18. killing their innocent Brother though the other nine could not come up to that height of wickedness with them yet they f v. 27. all but g v. 29. Reuben agreed to that which was but little short of the other They all joined in h v. 26. taking Money for their Brother Ioseph whom they sold into perpetual Slavery and that in an Idolatrous Nation Such were the Fathers of this people of Israel And surely the Mingling with Idolatrous Nations Canaanites and Egyptians Mothers were not like to mend the Breed We read of no other wives that either they or their Fathers ever had but what were either Canaanites or Egyptians and whatsoever corrupt Inclinations they derived whether from their Mothers or their Fathers they were not like to be cured of them by their Education For besides that Parents generally give their Children no other Education than what is most agreeable to their own Inclinations there was this worse than ordinary in their Case that the Nations among whom they lived were of the very worst of Mankind They could scarce see any other Examples among them than of things which they ought most to avoid There could be nothing more contrary to the Religion that God had taught his chosen people than the Sin of i See n. 76 77. Idolatry and especially such as that was which generally obtain'd among the Egyptians They worship'd those Brute beasts which God had appointed his people to k Ex. VIII 26. Sacrifice to him Only he had dispensed with their offering him any Sacrifice of that kind in Egypt where the people would certainly have stoned them for it How apt they were to have done that it abundantly appear'd by the extreme hard Usage that they gave that poor people without any provocation And yet they could not be Ignorant that their Fathers owed their Lives to Ioseph whom they knew to be one of this Nation But that was so utterly l Ex. I. 8. forgotten that they treated not onely his Nation but even his Posterity among the rest with the utmost cruelty and Inhumanity First they took all the people for Slaves and oppressed them to that degree that a Ex. I. 14. they made their lives bitter to them with drudgery One while they were for b v. 16. 22. killing all the Male Children of that Nation And though that perhaps did not last yet their c II. 23. Slavery did till it came to be quite intolerable It may seem strange that even that could not restrain them from following the Egyptians in the very worst of their Sins But such a See n. 64. witchcraft there is in evil Example that the people of Israel followed them even in that which God had most especially forbidden them And they did this not only while they lived in Egypt where it might have been done out of fear or in Compliance with the Egyptians but they continued to do it afterward when they were perfect freemen They shewed an astonishing instance of it in their making and worshipping of the d Ex. XXXII Golden Calf 126. But the sin which the people of Israel were chiefly charged But their peculiar sin was their Murmuring and tempting God with in these times was their aptness as often as any thing displeased them to Murmur and to run into Rebellion against God and his Servant Moses This they could not learn of the Egyptians for there was no such thing in that Nation They were generally most dutiful The Egyptians gave them no such Example to their Kings and to their Gods of all the Nations we read of in History Moses gives us very great Instances of it in the History of Ioseph who being brought a Slave into Egypt became a Saviour to that Nation as has been just now above-mentioned That holy man having it revealed to him from God that there e Gen. XLI 1 40. should be Seven years of great Plenty in that Land and after them f v. 30 31. Seven years of Famine such as should be very grievous and having thereupon advised King Pharaoh what to do for the saving of his People was thereupon made by him his chief Minister with power to Order every thing as he advised The first thing he did was in those years of plenty to go g v. 46. throughout all the land of Egypt having made Storehouses there in every City there to lay up all the Corn he could buy out of the Country about it Having done this every one of these years and so h v. 48. Engrossed all the spare Corn of Egypt into those Granaries He was then provided for the seven years of Famine in which as the people came to want bread so he continually supplyed them by selling it at his own price By this means he got i XLVII 14. all the money of Egypt into the Kings Treasury in two or three of the first years Afterwards in the following years he made them sell him k v. 17. their Cattle and a year or two after l v. 20. their Land all but what belong'd to m v. 22. the Priests who by the King's command had their Corn freely given them All the rest of n v. 20. the Land of Egypt came by this means to be Pharaoh's And so did the People too and they were very well satisfied with it They o v. 25. said to Joseph thou hast saved our Lives let us find grace in the sight of my Lord and we will be Pharaoh's Servants They were so to that degree that he removed them at his pleasure a Gen. XLVII 21. from one end of Egypt to the other and charged the Lands that he gave them with a Rent to the King which was a fifth part of the full value And this as Moses tells us b v. 26. Ioseph made to be a Law over all the Land of Egypt unto this day * It was the manner of the Kings of the Nations that