the next way reasonably submislie It was churlishly deny'd them Esau liues still in his posteritie Iacob in Israel The combat which they began in Rebeccaes bellie is not yet ended Amalek vvhich was one limme of Esau followes them at the heels The Edomite which was another meets them in the face So long as there is a World there will bee opposition to the chosen of God They may come at their perill The way had beene neerer but bloodie they dare not goe it and yet complaine of length If they were afrayde to purchase their resting place vvith warre how much lesse would they their passage What should GOD doe with impatient men They will not goe the nearest way and yet complaine to goe about He that will passe to the promised Land must neither stande vppon length of way nor difficultie Euery way hath his inconueniences the nearest hath more danger the farthest hath more paine Either or both must be ouercome if euer wee will enter the rest of God Aaron and Miriam were now past the danger of their muâ—inyes for want of another match they ioyne GOD vvith Moses in their murmurings Tho they had not mentioned him they could not seuer him in their insurrection For in the causes of his own seruants he challenges euen when he is not challenged What will become of thee O Israel when thou makest thy Maker thine enemy Impatience is the cozen to Frensie this causes men not to care vpon whom they runne so they may breathe out some reuenge How oft haue we heard men that haue bin displeased by others teare the Name of their Maker in peeces Hee that will iudge and can confound is fetcht into the quarrell vvithout cause But if to striue with a mighty man be vnwise vnsafe what shall it be to striue with the mightie GOD As an angry childe casts away that which is giuen him because he hath not that he would so do these foolish Israelites their bread is light and their water vnsatisfying because their way displeased them Was euer people fed with such bread or water Twise hath the very Rock yielded them water and euery day the heauen affords them bread Did any one soule amongst them miscary either for hunger or thirst But no bread will downe with them saue that which the earth yeelds no water but from the naturall Wells or Riuers Vnlesse nature may be allowed to bee her owne caruer shee is neuer contented Manna had no fault but that it was too good and too frequent the pulse of Egypt had been fitter for these course mouthes This heauenly bread was vnspeakably delicious it tasted like wafers of hony and yet euen this Angels foode is contemned Hee that is full despiseth an Hony-comb How sweet and delicate is the Gospel Not only the Fathers of the old Testament but the Angels desired to looke into the glorious mysteries of it and yet wee are cloyed This supernaturall foode is too light the bread-corne of our humane reason and profound discourse would better content vs. Moses will not reuenge this wrong God will yet will he not deale with them himselfe but hee sends the fiery serpents to answer for him How fitly They had caried themselues like serpents to their gouernors how oft had they stung Moses and Aaron neare to death If the serpent bite when he is not charmed no better is a slaunderer Now these venomous Adders reuenge it vvhich are therefore called fiery because their poyson scalded to death God hath an 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 vs without him Whiles they were in Goshen the frogs lice caterpillers spared theÌ„ and plagued the Egyptians now they are rebellious in the desert the serpents finde theÌ„ out sting theÌ„ to death He that brought the quailes thither to feed theÌ„ fetches these Serpents thither to punish them While we are at warres with God we can looke for no peace with his creatures Euery thing reioyces to execute the vengeance of his Maker The stones of the field wil not be in league with vs while we are not in league with GOD. These men when the spies had tolde them newes of the giants of Canaan a little before had wished Would GOD we were dead in this Wildernesse Now GOD hath heard their praiers what with the plague