mount Sinai; and this he delivered in writing to the Hebrews. 4. Now when this fettlement of laws feemed to be well over, Mofes thought fit at length to take a review of the hoft, as thinking it proper to fettle the affairs of war. So he charged the heads of the tribes, excepting the tribe of Levi, to take an exact account of the number of thofe that were able to go to war; for as to the Levites they were holy, and free from all fuch burdens. Now when the people had been numbered, there were found fix hundred thoufand that were able to go to war, from twenty to fifty years of age, befides three thousand fix hundred and fifty. Inftead of Levi, Mofes took Manaffeh, the fon of Jofeph, among the heads of tribes; and Ephraim inftead of Jofeph. It was indeed the defire of Jacob himself to Jofeph, that he would give him his fons to be his own by adoption, as I have before related. 5. When they fet up the tabernacle, they received it into the midst of their camp, three of the tribes pitching their tents on each fide of it, and roads were cut through the midft of these tents. It was like a well appointed market; and every thing was there ready for fale in due order; and all forts of artificers were in the shops; and it resembled nothing fo much as a city that fometimes was moveable, and fometimes fixed. The priests had the firft places about the tabernacle ; then the Levites, who, because their whole multitude was reckoned from thirty days old, were twenty three thoufand eight hundred and eighty males. And during the time that the cloud ftood over the tabernacle, they thought proper to ftay in the fame place, as fuppofing that God there inhabited among them; but when that removed, they journeyed alfo. 6. Moreover, Mofes was the inventor of the form of their trumpet, which was made of filver. Its defcription is this: In length it was little lefs than a cubit. It was compofed of a narrow tube, fomewhat thicker than a flute, but with fo much breadth as was fufficient for admiffion of the breath of a man's mouth; it ended in the form of a bell, like common trumpets. Its found was called in the Hebrew tongue Afofra. Two of these being made, one of them was founded when they they required the multitude to come together to congregations. When the firft of them gave a fignal, the heads of the tribes were to affemble, and confult about the affairs to them properly belonging; but when they gave the fignal by both of them, they called the multitude together. Whenever the tabernacle was remo ed, it was done in this folemn order: At the first alarm of the trumpet, those whofe tents were on the caft quarter prepared to remove; when the fecond fignal was given, thofe that were on the fouth quarter did the like; in the next place, the tabernacle was taken to pieces, and was carried in the midst of fix tribes. that went before and of fix that followed, all the Levites affifting about the tabernacle; when the third fignal was given, that part which had their tents towards the weft put themselves into motion; and at the fourth fignal, thofe on the north did fo likewife. They alfo made use of these trumpets in their facred minif trations, when they were bringing their facrifices to the altar, as well on the fabbaths as on the rest of the [feftival] days. And now it was that Mofes offered that facrifice which was called the Paffover in the wildernefs, as the first he had offered after the departure out of Egypt. CHA P. XIII. How Mofes Removed from Mount Sinai, and Conducted the People to the Borders of the Canaanites. A LITTLE while afterwards he rose up, and went from mount Sinai; and having palled through feveral manfions, of which we will speak anon, he came to a place called Hazeroth, where the multitude began again to be mutinous, and to blame Mofes for the misfortunes they had fuffered in their travels; and that when he had perfuaded them to leave a good land, they at once had foft that land, and inftead of that happy ftate he had promifed them, they were ftill wandering in their prefent miferable condition, being already in want of water; and if the man. na fhould happen to fail, they must then utterly perish... Yet while they generally fpake many and fore things against the man, there was one of them. who exhorted: them them not to be unmindful of Mofes, and of what great pains he had been at about their common fafety; and not to despair of affiftance from God. The multitude thereupon became ftill more unruly, and more mutinous against Moses than beforç. Hereupon Moses, although he were fo bafely abufed by them, encouraged them in their despairing condition, and promifed that he would procure them a great quantity of flesh meat, and that not for a few days only, but for many days. This they were not willing to believe: And when one of them asked whence he could obtain fuch vaft plenty of what he promifed, he replied, Neither God, nor I, although we hear fuch opprobrious words from you, will leave off our labours for you; and this shall foon appear allo. As foon as ever he had faid this, the whole camp was filled with quails, and they stood round about them, and gathered them in great numbers. However, it was not long ere God punished the Hebrews for their infolence, and thofe reproaches they had ufed towards him, for no fmall number of them died. And ftill to this day the place retains the memory of this deftruction, and is