Ver. 1. AND when the people complained, it displeased the Lord, and the Lord heard it, and his anger was kindled, &c.
HEere beginneth the second part of the booke,* 1.1 according to ye diuision obser∣ued before: where∣in we are to consi∣der the iournies of the children of Is∣rael, according vn∣to their particular murmurings against God. Of this chapter there are two parts, which are two of their murmurings, & both of them fell out in their twelfth remouing, as appeareth in the 33, chapter afterward, where their seuerall stati∣ons are particularly distinguished. The first is in the three first verses, opening vnto vs their sinne, their chastisement, and the euent there∣of. The cause of their murmuring and the words of these murmurers are not expressed, but may in part be gathered from the end of the former chapter, where it appeareth they departed from Mount Sinai three daies iour∣ney without resting or intermission, with all their luggage and portage, as it were with bag and baggage; they had rested long at the foot of the Mountaine, now therefore it is te∣dious and toilsome vnto them to goe so long together, so that they begin to fret and rage, to murmure and complaine against Moses, or rather against God himselfe. The iudgement followeth the sinne, and ouertaketh the sin∣ner, for God is offended at it, and sent a fire from heauen which consumed the vttermost part of the Campe, and no doubt burnt vp many of them in the same. God hath all crea∣tures in his owne hand, sometimes he drow∣neth with water, sometimes hee consumeth with fire, somtimes he infecteth with the aire, and sometimes swalloweth vp in the eatth, & neuer leaueth sinne and rebellion vnpunished, so long as there is any creature in the world to arme against the sinner. Lastly, we haue the euent and issue of all, the people cryed to Mo∣ses whom they contemned before; and he vn∣to God, who was intreated to spare them: and a monument both of their sinne and of Gods iudgement is described by the place which is named Taberah, that is, a burning, vpon this occasion.
First of all, let vs consider their murmuring. This is a greeuous sinne, or rather an heape of many sinnes compacted together, as pride, disdaine, vnthankfulnesse, infidelity, impati∣ence forgetfulnesse, tempting of God, and a violent insurrection ioyned with fretting and chasing against him, and many such like cor∣ruptions. The doctrine [Doctrine.] from this example is this, that it is the property of carnall men,* 1.2 whensoeuer any thing falleth not out accor∣ding to their corrupt desire, to murmure a∣gainst God, as Prou. 19, 3. This was the com∣mon behauiour of the discontented Israelites while they wandred in the wildernesse, and sometimes they wished they had died in E∣gypt, rather thē they would any way be cros∣sed in their humours, Exod. 16, and 17, 3.
This male-contentednesse died not with [Reason 1] them, for first, euery one would haue what him listeth, and regardeth not what God ap∣pointeth and approueth, Ier. 44, 16, 17, and 18 verse 12.
Secondly, euery man would haue present helpe in trouble, he cannot abide quietly to be one moment vnder the Crosse; and if it be not by and by remoued, he sheweth the cor∣ruption that is in him. We are like to him that hauing receiued a wound, will be healed pre∣sently, or else he will not be healed at all.
Thirdly, they want faith and hope to be∣leeue in God and to waite vpon him. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the eui∣dence of things not seene, Heb. 11, 1. And if wee hope for that which we see not, we do with patience waite for it, Rom. 8, 25.
Fourthly, they deuise and inuent to them∣selues false causes of their crosses, and neuer enter into their owne hearts to consider the true cause, as Deut. 1, 27. Ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the Lord hated vs, hee hath brought vs foorth out of the Land of Egypt, to deliuer vs into the hand of the Amorites to de∣stroy vs. They should haue accused themselues and not God, they should haue confessed their owne sinnes, not haue alledged the hatred of God, which was to make that the cause which was not the cause, and not to make that to be the cause which indeed was the true cause.
The vses. This serueth iustly to reproue all [Ʋse 1] such as mutter and murmure when they haue not their owne will, like waiward children that will neuer be quiet but whē their mouths are ful. How many are there that mislike their places and callings, and fret against God if he do not please them in all things? If they bee touched with pouerty, famine, sicknes, losses, or any kinde of aduersity, they are offended and discontented with the Almighty. If God send out any contagious sicknesse, or blasting, or mildew, or foule weather, &c. how do we take on and vex our selues? We are like the Is∣raelites, we breake out into impatiency, we neuer thinke vpon our owne deseruings, nor consider we haue deserued far greater plagues