they had a Tenth part of the profits of all the peoples land as we see in l 2 Sam. VIII 15 17. Samuel's time And it was â—…o in m Aristot. Oeconom II. Aristotle's time But this was but half as much as the Kings of Egypt had by Ioseph's Law They liked Ioseph never the worse but rather the better for this They accounted him the best friend they had as it appeared by their attending him to his Funeral There c Gen. L. 7. went with him all the Servants of Pharaoh and the Elders of his house and all the Elders of the land of Egypt They attended his Corps for many a day's journey out of Egypt into the land of Canaan And though it was by the King's Command that they did this yet their own Affections went with it as appear'd by their d v. 10. Mourning for Ioseph with a great and very sore Lamentation All the people of Canaan took such
themselves lest this Fire might break out upon them as that at Tabera did so lately even the other day 94. For that fright they were in there was more Cause than they for which the ten Spies dyed presently the People must all dye in 40 years knew of For now at this very time God said unto Moses how long shall this People provoke me c. b v. 11. I will smite this People with pestilence c v. 12. And I will make of thee a greater Nation and mightier than they God did accordingly smite those ten Spies that had stir'd up the People to this Sin d v. 37. They dyed of the Plague before the Lord. That the People might not dye in like manner e v. 13 〈◊〉 19. Moses vehemently prayed using the like Arguments as he had done f see n. 82. before at the time of the Golden Calf And he had the same success For now again g Ex. XXXII 14. the Lord repented of the evil that he thought to do unto his People He said unto Moses h Num. XIV 20. I have pardon'd according to thy word But withal God i Num. XXXII 10. Deut. I. 34. sware he would make an Example of them such as should be famous to all Nations His words were these all those Men which have seen my Glory and my Miracles which I did in Egypt and in the Wilderness and have k Num. XIV 22 23. tempted me now these Ten times and have not hearken'd to my voice surely they shall not see the Land of which I sware unto their Fathers That their Tempting of God first in Egypt and then in the wilderness was Ten times in all neither more nor fewer will appear in the following Account out of Moses's books * That the Men here spoken of were all those that came out of Egypt at the age of Ten times they had tempted God 20 years and upward except Ioshua and Calâ—…b this appears by what follows afterward v. 29 30. And of these men it was that God said l Num. XIV 22. they have seen my Miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness and have tempted me now these Ten times These Times are therefore to be understood of what happen'd in Egypt as well as what happen'd in the wilderness And it was plainly in Egypt that God first shewed them his Miracles There first he gave Moses the power to work those three Miracles that are m Ex. IV. 1 9. mention'd Ex. IV. 1 9. for the proving of his Mission to the people of Israel Accordingly Moses did shew those Signs in the sight of the People and thereupon they believed n v. 30 31. v. 30 31. But when upon his delivering his message to Pharaoh soon after they saw no other Effect of it but that by this means Pharaoh was provoked to use them worse and to make their burthens heavier to them Thereupon it was that the Officers of the Children of Israel fell upon Moses and Aaron with those bitter words o Ex. V. 20 21. Ex. V. 20 21. This was their first murmuring I. against Moses and therein they first tempted God that had given him the power of working those Miracles before them II. Upon Moses complaint of this to God he sent Moses to them a second time p Ex. VI. 2 8. Ex. VI. 2 8. But when he was about to deliver his Message they had not Patience to hear him q v. 9 12. v. 9 12. they bid him let us alone to serve the Egyptians for it is better for us to do so than to dye in the wilderness This was their second murmuring against Moses there in the Land of Egypt III. Afterwards when he had brought them out of Egypt and they were come to the very edge of the Red Sea there seeing Pharaoh and his host in pursuit of them they murmured against Moses a third time r Ex. XIV 11 12. Ex. XIV 11 12. minding him of the hard words they had given him that second Time IV. After this when they were passed through the Red Sea and come into the wilderness there finding the water to be bitter at the place which from thence was called a Ex. XV. 23. i v. 24. Mara Ex. XV. 23. There a fourth Time the People murmured against Moses b v. 24. V. After that when their Victuals were spent then they murmured a fifth time even the whole Congregation of the Children of Israel wishing they had died in the land of Egypt rather than come to be starved in this wilderness c Ex. XVI 2 3. Ex. XVI 2 3. Thereupon God sent them Manna from Heaven d v. 15. v. 15. c. VI. After that when they came to want Water thereupon they murmured the e Ex. XVII 2 7. sixth time which was at the place called Massa and Meriba in the wilderness of Sin Hitherto the Long Suffering of God had shewed it self wonderfully in passing by all their provocations so that not one Man died for any of them VII The seventh was when Moses had been receiving God's Commands on Mount Sinai for forty days upon which long Absence of his who had never been from them one