Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ac we have «n seeouM of the whole number of Uie IXvite*; aod hen of Iboae only who were abU to «erre the tiord in th* aanttuary. Bv comparing the two plneea we find the munbera to itand t&ui { l%na we find ihat the whole mmAar of the Leviiea amounted to 32,390, of whom ^690 were At for aervioe, and 13,720 unfit, being either too old or tvo 3roung. What an tutoni^ing number of men, all properly ecclesiutica 1 all performing aome eervice by which Ood wae glorified, and the coogregatioo at large benefited! See Ainrworlh.

Frrat thia and the preceding chapter, we see the Tery severe labour which the Levites were obliged to perform, white the joumq^nga of the Imelites lasted. When we sontider that there waa not leaa than 14 Um», 266 16*. of nutal employed in Uie tabernacle, we the note* on Bxod. SLxxviii. besides the immense weight of the mkina, hangiiKga, eorda, boards, and jwttf, we shall find it was no easy matter to transpon thii moveable temple from plaoe to plaoe.

The dhr^umita, vihb were 7,500 men in the service, had to carry the tent, eoveringa, veil, hanging of die court, eonUf &c. Sec., chap. iii. ver. 2S, SbS.

The Kohaihitu, who were ^600 men, had to carry the arh, table, eandUatiek, attart, and iiutruTneTtU of the aanetuary. Ibid. 31.

'nw JlnrarUe*. who were 6,200 men, had to carry the ftoord*, bat*, jnUare, todcett, and all mattera connected with tbeae buongiog to the tabema^; with ihtpiUan of the court, Ihnr aedbf^ ptiu^ andeottb. Ibid. ^. 37.

Hie tabernacle waa an epitome of the temple; the tempU and tabemade were representatives of the church of Ihe living God, and of ihe humanity of our bleeeed l.ord. As Ood dwelt in the tabert>acle and temple, eo his fulneaa dwelt in the Jldba ChriM Jema; Thesa again wen ftpes 390.

2 Conunand the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, aod every one that bath an * issue, and whosoever is defiled hy the t dead.

of the Christian church, which is termed the body of Christ, Ephes. i. 23. vbtn he dwells in the plenitude of the graces of hia Spirit

Mr. Ainsworth tuu a very usefiit note on the 20th verse of this chapter, the moat edifying pert of vhich I shall here lay bnore the reader. He considers the tahem^d* and temple not only as pointing out the oid diepttuoHm; the annuUtn^ of iniich was ^rpified by their aeetrtiction, but be considers also the former as emUemadeal of die btdyvt man.

"TRie apostle," lays he, "tivaiiog of tbe death of die ■ainis, uses this eimilitude; our aarthhf funtst (kit tabtnaele were AlUtolved, lee have a buiuling qf Odd, a houMnatjnadewithhand»,eternalintheluaten». /Vrwe that are in this TABzaif acls do groan, being burdaud, not for thtUwe vouid beundothM, but dothtd upon, lltat mortality m^Al wuaOoiped vp ^ life, 2 Cor. v. 1—4. So Peter calls hia deaOi, the piiw{iig^of hia tabuiiact.B, 2 Pet. j. 14. And this aimilitode is very fit; for, as here, in the tabernacle of Moses, tbe most holy thius were first covered, and taken awayi see ver. 20. so the BOul and its powers are first withdrawn from the body by death. 3, As die curtains and covenngs were taken on and folded up; so the skin and flesh of our bodies are pulled off ana- eomumed. 3. As the boards 4tf the tabernacle ware diqohitnl and pulled asunder, ao rintll our bones and sinews: — eompare Job's deaeription of d>e formation of man, chap, z. 9 — 12. And Solomon's acoooat of his dissolution, Ecelea. xii. 3, 4. 4. As the disjointed and dissolved tabernacle waa afterward set up agiua, Nomh. z. 21. ao shall our bodies in tha day of the resuneetiani see 1 Oor. XV. 51—54."

NOTES ON CHAPTES V. Verae 2. Put out qf tlu eairgt every Itper} Acooidiig to the preceding plan, it is sufficiently enden^ that each eamp had a space behind it, and <m one side, wbttber the infMted might be removed, and where, probaUy, eoovenient places were erected for the aceonuuidatioD of the infected I for we cannot suppose that tbey wen dnven out

3 Both male and female ihaU ye put out, without the camp shall ye put Uwm; uiat they deflje not their eampt, ■ in Jhe midst whereof I dwell.

4 And the children of Israel did so, and put them out withoat the camp; as the Lord spake unto Mosea, so did the childreD of Israel.

6 Speak unto the children of Israel, ' When s man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the I^D, and that person he guilty;

7 * Then they shall confess their aih which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespau ' with the priocipal part thereof, ^od add unto it the fifth part ttwreof, and give it unto kim againat whom he hath treipaued.

8 But if the man have no kiosman to recompense the trespass onto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the Loan, even to the priest; besides ' the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.

9 f And every ■ offering ■ of all the holy things of the children of Israel, n^hich they bring uuio the priest, ehtdl be his. •

10 And every man's hallowed things shall be his: whaifMoevtx any man giveth the priest, it ahull be * bii,

12 Speak onto the children of Israel, and sqy onto them. If any man's wife go aside, andeomsit a trespajBB against him,

13 And a man 'lie with her cariuUy, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept dose, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner J

14 And the spirit of jealousy come upon him,

into the nsbed wUdemw. Bat the ezpalnon mentioned here, was bonded, let. On a purely nlgwicai reason, viz. die dieeaaes wen etmtagimu, and tneKfore tbera waa a neoenity of putting thoee afflicted br tbem aput, that the inlectioo might not be commuDieaiad. 2. There was &1«o a apiritual reaaon; the c&mp was the habilatifm of God, and nothing impure should be peirmitiad to remain where he dwelt. 3. "nie camp vaa an emblem of the ehordi, where nodiing that is defiled ihould enter; and in which nothing diBtMunhidyahonId be Urinated. AlllnMni,al] pencrerins impenitent sinnen^ aboukl be driven mm ^ sacred pale; nor shoold Miy such ever be permitted to enter.

Verae 4. And Ou tAHdren of broA—pui fAam mU\ Tiax is the earliest aeoount we have of sudt aeparations; and probably thia ordmaiiee gav« the first ideaof a ftospffoL where alt thoae who are afilbeied with eoniagious diaoraers are put into particular warda, under medteal treatnenL Tliou^ no mention be made of the eitoation, cireumatancea, Ac. of dwae expdled penons^ we may certainly infer that the; were trrated with ilmt humanity which their distreswd state required, lliough ainnera muet be separated from the church of God, yet uivj should be treated with affectionate regard, because Aey may bt ndaimed. It is ux> often the case, when a man baeksfidea from the way of truth, he is abandoited by all I'flikliiig hia eaae desperate, he plunges yet deeper into the mire or rin | and the man becomes incurably hardened, who with tender treatment might have been reclaimed. One class says, he eannot finj^ly htl, and shall in doe time be restored: another elaas Bay% he mar finally foil and tMeriy jttriah. If dte unfortunate person be restored, his recovery is taken as a |»oof of the first doctrine: if be be not, his wretdied cod ia considered a proof of the aeeond. In the first case the person himaelf may presume on hia reetontien as a point inbllibly determin«l in the divine eounael — or in the second, he m^ consider fais case Aopeie**, and so abandon himaelf to profligacy and desperatiorL Thus both parties lean him — ana both opiniona (misunderstood certainly) tender Um secure or tUaptraU: and in either caa& t^rtally inoefise in bdialf of hia own aoul. Who is he tnat properly estimates the worth of one immort^ spirit 1 He who doea^ will at once leel, that in a state tA pnAatioa^ any man maiiffaU tbroogfa sin — and ai» aiimar may ba HDBwad agam uMo fapeMsaee^ throng ^ tafiutaly

and he be jealons of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealeui^ come uptm him,.and he be jealous of his wife, hnd she be not defiledi

15 Then shall the man bring his wife, unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering ibr her the tenth part of an ephah of barley mefil; he shall potu- no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon: lor it m an offering or jealousy, an offering of memorial, <' bringing iniquity to remeoH branee.