named Kibrothhattaavah. which is, the graves of luft How Mofes Sent fome Perfons to Search out the Land of the Canaanites, and the Largeness of their Cities: And farther, that when those who were Sent were Returned, after Forty Days, and Reported that they should not be a Match for them, and Extolled the Strength of the Canaanites, the Multitude were Disturbed, and fell into Defpair; and. were Refolved to Stone Mofes, and to Return back again into Egypt, and Serve the Egyptians. Mofes had led the Hebrews away 1. WHEN from thence to a place called Paran, which was near to the borders of the Canaanites, and a place difficult to be continued in, he gathered the multitudetogether to a congregation; and standing in the midst of them, he faid, Of the two things that God determined to bestow upon us, liberty, and the poffeffion of a happy country, the one of them ye already are partakers of, by the gift of God, and the other you will quickly quickly obtain ; for we now have our abode near the borders of the Canaanites, and nothing can hinder the acquifition of it, when we now at laft are fallen upon it I fay, not only no king nor city, but neither the whole race of mankind, if they were all gathered together, could do it. Let us therefore prepare ourfelves for the work, for the Canaanites will not refign up their land to us without fighting, but it must be wrefted from them by great struggles in war. Let us then fend spies, who may take a view of the goodness of the land, and what strength it is of. But above all things, let us be of one mind; and let us honour God, who above all is our helper and affifter." 2. When Moses had faid thus, the multitude requited him with marks of respect: And chofe twelve fpies, of the most eminent men, one out of each tribe, who paffing over all the land of Canaan, from the borders of Egypt, came to the city Hamath, and to mount Lebanon; and having learned the nature of the land and of its inhabitants, they came home, having spent forty days in the whole work. They alfo brought with them of the fruits which the land bare: They alfo fhewed them the excellency of thofe fruits, and gave an account of the great quantity of the good things: that land afforded, which were motives to the multitude to go to war. But then they terrified them again with the great difficulty there was in obtaining it: That the rivers were fo large and deep that they could not be paffed over; and that the hills were fo highthat they could not travel along for them; that the cities were strong with walls, and their firm. fortifica. tions round about them. They told them alfo, that they found at Hebron the pofterity of the giants. Accordingly thefe fpies, who had feen the land of Canaan,, when they perceived that all thefe difficulties were greater there than they had met with fince they came out of Egypt, they were affrighted at them themselves,. and endeavoured to affright the multitude alfo. 3. So they fuppofed, from what they had heard,. that it was impoffible to get the poffeffion of the coun And when the congregation was diffolved, they, their wives and children, continued their lamentation, as if God would not indeed aflift them, but only prom ifed them fair. They alfo again blamed Mofes, and made a clamour against him, and his brother Aaron the high priest. Accordingly they paffed that night very ill, and with contumelious language against them; but in the morning they ran to a congregation, intending to stone Mofes and Aaron, and fo to return into Egypt. 4. But of the fpies there were Joshua the fon of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim; and Caleb of the tribe of Judah, that were afraid of the confequence, and came into the midst of them, and stilled the multitude, and defired them to be of good courage; and neither to condemn God, as having told them lies; neither to hearken to thofe who had affrighted them, by telling them what was not true concerning the Canaanites, but to thofe that encouraged them to hope for good fuccefs; and that they fhould gain poffeffion of the happinefs promifed them, because neither the height of mountains, nor the depth of rivers, could hinder men of true courage from attempting them, efpecially while God would take care of them beforehand, and be af fiftant to them. Let us then go, faid they, against our enemies, and have no fufpicion of ill fuccefs, trusting in God to conduct us, and following thofe that are to be our leaders. Thus did these two exhort them, and endeavour to pacify the rage they were in. But Mo fes and Aaron fell on the ground, and befought God,, not for their own deliverance, but that he would put a ftop to what the people were unwarily doing, and would bring their minds to a quiet temper, which were now disordered by their prefent paffion. The cloud alfo did now appear, and stood over the tabernacle, and declared to them the prefence of God to be there. CHA P. XV. How Mofes was Difpleafed at this; and Foretold, that God" was Angry, and that they fhould Continue in the Wildernefs for Forty Years, and not [during that time] either Return into Egypt, or take Poffeffion of Canaan. $.&. MOSES FOSES came now boldly to the multitude, and informed them, that God was moved at their abufe of him, and would inflict punishment upon them, not indeed fuch as they deserved for their fins, but fuch as parents inflict on their children, in order |