men in the law, and in the gospel. There, the very hill where he appeared may not be touched by the purest Israelite. Here, the hem of his garment is touched by the woman that had the flux of blood; yea, his very face was touched with the lips of Judas. There, the very earth was prohibited them, on which he descended. Here, his very body and blood is proffered to our touch and taste. O the marvellous kindness of our God! How unthankful are we, if we do not acknowledge this mercy above his ancient people! They were his own; yet strangers, in comparison of our liberty. It is our shame and sin, if, in these means of entireness, we be no better acquainted with God than they, which in their greatest familiarity were commanded aloof. God was ever wonderful in his works, and fearful in his judgments; but he was never so terrible in the execution of his will, as now in the promulgation of it. Here was nothing but a majestical terror in the eyes, in the ears, of the Israelites, as if God meant to show them by this how fearful he could be. Here was the lightning darted in their eyes, the thunders roaring in their ears, the trumpet of God drowning the thunder-claps, the voice 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, paleness and death in the face of Israel, uproar in the elements, and all the glory of heaven turned into terror. In the destruction of the first world, there were clouds without fire; in the destruction of Sodom, there was fire raining without clouds: but here was fire, smoke, clouds, thunder, earthquakes, and whatsoever might work more astonishment than ever was in any vengeance inflicted. And if the law were thus given, how shall it be required? If such were the proclamation of God's statutes, what shall the sessions be? I see and tremble at the resemblance. The trumpet of the angel called unto the one: the voice of an archangel, the trumpet of God, shall summon us to the other. To the one, Moses (that climbed up that hill, and alone saw it) says, "God came with ten thousands of his saints." In the other, "Thousand thousands shall minister to him, and ten thousand thousands shall stad 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 heavens shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt away with a noise. O God, how powerful art thou to inflict vengeance upon sinners, who didst thus forbid sin! And if thou wert so terrible a lawgiver, what a judge shalt thou appear! What shall become of the breakers of so fiery a law? O where shall those appear, that are guilty of the transgressing that law, whose very delivery was little less than death? If our God should exact his law but in the same rigour wherewith he gave it, sin could not quit the cost. But now the fire, wherein it was delivered, was but terrifying; the fire, wherein it shall be required, is consuming. Happy are those that are from under the terrors of that law, which was given in fire, and in fire shall be required! God would have Israel see, that they had not to do with some impotent commander, that is fain to publish his laws, without noise, in dead paper, which can more easily enjoin than punish, or descry than execute; and therefore, before he gives them a law, he shows them that he can command heaven, earth, fire, air, in revenge of the breach of the law, that they could not but think it deadly to displease such a lawgiver, or violate such dreadful statutes; that they might see all the elements examples of that obedience which they should yield unto their Maker. This fire, wherein the law was given, is still in it, and will never out: hence are those terrors which it flashes in every conscience that hath felt remorse of sin. Every man's heart is a Sinai, and resembles to him both heaven and hell: "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law." That they might see he could find out their closest sins, he delivers his law in the light of fire from out of the smoke. That they might see what is due to their sins, they see fire above, to represent the fire that should be below them. That they might know he could waken their security, the thunder and louder voice of God speaks to their hearts. That they might see what their hearts should do, the earth quakes under them. That they might see they could not shift their appearance, the angel calls them together. O royal law, and mighty lawgiver! how could they think of having any other God, that had such proofs of this! How could they think of making any resemblance of him, whom they saw could not be seen, and whom they saw, in not being seen, infinite! How could they think of daring to profane his name, whom they heard to name himself, with that voice, Jehovah! How could they think of standing with him for a day, whom they saw to command that heaven which makes and measures day! How could they think of disobeying his deputies, whom they saw so able to revenge! How could they think of killing, when they were half dead with the fear of him that could kill both body and soul! How could they think of the flames of lust, that saw such fires of vengeance! How could they think of stealing from others, that saw whose the heaven and the earth were, to dispose of at his pleasure! How could they think of speaking falsely, that heard God speak in so fearful a tone! How could they think of coveting others' goods, that saw how weak and uncertain right they had to their own! Yea, to us was this law so delivered, to us in them. Neither had their been such state in the promulgation of it, if God had not intended it for eternity. We men, that so fear the breach of human laws, for some small mulcts of forfeiture, how should we fear thee, O Lord, that canst cast body and soul into hell! CONTEMPLATION VI. OF THE GOLDEN CALF. It was not much above a month since Israel made their covenant with God; since they trembled to hear him say, "Thou shalt have no other God but me;" since they saw Moses part from them, and climb up the hill to God; and now they