16 And the priest shall bring her neafi aad set her before the Loan: •

17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel: amf of the dmt ihat is in thA floor of the tabernacle ths prie«t shall tato^ aad pot it into the water:

18 And the priest ehall sot the wmneji befbra the I^OBiK and uncover the.wDmaB''B he^, oad ^ut the offering of memori^ to her hamja, nhicth le the jealousy-offering: snd i&e pried t ahall have m his hand the bitter mttec that cuuseih the curse:

19 And the priest shail charge her by an oath, and say imto the womaiij If no man have with thee, and if then haatnot gone atride to utiH cleanness *vrith an>{her 'AHtettd of Uur hop* band, be thou free J rom Uki«^tt^ ^tt^f St causeth the curse:

20 But if thou hast gone aside to another iastead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have Iain with thee beside thine htie* bend:

81 Then the priest shall t charge the woman with an oath ofoursing, and the priest sh^l si^ unto the woman, ^ The Lord mate thee a curse and an oath among tliy people, when the Lobd doth make thy thigh to < rot, and tl^ beUr to swell;

meritmioua aaoriflce, and aU-powerfidly effleaajows gmos of Christ, This truth, properly felL MMally pfediidBS both presumption and despair, and Will inauee the foUoirera oi Ood to be active in jn-MertAng those who have escaped from the corruption that is in uie world; and make tbem diligent to rec^Mr those who have turned bade to earth and sin.

Verse 7. Shatt. ct^feu thnr sin] Without con/'essfoM or ttdaumUdgmant of sin, there was no hope of rastey held oat

He thail rteompmMi\ For widtont rMMbitfaii, in «tot possible case, Ood will not forgive the iniquity of a maa^ sin. How can any person in a case of defruid, with bis neighbour's property in his possession, expeet to reeaiva mercy from the nand of a just and holy God 1 See this subject considered in the notes on Ocn. «lii. at the ckiae.

Tem 8. Iflu AoM no AiitMum] Hie Jews thtektbat this law respects the ttnmgtr and tbaMtoinisr inly, b*' oauae every Israelite is in a state of affini^ to all tbereatf but there might be a ttrangtr in the camp who has no relative in any of the tribes of Israel.

Verse 14. iJu tpirit of jaalouty) raop rvn rmatk AtnoA, either a supernatural diabolteal inflnenee, ■^'•Mmg him to jealounr; or the poM&ion or ^seMon of jealoo^i for so the woros may be understood.

Versa 17. mfyvaUr) Water outof dw bver. ealM holy, because eonsecratea to sacred naea. Hue is toa most ancient eaae of the trial by ont^ See at the end of dis

In an tartkm aessal] Supposed by the Jewa to ba audi as had never been previously used.

Dust tkat U on tlu Joorl Pn^aUy iotaodad to poiM out the baseness of the crime of which she waa aeenaed.

Verse IQ. Unamer tha woman's Aaod] To take off a woman'o veil, and ezpoae to the sight of mcD, would be considered a very n«at degradation u tbeeaaL To this St. faul M>pear> to aUude, 1 tior. xi. 6, 6, and 10.

VerM 21. The Lord make Aee a atree and an aoA] Let thy name and punishment be remembered and bsdtioned as an example and terror to all olbera. Like that mentioned, Jer. xxix. 22, 23. "The Lord make thee lib* Zedekiah, and like Abab, whom (he king of Babylon roasted in the fire, becauae they have oonmitted villaay is

38 And tfaia water that caqaeth the cwm k shall go into thy bowelt, to make thjt belly to eweH, and thy iaigh to rot: >Aiid the woman ehall say Amen, Amen.

23 And the priest shall write these curses in a.book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:

84 And he shall cause the woman to drink the hitter water that cauaeth the cune: and the water that cauaeth the corae shall enter into her, and become bitter.

•25 Then the priest shall take the jealouay- Dflertng' o^t of the woman's fiand, and shrul *wave llia otferijij^ litlorc tliC Lffirj, and gd'er itBEKin the ^llar:

3i3 " Aod the iirieet tiiiell tiikc an huudful at' ibe offierinff, even toe aamuginl Uuxeat.mmi. htm it npott tae altar, and afterward ahaU cawe tbt woman to drink the water.

Ihiufi lit faJl. Am ihfi thte:h, fttl, Ac^. were ifn^i! among lln: ilL;lirt:\\-B clEliciUBL3r to cxprns llie [Hiru wltich nature ooaoeols; aec Gen. xlvi. 26. the expreaBion here iaprobfiMy t0 be iinderBtotxl in thU Betue; and the failing amm iff Uu thigh here, niut mean ■omethmg aimUar to the prvtepHM uUri, or faUing dawn «( the wvnb^ whkh be a natunl afii»ot of tnepreteniatunl dtitention of tha abibaam. In 1 Cm. xi. S9. St Paul aeema toalludetothe ease of tfaa giul^ woman, dritkkiog the bitter airMd watera^ that caused her deatructieo. Ba vho taUih and drinktth unvorihUy, aateth and drinictth damnation fnf t#M, condtmTiaiUm oijudgvuntf to AimaefT ' and theie la probably a reference to the aama thing in Poalm tax. 18. au in Dan. ix. 11.

And Ac woman Aall tag, Anun, AmM.] Hub ia the Ant plaee'irtMre tbia word oeotira in the commoD form of a concluding wish in prayer. The root, \0H ainan, ai^ nifiea to be afaody, tne, permanmi. And in pmy^ it aignifias Ut it lu ao — make it aUady — lit ii b« nMUd, Soma have auppoaed that it ia oompoaed of the initial lel- UcB of ISK> iSt) WW hdatkoi uafae iiaaman; my I^eifd lha JStejT' but tbia dan wion ia boOi k-ibb^ and aftoU friof them cnu] It appeara that the curaea which were written down with a kind of inkj prepared for the purpoae, M Bone of the rabbina think, without any calx of iron, or other material that could inake a permanent die, were walked off the parcbment into the water, iriiich die woiaan WBB oUiged to driok; ao that die draak the very taorda of tiia oxeeratioa. Itie ink need in the eaat ia Muoat all dl daa Uad— a wet aponga will completdy efifooe the fiaeat of iheir writings. The rubku aay, thnt the trial by the wataia of jealouay waa omitted after uie B^loniah captivity, be- •auae aAilteries were ao frequent amoof them, that tb^ were afraid of having the name of the L<«3 prtfGued, by bfring ao frei|uently appealed to I "niia ia a moat humiliating eonfaaBOD. "Though," aaya pioua Uabop Wilaon, "tbia jodgmsnt ia not exeewed now on adultreaaea, yet they nava reaaon from thia to oonchide that a more terrible vengeenoe will await them hereafter, without a bitter repentance; diese being only a ahadow of heavenly tbinga, i. e. of what the Goapel requires of itB iprofeaaOTa, vtz. a atrict pnri^i or a aevere repentance." The pioua Uahop wonld not praelude the neceaai^ qf pardon through the blood of Ifae eroaa: for without ihia, tM aeeereaf repenian^ would be of no avail.

Verae 24. Tkt hUlar water that cou9tth th« cttrte] Though the rabbins think (hat the priest nut aome bitter MdMtanc« in the water, yet, a* nothibg of tne kind ia intimnted by Moaea, we may consider the word aa used hare metaphorically for lU^ton, death, dbe. Jhtm walera wore qfflieting and diadly to ho- who drank them, bdng guilty. In thia sense q^befwiw are aaid to be fitter. Ism. xxxviii. 17. ao alao ia deaOi, 1 Sam. xv. 32. Bcdea. vii. 28.

Verae 29. Thi* ia tht law of jtaloiui^] And. thia is the moat aingolar law in the whole Pentateuch: a law that Mama to have been eopwd by almost all the nationa of the earth, whether dvilized or barbarian, aa we find that aimi- Wtoodaa of trial for auapeeted offencea were used, whan awaplrta evidems waa wanlinK to convict; and nare it waa expaetsd that the obieot of their worship would intarf» fiir the aake of S'"'^^^ *>'*^ ^ Aa.<iiU^ ihould

27 And when he bath made her to drink the water, then it ahall come to paau, that, if she ba defiled, and have done trespass against her hvaband, that the water that cauaeth the cotm shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her l>eUy shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman ' shall be a cufae' among her people.

28 And if the woman be not defiled, hot be clean; then she shall he fVee, and shall conceive seed.

29 This ta the law of jealonsie*, when a wife goeth aside to another, >> instead of her hoibaBd, and is defiled;

30 Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman biefiwe the L<»id, and the i«ie«t ■hall execute npm ber all thb law.

31 Than ehaU the man be rnflttoM from iai> qnity, and this wmnan « ihall bear her iuQiii^.

be brought to punithment, and the tnnocenl be elaaiad. For noeral infcvmauon on this bead, see at the end of thia ehi^Her.

