rod for a memorial, and it was preserved for generations in the ark, with the pot of manna.

SECTION XXXVIII.

SECOND MURMURING ON ACCOUNT OF THE WANT OF WATER.

WHILE Israel remained encamped at Kadesh, Miriam who was several years older than either Moses or Aaron, died, and was buried there. "And there was no water for the congregation; and the people chode with Moses and Aaron, saying, Would God we had died when our brethren died before the Lord. And why have ye brought the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? And wherefore have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us into this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs or vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink." Upon this trying occasion, as before, Moses and Aaron fell on their faces, at the door of the tabernacle; and THE GLORY OF THE LORD appeared unto them. And the Lord directed Moses to take the rod, and collect the congregation, and to speak to the rock, and it should bring forth water. But Moses, chafed and provoked with the unceasing rebellion of the people, instead of simply doing what the Lord commanded, said to them, "Hear now, ye rebels, must we fetch water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand and smote the rock twice; and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank and their beasts also." But this conduct of Moses greatly displeased the Lord, therefore he said, "Because ye believed me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring the congregation into the land which I have given them." This place also, like the former, received the name of Meribah, because there the children of Israel strove with the Lord.

SECTION XXXIX.

MESSAGE TO THE KING OF EDOM-DEATH OF AARON.

FROM Kadesh, the direct way for the march of the children of Israel was through the country of Edom. Moses therefore sent messengers to the king of Edom, to solicit a peaceable passage through his territory; and they were commissioned to say, "Thus saith thy brother Israel, thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us; how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt, a long time, and the Egyptians vexed

us and our fathers; and when we cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice, and sent an angel and hath brought us forth out of Egypt, and behold we are in Cadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy borders. Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country. We will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells. We will go by the king's highway, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left until we have passed thy borders." But the king of Edom would not grant this favour to Israel; and threatened them with a hostile attack if they should attempt to enter his country. And when they repeated their request, offering to pay for the water which their cattle might need, still they met with a positive refusal. They were, therefore, under the necessity of turning their march another way; endeavouring to pass around the land of Edom; and in their progress they came to mount Hor, which became famous on account of the death of Aaron; for he having been a partaker of the sin of Moses which excluded him from the land of promise, was also prevented from entering Canaan. The circumstances of Aaron's death were unusual and solemn. Moses was directed to take him and Eleazar, and bring them up unto mount Hor; and they went up in the sight of all the congregation. And then Moses stripped off Aaron's sacerdotal robes, and put them upon Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there, in the top of the mountain; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount. And all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.

While Israel was endeavouring to encompass the land of Edom, where they found the way exceeding difficult, so that the hearts of the people were much discouraged, they were attacked by Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the south. At first he had some success against Israel, and took some of the people prisoners, but they vowed a vow, that if the Lord would deliver their enemies into their hand, they would utterly destroy their cities; and the Lord heard them, and gave them the victory: and accordingly they utterly destroyed them and their cities, and called the name of the place, Hormah.

SECTION XL.

FIERY SERPENTS INFEST THE PEOPLE ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR REBELLION.

THE people having again sinned against God and Moses his servant, saying, "Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread; therefore, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the

people; and much people of Israel died." They now began as usual to repent, and came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and thee. Pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us." And again Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it on a pole, and whoever that was bitten of the fiery serpents, when they looked upon it, lived." From our Lord's discourse with Nicodemus, we learn, that the erection of this brazen serpent on a pole for the healing of the dying Israelites, was a type of the lifting up of the Son of man on the cross, for the salvation of sinners; and that the manner of obtaining the cure was the same. "For as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so shall the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."

The armies of Israel continued their march and came successively to Oboth, Ije-Abarim, which is on the coast of Moab, Zared, and Arnon, which river is the boundary between the territory of Moab and of Ammon; and thence they journeyed to Beer, or the well, where the Lord gave water to the people; on which occasion Moses composed a hymn which the people sang. "Spring up, O well, sing ye unto it. The princes digged the well; the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves." Their next stage was Mattanah; then Nahaliel; then Bamoth, in the valley, which is in the country of Moab, and from thence to the top of Pisgah. Having now reached the borders of the Amorites, Moses sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the country, to obtain permission to pass through his country, promising not to turn aside from the highway into the fields or vineyards, nor to drink the water of his wells, but to march directly through the land, until they had passed his borders. But Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his borders, and not content with a refusal of this reasonable request, he collected an army and went forth to attack Israel, in the wilderness. And at a place called Johaz, a battle was fought, in which Sihon was completely overthrown. And Israel took possession of the country of the Amorites, from Arnon to Jabbok on the borders of Ammon, and dwelt in their cities; and they took Heshbon the royal city, which Sihon had built and ornamented with much pains.

