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minded them of all that had passed: how the Egyptians were destroyed when they attempted to detain them, contrary to the command of God; and after what manner the very same river was to the others bloody, and not fit for drinking, but was sweet and potable to them; and how they went a new road through the sea, which fled a long way from them: by which means they were themselves preserved, but saw their enemies destroyed; and that when they were in want of weapons, God gave them plenty of them. Thus he recounted all the particular instances, when they were in appearance, just going to be destroyed, but God had saved them in a surprising manner: that he had still the same power, and that they ought not even now to despair of his providence over them, and accordingly he exhorted them to continue quiet, and to consider that help would not come too late, though perhaps not immediately, if it were present with them before they suffered any great misfortune. "You ought," said he, "to reason thus, that God delays to assist you, not because he has no regard to you, but because he will first try your fortitude, and the pleasure you take in your freedom; that he may learn whether you have souls great enough to bear want of food, and scarcity of water on its account; or whether you really love to be slaves, as cattle are slaves to such as own them, and feed them liberally, but only in order to make them more useful in their service. As for myself, I shall not be so much concerned for my own preservation, for if I die unjustly, I shall not reckon it any affliction; but I am concerned for you, lest by casting stones at me, you should be thought to condemn God himself."

By this means Moses pacified the people, and restrained them from stoning him, and brought them to repent of what they were going to do. And because he thought the necessity they were under made their passion less unjustifiable, he thought it needful to apply to God by prayer and supplication; and going up to an eminece, he requested some succour for the people, and some way of deliverance from the want they were in; because in God, and in him alone, was their hope of

* It seems to me from what Moses, Exod. xvi. 18, St. Paul, 2 Cor. viii. 15, and Josephus here says, compared together, that the quantity of manna that fell daily, and did

salvation. He also desired that he would forgive what necessity had forced the people to do: since such was the nature of mankind, hard to please, and very complaining under adversities. Accordingly God promised he would take care of them, and afford the succour they were desirous of. Now when Moses had heard this, he came down to the multitude; and as soon as they saw him joyful at the promises he had received from God, they changed their sad countenances into gladness. So he placed himself in the midst of them, and told them he came to bring them from God a deliverance out of their present distress. Accordingly a little time after came a vast number of quails, (which birds are more plentiful in this Arabian Gulf than any where else) flying over the sea, and hovered over them, till wearied with their laborious flight, and indeed, as usual, flying very near to the earth, they fell down among the Hebrews, who caught them, and satisfied their hunger with them, supposing this was the method whereby God meant to supply them with food. Hereupon, Moses returned thanks to God for affording them assistance so suddenly, and sooner than he had promised.

But soon after this first supply of food, they received a second; for, as Moses was lifting up his hands in prayer, a dew fell down, and Moses, when he found it adhere to his hands, supposed this was also come for food from God; he tasted it, and perceiving that the people knew not what it was, but thought it snowed, and that it was what usually fell at that time of the year, he informed them, that this dew did not fall from heaven after the manner they imagined, but came for their preservation and sustenance; so he gave them some of it, that they might be satisfied about what he had told them. They also imitated their conductor, and were pleased with the food, for it was like honey in sweetness, and in substance like to bdellium, one of the sweet spices, but in bigness equal to coriander seed. The people were now very earnest in gathering it; but they were enjoined to gather it equally, the measure of a homer for every one every day, because this food should not come in too small quantity, lest the weaker not putrefy was jug so much as come to a homer a piece through the whole host of Israel, and no more.

*

might not be able to get their share, by reason of the overbearing of the strong in collecting it. However, these strong men, when they had gathered more than the measure appointed for them, they had no more than others, but only tired themselves more in gathering it; for they found no more than a homer a piece, and the advantage they got by what was superfluous was none at all, as it corrupted, both by worms breeding in it, and by its bitterness. So divine and wonderful a food was this! It also supplied the want of other sorts of food to those that fed on it; and even now,* in all that place, this manna comes down in rain, according to what Moses then obtained of God, to send it the people for their sustenance. Now the Hebrews call this food manna,† for the particle man in our language is the asking of a question, what is this? So the Hebrews were very joyful at what was sent them from heaven, and they made use of this food for forty years, or as long as they remained in the wilderness.

