blood to lose a limb with patience! Because God will have his thoroughly tried, he puts them to both; and if we cannot endure both to follow him from Sin, and to thirst in Rephidim, we are not sound Israelites.

God led them on purpose to this dry Rephidim: he could as well have conducted them to another Elim, to convenient waterings; or he, that gives the waters of all their channels, could as well havq derived them to meet Israel: but God doth purposely carry them to thirst. It is not for necessity that we fare ill, but out of choice: it were all one with God to give us health as sickness, abundance as poverty. The treasury of his riches hath more store than his creature can be capable of: we could not complain, if it were not good for us to want.

This should have been a contentment able to quench any thirst; "God hath led us hither; if Moses out of ignorance had misguided us, or we by chance fallen upon these dry deserts, though this were no remedy of our grief, yet it might be some ground of our complaint. But now the counsel of so wise and merciful a God, hath drawn us into this want; and shall not he as easily find the way out? It is the Lord, let him do what he will. There can be no more forcible motive to patience, than the acknowledgment of a divine hand that strikes us. It is fearful to be in the hand of an adversary; but who would not be confident of a Father? Yet in our frail humanity, choler may transport a man from remem brance of nature; but when we feel ourselves under the discipline of a wise God, that can temper our afflictions to our strength, to our benefit, who would not rather murmur at himself, that he should swerve towards impatience? Yet these sturdy Israelites wilfully murmur; and will not have their thirst quenched with faith, but with water. Give us water.

I looked to hear when they would have entreated Moses to pray for them; but instead of entreating, they contend; and, instead of prayers, I find commands; Give us water. If they had gone to God without Moses, I should have praised their faith; but now they go to Moses without God, I hate their stubborn faithlessness. To seek to the second means, with neglect of the first, is the fruit of a false faith.

The answer of Moses is like himself, mild and sweet: Why contend you with me? Why tempt ye the Lord? in the first expostulation condemning them of injustice; since not he, but the Lord had afflicted them: in the second, of presumption; that, since it was God that tempted them by want, they should tempt him by murmuring: in the one, he would have them see their wrong; in the other, their danger. As the act came not from him,' but from God; so he puts it off to God, from himself, Why tempt ye the Lord? The opposition, which is made to the instruments of God, redounds ever to his person. He holds himself smitten through the sides of his ministers: so hath God incorporated these respects, that our subtlety cannot divide them,

But what temptation is this? Is the Lord among us, or no? Infidelity is crafty, and yet foolish; crafty in her insinuations, foolish in her conceits. They imply, "If we were sure the Lord were with us, we would not distrust;" they conceive doubts of his presence, after such confirmations. What could God do more, to make them know him present, unless every moment should have renewed miracles? The plagues of Egypt and the division of the sea were so famous, that the very inns of Jericho rang of them. Their waters were lately sweetened; the quails were yet in their teeth; the manna was yet in their eye; yea, they saw God in the pillar of the cloud, and yet they say, Is the Lord amongst us? No argument is enough to an incredulous heart; not reason, not sense, not experience. How much better was that faith of Thomas, that would believe his eyes and hands, though his ears he would not? Oh the deep infidelity of these Israelites, that saw and believed not!

And how will they know if God be amongst them? As if he could not be with them, and they be athirst. Either God must humour carnal minds, or be distrusted: if they prosper, though it be with wickedness, God is with them; if they be thwarted in their own designs, straight, Is God with us? It was the way to put God from them, to distrust and murmur. If he had not been with them, they had not lived; if he had been in them, they had not mutinied. They can think him absent in their want, and cannot see him absent in their sin: and yet wickedness, not affliction, argues him gone; yet then is he most present, when he most chastises,