day before the People said f Ex. XXXIII 1. c. as for this Moses we know not what is become of him let us make a God to go before us c. Thereupon they made the Golden Calf which being the Sin of Idolatry God who had spared them hitherto now began to punish them for this But it was only by cutting off the most notorious Transgressors and putting a Penance on the rest VIII Their eighth murmuring was at Tabera for which many of them were consumed by the fire of the Lord that burns among them g Num. XI 1. Num. XI 1. IX The ninth was at Kibroth Hattaavah where they that lusted for flesh had their fill of it for a whole month h Num. XI 4. Num. XI 4. But they died with it in their mouths i v. 33. v. 33. X. Therefore this murmuring against Moses and this tempting of God upon the occasion of the Spies ill Report was certainly k Num. XIV 1 c the Tenth including those two in Egypt And it was the Act of those Men that had seen l v. 22. 23. God's Miracles in Egypt as well as in the wilderness for he saith of those very men they have Tempted me now these Ten times Moses seems to have thought of the same when speaking of this very matter of their Rebellion at Kadesh Barnea he told them that this was no new thing for saith he m Deut. XI 24. you have been Rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you Deut. XI 24. It plainly appears that they were so by the Account that He gives us of their Murmuring against him and therein their Tempting of God first in Egypt and afterward in the Wilderness till
the 〈◊〉 â—…ren as fast as they came into the world v. 22. No other sort of 〈◊〉 could seem strange after this Under which that poor people 〈◊〉 â—…o way to help themselves but by their sighs and groans and cries to God against their oppressors f Ex. II. 23 24. Ex. II. 〈◊〉 24 God heard them and was graciously pleased to let them knâ—…â—…t he rememberâ—… 〈◊〉 Covenant with their Fathers 62. He appear'd to Moses for that purpose g Ex. III. 6. Ex. III. 6. and Sent by Moses from JEHOVAH their God gave him Authority to let them know that now in this woful condition he would take them to be his chosen People and he would be their God according to his promise made to their Fathers He also gave him Power to work h IV. 1 9. Miracles for the proving of his Mission from God But it being a thing then unheard of that any People should have a God without a Name and Moses saying his People would expect one i III. 13. III. 13. God was therefore pleased to let them know that they should call him â—…ir God by the 〈◊〉 â—…VAH that is the Eterâ—…al Being And accordingly Moâ—… having so proved his 〈◊〉 that the Eâ—…ers of Israel belieâ—…ed him took them with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King of Egypt and told him Jâ—…HOVAH the God of the Heâ—… is called upon us ††It is 〈◊〉 m Ex. III. 18. 〈◊〉 But it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that placâ—… 〈◊〉 n V. 3. 〈◊〉 so it is render'd in both these places in the Septâ—…agint and also in Onkâ—…los and in â—…rom's Latin Translaâ—…on which shews that they that made those Translations had it â—…us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so the meaning is plain the name JEHOVAâ—… â—…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 has given us that name to call oâ—… â—…eople â—…o that they may serve me k Ex. V. 1 3. 63. 〈◊〉 being provokâ—… yet worse He found them weak and perveâ—… which so disheâ—… Mosâ—… would have them they even â—…ell but wiâ—… kk V. 21. 〈◊〉 Then God was pleaâ—…d and withâ—…l to alâ—… their Fatherâ—… by the name of f Ex. VI. 3. 〈◊〉 Ex by the name that he had now assumeâ—… g VI. 7. 〈◊〉 I will take you to shall knâ—…w that from 〈◊〉 the were so â—…unk with oppâ—… God could noâ—… them agaâ—… Thâ—… would not â—…o muâ—… 〈◊〉 to Mosâ—…s 〈◊〉 h VI. 9. 〈◊〉 XIV 1â—… and given to Idoâ—…atry â—…aith â—…lsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ing worâ—… They k Ezâ—…k XX. 7. 〈◊〉 Thuâ—… 〈◊〉 More Nebochim 1. 6â—… †Henâ—… thy People being o Dâ—… IX 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Egypt insomuch that even now when he said I am JEHOVAH your God they would not hearken to him a Ezek. XX. 〈◊〉 v. 8. They would not forsake the Idols of Egypt * It seems that from the Egyptian Apis and Mnevis they took that Idea of their God in which they made Aâ—…n set up a Golden Calf for them to worship o Ex. XXXII 4 Ex. XXXII 4. This was such a provocation to God that he was ready to have poured out his Fury upon them even there in the midst of the land of Egypt but forbore to do that b XX. 9. for his Name 's sake verse 9. that the Egyptians might not say that he had begun a work and could not go through with it c Deut. IX 27. Deut. IX 27. Moses has other reasons which led him to this as namely God's love to their Fathers which made him choose Israel for his People d Deut. IV. 37. Deut. IV. 37. his Promise that he had given their Fathers e Gen. XV. 13. 