As soon as they removed thence, they came to Rephidim, distressed to the last degree by thirst: for, though in the foregoing days. they had met with a few small fountains, they now found the earth entirely destitute of water, and were in an evil case. They again turned their anger against Moses; but he at first avoided the fury of the multitude, and then betook himself to prayer, beseeching God, that as he had given them food when they were in the greatest want of it, so he would give them drink, since the favour of giving them food was of no value to them while they had nothing to drink. God did not long delay to grant this request, but promised that he would procure them a fountain, and plenty of water from a place where they

*This supposal that the sweet honey dew, or manna, so celebrated in ancient and modern authors, as falling usually in Arabia, was of the very same sort with the manna sent to the Israelites, savours more of Gentilism than of Judaism or Christianity. It is not improbable that some ancient Gentile author, read by Josephus, thought so, nor would he here contradict him, though just before, and IV. 3, he seems directly to allow that it had not been seen previously. However, this food from heaven is here described by the word vigerêa, that it fell like snow; and in Artapanus, a heathen writer, it is compared to meal, like to oatmeal, in colour like to snow, rained down by God Essay on the Old Test. Appendix, page 239. But as to the derivation of the word manna, whether from man, which Josephus says then signified, what is it? or from manah, to VOL. 1.-NO. 3.

did not expect any; so he commanded Moses to smite the rocks which they saw lying there with his rod, and out of it to receive plenty in what they wanted; for he had taken care that drink should come to them without any labour or exertion. When Moses had received this command, he came to the people who waited for and looked upon him, for they saw already that he was coming apace from his eminence. As soon as he was come, he told them, that God would deliver them from their present distress, and had granted them an unexpected favour, and informed them that a river should run for their sakes out of the rock; but they were amazed at that hearing, supposing they were of necessity to cut the rock in pieces now they were distressed by their thirst, and by their journey. Moses, however, by only smiting the rock with his rod, opened a passage, and out of it burst water in great abundance, and very clear; while they were astonished at this wonderful effect, and as it were quenched their thirst by the very sight of it: so they drank this pleasant, this sweet water, and such it seemed to be, as might well be expected where God was the donor. They were also in admiration how Moses was honoured by God, and they made grateful returns of sacrifices to God for his providence towards them. Now that scripture which is laid up in the temple** informs us how God foretold to Moses, that water should in this manner be derived out of the rock.

CHAP. II.

OF THE HOSTILITIES COMMITTED AGAINST THE HEBREWS BY THE AMALEKITES, AND OF THEIR COMPLETE DEFEAT.

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HE name of the Hebrews began already to be every where renowned, and rudivide, i. e. a dividend, or portion allotted to every one, it is uncertain. I incline to the latter derivation. This manna is called angels' food, Ps. lxxviii. 25. and by our Saviour, John vi. 31. as well as by Josephus here and elsewhere, said to be sent to the Jews from heaven. † Exod. xvi. 15.

From an. 1532 to 1429, B. C.
Exod. xvii. 1.

§ This rock is here at this day, as modern travellers agree, and must be the same that was there in the days of Moses.

** Note here, that the small book of the principal laws of Moses is ever said to be laid up in the holy house itself, but the larger Pentateuch somewhere within the limits of the temple and its courts only. See V. 1. VI. 4. X. 4.

Y

mours about them ran abroad, which excited great fear in the inhabitants of those countries: accordingly they sent ambassadors to one another, and exhorted each other to defend themselves, and to endeavour to destroy these men. Those that induced the rest to do so, were such as inhabited Gobilitis and Petra; they were called Amalekites,* and were the most warlike of the nations that lived thereabout, and whose kings exhorted one another, and their neighbours, to engage in this war against the Hebrews, telling them that an army of strangers, who had ran away from slavery under the Egyptians, lay in wait to ruin them; which army they were not in common prudence, and regard to their own safety, to overlook, but to crush them before they should gather strength, and come to be in prosperity: and perhaps attack them first in an hostile manner, as presuming upon their indolence in not attacking them before; and that they ought to avenge themselves for what had been done in the wilderness; but that this could not be so well done when the Hebrews had once laid their hands on their cities and goods; that those who endeavoured to crush a power in its first rise, were wiser than those that attempted to stop its progress when it became formidable; as these last seem to be angry only at the flourishing of others, but the former do not leave any room for their enemies to become troublesome to them. After they had sent such ambassages to the neighbouring nations, and among each other, they resolved to attack the Hebrews in battle.