Verse 31. The woman ahall bear her intquUy.'] L e. Her belly ahall swell, and her thigh aball rot; aee on verse 22. But if not guil^, after such a brial, she had mathoaoar) and, aeeordingtodierafatahM became •tewv, JiaaUhy, and /ruifful; for if ahe waa before barren, she ntnr hngan trr ftaar (Aifffran; if ihrt hfifhm had imlr dmwgk <era, ahe now began to have mm; if before ik had 4anl travail, she now nad aoay; in a word, die waa faleaaei in her body, her soul, and her aabatance: bo shall it be dMa unto the holj/ and fn^tl^ful woman; for such the Lead dalighteth to honour; aee I Tim. i. IS.

On the principal subject of thia chapter. T diall here introduce a short account of the trial by otom^ aa praettaed in different jiarta of the world, and which ia aiqiposed to have taken ita (vigin from the wolan ^ Jaafolta3^

Ihe trial by what waa afterwards caUed obibai, ia eartainly of very remote antiquity, and waa evidently at ifi. vine appointment. In thia puiee we have aa inatitiiuoB relative to a mode of trial praciselv of diet kind, which among our aneeators waa called oraaai; and fimn thia all aimilar triala in.Jjio, ^^Koo, aad furvp^ ham luy probably derived their origin.

Ordeal, ojitel, Latin oraofium, ia, according to Fsiala gan, from Ibe Sason apbml ordal.and ordeCand ia derived br aome from grwt, and nu, ludgmeQi, dgnifying the greateat, moat aoUnin, and oecutae mioda o( JwigmenL Bieka. Others derive it from the Muwic ar TVtUmtc VttUla, which signifiiea aimply to iudge. But Lt/e, in hia An^o-Saxon Dictionary, derives tne term fimm oji, which iaonen in Anglo-Saxon a privative particle, sad dM, bseL distineiion, or d^erenee: and hence applied to that kino of judgment in which there waa no rtipeet iff pertont; but every one had abaolute juatice done him; « the decision of theouaineaa waa Aippoaed to belong to Otw alone. It alwava signified an appeal to the iaiwiaJiaft in/erpoMi{«ti of God, and waa therefore called JydUum /Jet, God's judgmsBt; and we may naturally flOMraaa was never reaorted to but in very important caaea, where per- Bons aoeuaed of great crimes protested iheir innocene^ aad there waa no Bumcient evidence by a^ch they could ba cleared firom the accusation, or wovad 10 ba gouty tt ifaa crime laid to their charge. Such wen the cans of jealouBT referred to in thia cb^iiar.

^nie rabbins^ who have oommeated on thia text, give na the following iDfoncalioo r When any man, prompted by the spirit of jealouay, suspected his wife to have committed adultery, he brought her first before ibe judges, and se* cuaed her trf the crime; but aa ahe asserteo her iunooenc^i and refused to acknowledge herself guil^, and as be had no witness to produce, be required £»t alie should be »»- leneed to drinJc Ae waiere iff bittemeew, which the lav had appointed; that God, by thia meana, might diacover what ahe wished to eoneeal. After the judges bad heani the oceuaolfoii and the denial, the man andbis wife wera both salt to Jerusalem, to appear before the sanhedrim, who were the aole judges in such matters. The raUana aay, that the judgea of the aanhedrim, at first, endeavoured widi threateninga to confound the woman, and cauae bar to oonbaa bar crime— when ahe atill perdBted in her ianoeenee, dte waa led to the eaatam gate of the eout of larkeL irtiere ahe waa atripped of the elothea die wen^ and dreaaad in blaok, before a number of peraoaa of bar ownaex. The priest then told bar, that if aba knew ber-

Hm print theD wrote the word* of the law upoD ft pieoe of Teltum, with ink that had do Titriol in it, tnu it might be the more euily blotted out. The words written on the vellum were, aocording to the rabbiiu, the following:

" If a atrange man have not come near thee, ana tboa art not poUiUed by forsakiiig the bed of thy hiuband, these bitter water* which I have ouraed will not hurt thee; but if thou have aatray from thy hiu|tand, and have qdIluted ihvaolf 1)7 coming near to asother man, thoa be actnirsea of the Lord, and become an example for all hia people; may diy thign rot, and thy belly iwell till it burst 1 theae cursed water* enter into thy belly, and being •walled therewith, may thy thigh putrefy 1"

After ihia the priest look a new pitdier, filled it with wuar out of the la«zen baaia that waa near the altar of tnmt-ofiferinga, oaat aome dual into it taken from the pavemvm it lb* umple^ mingled aomething bitter, aa worw^ wtod, with it, ana having read the ourees above-ntentioned to tbie woman, and received her answer of Anurif he acn^wd off the euraea from the vellum into the pitcher of water. During thia time, another priaat tore her cloth ea as low H her boa^ made her bead We, untied the treaaes ctf ber hafrt fiutened her torn clothea wiin agirdle below her hreaat^ attd iHeaented her with the tenth pvtof an ephah, or about dvee pints of bartet/ moat, which was in a fiyingpan, without oil or incenae.

The other prieat, who had prepared the wateii of jealousy, then gave them to be diaolc bv the accused person, mad aa soon as she had swallowad them, he put the pan e'th the meal in it, into her hand. Thia waa waved be- • the Lord, and a part of it thrown into the fire of the altar. If tbewomanwereiniwoeut,dMretunied with her huabMid) and the watera, instead ot incommoding her, made her more haalthy and fruitftil than ever; if on the ooouary she were guil^, she was seen immediately to grow pale, her eyes started out of her head, and lest the lemple should u defiled with ber douh, atw waa carried oat, aad died instantly with all the ignominious circum- H related ia the euraes, which the rabbins any had the elfivt OB him widi whom bad been criminal, he were ahaent and at a diatanoe. They add, however, that if the huaband himaeif had been guilty with another woman, then the watora had no bad effect even on hia oriminal wife; as in that case the transgression on the eae part was, in a certain aenae, balaooed by the traosgres- •iaa on the other.

Uma ia BO inatanee in the Seripinrea of Ihia land of urdtmt having ever been raaortad to) and pnAably it nevier Wis during the purer timea of the Hebrew rqmblfe. — God had rendered himaeif eo terrible by his iudgmenta, that no person would dare to i^peal to dkis mode oftrial, who waa eooackNiB of her guilt: and in caaea ot simple adultery, where the natter waa either detected or oonfeaaed, the partiea were ordered by the law to be put to death. But other aooiett nationa bate alao had their trials by

We an told by Ftrdooaae, a Peniaa poet, wboae anttiority we have no reaaoo to aoapect, that (be Jtre ordeal was in use at a very earl^ period among the ancient Peraiaaa, In the famoua epie poem called the STtoA Name^ of lUe anlfaor, who is not improperly atyled the Btmua- of Araio, under the title Dtutan SttavtA m Soodabeh, be gneaa very remarkable and eireumatantial acoount of a trial of thi" kind.

Itiavery probnUe that the lire ordao/ originated aaKmg the ancient Penums^ for by them Jtr4 was not only held aaered, but cmiaidered aa a ^od^ or rather aa the visibU twtil&m, of the aupreme Det^; and indeed this kind of trial eontiaaea in eztenaive use among ths Hindoos to the preeant day. In the code of dentoo lawa, it ia several timea refomd to under die title ot Purra Ildi, but in the iSAoA Natntk, the word (>J£t>J<4 Soogend is used, which signifies literally an oott, as the peraons were obliged to declare their innocenoe by an oaih, and then put their varadtr to teat by paaaing tbrouefa the t^iSt ifjS f^otU aUtk.ot firfpiU! aee the £&aA JVanuA, m the title i>a<- tan. Smnetk m Soodabth, and HiJhod'a oode of Oeotoo lawat Preliminafy Diaeourac^ p. IviiL and chap. v. aeet' 3. p. 117, Ac ^

A dreumatantial acoount of the different Idods of ordeal practised among the Hindooa, oonuaunicated bv Warren Haadoga, Esq. who received it from Ali Ibrahim Khan, diirf aagisaale at Benarea, ma be fbuiid in dw Aaiatio AaaMrchaa v^ i. p. 389.

lUa trial was eODdaetad among diia people ntTie differ- •■t«m:firBt,byibe&atoioM;aee(mdlytrrj^e; thirdly, br iMM>-> <bwd)V, bjr pofaM; fifthly, by Ote tMia, or water in whioh an idal had been waadied; aizthly, by rlcet sevenihlv, by boiling oUi eighthly, by red ninthly, imag«».

There is, peihaps, no mode of judiciary decision that has been in more common use in ancient tune^ than that of oideal, in some form or other. We find that it waa alao used by the ancient Oretkt 600 years before the Christian era, for in the Anttgone of Soj^oelea, a person auapected by Creon of a misdemeanour, declares himaeif read^ ''to handle hotiroiLand lo walk over fite in proof of bw innocenoe, which the adioUeat telli ua waa then a vary usual purgatioii.