14. Ps. CV 42. Gen. XV. and confirm'd it to them saying I will bring you up out of Egypt f Ex. III. 17. and having bound this with an Oath g Deut. VII 8. Deut. VII 8. he had made it immutable 65. It being therefore so determined by God that his People must God sent him to Pharâ—…h with Miracles come out of Egypt and there being no other way to gain their consent much less to bring Pharaoh to it but by Miracles therefore God employ'd Moses that way first to Pharaoh and afterwards to his own People Moses first goes to Pharaoh in the name of JEHOVAH the God of Israel h Ex. VII 1. Ex. VII 1. and shews him such signs as the Egyptian Gods which were i ver 11 12. Devils however they might Ape him by their Magicians could not do it so artificially but that all present might see how short their Miracles were of those which Moses wrought in the Name of Iehovah his God But Pharaoh's heart being so harden'd as not to be wrought upon by gentle and innocent signs God order'd Moses to inflict those Plagues upon him which would surely compell him at last 66. There were Ten of these in all The three first were wrought with ten Plagues only in those parts of Egypt about the River Nilus in which God's People were not so greatly concern'd But by the last of those three the plague of Lice the Magicians themselves were convinced and k Ex. VIII 19. told Pharaoh that this was the finger of God This came too late for now he was harden'd to that degree that there was no further hope of doing any good upon him therefore then God order'd Moses to work the following Plagues in such sort as might convince his own People 67. And therefore these Plagues being such as went over the not touching God's People whole land of Egypt God order'd them so as that they should not touch l VIII â—…2 the Land of Goshen in which his People dwelt and even where his People were mingled with the Egyptians God put a visible distinction between the one and the other m ver 23. v. 23. This appear'd most remarkably in the ninth plague which was of n X. 21. thick darkness over all the land of Egypt for three daies in which they saw not one another neither rose any from his place all over Egypt for even then a v. 23. all the Children of Israel had light in their dwellings Here was such an instance of the Almighty power of JEHOVAH their God and of his especial Providence over them administer'd by his Servant Moses that now whatever he had to command they could not but be ready to obey 68. Therefore now before God's inflicting his tenth and last He takes them into Covenant plague on the Egyptians viz. the killing of their First born upon which he foresaw they would not only permit but beg and hire his People to be gone out of the Country He took this never to be forgotten occasion to bind his People to himself by entring into Covenant with them and thereby forming them into a National Church 69. The way of making the Solemnest Covenants between man by the Sacrifice of the Passover and man was
LXXVIII 30 31. while the meat was yet in their Mouths the wrath of God came upon them and slew d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. even the healthiest and lustiest Men of all their Nation Ps. LXXVIII 30 31. It seems the disease that they died of rotted out the palates of their Mouths for it was said that what they eat should come out of their Nostrils e Num. XI 20. Num. XI 20. But this happen'd only to them that had murmured from whom the place where they died was called Kibroth Hattaava the Graves where they f v. 34. buried them that lusted 91. After this the People being come to Kadesh Barnea in the Of twelve Spies sent to Canaan ten misrepresent it Confines of Canaan Moses told them how near they were to it and bade them now g Deut. I. 19 20 and 21. IX 23. Go up and possess it Deut. I. 19 20 21. He told them plainly God would have them do it and he would stand by them so that they need fear nothing But they durst not trust the wisdom of God They came up to Moses and proposed to him the sending of spies to search out the Land and bring word what way they should go c. Moses saw no ill in this and therefore he consulted God about it God gave him leave to send one of every Tribe to h Num. XIII 1 2. view the Land Num. XIII 1 2. So Moses sent twelve chosen men of the chief of them with Instructions proper for that occasion i v. 17 20. v. 17 20. They went and viewed the Countrey and returned after k v. 25. forty days with their mouths full of the l v. 26 27. Deut. I. 25. praises of it bringing with them some Tasts of the delicate Fruits of it particularly m See Bp. Patrick on verse 23. Grapes of an extraordinary bigness But withal they brought such a frightful n v. 28 29. Account of the strength of their Towns and of the Giants and Giantlike men that lived there that it struck the People with such terror that they would scarce hear Ioshua and Caleb telling them the Truth of these matters Especially when the other Ten in Opposition to these two not only o v. 31. persisted in what they had said of the Towns and of the People but contradicted themselves in what they had said before of the Goodness of the Land For whereas before they had said it was p v. 27. 32. a Land that flowed with Milk and Honey now they said it was a Land that eat up the Inhabitants thereof Num. XIII 32. 