These proceedings of the people of those countries occasioned perplexity and trouble to Moses, who expected no such warlike preparations: and when these nations were ready to fight, the multitude of the Hebrews were obliged to try the fortune of war; they were

*The Amalekites were a people descended from Amalek, the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, by a concubine, Gen. xxxvi. 12. And the ground of their enmity against the Israelites is generally supposed to have been an innate hatred, from the remembrance of Jacob's depriving their progenitor, both of his birth-right and blessing. Their falling upon them, however, and that without any provocation, when they saw them reduced to so low a condition by the fatigue of their march, and the excessive drought they laboured under, was an inhuman action, and justly deserved the defeat which Joshua gave them. But then the reason why God thought fit to denounce a perpetual war against them, is to be resolved into this :-That know

in great disorder, and in want of all necessaries, and yet were to make war with men who were well prepared for it. Then it was, therefore, that Moses began to encourage them, and to exhort them to have a good heart, and rely on God's assistance by which they had been advanced into a state of freedom, and to hope for victory over those who were ready to fight with them in order to deprive them of that blessing. He said they were to suppose their own army to be numerous, wanting nothing, neither weapons, nor money, nor provisions, nor such other conveniences as when men are in possession of, they fight undauntedly, and that they were to judge themselves to have all these advantages in the Divine assistance. They were also to suppose the enemies' army to be small, unarmed, and weak, and such as want those conveniences which they know must be wanted when it is God's will that they should be beaten. He reminded them that they had experienced the value of God's assistance in abundance of trials, and those such as were more terrible than war; for that is only against men, but these were against famine and thirst, things that were in their own nature insuperable; as also against mountains, and that sea which affording them no way for escaping; yet had all these difficulties been conquered by God's gracious kindness: so he exhorted them to be courageous at this time, and to consider their entire prosperity to depend on the present conquest of their ene mies.

Moses having thus encouraged the multitude, called together the princes of their tribes, and their chief men, both separately and jointly. The young men he charged to obey their elders, and the elders to hearken to their leader; so the people were elevated in their minds, and ready to try their fortune

ing the Israelites were pre-ordained by God to be put in possession of the land of Canaan, they came against them with an armed force, in hopes of frustrating the designs of Providence concerning them. And this is the reason which Moses himself assigns for this declaration of war; because his (i. e. Amalek's) hand is against the throne of God, (i. e. against God himself) therefore the Lord will wage war against him from one generation to another. Exod. xvii. 16. The injury done the Israelites was not so much as the affront offered to the divine Majesty; and therefore God threatens utterly to extirpate the designers of it. Univer sal History, 1. 1. c. 7. and Patrick's Commentary. B..

in battle, and hoped to be thereby at length delivered from all their miseries. Nay, they desired that Moses would immediately lead them against their enemies, without the least delay, that no backwardness might be an hindrance to their present resolution; so Moses classed all that were fit for war into different troops, and set over them Joshua, the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim; one that was of great courage, and patient to undergo labours; of great abilities to understand, and to speak what was proper, and very serious in the service of God, and indeed, made like another Moses, a teacher of piety towards God. He also appointed a small party of the armed men to be near the water, and to take care of the children and the women, and of the entire camp; so that whole night they prepared themselves for the battle, they took their weapons, if any of them had such as were well made, and attended to their commanders, as ready to rush forth to the battle as soon as Moses should give the word of command. Moses also kept awake, teaching Joshua after what manner he should order his camp; but when the day began, Moses called Joshua again, and exhorted him to approve himself in deeds such a one as his reputation made men expect from him, and to gain glory by the present expedition in the opinion of those under him, for his exploits in this battle: he also gave a particular exhortation to the principal men of the Hebrews, and encouraged the whole army as it stood before him; and when he had thus animated them, both by his words and works, and prepared every thing, he retired to a mountain, and committed the army to God and to Joshua.

The armies having joined battle, soon came to a close fight hand to hand, both sides shewing great alacrity, and encouraging one another; and, indeed, while Moses stretched out his hands towards heaven, the Hebrews were too hard for the Amalekites; but Moses

*This eminent circumstance, that while Moses's hands were held up towards heaven, the Israelites prevailed; and while they were let down towards the earth, the Amalekites prevailed; seems the earliest intimation we have of the proper posture, used of old, in solemn prayer, which was the stretching out the hands and eyes towards heaven, as other passages of the Old and New Testament inform us. Nay, by the way, this posture seems to have continued in the Christian church till the clergy, instead