Tinilinfetwauaithal dH priede of AfoMatlSaTvcbi, Were aecuailWwf to imA oetr bunting Wato utHml.

nia, SardinUb MB tHl«' '' |'i < and water oroeal, is mid ui hi dlana on tlw eoBat of Mal.il> Moaambiqu^ 6u:. dLc. and il.< Hie firat nmAl maotioa 1 find of Una uial in Euri^ by hot iron ami iratrr; 1 fin'l ii clIec nieiitlonwJ in thfl council of JtfeJi/;, A, L', W \ Inr Ap,^bard, aMilJifilllvnor Lyons, wrote £ij;u|[i9i i[ GIV ytars Lwfijre iliis litn*!- ll is afterward menii^ncd in the council of TriteTs, A. Tf. S^B. It did not ejtisi ia Norawiniiy till aftef the Cvntpitit, end waa probably fijst pitrbducea into Englarid m the tuiuiar Aut, in whqaalWlfc B^tfmjW*!? A&Sain^ imii Elhetr^L it waa afterwikl^ iria^AL Trie Onle&l byjti-e -wuj for niF blemen and women, and such as wcnjrte born: die witer ordeal was for kiubandmen, and the meaner doate* of the gtople, and was of two aorta: by cold water and by Aot ee tlte ptueeediiwa in these triala declared particularly, in the law of king Swt Wiuam, Legeo Anglo-SaxonUtei

Tbe erdeal, or trial by battle or amboL is suppoaed to have oome to ua from the Lvmbardi, who leaving aeandinavia, overran Europe t it ia thought that thia mode of trial waa inatituted by Frotha HI. king of Denmark, about the time of the birth of Chriat; for he ordained that every controversy should be determined by the tword. It o<»itinued in /iMaoMta till the time of Christian IIL king^ Denmark, who bf^an hia reign 1536.— From tbeae em nationa, the piaetioe of duels waa intndiWBd into GreH Britain.

I need scarcely add, diat this detestable form of trial waa the foundation of the no less detestable crime of duellii^ which so much diseracea our age and nation, a prnetiOB that is defended only by ignorance, Uae honour and injustice: it ia a relic of bBrDarouaauperaiitioii, and waa absolutely unknown to thoee brave ana generous natioii^ the Greeks and Ronuuu, whom it ii ao much the &shion to admire; and who, in thia particular, ao well merit our admiration.

The gmerai practice of duelling ia auppoaed to have taken its riae in 1527, at the breaking up of a treaty between tlfe emperor Charles y. and Francis I. Hie former havii^ sent abeiald with on insulting message to Franeia the king of France aent bock the herald with a cartel of d«> fiat^ in which he gave the emperor the and ehal' lenged him to single combat; CAiarlea accepted it[ bat after aereral meaaagea concerning the arrangement w all the circumstances relative to the combat, the thoughts of it were entirely laid aside. The example of two persona|fatf BO illuBtrioua, drew such general attention, and carried with it eo much authori^, that it had considerable influence la introducing an important iliaage in mannera all over Europe.

It was so much the custom in the middl» ages of CSuistianitr to reaped the eroM, even tn superstition, that it would have been indeed wonderful if toe nme ignorant bigotry had not converted lY into an ordeal j aeendinglj we find it used for this purpose in ao many diArant aa almoat to preclude deacnptioii.

Another trial of thia kind waa the Cnwud; or tfie CM^ aeOESled brtadsai Autei thia waa. the ordealtowbioh ibeelergy enmoonly appealed «4ten they wetaaeeaHilaC

2 Speak unto the uiil^en of Israel, ana say Hnto themt When either man or woman Bhall 'separate 'iAewWef«« to vow a vowof aNazarite, to separate tkemaelves unto the Lobd:

3 I He shall eeparate himsKlf from wine and Btrangdrixik; finffhe filtail driMc no vinegur of wine, iir vinc^rtr orfiiTonH- drink, neither ehall he (Irtok: anyliiiuof of grapea^ nor flat moist prnpcB, or dried.

4 All llie (lays of lu^ " aflparfttion ahaillic eat

niiiv not iiiiai'ifih^iiahle la liie rcndw,

TOlj EQueh EoiBl^eo. For Uie liielrtiioi of ihoia huiet

Wndbnu iauboilidg wusi', h^Adliiig red tai>t UOh of Iron, uu3 waJJud^ upan ^xiniLlgplau.g^hiM'ea w ih. ui I'eecmtkf; iho Jcml mjHrj. Many lenrned mvii lin-'' much pu£&!adiattKDanC br Uiia, bCtil (iiaijCfseK] to [IhilIl mat Hondfloce gncioiuLf mwrpowH in n mirnculistia iniiiiner mt the ptuenalicm of injured in^oc^nft',

"Jwbtf "jtiipTPf flvnry circujiialaBcB ol ihese fioiy Ctjk'li"Vife iJue fttlsntioii] diaJl ion loffidanl rea*on to anipeet thu th€ whoJe wiu a gron impodititin 9n the cradjlilT of ini-.i.l.,-.J, Tlir niT'i^'.'.l pertroi! waa '.-ijin- BuUed wiiolly \o the priest, wlio was lo perforiu the cereuony three days before the tri&L ia which he had time enough to bargain with htm for nis dehvecance, and give him mBtructiona how to act hia part. On the day of trial, DO peraon waa pennitied to enter the church but the prieat MQ the Bcciuea till after the iron waa heated, when twelve fHenda of the aeeuaer, and twelve of the accused, and no more, were admitted and ranged alonjf the wall on each aide of the church, at a reBpeclful diBtaoce. After the iroa was taken out of the fir& severe! prayers were said: the aceused drank a cup of holy water, and spriukled lus hand with it, which mient take a conaideroble liqio if the priest were indulnuL apaoe of Dine feet was meaauFed by lite aecuMOiitinaBl^ with hia own fast, and be would broba- Uy give hut ■canty meaiure. He traa obliged only to touch one of the marks with the ton of his right foot, and allowed to stretch the other foot aa fu towards the other mark as he could, so that the conveyance was almost instantaneous. His hand was not immediately examined, but wrapped in a cloth prepared for that purpose three days. Hay we not then, from all these precaution^ suspect that ineae priests were in possession of some secret that secured the band from the impression of such a momentary touch of hot iron, or removed all appearances of these impressions in diree days; and that iKey made use of this secret when they saw reason t Sncli readers as are curious in mattera of this kind, may find two different directions for making ointments that will have this effi^t, in the work here quoted. What greatly strengthens these auqrieioDs is, that we meet with no example of any champion of the dturth who suflered the least injury u-om die touch of hot iron in this ordeal; but where any one waa so foolhardy as to appeal to or to that of hot wUer, with a view to deprive the church of any of her DoascMions, he never failed to bum his fingers, and 'lose nis cause." I have made the scanty extract above, from a very extensive history of the trial by onUal, whidi was written several years sko, but never pidilishea.

, NOTES ON CHAPTER VI. Verse 2. When either man or woman, shall separate, &C.] TTie word t>.i narir, from ■«» T\azar, to teparate, sigmfioB merely a se;)arcr/ed person; i. e. one. peculiarly devoted to die service of Ood, by beine; separated from all servile emplojrments. From the Nazarila sprang Uie jiediahilM, from the RediatnUt the Eatenea, from the Eaaenea the Annhcrila, or Hermit*; and, in imitation of those, die dilTerent monaMHc orders. Some eontcod strongly, that the Nazariie was a type of our Lord: but neidier analogy nor proof can be produced. Our blessed Lord bodi drank wine and touched the dead, whidt no Nazariie would do: as to his either ohaTing his hair, or Utting it grow, we know nothing. His bebg called a Nuiurene,n[att. ii.23, is nothing to the purpose; ssitcan

nothing that is made of die * vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.

5 All the days of the vow of his sejwLration there shall no * razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in which he separateth kintMe^ unto the Lord, be shall be holy, and shall let the locks the hair of his head erow.

6 All the days that he separateth J^tnue{^iinto the Lord, ' he shall come at no dead bfidy.

7 > He shall not make himeelf unclean for hie fother, or for his mother, for hia brother, or for his sister, when thi^ die; because tho ■consecration of hia God i» upon his head.