92. This put the People into a Rage insomuch that q Num. XIV 1. Num. This put all the People in a Sedition XIV 1. all the Congregation lifted up their voice and cried that night And the next day r v. 2. v. 2. all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron and the whole Congregation said to them would God that we had died in the land of Egypt or would God we had died in this wilderness Nay more they plainly said it is s Deut. I. 27. because the Lord hated us that he brought us forth out of the land of Egypt hither for the Amorites to destroy us They were now for a Num. XIV 3. returning back into Egypt which was in effect the undoing of all that God had done for them And to shew they were in earnest they said b v. 4. let us make a Captain to bring us thither The hearing of this so struck Moses and Aaron that they c v. 5. fell on their faces before all the Congregation And for Ioshua and Caleb who would have appeased this Rage by informing them better d v. 10. all the congregation bade stone them with stones Which probably had been done but that at that instant the Glory of the Lord appear'd at the Tabernacle before all the children of Israel 93. This was a universal Rebellion of the whole Israelitish Nation It was a brutish perversness That vast number of them of twenty years old and upward which were e Num. I. 1 3. number'd within six months before was not lessen'd since but by the death of those persons that were cut off for having to do in the two last Mutinies And after the first of these two there were f Num. Xâ—… 21. six hundred thousand of them living of whom those that lusted for flesh being dead of the plague g Num. XIV 36 37. all the rest were engaged in this Rebellion except only Ioshua and Caleb and perhaps some few others that were of less consideration It seems to be a wonderful thing how they could so utterly forget what they had seen within two years last past in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness being so many unquestionable Proofs of God's infinite Power and of his Providence over them And later yet what they had both seen and heard at God's giving them the Law on h Ex. XX. 19. Mount Sinai with such Astonishing Evidences of it as made them beg they might hear and see no more such things lest they should dye It is yet more wonderful how they that when they thought themselves dying with i Ex. XVI 8. hunger one time and another time with k XVII 6. thirst in the wilderness being told before hand by Moses both times that they should have Bread come down to them from Heaven and that they should have Water out of the Rock they both saw these things come to pass and had both their Bread and their Water continued to them ever since by perpetual Miracles Most of all it is to be Admired how they could every day and even at this present see over the Tabernacle a l Num. X. 11 34. Pillar of Cloud by day and Fire by night which they knew was a Token of God's Presence with them and of his Care over them and yet as if all this were nothing should throw off all regard to God and his Ministers and give up themselves entirely to follow their own vain Fancies and Lusts and what other ill designing men should put into their heads That this was their case is most evident in all their History They were much like Beasts that have Sense and Memory enough but have no manner of Consideration They think of nothing more than the Present nor even that when they have been Used to it This People were now come to that pass that they minded the Pillar no more than Brutes do the Sun which they see every day But as Beasts are â—…artled with a sudden Fire because they know not what may come of it so this People started at the sudden appearance of that Glory in and over a Num. XIV 10. the Tabernacle That was it that put a stop to their Rage against Ioshua and Caleb They were now in fear of
they had made up the Ten times above mentioned 95. This perverse and stiff-necked People having fallen into so many Now he Sentenced them to dye in the wilderness Rebellions against God within the space of two years from the time wherein he had first made himself known to them by his Servant Moses and this last breaking out being so much more violent than any of the former it a Num. XIV 11 12. did provoke God to have utterly consumed them Num. XIV 11 12. And probably at that b v. 10. appearance of his Glory they expected no other But upon the Prayer of Moses he was pleased to pardon this Sin and to continue them not only as a Nation but as his peculiar People He did this according to his usual way of joyning c â—…s CI 1. Mercy and Iudgement together d Ex. XXXIV 7. keeping mercy for thousands and yet by no means clearing the Guilty He shewed this last at present by cutting off first those ten persons that had been the Ring leaders in this Rebellion e Num. XIV 37. They died there by the plague before the Lord. For the rest he forbore them f Dan. VII 12. for a season and time as Daniel words it that is some for a shorter time and some for a longer But he passed one terrible sentence on them g Num. XIV 28. all and bound it with an Oath to assure them how it would be that as they had wished that they had died in the Wilderness a v. 2. v. 2. even so it should come to pass Their Carcases should fall in the wilderness b h v. 32. v. 32. And so they died every Man of them but Ioshua and Caleb 96. * This Sentence was given in or about the sixth Month of the year 1490. before Christ and the time of their passing over a Deut II. 14. Zered when all that Generation was dead except Ioshua and Caleb this was about the sixth month of the year before Christ 1452. so that the Execution was compleat just 38 years after that Sentence see Uss. Annal. All the rest of them died in the wilderness within 38 years all within forty years from that present But for their Children that came out of Egypt with them and had nothing to do in this Sin c Num. XIV 31. Num. XIV 31. God bid Moses tell these Rebels They your Children shall know the Land that their Fathers despised For they shall go thither and I will give it them and they shall possess it