not being able to sustain his hands thus stretched out (for as often as he let down his hands, so often were his own people worsted,) he bade his brother Aaron, and Hur, their sister Miriam's husband, to stand on each side of him, and take hold of his hands, and notto permit his weariness to prevent it, but to assist him in the extension of his hands. When this was done, the Hebrews conquered the Amalekites by main force; and, indeed, they had all perished, unless the approach of night had obliged the Hebrews to desist from killing any more. So our forefathers obtained a most signal and most seasonable victory; for they not only overcame those that fought against them, but also terrified the neighbouring nations, and got great and splendid advantages, which they obtained of their enemies by their hard pains in this battle; for when they had taken the enemies' camp, they got great booty for the public, and for their own private families, whereas till then they had not any plenty even of necessary food. The afore-mentioned victory was also the occasion of their prosperity, not only for the present, but for future ages also; for they not only made slaves of the bodies of their enemies, but effectually damped their minds: and after this battle became terrible to all that dwelt round about them. They also acquired a vast quantity of riches; for a great deal of silver and gold was left in the enemies' camp, as also brazen vessels, which they made common use of in their families; many utensils also that were embroidered, there were of both sorts; that is, of what were woven, and what were the ornaments of their armour and other things that served for use to their family, and for the furniture of their rooms; they got also the prey of their cattle and of whatsoever uses to follow camps, when they remove from one place to another; so the Hebrews now valued themselves upon their courage, and claimed great merit for their valour; and they perpetually inured themselves to take of learning their prayers by heart, read them out of a book, which is in a great measure inconsistent with such an elevated posture, and which seems to me to have been only a later practice under the corrupt state of the church. Though the constant use of divine forms of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving, appears to have been the practice of God's people, Patriarchs, Jews, and Christians, in all the past ages.

pains, by which they deemed every difficulty might be surmounted: and this was the result of the battle.

On the next day Moses stripped the dead bodies of their enemies, and gathered together the armour of those that were fled, and gave rewards to such as had signalised themselves in the action, and highly commended Joshua, their general, who was attested to by all the army, on account of the great actions he had done; nor was any one of the Hebrews slain, though the slain of the enemies' army were too many to be enumerated. So Moses offered sacrifice of thanksgiving to God, and built an altar, which he named, the Lord the conqueror. He also foretold that the Amalekites should be utterly destroyed, and that hereafter none of them should remain, because they fought against the Hebrews when they were in the wilderness, and in their distress. Moreover he refreshed the army with feasting: and thus did they fight this first battle with those that ventured to oppose them, after they were gone out of Egypt. But, when Moses had celebrated this festival for the victory, he permitted the Hebrews to rest for a few days, and then brought them out after the fight in order of battle; for they had now many soldiers in light armour, and going gradually on, he came to mount Sinai, and three months after they were removed out of Egypt, at which mountain, as we have before related, the vision of the bush, and the other wonderful appearances had happened..

CHAP. III.

OF RAGUEL'S ARRIVAL AND RECEPTION BY MOSES AT MOUNT

WH

SINAI.

HEN Raguel, Moses's* father-in-law, understood in what a prosperous condition his affairs were, he willingly came to meet him; and Moses took Zipporah his wife, and his children, and pleased himself with his coming: and when he had offered sacrifice, he made a feast for the multitude, near the bush he had formerly seen; every one, according to their families, partaking of the festival. But Aaron and his family took Raguel, and sung hymns to God, as to him who had been the author and procurer of their deliver

* Exod. xviii. 1.

ance, and their freedom. They also praised their conductor, as him by whose virtue it was that all things had succeeded so well. with them. Raguel, also, in his eucharistical oration to Moses, made great encomiums upon the whole multitude; and he could not but admire Moses for his fortitude, and that humanity he had shewed in the delivery of his friends.

CHAP. IV.

OF RAGUEL'S FRIENDLY SUGGESTIONS RESPECTING THE GOVERNMENT OF THE HEBREWS, WHICH WERE ADOPTED BY MOSES.

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HE next day, Raguel saw Moses in the midst of a crowd of business,† for he determined the differences of those that referred them to him, every one still going to him, and supposing they should then only obtain justice, if he were the arbitrator; and those that lost their causes thought it no great harm, while they thought they lost them justly, and not by partiality. Raguel, however, said nothing at that time, as not desirous to be any hindrance to such as had a mind to make use of the virtue of their conductor; but afterward he took Moses to himself; and when he had him alone, he instructed him in what he ought to do, and advised him to leave the trouble of lesser causes to others, but himself to take care of the greater, and of the people's safety, for that others of the Hebrews might be found that were fit to determine causes, but that nobody but a Moses could take care of the safety of many thousands. "Be not, therefore," said he, "insensible of thine own virtue, and what thou hast done by ministering under God to the people's preservation.. Leave, therefore, the determination of common causes to others: but do thou reserve thyself to the attendance on God only, and look out for methods of preserving the multitude from their present distress. Make use of the method I suggest as to human affairs, and take a review of the army, and appoint chosen rulers over tens of thousands, and then over thousands; and then divide them into five hundreds, and again into hundreds, and into fifties, and set rulers over each of them, who may distinguish them into thirties, and keep them in order, and at last number

† Exod. xvii. 13..

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