Ekthesis pisteōs, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed delivered in several sermons by William Nicholson ...

3. Bread and Flesh, Can he provide bread and flesh also?

For when all's done, all this toyle, all this labour, all this carking care is for little more th••n for what these Israelites here longed for, Bread and flesh. No great matter certainly, and yet for this they murmur, about this they mourn. They first wanted water, now bread, and flesh to their bread. Be∣fore this they had Quailes sent them, and eat till it came out at their No∣strils; us{que} ad vomitum, ti••l they spued it up againe: At this time they had Manna, bread from heaven to sustaine them, but that (which was able to con∣tent every mans delight, and was agreeable to every taste) was in their e∣steem but light bread. There is, say they, nothing but this Manna before our eyes. Besides they had store of Herds and Cattle which they brought out of Egypt; wherefore then did they yet lust? wherefore did they yet murmur? Doubtless out of that extravagant desire of man, who never thinks himself well dealt with, except God bestows upon him over and above his necessa∣ries, somewhat to revel and riot in excess. And this appears out of their own words, Who shall give us flesh to eat? we remember the flesh that we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers, melons, and the leeks, and the onyons and garlick; we then had meat and variety of sauces, but now our soul is dryed away; there is nothing at all but this Manna before our eyes; a little light bread, one and the same dish, and that continually, day after day; and who would not loath to be thus dyeted?

But Israel might have remembred, and we with them, that bread and flesh were ordained for nourishment, and not meerly to please the palate; to re∣paire the decayes of nature, and not to pamper it. God hath not given to man the gullet of a Crane, which the Glutton Philoxenus wished for, but a shorter passage, that he should quickly chew and ••et down his meat, and not melt it into pleasure upon his tongue. This is lust and wantonness, no act of temperance, with which God here chargeth Israel, They were not estranged from their lusts. Lust then it was in them that caused this murmur; and though there were over and above for their necessities, yet there was not enough for their lusts.

Now when our desires thus degenerate, they provoke God to plague us with sundry kindes of diseases, as it did him to punish this murmuring peo∣ple, that had these dainties with a ve••geance; for while the meat was yet in their mouths, the heavy wrath of God was yet upon them; and he slew the Wealthiest of them, and smote down the Chosen Men that were in Israel.

Learn then hence we may, to bottome our desires, not upon lust but rea∣son; to beg of our God what nature requires (which is not much) not what our appetite suggests. Let us be sober in asking, sober in using; for sobriety is a kinde of progress and step to other vertues. It alwayes teacheth a man to be content with what he hath, and not to urge God farther than he is content to bestow: And he that thinks otherwise, let him consider in what relation he stands to God, that he is one of his people, a Title that Isra••l in their greatest murmur would not omit. His people they would needs be for all that.

2 But before I come to their Claime, I will give you one note more which heightens their sinne. At ver. 18. we read that they tempted God, and of this temptation we have a manifest in the next; They spake against God, saying, Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse? A Table, 'twas dainties you may see they would have, and their impiety proceeded so far, that what was in their heart, floated upon their tongue. They first thought, then spake it openly, im∣pudently, Can he?

But about this temptation Interpreters are divided; for some expound it of his power, others of his will, Basil conceives that they doubted of his power, as if they had said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. it is easie and facile for him to cause water, which is hid in the bowels and caverns of the earth to issue out of any rock. No great wonder this, of which it is possible to give many instan∣ces. But to give bread, the materials of which must have time to grow, and to bring flesh, which starts not from the ground in an instant, this we doubt whe∣ther he can do or no? Especially in such a place, in a Desert, where there is nothing but penury; Especially in such a quantity, as might satisfie such a mul∣titude. Hear what Moses saith, The people are six hundred thousand foot∣men, and thou hast said I will give them flesh that they may eate a whole moneth. Shall the flocks and herds be slaine for them to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the Sea be gathered together for them to suffice them? To which the Lord returns this answer; Is the Lords hand waxed short? which is an evidence, how grosse soever the temptation seemes, that yet they doubted of his power.

And yet some Modern Interpreters encline rather to think that they doubt∣ed of his will. As if they had said, we confesse indeed that he brought waters for us out of the Rock; but we may well doubt whether he will give us bread and flesh, for he bears us no good will at all; He hates us. Such was their dif∣fidence. Of what kinde this temptation was, whether of the first sort, or the last, or both, I will not contend; this I am sure, to have an experiment of one or both, they desired.

So that this temptation seemes to me to be very like that of the evil and adulterous generation that came to Christ, and said, Master, we would see a sign from heaven. Signs they had seen enough before, miracle after mira∣cle, a dumb man cured in his tongue, a blinde man in his eyes. So had these men seene a sign before, water flowing out of a Rock, that I name not all the wonders in Egypt, and the miracles ever since: Those yet would have a signe from heaven, and so would these, bread on a sudden rained from thence, and flesh to descend out of the aire, or else nothing would content them.

What shall we say to this? but as the Apostle doth, all men have not faith. God sent his Patriarchs, and found not faith; his Prophets, and found not faith; last of all his Son approv'd to the world by great works, wonders, and signes, yet found no faith, And when the Son of man comes, shall he finde faith on the earth? A man would judge, that the time of his coming cannot be far off, since faith hath taken her wing, and left these lower regions. Sure the most men beleeve not that the presence of God is over their actions, they speak so loftily, and encourage themselves in mischief. They b••leeve not their Fathers providence, they trust so much to their own wits and arme of flesh in provision for themselves. They beleeve not his power, they so little leane to him, and rely upon him in their distresses.

Of you, my brethren, I hope better things, and that I shall not need to exhort you, that you speak not against God, that you never aske Can he, or Can he? For I presume that you beleeve he Can, and I hope you are perswaded of his good will also, that he never will forsake his people. Beleeve his Word that is already written; beleeve the Miracles written in that Word; seek not

after new and airy signes; run not after new and strange lights, here is enough to ground your faith, to confirme your faith, to crown your faith. Happy are they who are of the number of his people.

Notes

• Exod. 16.13.
• Wisd. 16.20. Num. 11.6. Exod. 12.38.
• Numb. 11.4.
• Psalm 78.30.
• Verse 31.
• Phil. 4.11. 1 Tim. 6 8. Heb. 13.5.
• Vese 18.
• Verse 19.
• Numb. 11.21.
• Musculus. Mollerus.
• Deut. 1.27.
• Matth. 12.38.
• 2 Thes. 3.2.
• Luke 18.8.
• Psal. 52.1. and 94.20.
• 1 Sam. 12.22.