Who would not have looked, that this answer of Moses should have appeased their fury? As what can still him, that will not be quiet to think he hath God for his adversary? But as if they would wilfully war against heaven, they proceed; yet with no less craft than violence; bending their exception to one part of the answer, and smoothly omitting what they could not except against. They will not hear of tempting God; they maintain their strife with Moses, both with words and stones. How malicious, how heady is impatience! The act was God's; they cast it upon Moses, Wherefore hast thou brought us? The act of God was merciful; they make it cruel, To kill us and our children: as if God and Moses meant nothing but their ruin, who intended nothing but their life and liberty. Foolish men! What needed this journey to death? Were they not as obnoxious to God in Egypt? Could not God by Moses as easily have killed them in Egypt, or in the sea, as their enemies? Impatience is full of misconstruction: if it be possible to find out any gloss to corrupt the text of God's actions they shall be sure not to escape untainted..

It was no expostulating with an unreasonable multitude: Møses runs straight to him, that was able at once to quench their thirst and their fury: What shall I do to this people? It is the best way to trust God with his own causes: when men will be intermeddling with his affairs, they undo themselves in vain. We shall find diffi

culties in all great enterprises: if we be sure we have begun them from God, we may securely cast all events upon his providence, which knows how to dispose, and how to end them.

Moses perceived rage, not in the tongues only, but in the hands of the Israelites. Yet a while longer, and they will stone me. Even the leader of God's people feared death; and sinned not in fearing. Life is worthy to be dear to all; especially to him, whom public charge hath made necessary: mere fear is not sinful; it is impotence and distrust that accompany it, which make it evil. How well is that fear bestowed, that sends us the more importunately to God! Some man would have thought of flight; Moses flies to his prayers; and that, not for revenge, but for help. Who but Moses would not have said, "This twice they have mutinied, and been pardoned; and now again thou seest, O Lord, how madly they rebel; and how bloodily they intend against me; preserve me, I beseech thee, and plague them." I hear none of this; but, imitating the long-suffering of his God, he seeks to God for them, which sought to kill him for the quarrel of God.

Neither is God sooner sought than found: all Israel might see Moses go towards the rock; none but the elders might see him strike it. Their unbelief made them unworthy of this privilege. It is no small favour of God, to make us witnesses of his great works; that he crucifies his Son before us, that he fetches the water of life out of the true Rock in our sight, is a high prerogative; if his rigour would have taken it, our infidelity had equally excluded us, whom now his mercy hath received.

Moses must take his rod: God could have done it by his will, without a word; or by his word, without the rod; but he will do by means, that which he can as easily do without. There was no virtue in the rod, none in the stroke; but all in the command of God. Means must be used, and yet their efficacy must be expected out of themselves.

It doth not suffice God to name the rod, without a description; Whereby thou smotest the river : wherefore, but to strengthen the faith of Moses, that he might well expect this wonder from that, which he had tried to be miraculous? How could he but firmly believe, that the same means, which turned the waters into blood, and turned the sea into a wall, could as well turn the stone into water? Nothing more raises up the heart in present affiance, than the recognition of favours or wonders passed. Behold, the same rod, that brought plagues to the Egyptians, brings deliverances to Israel! By the same means can God save and condemn; like as the

same sword defends and kills.

That power, which turned the wings of the quails to the wilderness, turned the course of the water through the rock: he might, if he had pleased, have caused a spring to well out of the plain earth; but he will now fetch it out of the stone, to convince and shame their infidelity.

What is more hard and dry than the rock? What more moist and supple than water? That they may be ashamed to think, they

distrusted lest God could bring them water out of the clouds or springs, the very rock shall yield it.

And now, unless their hearts had been more rocky than this stone, they could not but have resolved them into tears, for this diffidence.

I wonder to see these Israelites fed with sacraments. Their bread was sacramental, whereof they communicated every day: lest any man should complain of frequence, the Israelites received daily; and now their drink was sacramental, that the ancient Church may give no warrant of a dry communion.

Twice therefore hath the rock yielded them water of refreshing, to signify that the true spiritual rock yields it always. The rock that followed them was Christ: out of thy side, O Saviour, issued that bloody stream, whereby the thirst of all believers is comfortably quenched let us but thirst; not with repining, but with faith; this rock of thine shall abundantly flow forth to our souls, and follow us, till this water be changed into that new wine, which we shall drink with thee in thy Father's kingdom. Exod. xvii.