d Deut. I. 39. Deut. I. 39. But he told them withal that their Children e Num. XIV 33. should wander in the wilderness forty years according to the f v. 34. number of the days that those Spies were searching the Land God would have it so to be for a perpetual Remembrance of their Sin and his Judgement on them for it And agreeably to what was said before God told them withall †It was in the year 1491 before Christ b Ex. XII 23. in the first Month and on the tenth day of that Month that by God's Command the People of Israel chose out their Lambs for the first Passover in Egypt Ex. XII 23. Which Passover they eat on c the fifteenth day of the first Month and that very night was their coming out of Egypt d Num. XXXIII 3. Num. XXXIII 3. But it was in the year before Christ 1451 on the tenth day of the first Month that the Children of Israel first passed over Iordan into the Land of Canaan e Ios. IV. 19. Iosh. IV. 19. and there at Gilgal they eat their first Passover on the fifteenth day of the first month f V. 10. 11. Josh. V. 10 11. So that between their choosing of the Paschal Lambs in order to their going out of Egypt and their passing over Iordan to enter into the Land of Canaan there was a space of just forty years And there was neither more nor less than forty years between their first Passover in Egypt and their first in the Land of Canaan For this also see Uss. Annal. within those forty years your Carcases shall be wasted in the Wilderness g v. 33. Num. XIV 33. So it came to pass for within these forty years were all the 38 years before mentioned 97. When the People saw these Ten spies all dead of the Plague They would go up and fight though forbidden then they knew this was a Judgement from God who might justly deal with them in like manner Therefore then they confessed they had sinned against the Lord h Num. XIV 40. Num. XIV 40. And then to make amends they were for running on headlong into the Land of Canaan But this was contrary to an express Command that God had given to Moses immediately upon their refusal before mentioned On the very day that they refused to go into Canaan he bade Moses say to them i Num. XIV 25. Deut. I 40. to morrow turn you and get you into the wilderness in the way to the Red Sea Now on the Contrary though they confessed they had k v. 41. sinned against the Lord in disobeying him they tell Moses in the same breath we will go up and fight against the Amorites They added indeed they would do it in obedience to God as being that which the Lord our God has commanded us But to take away that excuse God bade Moses say to them again a Num. XIV 24. Deut. l. 42. Go not up neither fight for I am not among you But they b vers 43. would not hear but Rebelled and went up presumptuously into the mountain of the Amorites There they found things as they had reason to expect God not being with them That Warlike people being alarm'd by the Spies having been so lately among them * The coming of those Spies was not only known to the Canaanites but was remember'd by them forty years after o Num. XXI 〈◊〉 Num. XXI They knew that the God of the Israelites had given them that Land p Iâ—…sh II. 9. Iosh. II. 9. had called in the help of their Neighbours c Num. XIV 4â—… 45. the Canaanites and Amalekites And these were all drawn together to defend their Country against that vast Multitude of people that were coming to eat them up A poor weak Multitude they were at this time not having God with them They found themselves so when they came up to the Enemy They were now in their own sight what the Spies had told them as Grashoppers in comparison All their fighting men were d Num XIV 45. Deut. I. 44. beaten and chased and destroyed all the Countrey over As many of them as got back to the Camp were now throughly sensible of their Sins And no doubt they remember'd the sentence that God had laid on them for it that instead of going into the Good
and one for Levi besides with Aaron's Name written upon it to be laid up in the Tabernacle before the Ark of God and to ly there only for one night God told Moses what would be the issue of it and accordingly he found it so the next morning Behold the Rod of Aaron was budded and had brought forth Blossoms and those came to be Almonds all in that one night Moses brought out all those Rods that the Children of Israel might see them Of the Princes of the twelve Tribes every one acknowledged his own Rod. Then God caused Moses to bring back Aaron's Rod and to lay it before the Ark to remain there for a Token against those Rebels and quite to take away their Murmuring for the future 103. Now the whole Nation of Israel had seen these miraculous The People obstinate to the last proofs of God's insisting on his choice of Aaron to be Priest as well as his asserting the Authority of Moses They had also seen those dreadful Judgements of God Earthquake and Fire from Heaven and Plagues that he sent all in one day to cut off those Rebels that attempted to set up themselves against these his Ministers What disposition that People were in after this God has been pleased to let us know by giving us the Passionate words into which they broke out on this occasion He tells us f Num. XVII the Children of Israel spake unto Moses saying behold we dye we perish we all perish Whosoever cometh any thing near to the Tabernacle of the Lord shall dye Shall we be consumed with dying * After Moseâ—… and Aaron had brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt