return them stones for their prayers. Such hath been ever the thanks of fidelity and truth. Crossed wickedness proves desperate, and, instead of yielding, seeks for revenge. Nothing is so hateful to a resolute sinner as good counsel. We are become enemies to the world, because we tell them truth.

That God, which was invisibly present while they sinned, when they have sinned, shows himself glorious. They might have | seen him before, that they should not sin; now they cannot choose but see him in the height of their sin. They saw before the pillar of his ordinary presence; now, they see him unusually terrible, that they may, with shame and horror, confess him able to defend, able to revenge. The help of God uses to show itself in extremity. He that can prevent evils, conceals his aid till danger be ripe; and then he is as fearful as before he seemed connivent.

CONTEMPLATION V.—KORAH'S CONSPIRACY.

THE tears of Israel were scarce dry since the smart of their last mutiny, and now they begin another. The multitude is like a raging sea, full of unquiet billows of discontentment, whereof one rises in the fall of another. They saw God did but threaten, and therefore are they bold to sin. It was now high time they should know what it is for God to be angry. There was never such a revenge taken of Israel; never any better deserved. When lesser warnings will not serve, God looks into his quiver for deadly arrows. In the meantime, what a weary life did Moses lead in these continual successions of conspiracies! What did he gain by this troublesome government, but danger and despite? Who but he would not have wished himself rather with the sheep of Jethro, than with these wolves of Israel? But, as he durst not quit his hook without the calling of God, so now he dare not his sceptre, except he be dismissed of him that called him; no troubles, no oppositions, can drive him from his place: we are too weak if we suffer men to chase us from that station where God hath set us.

I see the Levites, not long since, drawing their swords, for God and Moses, against the rest of Israel; and that fact wins them both praise and blessing. Now they are the forwardest in the rebellion against Moses and Aaron, men of their own tribe. There is no assurance of a man for one act; whom one sin cannot fasten upon, another may. Yea, the same sin may find a repulse one

while from the same hand, which another time gives it entertainment; and that yieldance loses the thank of all the former resistance. It is no praise to have done once well, unless we continue.

Outward privileges of blood can avail nothing against a particular calling of God. These Reubenites had the right of the natural primogeniture, yet do they vainly challenge pre-eminence, where God hath subjected them. If all civil honour flow from the king, how much more from the God of kings! His hand exalts the poor, and casts down the mighty from their throne. The man that will be lifting up himself in the pride of his heart, from under the foot of God, is justly trodden in the dust.

Had

Moses is the prince of Israel, Aaron the priest; Moses was mild, Aaron popular; yet both are conspired against. Their places are no less brothers, than their persons. Both are opposed at once. He that is a traitor to the church, is a traitor to the king. Any superiority is a mark of envy. Moses and Aaron been but fellows with the Israelites, none had been better beloved; their dispositions were such, as must needs have forced favour from the indifferent; now they were advanced, their malice is not inferior to their honour. High towers must look for lightnings. We offer not to undermine but those walls which we cannot scale. Nature, in every man, is both envious and disdainful, and never loves to honour another, but where it may be an honour to itself.

There cannot be conceived an honour less worthy of emulation, than this principality of Israel; a people that could give nothing; a people that had nothing, but in hope; a people whom their leader was fain to feed with bread and water, which paid him no tribute but of ill words; whose command was nothing but a burden: and yet this dignity was an eye-sore to these Levites, and these Reubenites: Ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi."

...

And this challenge, though thus unsea sonable, hath drawn in two hundred and fifty captains of Israel. What wonder is it, that the ten rulers prevailed so much with the multitude to dissuade them from Canaan, when three traitors prevailed thus with two hundred and fifty rulers, famous in the congregation, and men of renown? One man may kindle such a fire, as all the world cannot quench. One plague-sore may infect a whole kingdom: the infection of evil is much worse than the act.

It is not like these leaders of Israel could err without followers. He is a mean man

that draws not some clients after him. It hath been ever a dangerous policy of Satan to assault the best; he knows that the multitude, as we say of bees, will follow their

master.

Nothing can be more pleasing to the vulgar sort, than to hear their governors taxed, and themselves flattered. “All the congregation is holy; every one of them; wherefore lift ye up yourselves?" Every word is a falsehood. For Moses dejected himself: "Who am I?" God lifted him up over Israel; and so was Israel holy, as Moses was ambitious. What holiness was there in so much infidelity, fear, idolatry, mutiny, disobedience? What could make them unclean, if this were holiness? They had scarce wiped their mouths, or washed their hands, since their last obstinacy; and yet these pickthanks say, "All Israel is holy." I would never desire a better proof of a false teacher than flattery. True meaning need not uphold itself by soothing. There is nothing easier than to persuade men well | of themselves: when a man's self-love meets with another's flattery, it is a high praise that will not be believed. It was more out of opposition than belief, that these men plead the holiness of Israel. Violent adversaries, to uphold a side, will maintain those things they believe not.

Moses argues not for himself, but appeals to God; neither speaks for his own right, but his brother Aaron's. He knew that God's immediate service was worthy to be more precious than his government; that his princedom served but to the glory of his master. Good magistrates are more tender over God's honour than their own; and more sensible of the wrongs offered to religion, than to themselves.

It is safest to trust God with his own causes. If Aaron had been chosen by Israel, Moses would have sheltered him under their authority. Now that God did immediately appoint him, his patronage is sought, whose the election was. We may easily fault in the managing of divine affairs; and so our want of success cannot want sin: he knows how to use, how to bless his own means.

As there was a difference betwixt the people and Levites, so betwixt the Levites and priests. The God of order loves to have our degrees kept. While the Levites would be looking up to the priests, Moses sends down their eyes to the people. The way not to repine at those above us, is to look at those below us. There is no better remedy for ambition, than to cast up our former receipts, and to compare them with our deservings, and to confer our own estate

with inferiors, so shall we 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?

The innocence of Moses calls for revenge on his adversaries. If he 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 they 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.

have ever, from their watchtower, descried the judgments of God afar off. If another man had seen from Carmel a cloud of a handbreadth, 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 its 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 carcases 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 to all.

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. We 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 intercessor. How hardly can any people miscarry, that have faithful 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. 0 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