After vanquishing the Amorites, and taking possession of their country, they went up by the way of Bashan; and Og, king of Bashan, came out and fought with them at Edrei; but was utterly overthrown, and all his people destroyed.

SECTION XLI.

BALAK SENDS FOR BALAAM TO CURSE ISRAEL.

THE children of Israel having conquered the Amorites who dwelt on the east side of Jordan, had nearly reached the end of their journey; for they were now encamped on the plains of Moab, over against Jericho. And it does not appear that they had the least intention of attacking Moab; indeed they were prohibited to meddle with the children of Lot. But Balak the son of Zippor, who was at this time the king of the Moabites, was greatly alarmed at seeing so great a multitude of people on his borders; and especially after he had witnessed the utter overthrow of the Amorites, by the armies of Israel. He was convinced that in the usual course of war, he had no prospect of success against such a host, now accustomed to the use of arms. After consultation, therefore, he sent messengers to Pethor, on the Euphrates, to bring from thence, Balaam, the son of Beor, to curse the people of Israel, because they were too mighty for him. The fame of Balaam must have been very great in the east, when it was believed in remote lands, that he had power to destroy whom he would, and to render whom he would prosperous.

a

At this time it would seem that Moab and Midian formed one nation, or were confederate, for Balak at first, consulted the elders of Midian, and then joined them in the embassy with the elders of Moab, to Balaam. They carried with them "the rewards of divination;" no doubt, a royal present; and delivered to Balaam the message of Balak. Balaam, although a bad man at heart, was really a prophet, and had been accustomed to receive by inspiration communications from God. He hoped that in this case he might receive a permission to engage in work which promised him so much profit. He did not, therefore, give an immediate answer to the messengers, but detained them that night that he might know the mind of God. And, accordingly, God did come to him and inquired, who they were whom he had with him in the house. And then said, "Thou shalt not go with them: thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed." In the morning, therefore, Balaam sent back the messengers, saying, "The Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you. It is probable from the turn of this answer, and from other circumstances, these ambassadors were convinced, that the inclination of the prophet was to accompany them; and this may account for Balak's sending another embassy of princes, more in number and more honourable than the first, who were authorized to promise the highest honours and rewards which

he could ask, if he would go and curse the people of Israel. But Balaam assured them, that if they were to give him a house full of gold, he could not go beyond the word of the Lord to do less or more. But instead of giving a prompt and decisive refusal, which he should have done, he detains them, that he might again inquire of the Lord. Well, in the night, "God came to Balaam, and said, If the men come to call thee, rise up and go with them; but yet the word which I say unto thee, that shalt thou do. And Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab."

God sometimes grants the earnest requests of his creatures in judgment for their wickedness in entertaining such desires. This was evidently the case in regard to Balaam; for although he now directed him to go with the men, in direct opposition to what he had at first commanded, yet "God's anger was enkindled, because he went." Perhaps what was said by way of permission, was merely meant for trial, to see whether the avarice of the prophet would lead him to embrace the opportunity of going. And now when he was on his journey, the princes of Moab had probably gone on before, "the angel of the Lord stood in the way, an adversary against him." Balaam was riding on his ass, accompanied by his two servants, "and the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way; and his sword drawn in his hand, and the ass turned aside out of the way and went into the field. And Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way. But the road here passing between two walls, the angel placed himself so exactly before her, that the ass in avoiding him turned to the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall, and he smote her again. The angel then removed forward to a place, where the passage was still narrower, so that the ass had no way to turn; and when she saw the angel she fell down under Balaam; and his anger was kindled and he smote the ass with a staff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for then would I kill thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am I not thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine, unto this day? Was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay. Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head and fell flat on his face. And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times; behold I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me. And the ass saw me and turned from me, these three times; unless she had turned