their first Complaint against them was this that whereas they had put the people in hope of bringing them into g Ex. XIII 5. a Land flowing with milk and honey Ex. XIII 5. They found fault that they had brought them into a a Ex. XIV 11. wilderness Ex. XIV 11. where first their b XV. 24. water was bâ—…r XV. 24. and where there was c XVI 3. nothing to eat XVI 3. and at last there was d XVII 3. no water XVII 3. God was so Gracious as notwithstanding all this to supply fall these defects and to forgive their Sin of murmuring so that not one of them died for it And after that he was pleased to renew to them that Promise of bringing them into e Num. XXXIII 3. Lev. XX. 24. a Land flowing with milk and honey Num. XXXIII 3. But when he had just brought them to that Land and the Spies whom they had sent to look into the nature of it had told them it was f Num. XIII 32. a Land that eat up the Inhabitants thereof which was quite contrary to what Moses had promised them then they broke out into a Tumuk worse than any of the former For this in the first place God g XIV 37. cut off those Spies that had given them that false information Then for their so often repeated Sin of murmuring against God he declared that they all should h vers 32. dye in the wilderness and that within the space of i 33. forty years This terrible Sentence daunted them for a while But soon after in the time of Korâ—…h's Rebellion Dathâ—… and Abiram k XVI 13 14. revived this very thing Num. XVI 13 14. In their charge against Moses they told him Thou hast brought us up to kill us in the wilderness thou hast not brought us into a Land that flows with milk and honey Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men Wilt thou make them believe this is a Land flowing with milk and honey when they see it is a Wilderness This was a downright Rebellion against God for which as those Ten Spies l XIV 37. died of the plague so these two Daâ—…han and Abiranâ—… and all that belonged to them were m XVI 32. swallowed up at once by the Ground opening under them But it seems the Sin these Men died for was no other than what all the People had in their hearts There seems to be an acknowledgement of it in these words when reflecting upon this Judgement on Dathan and Abâ—…ram they could not forbear telling Moses n XVII 1â—… XVII 12. behold we dye we perish we all perish that is to say if all that are of this opinion must dye then there is no help for it we must all dye and perish They were as good as their words They boldly said this again and again when they saw many others to join with them in it And o XX. 2 3. XXI 5. this was the cause of their dying in the next judgements of God that came upon them in the Wilderness Num. XX. 2 3. and XXI 5. But that which was freshest in their minds and which most stuck with them was this that Moses had advanced his Brother Aaron and his Sons to the Priesthood which always belonged to the first born in former times This was in their opinion such an engrossing of Honour and Riches into one Family as ought not to be endured That this was the People's sense of the matter it appeared by their so generally joyning with Korah and his Company in opposition to Aaron's Priesthood Koráh had with him p Num. XVI 2. vers 18. 250 men of the chief of their Nation who all took Censers in their hands to officiate as Priests in burning Incense at the Door of the Tabernacle The People saw them all struck dead with q v. 35. Fire from Heaven After which as Moses said by God's Command r v. 37 38 39. their Censers were taken up and wrought into Plates for the covering of the Altar and that expressly for this reason that it should be s v. 40. a Memorial to all others that were not of the â—…ons of Aaron that t Num. XVI 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. not a man of them should come near to offer incense before the Lord that he be not as Korah and his Company Num. XVI 40. All this the People must have known or else it could not hare been a warning to them They might also know what Moses now said as from God concerning u Num. XVII 10 11. Aaron's Rod being now laid up before the Ark for a second Memorial He had said that it was to mind the People not to meddle with any office of the Priesthood x vers 10. that they dye not It was as most think upon the hearing of this that the y v. 12. Children of Israel spoke to Moses those passionate words we dye we perish we all perish that is in effect we hear of nothing but dying But those words especially went to their hearts that Moses had z XVI 40. XVII 13. said on occasion of the Plates being made of those Censers for a Memorial c. They repeat them here in effect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