say, "Make us gods: we know not what is become of this Moses." O ye mad Israelites, have ye so soon forgotten that fire and thunder which you heard and saw? Is that smoke vanished out of your mind, as soon as out of your sight? Could your hearts cease to tremble with the earth? Can ye, in the very sight of Sinai, call for other gods? And for Moses, was it not for your sakes that he thrust himself into the midst of that smoke and fire, which ye feared to see afar off? Was he not now gone after so many sudden embassages, to be your lieger with God? If ye had seen him take his heels, and run away from you into the wilderness, what could ye have said or done more? Behold, our better Moses was with us awhile upon earth: he is now ascended into the mount of heaven to mediate for us: shall we now think of another Saviour? Shall we not hold it our happiness, that he is for our sakes above? And what if your Moses had been gone for ever? Must ye therefore have gods made? If ye had said, Choose us another governor, it had been a wicked and unthankful motion: ye were too unworthy of a Moses, inat could so soon forget him. But to say, "Make us gods," was absurdly impious. Moses was not your god, but your governor; neither was the presence of God tied to Moses. You saw God still, when he was gone, in his pillar, and in his manna; and yet ye say, "Make us gods." Every word is full of senseless wickedness. How many gods would you have? or what gods are those that can be made! Or, whatever the idolatrous Egyptians did, with what face can ye, after so many miraculous obligations, speak of another god? Had the voice of God scarce done thundering in your ears? Did ye so lately hear and see him to be an infinite God? Did ye quake to hear him say, out of the midst of the flames, "I am Jehovah thy God; thou shalt have no gods but me?" Did ye acknowledge God your Maker; and do ye now speak of making of gods? If ye had said, Make us another man to go before us, it had been an impossible suit. Aaron might help to mar you and himself; he could not make one hair of a man: and do ye say, "Make us gods?" And what should these gods do? "Go before you?" How could they go before you, that cannot stand alone? Your help makes them to stand, and yet they must conduct you. O the impatient ingratitude of carnal minds! O the sottishness of idolatry! Who would not have said, Moses is not with us; but he is with God for us? He stays long. He that called him withholds him. His delay is for our sakes, as well as his ascent. Though we see him not, we will hope for him. His favours to us have deserved not to be rejected: or, if God will keep him from us, he that withholds him, can supply him. He that sent him, can lead us without him; his fire and cloud is allsufficient. God hath said, and done enough for us, to make us trust him. We will, we can, have no other God; we care not for any other guide. But, behold, here is none of this. Moses stays but some five and thirty days, and now he is forgotten, and is become but "this Moses ;" yea, God is forgotten with him; and, as if God and Moses had been lost at once, they say, "Make us gods." Natural men must have God at their beck: and if he come not at a call, he is cast off, and they take themselves to their own shifts; like as the Chinese whip their gods when they answer them not: whereas his holy ones wait long, and seek him; and not only in their sinking, but from the bottom of the deeps, call upon him; " and though he kill them, will trust in him." Superstition besots the minds of men, and blinds the eye of reason; and first makes them not men, ere it makes them idolaters. How else could he that is the image of God, fall down to the images of creatures? How could our forefathers have so doated upon stocks and stones, if they had been themselves? As the Syrians were first blinded, and then led into the midst of Samaria, so are idolaters first bereaved of their wits and common sense, and afterwards are carried brutishly into all palpable impiety. them dance before it. It is a miserable thing, when governors humour the people in their sins, and instead of making up the breach, enlarge it. Sin will take heart by the approbation of the meanest looker on; but if authority once second it, it grows impudent: as contrarily, where the public government opposes evil, though it be under-hand practised, not without fear, there is life in that state. Aaron might have learned counsel of his brother's example. When they came to him with stones in their hands, and said, "Give us water," he ran as roundly to God with prayers in his mouth: so should Aaron have done, when they said, "Give us gods;" but he weakly runs to their earrings, that which should be made their god, not to the true God which they had, and forsook. Who can promise to himself freedom from gross infirmities, when he that went up into the mount comes down, and doth that in the valley which he heard forbidden in the hill? I see yet, and wonder at the mercy of that God which had justly called himself jealous. This very Aaron, whose infirmity had yielded to so foul an idolatry, is after chosen by God to be a priest to himHe that had set up an altar to the calf, must serve at the altar of God. He that had melted and carved out the calf for a god, must sacrifice calves and rams and bullocks unto the true God. He that consecrated a day to the idol, is himself consesecrated to him which was dishonoured by the idol. The grossest of all sins cannot prejudice the calling of God; yea, as light is best seen in darkness, the mercy of God is most magnified in our unworthiness. Who would not have been ashamed to hear this answer from the brother of Moses, "Pluck off your ear-rings?" He should have said, "Pluck this idolatrous thought out of your hearts." And now, instead of chiding, he soothes them. And, as if he had been no kin to Moses, he helps to lead them back again from God to Egypt. The people importuned him, perhaps with threats. He that