8 All the days of his separation he it holy unto the Lord..

9 And if any man die very euddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecra-

Naxaretk, which was a plaee of no credit,' sad diersfci* used as a term of r^nach.; or diat he was, in a guMMl sense, cQRHcro^to tteservics God — so was Sammm, Samuel, Jeraniah, and John BaptiHz orrather tfaat bs was the "ai miser, or srah ch, Isai. xi. 1. and nos tsemadt, Zech. iii. 6. Zech. vi. 12. which is ipiite adiffimm word; but ihis title is expressly ^plisd to our hlesssd Lord by the above prophets t out ie no ^lace do duy, or unr odxr profits, call hima^azarits, inthesensein which ^iMcxtr, IS used. Indeed it coald not in truth be ajqilied to him, aa the distinguishing marks of a Naxarite never beloi^ed to him. He waa it is tiue, the -m nsfasr, or frraacA, out of the root of Jesse, the raiuine heir to the dirooe of David, whose dominion should extend over the nniveisi^ shouhl be King of kings, and Lord of loidst but the word N<.ra<)(, Matt. ii. 23. sigatfies aaersly a JWsxffnsSH, or inluU>itani of Nazareth.

Verse 3. No vinegar <if wina Ac] f on dbMMeCs, si^ nifies/ermeTt/ed wine, and is proliably used hare to sign^ wine of a strong body, or env highly intoxiquing kqoor. Dr. Lighcfoot supposes that the utrwm.- being the nost defiled and loathsome of ereatuies, was an enblen of the wretched miserable stats of man by OuJM; and that die Nazasitb was the emblem of Chan in his ataU qf iiauteenee. Wine and grapes are here psotionlarly fortnddesi to the Nazarite, because, as the Doctor thinks, muw aa essblem of man m his paradisiacal state, he waa Kwbidden that ire^ and ite fnijta, by eatinc of which Adam Cril: for tbeDoctor, aa well as the Jewish nfabkis, bdievcd the tees of knowledge to have been none other Ihin the vsrs.

Verse 5. There shall no razor corns mm kU ksmdj The vow of the Nazacite conaieled in the nillowiag particulars: 1. He GMiseerated himself in a very especial and exttwirdinary maoner to Ood. 2. "nus was to ooBtsane for a certain season, probably never lesa than a whole year, that ha might have a full growth of hair to hum us As Jire vMA tt under tlu socrvloc ^ tlm psaee-^eraig^ vsr. IS. 3. During the time of his sepantion, or Nuxaratt, he drank no vntie nor strong drink t nor used am riai gar formed from any inebriating liquor, nor ate fresh or dried.fi-roTMs, nor tasted even the Aern*(c or kumks of maf thin^ that had grown upoa the vine. 4. He never sAasMt his head, but let his hair grmo, as, the proof of Ids bdn^ at this sppuated state, aad under voirs of psenlisi — stpity. 6. Ho never touehsd any dead body, sordid ainr of dtelMt otii'.-es, even to his nearest lun; but wu eoDsidered as the jrrU^fs, uho were wholly taken up with the service of Gad, auil regarded nothing cine. & Ail the dam of hi* syars lion he was holy, ver. 8. During the whole time he was to be iiiceBsant^ employed in rMigious sets. It iavsij hkoly that St. Paul had tsleen the vow of a NvBrils m him, from the circumstance OKntioaed, Acts zvaL ML Having thorn hit headin Cnwkna,j9rh* had a «•»

Verse 7. 'ne con»eeratimi of his Ood is upon Ida head.] Literally, dw atftaration ttf his God is upmUm head; meaning his hair, which was the proof «M «Bhlem of his separation. Now, as the kair « the Nmte was D token -Di his subjtetion to God throt^hsUte peculiarities (rf his Nazarate^ a woman vho «s marrisJi in considered as a Nazarite far life: i. e. stpaffrd.fiwsi all others, and joined to one husband, who is her lord i kaosa St. Paul, probobly alluding to diis oircuntsMnee^ mtjw, 1 Cor. xi. 10. The woman ought to havs foieer upm Mr head: i. e. wear her hair and veil; fsrthiahBtrianpiasf of her Nazaiau, and trf her being in. saUseikB ttt hir huMband} as the Nazarite.was under snqeedoB « tta LORD, by the rule of hia order.

tioai thaa he ahftU *ahftve his hvtA ia the day of his clewumg, on the wreDth daj ihall he •have it.

10 Aod ^ on the eighth day he shall bring two tmtles, or two young pitfbons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernaele of the congregation:

11 And the priest sliaU offer the one for a einofiering, and the other for a bumtrofferin^ and Boake an atonement for him, for that he tunned ^ the dead, and shall hallow his head that Mune day.

12 And he shall cons^rate onto the Lord the days of his separation, and riiall bring a lamb of the first year ' for a trespass-offering: but the days that were before shall ' be lost, because his separation was defiled.

13 Ti And this is the law of the Nazarite, * when the days of his separation are fulfilled: be shall be brovigfat unto the door of the t^ternacle of the congregation:

14 And he shall offisr his offering unto the Loan, one he-lamb of the first year without UemiBh for a burnt-offerine, and one ewerlan^ of the first year without olemish 'for a sinofiering, and one ram withoat blomiah libr peace-offerings:

15 And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread ' anointed with oU, and their meatroffering, and their * driak-offerings. -

10 And Uie priest shall bring them before the Low, and mtl olfer hie no-f^fering, imd his barnt-offering:

17 And he shaU offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace-offeringB unto the Losld, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also hie meatroffering, and hie drink-oSw-

> And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation cU the door of the tabernacle of the congr option, and shall take the hair of the bead of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice or the peace-offerings.

19 And the priest shall take the " sodden shoulder of the ram, and one uideavened c^te ont of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and ■■ shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, aller th6 hair of his separation is shaven:

20 And the priest shall wave them fbr a wave-offering before the Lord: " this is holy for the priest, with the wave-breaet and heaveshoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.

21 This t« the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of hie offering unto the Loan for tus separation, besides that that his hand sball

Set: arriT'iilin:' to the vow which he vowed, ao e must lU) i^i'er the law of bis separation. 39 ^ Anil i!:eLoRO spake unto Moses, eayiiiff, 23 (ijito Aaron, and unto his sraifl, Bi^-

'r\i<- r.iJiiD blesa thee, and 4 keep thee:::.) 'I'Jii; Lunn '' make his face ahine upon thee, and * be gracious unto thee:

Terw 10. Ttto turtlet or tva young pigeon*] TTie mmt kiod of oSering made by him who had an inue, Lev. XT. 14, Ac

Vene la SmU takt Hu hak^-«nd futUin tlujln] TbeiaatirBM permitted to grow for ftis jnrpoMi aod aa die Nsurite wU • kind of aacrifioe, offered to Ood through tb* whole tenn of his NaxaraU or tepartUioTi, omI no humwi fledb or Uood could be offered oa the altar of the Lord, he offered hii hair at the concluaioD of hie ■eparation, aa a lacrifice — that hair irtiioh was the token of his coim>tete lubiectioii to the X.ord, and which waa now considered aa the LonTa property.

'tbut tbs ikoar ^ A« Aeaa was auperstitioualy uaed amoaff diflinvnt oatioDi we have already had occaaioo to naian, lee the notes on Lev. xiz. 27. And that the Oentiles mi^t hare learm this from the Jews, is possible, tbou^ tome learned men think that this consecration of the hair lo a dei^, va# in use among the beatliens before the tiiM of Moses, and in nation^ wfio had no intercourse or eomiexion with the Jews.

Verse 21. vlk* la»qf Oi* Naxof^ We leam from Maioionides, in his "neatiae of the Nazarite, that a roan might become a Naza/ite in bAa\f <^ anothtr; that is, might aaaist him in bearing the ezpeoaea of the socrifieei, Ac " A son may fulfil the tow hla deceased father bad made, but did not live to accomplish: — Ue that soitA, Upon me In the shaviiifi of a Nazarite, he ia bound to bring Vu offtring ((f manng for cleannett, and ha may llftr Atmtg thtiand ^ lOat NoMiritehe viiU. If lu tag, Uponne be hay the oblaUone ^ a NagarUej—lhm he oringM kaff Ae ^erltun by waat IfaXarite be triil, and that NaxaTitepayeSiSMigeringtwUt^ thatvkich is hie."

" By ihis," saya Mr. Ainaworth, " we may see the reason ol that whicb Jama said u> Paul, ihou^i he hod no Nasarite'a vow upon him — We tuae/ourmen who hate a vote on them; thjsm take, and ean^y thye^ leith them, and sa at CHABasa with tmh, mU they may Aave Otttr h^ada, &£. Then Pauliook the men, and the ne^t day, tatuMying himetif itith them, entered into the tenigile to eCpifn the aceompU^msnt ^ the daj^of tanct\firntirr. (or Naxariteriiipi uniU that an qff'enng ehould b» ^ored for every one qjT them, see Acta xzL 23 — 26. For uiou^ Paul had not vowed, or ftilfilled a Nazarite- JOif himself^ yet might he coniribuie with them, and fa^aka of their dwrgee^ about the sacrifices."