IX 26. there it seems they lost the Brook that Moses fetcht out of the Rock at Massa and Meriba Ex. XVII This Brook had followed them hitherto but it could not ascend as they did to their next station which was at c Num. XX. 1. and XXXIII 36. Kadesh in the * There it was that Miriam the Sister of Moses dyed by which we know the just Time of their being there For at Mount Hor which was their very next stage there her Brother Aaron dyed which was in a Num. XXXIII 38. the fortieth year of the Peoples coming out of Egypt and on the first day of the fifth month of that year But Miriam's death is remember'd by the Iews on the Tenth day of the first month by which account she dyed not quite four months before him b Ios. Ant. IV. 4. p. 109. G. Iosephus saith she was buried there on a Mountain which they call Sein So it seems it was remember'd in his time wilderness of Zin Num. XX. 1. Hereupon there was a second d Num. XXVIII 14. and Deut. XXXII 51. Massa and Meriba so called on the following occasion There being no water for the Congregation they gather'd themselves together against Moses and Aaron and the People dd Num. XX. 2. v. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chid with Moses and said would to God we had dyed with our Brethren c. wherefore have you made us to come out of Egypt to bring us into this evil place Here is none of all those good things we were to have in the promised Land e v. 5. neither is there any water to drink This want of water was a Temptation that they had not Faith to withstand And yet even now at this present they could not but see by the Pillar of Chud that the same God which brought them up out of Egypt was still with them And they knew what he could do in this very case by having ee Ex. XVII 6. seen what he did in the like which they could not forget having lived upon the effects of it ever since But besides they had seen many other wonderful proofs of an Almighty Providence over them by which they had been deliver'd out of Egypt brought through the Red Sea and preserv'd and fed for so many years since in the wilderness But all these great works of God they threw back to him with Contempt wishing they had never been They wished that f Num. XX. 3. they had dyed with that Rebellious Crew that perished in the gain saying of Korah This was such a g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 13. quarelling with God as he calls it v. 13. that Moses the meekest Man on the Earth could not bear it It provoked him to that degree that he could not speak to them with Patience Insomuch that when God commanded him to take his Rod and go and speak to the Rock before their Eyes and told him that that being done it should give forth its water abundantly He called the People together to see this work of God and as they stood there h v. 10. together before the Rock v. 10. He said unto them Hear now you Rebels must we fetch you water out of this Rock i v. 11. And Moses lift up his hand and with his Rod he sinote the Rock twice and the water came out abundantly In his Anger it seems he did so far forget himself as to do things like one that believed not what God had said to him He struck the Rock twice when God had told him only a Num. XX. 8. speaking to it would suffice Aaron was as it seems in the same fault with Moses for which the dignity of their Persons being consider'd God thought fit to lay Exemplary Punishments on both of them and so he declared that b v. 12. neither of them should enter into Canaan As for Aaron God shorten'd his Journey then presently for he dyed at the next station which was at c v. 28. Mount Hor as has been already shewn and Moses dyed at d Deut. XXXIV 5. Mount Nebo within six months after 108. The next Journey of the People of Israel was through a Third Murmuring at Tsalmona tedious and troublesome e Num. XXI 4. way in which they had nothing to live upon but what came by daily and continual Miracles And whereas they ought to have been thankful for this they were so far from it that they spoke as well against God himself as against Moses They joined them both together in this bitter Expostulation ee v. 5. wherefore have You brought us up out of Egypt to dye in the wilderness Num. XXI 5. This was their Third Rebellion and the last that we read of in the History of this Generation For the punishment of this Sin f v. 6. punisht with fiery Serpents God sent fiery Serpents among them v. 6. It was a most venemous sort of Creature with which that Wilderness did abound And they bit the People so as that a Multitude of them dyed of it The rest came to Moses to intercede for them g v. 7. They said we have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee pray unto the Lord that he take away the Serpents from us They could not have asked a thing which Moses was readier to do He prayed and God order'd him to h v. 8. set up the Image of such a Serpent made of Brass on the top of a very high Pole that every one that was bitten might look up to it and live It is more than once that our blessed Lord minds us of this as a Type of his being i Ioh. III. 14. XII 32. lifted up on the Cross that they that are bitten with Sin may look up to Him and be saved 109. This last Rebellion was at Tsalmona * This place was so called from Tselem which signifieth an Image in memory of this Brazen Serpent It seems the People took this away with them and had it in so great esteem that in process of time they came to worship it as an Idol for which it was r 2 Kin. XVIII 4 broken in pieces by King Hezekiah 2 Kings XVIII 4. which was the thirty At Zered was an end of this murmuring Generation fift station of God's People in the k Num. XXXIII 41. wilderness Num. XXXIII 41. In four stations more they came to the place called l v. 45. Dibon-Gad in the Valley of Zered There as Moses tells us being m Deut. II. 13. come over the Brook of that name there were now none remaining of that Generation of men that were twenty years old or upward when they came up out of Egypt It was now n v. 14. thirty eight years since they came from Kadesh Barnea and full forty years since God took them first to be his People in Egypt All which time of o