had waded through all the menaces of Pharaoh, doth he now shrink at the threats of his own? Moses is not afraid of the terrors of God: his faith, that carried him through the water, led himself. up to the fire of God's presence; while his brother Aaron fears the faces of those men, which he lately saw pale with the fear of their glorious Lawgiver: as if he, that forbade other gods, could not have maintained his own act and agent against men. Sudden fears, when they have possessed weak minds, lead them to shameful errors. Importunity or violence may lessen, but they cannot excuse a fault. Wherefore was he a governor, but to depress their disordered motions? Facility of yielding to a sin, or wooing it with our voluntary suit, is a higher stair of evil; but even at last to be won to sin, is damnable. It is good to resist any onset of sin; but one condescent loses all the thanks of our opposition. What will it avail a man that others are plagued for soliciting him, while he smarteth for yielding? If both be in hell, what ease is it to him that another is deeper in the pit? What now did Aaron? Behold, he that alone was allowed to climb up the trembling and fiery hill of Sinai with Moses, and heard God say, "Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, for I am a jealous God," as if he meant particularly to prevent this act, within one month calls for their ear-rings, makes the graven image of a calf, erects an altar, consecrates a day to it, calls it their god, and weeps not to see What a difference God puts between per sons and sins! While so many thousand Israelites were slain, that had stomachfully desired the idol, Aaron, that in weakness condescended, is both pardoned the fact, and afterwards laden with honour from God. Let no man take heart to sin from mercy. He that can purpose to sin upon the knowledge of God's mercy in the remission of infirmities, presumes, and makes himself a wilful offender. It is no comfort to the wilful that there is remission to the weak and penitent. This The ear-rings are plucked off. Egyptian jewels are fit for an idolatrous use. very gold was contagious. It had been better the Israelites had never borrowed these ornaments, than that they should pay them back to the idolatry of their first owners. What cost the superstitious Israelites are content to be at for this lewd devotion! The riches and pride of their | outward habit are they willing to part with to their molten god; as glad to have their ears bare, that they might fill their eyes. No gold is too dear for their idol: each man is content to spoil his wives and children of that whereof they spoiled the Egyptians. Where are those worldlings that cannot abide to be at any cost for their religion? which could be content to do God chargeless service? These very Israelites that were ready to give gold, not out of their purses, but from their very ears, to misdevotion, shall once condemn them. O sacrilege succeeding to superstition! Of old they were ready to give gold to the false service of God; we, to take away gold from the true. How do we see men prodigal to their lusts and ambitions, and we hate not to be niggards to God! This gold is now grown to a calf. Let no man think that form came forth casually, out of the melted ear-rings. This shape was intended by the Israelites, and perfected by Aaron. They brought this god in their hearts with them out of Egypt, and now they set it up in their eyes. Still doth Egypt hurt them. Servitude was the least evil that Israel receives from Egypt; for that sent them still to the true God, but this idolatrous example led them to a false. The very sight of evil is dangerous; and it is hard for the heart not to run into those sins, to which the eye and ear are inured. Not out of love, but custom, we fall into some offences. The Israelites wrought so long in the furnaces of the Egyptians' brick, that they have brought forth a molten calf. The black calf with the white spots, which they saw worshipped in Egypt, hath stolen their hearts; and they which before would have been at the Egyptian flesh-pots, would now be at their devotions. How many have fallen into a fashion of swearing, scoffing, drinking, out of the usual practice of others; as those that live in an ill air are infected with diseases. A man may pass through Ethiopia unchanged, but he cannot dwell there and not be discoloured. Their sin was bad enough: let not our uncharitableness make it worse. No man may think they have so put off humanity, and sense, with their religion, as to think that calf a god, or that this idol, which they saw yesterday made, did bring them out of Egypt three months ago: this were to make them more beasts than that calf which this image represented. Or, if they should have been so insensate. can we think that Aaron could be thus desperately mad? The image and the holy day were both to one deity: "To-morrow is the holy day of the Lord your God." It was the true God they meant to worship in the calf; and yet at best this idolatry is shameful. It is no marvel if this foul sin seeks pretences; yet no excuse can hide the shame of such a face. God's jealousy is not stirred only by the rivality of a false god, but of a false worship. Nothing is more dangerous than to mint God's services in our own brain. God sends down Moses to remedy this sin. He could as easily have prevented, as redressed it. He knew ere Moses came up what Israel would do ere he came down; likeas he knew the two tables would be broken, ere he gave them. God most wisely permits and ordinates sin to his own ends, without our excuse: and though he could easily by his own hands remedy evils, yet he will do it by means both ordinary and subordinate. It is not for us to look for any immediate redress from God, when we have a Moses, by whom it may be wrought. Since God himself expects this from man, why should man expect it from God? As Now might Moses have found a time to have been even with Israel for all their