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?

If he

The innocence of Moses calls for revenge on his adversaries. 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 the 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 aud 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.

ment.

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 judgI 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 quicksighted, 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 save so rebellious a people; his courage, that he would save them with so great a danger to 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 them 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 mouths of all.

We

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. have leave to resist the divine judgments by our prayers, with favour and success. So soon as the incense of Aaron ascended up to God, he smelt a savour of rest; he will rather spare the offenders, than strike their inHow hardly can any people miscarry, that have faithful

tercessor.

ministers to sue for their safety! Nothing but the smoke of hearty prayers can cleanse the air from the plagues of God.

If Aaron's sacrifice were thus accepted, how much more shall the High-Priest of the new testament, by interposing himself to the wrath of his Father, deliver the offenders from death? The plague was entered upon all the sons of men. O Saviour, thou stoodest betwixt the living and the dead, that all which believe in thee should not perish! Aaron offered and was not stricken; but thou, O Redeemer, wouldst offer and be struck, that by thy stripes we might be healed! So stoodest thou betwixt the dead and living, that thou wert both alive and dead; and all this, that we, when we were dead, might live for ever.

Nothing more troubled Israel, than a fear lest the two brethren should cunningly engross the government to themselves. If they had done so, what wise men would have envied them an office so little worth, so dearly purchased ? But because this conceit was ever apt to stir them to rebellion, and to hinder the benefit of this holy sovereignty; therefore God hath endeavoured nothing more, than to let them see that these officers, whom they so much envied, were of his own proper institution. They had scarce shut their eyes since they saw the confusion of those two hundred and fifty usurping sacrificers; and Aaron's effectual intercession for staying the plague of Israel.

In the one, the execution of God's vengeance upon the competitors of Aaron, for his sake; in the other, the forbearance of vengeance upon the people for Aaron's mediation, might have challenged their voluntary acknowledgment of his just calling from God. If there had been in them either awe or thankfulness, they could not have doubted of his lawful supremacy. How could they choose but argue thus? Why would God so fearfully have destroyed the rivals that durst contest with Aaron, if he would have allowed him any equal? Wherefore serve those plates of the altar, which we see made of those usurped censers, but to warn all posterity of such presumption! Why should God cease striking, while Aaron interposed betwixt the living and the dead, if he were but as one of us? Which of us, if we had stood in the plague, had not added to the heap? Incredulous minds will not be persuaded with any evidence. These two brothers had lived asunder forty years; God makes them both meet in one office of delivering Israel. One half of the miracles were wrought by Aaron; he struck with the rod, while it brought those plagues on Egypt. The Israelites heard God call him up by name to Mount Sinai; they saw him anointed from God, and (lest they should think this a set match betwixt the brethren) they saw the earth opening, the fire issuing from God upon their emulous opposites: they saw his smoke, a sufficient antidote for the plague of God; and yet still Aaron's calling is questioned.

Nothing is more natural to every man than unbelief: but the earth never yielded a people so strongly incredulous as these; and, after so many thousand generations, their children do inherit their obstinacy; still do they oppose the true High Priest, the anointed of God. Sixteen hundred years' desolation hath not drawn from them to confess him whom God hath chosen.

How desirous was God to give satisfaction even to the obstinate! There is nothing more material, than that men should be assured their

spiritual guides have their commission and calling from God: the want whereof is a prejudice to our success. It should not be so: but the corruption of men will not receive good, but from due messengers.

Before, God wrought miracles in the rod of Moses; now, in the rod of Aaron. As Pharaoh might see himself in Moses' rod, who, of a rod of defence and protection, was turned into a venomous serpent, so Israel might see themselves in the rod of Aaron. Every tribe, and every Israelite was, of himself, as a serestick, without life, without sap; and if any one of them had power to live, and flourish, he must acknowledge it from the immediate power and gift of God.

Before God's calling, all men are alike every name is alike written in their rod; there is no difference in the letters, in the wood; neither the characters of Aaron are fairer, nor the staff more precious. It is the choice of God that makes the distinction; so it is in our calling of Christianity; all are equally devoid of possibility of grace; all equally lifeless; by nature we are all sons of wrath. If we be now better than others, who separated us? We are all crabstocks in this orchard of God, he may graff what fruit he pleases upon us; only the grace, and effectual calling of God, makes the difference.

These twelve heads of Israel would never have written their names in their rods, but in hope they might be chosen to this dignity. What an honour was this priesthood, whereof all the princes of Israel are ambitious! If they had not thought it a high preferment, they had never so much envied the office of Aaron. What shall we think of this change! Is the evangelical ministration of less worth than the Levitical? While the testament is better, is the service worse? How is it, that the great think themselves too good for this employment? How is it, that under the gospel, men are disparaged with that, which honoured them under the law; that their ambition and our scorn meet in one subject?

The

These twelve rods are not laid up in the several cabinets of their owners, but are brought forth and laid before the Lord. It is fit God should make choice of his own attendants. Even we men hold it injurious to have servants obtruded upon us by others. Never shall that man have comfort in his ministry, whom God hath not chosen. great commander of the world hath set every man in his station; to one he hath said, Stand thou in this tower and watch; to another, Make thou good these trenches; to a third, Dig thou in this mine. He that gives, and knows our abilities, can best set us on work.

This road was the pastoral staff of Aaron, the great shepherd of Israel. God testifies his approbation of his charge, by the fruit. That a rod cut off from the tree should blossom, it was strange; but, that in one night it should bear buds, blossoms, fruit, and that both ripe and hard, it was highly miraculous. The same power that revives the dead plants of winter, in the spring, doth it here without earth, without time, without sun, that Israel might see and grant, it was no reason his choice should be limited, whose power is unlimited.

Fruitfulness is the best argument of the calling of God: not only all the plants of his setting, but the very boughs cut off from the body of them, will flourish. And that there may not want a succession of increase, here are fruit, blossoms, buds; both proof and hope, inseparably mixed.