第61章

Andnotwithstandingthecovenantconstitutethasacerdotalkingdom，thatistosay，akingdomhereditarytoAaron；yetthatistobeunderstoodofthesuccessionafterMosesshouldbedead。ForwhosoeverorderethandestablisheththepolicyasfirstfounderofaCommonwealth，beitmonarchy，aristocracy，ordemocracy，mustneedshavesovereignpoweroverthepeopleallthewhileheisdoingofit。AndthatMoseshadthatpowerallhisowntimeisevidentlyaffirmedintheScripture。First，inthetextlastbeforecited，becausethepeoplepromisedobedience，nottoAaron，buttohim。

Secondly，“AndGodsaiduntoMoses，ComeupuntotheLord，thouandAaron，NadabandAbihu，andseventyoftheeldersofIsrael。AndMosesaloneshallcomeneartheLord，buttheyshallnotcomenigh，neithershallthepeoplegoupwithhim。“*BywhichitisplainthatMoses，whowasalonecalleduptoGod(andnotAaron，northeotherpriests，northeseventyelders，northepeoplewhowereforbiddentocomeup)，wasalonehethatrepresentedtotheIsraelitesthepersonofGod；thatistosay，wastheirsolesovereignunderGod。Andthoughafterwardsitbesaid，“ThenwentupMosesandAaron，NadabandAbihu，andseventyoftheeldersofIsrael，andtheysawtheGodofIsrael，andtherewasunderHisfeetasitwereapavedworkofsapphirestone，“*(2)etc。；yetthiswasnottillafterMoseshadbeenwithGodbefore，andhadbroughttothepeoplethewordswhichGodhadsaidtohim。Heonlywentforthebusinessofthepeople；

theothers，asthenoblesofhisretinue，wereadmittedforhonourtothatspecialgracewhichwasnotallowedtothepeople；whichwas，asintheverseafterappeareth，toseeGodandlive。“GodlaidnotHishanduponthem，theysawGod，anddideatanddrink“(thatis，didlive)，butdidnotcarryanycommandmentfromHimtothepeople。

Again，itiseverywheresaid，“TheLordspakeuntoMoses，“asinallotheroccasionsofgovernment，soalsoinalsointheorderingoftheceremoniesofreligion，containedinthe25th，26th，27th，28th，29th，30th，and31stchaptersofExodus，andthroughoutLeviticus；

toAaron，seldom。ThecalfthatAaronmade，Mosesthrewintothefire。

Lastly，thequestionoftheauthorityofAaron，byoccasionofhisandMiriam’smutinyagainstMoses，wasjudgedbyGodHimselfforMoses。*(3)SoalsointhequestionbetweenMosesandthepeople，whohadtherightofgoverningthepeople，whenKorah，Dathan，andAbiram，andtwohundredandfiftyprincesoftheassembly“gatheredthemselvestogetheragainstMoses，andagainstAaron，andsaiduntothem，yetaketoomuchuponyou，seeingallthecongregationareholy，everyoneofthem，andtheLordisamongstthem，whyliftyouupyourselvesabovethecongregationoftheLord？“*(4)GodcausedtheearthtoswallowKorah，Dathan，andAbiram，withtheirwivesandchildren，alive，andconsumedthosetwohundredandfiftyprinceswithfire。

ThereforeneitherAaron，northepeople，noranyaristocracyofthechiefprincesofthepeople，butMosesalonehadnextunderGodthesovereigntyovertheIsraelites：andthatnotonlyincausesofcivilpolicy，butalsoofreligion：forMosesonlyspokewithGod，andthereforeonlycouldtellthepeoplewhatitwasthatGodrequiredattheirhands。NomanuponpainofdeathmightbesopresumptuousastoapproachthemountainwhereGodtalkedwithMoses。“Thoushaltsetbounds，“saiththeLord，“tothepeopleroundabout，andsay，TakeheedtoyourselvesthatyougonotupintotheMount，ortouchtheborderofit；whosoevertoucheththeMountshallsurelybeputtodeath。“*(5)Andagain，“Godown，chargethepeople，lesttheybreakthroughuntotheLordtogaze。“*(6)OutofwhichwemayconcludethatwhosoeverinChristianCommonwealthholdeththeplaceofMosesisthesolemessengerofGodandinterpreterofHiscommandments。Andaccordinghereunto，nomanoughtintheinterpretationoftheScripturetoproceedfurtherthantheboundswhicharesetbytheirseveralsovereigns。FortheScriptures，sinceGodnowspeakethinthem，aretheMountSinai，thebou