unthankfulness, and mutinous insurrections: "Let me alone: I will consume them, and make of thee a mighty nation." Moses should not need to solicit God for revenge: God solicits him, in a sort, for leave to revenge. Who would look for such a word from God to man, “Let me alone?" yet Moses had said nothing: before he opens his mouth, God prevents his importunity, as foreseeing that holy violence which the requests of Moses would offer to him. Moses stood trembling before the majesty of his Maker; and yet hears him say, "Let me alone." The mercy of our God hath, as it were, obliged his power to the faith of men. The fervent prayers or the faithful hold the hands of the Almighty. As I find it said afterwards of Christ, That "he could do no miracles there, because of their unbelief:" so now I hear God (as if he could not do execution upon Israel, because of Moses' faith) say, "Let me alone, that I may consume them." We all naturally affect propriety, and like our own so much better, as it is freer from partners. Every one would be glad to say, with that proud one, "I am, and there is none beside me so much the more sweetly would this message have sounded to nature, " I will consume them and make of thee a mighty nation." How | had wrought, promises not to do that which many endeavour that, not without danger of curses and uproar, which was voluntarily tendered unto Moses! Whence are our depopulations and inclosures, but for that men cannot abide either fellows or neighbours? But how graciously doth Moses strive with God, against his own preferment ! If God had threatened, "I will consume thee, and make of them a mighty nation," I doubt whether he could have been more moved. The more a man can leave himself behind him, and aspire to a care of community, the more spiritual he is. Nothing makes a man so good a patriot as religion. Oh the sweet disposition of Moses, fit for him that should be familiar with God! He saw they could be content to be merry and happy without him: he would not be happy without them. They had professed to have forgotten him: he slacks not to sue for them. He that will ever hope for good himself, must return good for evil unto others. Yet, it was not Israel so much that Moses respected, as God in Israel. He was thrifty and jealous for his Maker; and would not have him lose the glory of his mighty deliverances; nor would abide a pretence for any Egyptian dog to bark against the powerful work of God: "Wherefore shall the Egyptians say?" If Israel could have perished without dishonour to God, perhaps his hatred to their idolatry would have overcome his natural love, and he had let God alone. Now so tender is he over the name of God, that he would rather have Israel escape with a sin, than God's glory should be blemished in the opinions of men by a just judgment. He saw that the eyes and tongues of all the world were intent upon Israel, a people so miraculously fetched from Egypt, whom the sea gave way to; whom heaven fed; whom the rock watered; whom the fire and cloud guarded; which heard the audible voice of God. He knew withal, how ready the world would be to misconstrue, and how the heathens would be ready to cast imputations of levity or impotence upon God; and therefore says, "What will the Egyptians say?" Happy is that man which can make God's glory the scope of all his actions and desires; neither cares for his own welfare, nor fears the miseries of others, but with respect to God in both. If God had not given Moses this care of his glory, he could not have had it: and now his goodness takes it so kindly, as if himself had received a favour from his creature; and, for a reward of the grace he he threatened. But what needs God to care for the speech of the Egyptians—men, infidels? And if they had been good, yet their censure should have been unjust. Shall God care for the tongues of men; the holy God for the tongues of infidels? The very Israelites, now they were from under the hands of Egypt, cared not for their words; and shall the God of heaven regard that which is not worth the regard of men? Their tongues could not talk against God, but from himself; and if it could have been the worse for him, would he have permitted it? But, O God, how dainty art thou of thine honour, that thou canst not endure the worst of men should have any colour to taint it! What, do we men stand upon our justice and innocence, with neglect of all unjust censures, when that infinite God, whom no censures can reach, will not abide that the very Egyptians should falsely tax his power and mercy! Wise men must care, not only to deserve well, but to hear well, and to wipe off, not only crimes, but censures. There was never so precious a monument as the tables written with God's own hand. If we see but the stone which Jacob's head rested on, or on which the foot of Christ did once tread, we look upon it with more than ordinary respect. With what eye should we have 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 up amongst our jewels: what place then should we have given to the handwriting of the Almighty? That which he hath dictated to his servants the prophets, challenges just honour from us: how doth that deserve veneration, which his own hand wrote immediately? Prophecies and evangelical discourses he hath written by others; never did he write any thing himself, but these tables of the law; nor did he ever speak any thing audibly to the whole of mankind, but it. The hand, the stone, the law, were all his. By how much more precious this record was, by so much was the fault greater of defacing it. What king holds it less than rebellion to tear his writing and blemish his seal? At the first, he engraved his image in the table of man's heart; Adam blurred the image, but, through God's mercy, saved the tablet. Now he writes his will in the tables of stone; Moses breaks the tables, and defaces the writing. If they had been given him for himself, the author, the matter had deserved, that |