THE FOIL OF AMALEK; OR THE HAND OF MOSES LIFT UP.

No sooner is Israel's thirst slaked, than God hath an Amalekite ready to assault them. The Almighty hath choice of rods to whip us with; and will not be content with one trial. They would needs be quarrelling with Moses, without a cause; and now God sends the Amalekites to quarrel with them. It is just with God, that they, which would be contending with their best friends, should have work enough of contending with enemies.

In their passage out of Egypt, God would not lead them the nearest way, by the Philistines' land, lest they should repent at the sight of war; now they both see and feel it. He knows how to make the fittest choice of the times of evil; and withholds that one while, which he sends another, not without a just reason, why he sends and with-holds it: and though to us they come ever, as we think, unseasonably, and at some times more unfitly than others; yet he that sends them knows their opportunities.

Who would not have thought, a worse time could never have been picked for Israel's war than now? In the feebleness of their troops, when they were wearied, thirsty, unweaponed; yet now must the Amalekites do that, which before the Philistines might not do: we are not worthy, not able to chuse for ourselves.

To be sick and die in the strength of youth, in the minority of children; to be pinched with poverty, or miscarriage of children, in our age; how harshly unseasonable it seems! But the infinite wisdom, that orders our events, knows how to order our times. Unless we will be shameless unbelievers, O Lord, we must trust thee with ourselves 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 Esau's grand-child; and these Israelites, the sons of Jacob. The abode of Amalek was not so far from Egypt, but they might well hear what became of their cousins of Israel; and now, doubtless, out of envy watched their opportunity of revenge for theirold grudge. Malice is commonly hereditary, and runs in the blood; and, as we use to say of rennet, the older it is the stronger.

Hence is that foolish hostility, which some men unjustly nourish upon no other grounds than the quarrels of their fore-fathers. To wreak our malice upon posterity, is, at the best, but the hu mour of an Amalekite.

How cowardly and how crafty was this skirmish of Amalek! They do not bid them battle in fair terms of war, but without all noise of warning, come stealing upon the hindmost, and fall upon the weak and scattered remnants of Israel. There is no looking for favour at the hands of malice: the worst that either force or fraud can do, must be expected of an adversary; but much more of our spiritual enemy, by how much his hatred is deeper. Behold, this Amalek lies in ambush to hinder our passage unto our land of promise; and subtlely takes all advantages of our weaknesses. We cannot be wise nor safe, if we stay behind our colours; and strengthen not those parts, where is most peril of opposition.

I do not hear Moses say to his Joshua, "Amalek is come up against us; it matters not whether thou go against him or not; or if thou go, whether alone or with company; or if accompanied, whether with many or few, strong or weak; or if strong men, whether they fight or no; I will pray on the hill:" but, Choose us out men, and go fight.

Then only can we pray with hope, when we have done our best. And though the means cannot effect that, which we desire; yet God will have us use the likeliest means on our part to effect it. Where it comes immediately from the charge of God, any means are effectual: one stick of wood shall fetch water out of the rock, another shall fetch bitterness out of the water; but in those projects which we make for our own purposes, we must choose those helps which promise most efficacy. In vain shall. Moses be upon the hill, if Joshua be not in the valley. Prayer without means is a mockery of God.

Here are two shadows of one substance; the same Christ, in Joshua fights against our spiritual Amalek, and in Moses spreads out his arms upon the hill; and in both, conquers. And why doth he climb up the hill rather than pray in the valley? perhaps, that he might have the more freedom to his thoughts; which, following sense, are so much more heavenly, as the eye sees more of heaven; though virtue lies not in the place, yet choice must be made of those places, which may be most help to our devotion: perhaps, that he might be in the eye of Israel.

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The presence and sight of the leader gives heart to the people;