Verse 23. On thia wiee ye ehatl bleea Ike thildrea of ZkmI] Hie F'yy*^ which God maJies for his followers, aad |wts into ibeir moiub. we are sure must be nriit; aaa (0 iriien ainearein fliinfiilly, and fervently ofwrecC we mqr esoUaatly szpaet an answer. If ba coodsseesd to give us A.Jonn q/" ble^nng, or e.foTm qf prayer, we may rest assured that he will accept what he himself baa made. This consideration may produce great confidence in them who come with either prayer or praiae (o the llroDe of Giaca, both of which should be, aa for as circumstances will admit, in Ae very vxrrde qf eeripture: tor we can readily attach a consequence to tbe vorde of God, which we shall find difficult to atach to the best ordered words of men. Taktwith you worda, and turn unto Ihel^ord.- What worda 7 Why, tAoss which God immediately puts into their mouths. Take away all tniquity and receive lu graciottaly; ao wiU m render the caJvee i^f our we aball Ifaea give the aacr4)losei ot which our Upe nan spoken, when we made our poiM unto thee. — See Hoa. XIV. 2.

Verse 2i. TTie Lord bleaa thee] There are three forms of bleasing hen, any or all of which the priests micht use on any occasion. ■ The following ia a verbal trewe^

3. May Jehovah lift up his laces i^>on thee, and may be pttfprosperity unto thee 1 liiis IS a veiy comprehensive and excellent prayer, and may be parafrfiraaod thus:

1. TAi^ God apeak good unto thee, by giving thea hia excellent vremiaet.* See the note on Got. ii. 3. MHrba prsasms ibee in the poaseanon of all tbs rood thou bas^ and from all the evil with which thou are threatened.

2. May tlie Holy Trini^ illuminate thy Aear^giviBg tbee die one knowledge of thyself and of thv Maker t and may he show iliee his ^rocioiisnMS in paraooiag thy sins, and supporting thy soul 1

3. Mav give mee communion with the Father, Son, ana Spirit, with a constant senie of bis opprofco- Hon! and grant thee pro>Qw% in ihy soul, and in all thy eecular ojaira!

This I suppoae to be the spirit and design of this fonn of benediction. Others will doubtless interpret it after their manner. Several wise and learned men believe that the mysiarr of ihe Holy Trinity is not obscurely binUd at in iL God the Fathbb bleaaea and keeps hia fbllewsla. God the Son is gracious unto aionera in lenittiur tbsir offence^ which he died to blot out. God the Hon Snair, takea of the things which are Chriat's and shows them unto genuine Chnslians, and diffuses the peace e^" Ood ia their hearts. In a w<hiL Christ, ths gift of the Father by the energy of tbe Holy Spirii, came to Uses every ooa «( US by turning us away fiom our iniquities.

87 * And tbej shall put mv name upon the riiildrgn of Israel; and * I wiU blew them.

AND it cfune (o rix^^ on the day that MwEB kad fully * u|i tbe CfiberTlAfle, and had anointed it, and eancct6«d j). rill tlLi> inpirijnii'nti^ theriKuCilmththAaltar ijixi Uii' v'^'i ^ ii-x-reof, and toi mointed them, and pmirLiJied ttiemj a TbBJt ' the pnn«ea of bra^ heada ef tbc honH of lli^ir f^ther«, who leere the poHneei of tbetrlbaB. ' wptj? over them th^r were mimiwed, oftereih

3 And they brpiient Iheu- (ipcring before the Lord, «x covered wagoDBr (U^ Cursive 0]teii; a wsffon for two of the priDces^ and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle.

4 7 And the Lord apake unto Moses, saying, 0 ■ Take it of them, that they may be to do

MmaraUd from the world, and dedic&ted •olely to the aerviceof God. 2. Hithfe isalifeof Mlf-denial: lie mortifies sod keepi the flnh in obedience to the Spirit. 3. All thii finmn into the ipirit of hia beptisoiel vote: for io that he promiMa to renounce the devil and all hia worka, the nunpa and nuittea of ihia wiekad vorld, and sH die atnnd raita of the fleab — to keep Ood*a hidy word and com> nwadmenta, and to walk in the aune aJl the days of hii life. 4. Us peraon who ii fiuthfii), hna the hUnxnr qf Ood entnited upon him. Tkua »haU ye bleat Ike ehilaren af ItraeL dec. &c. — See the noteaxin ver. 6. and 7. NOTES ON CHAPTER VU. Terael. On Uu day thai Motet had fully tttuptke taimwefi] The trsnaBotiona mMitiOBed in thia duuMor, took place <m die aaeond day of tbe Meond numtt, oi die Mwnd war after the danitora from ^ypt; Bod tha proper plaM of thia account ia inuaediatdy smr die f<RA ampler of Le^tieaa,

YeraeS. iSteeowred tM^ww] » aw ah«& isg^oA laat^ wi» tilted ws^ont. TTw Sepomtfint tranaUte m^%»t x>fnnti-<u(. wiUi wbich the' Coptic ngnta t but what towyenfc cftariofa were, no peraon preteoda to know. Cmerad or tHUd, ia probably the meaning of Ibe original. Tix wBKona were given for the more convenient exporting tbe neavier parts of the tabemaele, which eoold not be carried on men'a diouldera.

Verae B. According to kU aerviet] That is, diatrihute ihem among the Levi tea lu they may netd fh«m— giving moat to ihoie who have tbe HeavteMourdma us bear.

Tone?. T^uagma— unto the tmuqf (TenAon] The Gemboniiea carried only tbe curtaina, cmaringa, and hanginga, chap, iv. SB. And aldwu^ due waa a eumheraome carriage, and Ibey needed tbe wagona, yet it waa not a ktavy one.

VenM 8. Fmtr vagma — unto the aotu of MerarC] Becanae they had the boarda, bara,piUara, aiid toeinU of the tabernacle to carry, ch. iv. 31, 32. dierelbre they had aa ntany more wagona aa the O^rt/umUea.

Terae 9, 9nai Ae aona qf Koluth ha gave junu] Beeaoae they heA the duuve of the ant, (oAfe, amdUaHc/c, flttara,^. chap. iv. B — IK. wMdi were to be carried vpcm IhMr thauUan t for thoaeaocred things moat not be drswn l^&aaato.

tion; ahd thou shalt ^ve them tmto the Levitet, to every man according to bis so-vice.

6 Alia Moses took the wagons and the ox«d, and ^ve them unto the Levites.

7 Two wagons and four oxen ^he unto the sons of (&rshon, according to tbeir service:

8 * And four waf ons and eight oxen he gave onto the sons of Merart, according unto their service, ' under the hand of Ithamar the aon cf Aaron the priest.

0 But onto the eons of Eohath be gave none: because * the service of the sanctuary belonviog unto them 'v)as thai they should bear oixm their shoulders.

10 "0 And tbe princes ofiered for t dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed, evea the princes offered their offering before the altar.

11 And the Lord said unto Moses, They shafl offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the ^tar.

12 IT And he that offered his offering the first day was >■ Nahshon the son t£ Ammmadab, ol the tribe of Judah:

13 And his oSerii^ waa one sflver cbat^, the weight thereof «aa a hondred and thirty shekel!, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after ■ the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them ver« full of fine Hour minted with oU for a ^ aieatoffbring:

15 ■ One young buUock, one ram, one laBibcT the first year, for a burnt-offering:

17 And for * a sacrifice of peacfr^fferings, two oxen, five rama, five he-goats, five Iambs or the first year: this roaa the offering of Nabahon tbe son of Amminadab.

18 IT On the second day, Nethaneel the aoD of Zuar, prince of Issachar, did offer:

One ailvar boul] fr»a mizrak, a haain, to receivs tha blood of the sacrifice in. — See on Exod. xxvii. 3.

It is worthy of Temark, that the difi^rent tribes are lap* reaented here aa bringing their oflferiivs praeiaaly in ns aame order in whidi thcnr encamped about the tabenade^ See chap. ii. and chap. 10.

It ia worthy of remark also, that every tribe offen die aame kind iff i^fering, and io the aomc quantitjf, to riiow diat aa every tnbe was equally indebted to Ood Uk ite npport, so each should teatify an equal aense of aUigatkai. Besides, the veaaels were all sacrificial veaaela^ and ctie animals were all clean animals, audi aa were proper for aacrificea; and therefore eveir thinx waa intended to point out that the people were to be a holy people, fully dedicated to Ood, and dial God waa to dwell among tbem; hence, there were line Jtoor and oil, for a -mail-^mng, ver. 13. A buUoek^ ram, and a lamb, for a bvmt-i^crtng, ver. 16, 16. F%vtoxan,Jlve rama, Jive he-gvata, and Jtve lambs, for a peaee-qffaring, ver. IT. nos, aa the pneata, altar, Ac waie anainted, and the tabernacle dedicated, BO the people, 1^ thia oflTering, became conaecrated to Ood. llierefore every act here waa a religiooa acL

" Thua," aaya Hr. Ainawordi, " by merifice of all aott% figuring die douh of Chriat, and the benefita that won ao be received thereby, they reconciled and made themarivea and their* acceptaUe to Ood, and were made partakers of bia grace, to remisBion of aina, and aanctification throagfa

19 He offend fbr his offerinf one silver charge «r, the weif^ht whereof vo* a fiundred and thirty

. one sitver bowl of wrenty ^ekels, after the ihekel of the lanctnarv: boUi of them full of fine flour mingled with ou for a meat-offering:

31 One young bidloek, one ram, one IanU> of the first year for a bornt-offering:

23 And for a sacrifice of >■ peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five Iambs of the first year: this was the t^eruw of Nethaneel the son of Ztiar.

24 f Onthe thirdday'EliabthesonofHelon, prince of the children of Zebulnn, did offer:

25 His offering- tros one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty thekeU, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, ailer the shekel of the sanctuary: both of them fuU of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering;

26 One golden spoon of ten thekela, full of mcense:

27 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering:

29 And for a sacrince of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first^ear: this was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon;

30 If On the fourth day ' Klizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the chudreo Reuben, did

31 His offering vxu one silver charger of the weight of a hundred and thirty Bhekdt, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, eiuer the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them fiill of fine flour milled with oil for a meat-offering:

32 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of in- - oense:

33 One y-oung bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt-offisring:

35 And for a sacrince of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year: this vat the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

36 If On the flAb day ■ Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon, didqffer.-

37 His offering was one silver charter, the weight whereof was a hundred and th&ty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them fuU of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-ottering:

38 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

39 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering:

41 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five Itunbs of the ftrst year: this was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

42 1 On the sixth day t Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad, (offered:

43 His offering was one silver charger, of the weight of a hundred and thirty shekeU, a silver bowl of seventv shekels, afler the shekiBi of the •anotttary; both of them full of fine flonr mingled with oil for a meat-ofiiering:

45 One yourw bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, tor a burat-ofl'ering:

Verae 48. On Ac tevenOi dm/] Both Jewiih nitd Chiutisa wnUn have been aurpriHcC chat ihia work of ofiering went forward on the tevmA day, {which they ■uopom to h*»» been a »abbath) u wel 1 «a on the other day*. But 1 at. tfaors is no abscriute proof that this SMwnlft day of offiuing was a sMoA. 2. Wan it even so^ eould the people 1m festtsr 9MifioytA Asa in dnts coDssnrstiiig ihsinselvss and

47 And for a sacriBoe of peace-ofierings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Eliasaph the son of DeueL

48 If On the seventh day " Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim, offered:

49 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; Iwth of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-oflerine:

50 One golden spoon of ten shekels, mil of incense:

51 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the flrst year, for a burnt-oflering:

53 And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he^oats, five Iambi of the first year: this was the offering of Kliatrtynfl, the son of Ammihud.

54 J On the eighth day offered ' Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of^the children of Manasaeh.

55 His offering was one sStvtr charter, of the weight of ahundreil aneJ thirtv sAr'/rW*. one silver Dowl of seventy i^tu'lieli;, rtRci ihv. sliekel of the sanctuary; botli of ihem full of fine fkour minffled with oil foi.i meat-Bering:

59 And for a sacmhs of neaoajderLoga. two oxen, five rams, Sv$lt»iA|iUj.J^DSB^^ 4kQ first year: this was WK oatiaff of^'GhUtUlwlMe son of Fedabzur.

60 IT On the ninth day • Abidan the son of Oideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, qffered:

61 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thtfty shcrkels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; bothof them full of fine flonr mingled wi^ oil for a meat-oflfering:

62 One giMen spoon of ten shdteU, full of incense:

63 One young bullock, one nun, one lamb of the first year, for a bnrnt-ofierinf;:

65 And for a sacrince of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats^ fire lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Abidan the eon of Gideoni.

66 ^ On the tenth Awy ' Ahiezer the Mm of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, {offered:

67 His ofiering iros one silver charter, the weight whereofuas a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering:

68 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of mcense:

69 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, lor a burnt-offering:

71 And for a sacrifice of peace-oflerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year:. this was the offering (ff Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai..

72 V On the eleventh day ' Pagiel the son of Oeran, prince of the children of Asher, offered:

theiraerrioestotheLord I We have already aeendiatevaiy act was a religious act; and ve may rest awured, diat no day waa too hoiy for the perlbrmaoee of mch acit as aie reeorded beie.

Verse 72. (M Ma tUvaiih day] The Hebrew form of expression hsre and in the 78th vwse,haaaoiiiaihiBgcMrioasinit bp ■wy vw^ ova kwrn oaU^ 4«ar yeii»—JM

73 HI* offering »a» one silver charter, the in^t whereof idos a bondred and thirty she- ■kela, one silver bowl of serentr Bhekels, ailer ^ flhekel of the sancloary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offertnf:

74 One eokfeo Bpoon of ten tiiekeis, mil oi ineeiwe:

75 One youn^ bullock, one ram, otke lamb of the first year, tor a barnt-offeriiij;:

76 One kid of the soats for a uo-offerins:

77 And for a sacrmee of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats^ five lambs of the first year: this was the offermg of Pagiel the son (H Ocran.

78 TT On the twelfth day ■ Ahira the son of Eroan, prince of the childrea of Napbtali, offered:

79 His offering vku one silver diar^er, the weight whereof tpas a hundred and thirty akekele, one Bilver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour minsled with oil for a meatrofferioff:

80 One gotam spoon of ten thekeU, ftill « incenflt?: '

Si Our ytnniL-!ii;llock, onc ram, one lamb of the lirM)'piir, I'nr » Ipurnt-ottering: 92 One kill oi' I II'; ^oata for a sio-ofiering: ay And tor f\ Jsticrifice of peaee-offerings, two oxen, five lams, five he-spats, five lEunbe of the tiri^tyL>ar: tjiia kku the werii^ of Ahira tbewn

94 This IMb ih^ <1edication of the altar, in the d&v imeft it Wiist aTir>inted, bv the princes of Israel: Iwelvii^ (■li;irt."rs of silver, twelve silver bowk. l\\'t'l vi; ^;i.i'iiu of gold:

EachokUFffer uf silver wetfAin^ a hundred faeh bowl seventy: all the wIyw vessels w*Med two thouMad and ftmr hundred shekels, after the shekd ot' the sancte-

^ The golden spoons vere twelve, full of incenae. wtfif^tng- ten skekeU a piece, after the shekd of the sanctuary: all the gold of the spoons wtis a hundred aiid twenty ahekeU.

87 All the oxea for the burnt-offering vere twelve bullocks, tlte rams twelve, the lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat-offering: and the kids of the goats for sin-offering twelve.

88 And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peaco-oBertngs were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he-eoats sixty, the lambs or the first year sixty. This va$ the dedicatioo of the altar, after thkt it was * aoointed.

89 II And when Mosee was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to apeak with < him. then he heard <* the voice of one jpeakii^ vato him from off the merey-se^, that was upon Uw ark of testimony, ft-om * between the two eherubima: and he spake unto him.

the day, AefirH and imth day. or* "vrf env cn>3 beyom llutuCm &aar ymn — In the day, two and UnA day. But diii it the idiom of die luiguage; and to an original Hebrew, our almoit anumalouB vorda cUvmth aim txi>e{fih, by which we tranalate the ori^nal, would appear aa strange ■M his, literally tranalated, would i4>pear to ue. In reekoniAg'sfter twitte, it ii easy to find out the eompuitioD of As words MrU^ se tkrea and ttn; finrteen, ^bur and Un, and so on; but eleven and tvdve scarcely bear any ■nuogy to l«i and one, and (maad ftfo^ which nevertheless thsy intend. Bat this ig a subject of philology, rothn' than Biblical criticism.

Verse 84. TliU was Iht dtdieaiion vf ^ atiar {n Qit «fay, &c] Meaning here, the l£flu in irtiicb it was dedieaisdt iU', as ea^ tribe had a whole day for its repreaeDtar live or prince to present the oBerings it had provided, conaaCLuently the dedication, in which each had his day, must have lasted twdvt da,j»: the wonis, therefore, in this text, rsfbr to the last day, or tweiftk, in which this dedieation wsa completed.

Verse 88. Jfter that U vat a»ointtd\ By the anointing; the aliar was eonssmtsd to God: vf this dadicstiqn it' was Mlemnly ^)poiBied to lhat aarvioe tar wfaidi it had bsea erected.

Verse 89. T\> meak toctA Mm] To csonfer with.God, and to receive ftirtner discoverica of bis wilL

He heard Uu voice of one ^leakingunto kiai] Though Moses saw no similitudeh but only Mard a vmee, yet he had the fullest proof of toe preeence, aa well aa the oeing oS the Almighqr. In this way Qod wose to manifest bimaelf during tluit diqiensation; till the fulneaa of die time eam^ in wbioh the wobd was made JU$K, and dwelt AMoira ue. No man hath seen God at any time: die onlybegotten Son, who is in tbe boaom of the Fadm, he hath declared him.

ITu mercy-setrf] See the note on Exod. xitv. 17. As God gave oracnlar answers from diis place, and afoke to Moses, aa it were face to face, hence the place was called the OKACLX, 'vst aebir, or apeaking vUut, from nai dabar, he wpiike, 1 Kings vi. 23. And aa diis mercy eeat lepresentM our bleased RedeemeT, ao the apostle says, that wd, teho had at aundry Ksmsv and in attare nuuiTiert sronirtn time patt U the fatlun, bv Uu pmhatM, kaOi in &e»e taet dayt, spokeh uato its Ay Ai« fibn, ijU. i. 1, 2. Hence (bejiwamafid Christ is the trua kti Mir, qrsrseit^ niand by whom God epssAs anto

ND the Loan spake tioto Meaea,

2 Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him. When thou ■ lightest the lamps, tbe seven lamps dull give light ov^ agatAst the candlestick.

3 And Aanm did so: he Bghted the laBqa

Od this occasion w» find there wen offered

Total amount of -golden veaasel - 120

AsilTerbowl,at70ahdrat%uiiouUtto - 40

Total weight the 12 chargers - 905

Which, at b. per oz. is squal to

The 12 golden spoons, allowing each to be B 18 amount to 69 13

Which, at At per ounce, is equal to 3201. 14«.

By which we may at onee see, that though tbe plmct ^ which ihey now soKmmed, waa a laiidenum as to titita, vUlagea, and rtguiar MuMtatUa; yet there was flmin of pastwrage; else the Israelites cmtld oot haw Ifaraiihad these cattle, with all dw eaerifiees ntoeaasry te <fa<ai occasions, uid especially for die paaaover whi^ waa cal«- brated during their Bojouming in the desert, and whidi itself must have required an immense number of lamfaa) see chi^ ix. when eaeh family of 600^000 nalas was obliged to provide one for itaelf.

Verse 3. 71^ seven bunpsahofl rips tfgM] Tbe whola seven shall ba lij^tad at one time, that seven may fas ew taming.

4 ' And tbU work of the candlestick was qf beaten gold, unto the Aatt thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was » beaten work: > aeeordinf unto the pattern which the Lobd had ahowM Mosee, so he made the candleetiok.

6 Take the Levites from amongr the children of Israel, and cleanBe them.

7 And thus sfaait thou do onto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle 'water of pnriftiilgiuKMi then, and Met " them shave all their nun, and let them wash their clothes, and «e maki themeelves clean.

8 Then let them take a young bollock with ■ his meatr-onering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young buUoQk ahalt tboa take for a ein-ofiering.

9 * And thou Shalt bring die Lentes before the tabemaole of the amgrdntion: ^and thou shall gather the whola awendiljr of the ehiUren oC Israel together:

10 And thou shaltbriw the Levites before the Loan: and the eWldren of Israel « shall pot their hands upon the Levkas:

11 And Aaron shall ofier the Levites before the I4OR9 /or an * oflering of the children of Israel, that ( thejr may eoceonte the service of the L(«o.

13 " And the Levites shall lay their hands unpn the heads of the bulkx^s: and thou shalt oner the wie for a aia-ofierine, and the ethw Jbr a bnmt-onerkv unto the God, to make an atcmonent for the Invites.

13 And thou shalt set the Levites brfo^e Aaron, and before faia sons, and offer them j^r an offering unto the Loan.

14 Thus ahalt thou separate the Levites from araoiu the children of Israel: and the Levites ■hall he * Diiae.

15 And after that shafitheLevheagaktodo

Varae4. ITuieork nf Ike eondUatiek^Ac} 8e« many cntknu psnmJsn Rl»tiv« to thii candlcMick in the note* •n KuHL xsv. SI, sad n. Tba eantUaHck itself mm ut •tsUamof dietiliirehofOhriit; tfiemi, of the ^raoM utd gUlMttt dMSpirit of CMj andthe of thoK rifia and rnea in aetim among men. Bee Rev. i. 12—20. Ood Doilds lua church and Mud* forth hia Spirit to dwell in it, to aanetifv and elaanse it, that it nutr be rftown unb> Aw world aa aia own woAmnriiip. The teten lixfala in the fleodleatidca, nut out the samspirtts ^ <M, the Holy Gbost being anu termed, Bev. iii. 1. Iran the wrMy and eitandbne* of hia gifta and infloenoee: mvcn being need •mong the Hebrewa to denote any diing ^fitU, compUt*, •md ^ftti. A candle^idt, or toinp wimout otZ, of no IMW; oti not burning ia of no use. So acAurcA or »oci^ f/'rtfigioiwpmpk, without the in/unm of the iMytif^o^ andau, while they have anamelo live: and \tmey have a nnaaore of thia hght, and do not let it ahxne by purity of livioc and boly zeaJ before man, their religion b neither uae&u to 6ummi»tm nor to oUura. Reader, it ia poaaible to be inthe church of Ood, and not be of tmt church — it is poaaible to have a meamire of the Spirit, and neither profit nor be profited. Feel thia dreadful poaaibili^, and pray to Ood that thou be not a proof of it

Vena 7. ^rrinide water qf purifying^ mosn m«y cAoUmA, water of tin, or teater otmtnK-offmng, iu thia pttrifying water was made by the a^m of the red kdifer, etdarwood, h^eeoa, KoAaoarUt; and the neifer hepself waa BBcrifieed, and ner blood apriidded seven timea before tbe tabernacle, Numb. xix. 3—6. abe may be con- ■idsrsd M a proper mta^fioe for ain, and consequently the walar thna prejiiued be termed the wUer <^ At m-oferimg. As tke iWhea were kept ready at hand for purifyiiw fitsm all legal pollutiona, the preparation mi^t be eonaid- •eed aa a conoenira<ten of the essential properties of the sin- •Aring; and might be resorted to at all timea with compualively littte oxpenM or trouble, and no loes of time. Aa there weresonuuiydringa by which legal pollutiim might ka eonireclad, it waa aeecaaair to have niwaye at batid, in aU dMbdwuliap^ a niode ofpuriMngat oBeeoonvMMDl aid' imwpBsoiiTe. Am Dm volar by which the Lavitos the service of the tabernacle of the congren* tion: and thou shalt cleanse them, and * wef them /or an otTering.

16 For they are wholly given unto me from among t^e children of Israel; ' instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the first* bom of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

17 ' For all the first-born of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast; on the day that I smote every first-born in the laud of Bgypt, I sanctified them fbr myself.

18 And I havp taken the Levites for aD the first-born of the children of Israel.

19 And » I have given the Levites as • a gift to Aaron and his eons ft-om amone the children <:€ Israel, to do the service of the ^Idren of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the cbik&en of Israel: ^ that there be no plajgrue among the children of. Israel, when the childrea of Israel come nigh unto the sanctoary.

20 And MoBfia, and Aaron, liml iUI the congregation of the children of IsrueU did to the Levites aeeording unto all that (he Loan owo* manded Moee^ canrernini; the Levites, ao did the efaildren ol lernel ujiio thinn.

21 * And tbe Levitca were puriS^ i washed their «bc!ica: ^ and AaroaemE a« an offering bcibrc ihe Lord; and Aur an atonemeoi for them rn i li-nnsi- tlinn,

22 'And after Ihnt weui ili.: Lfjvit*;?- in Iq da their service in the tabeni^iclti at' the caDe:r«er^ tion before Aanti ud before hia ^^ea^ Loan had commanded Moeeft flRfe^iiing the Levites. so ditl thi-y itnrn them.

23 ifAnd the Lobq ejpake unto Moses, saying, •24 This U it that beloTigeth unto the Levites:

c from twenty and five years old and upwardSr they shall go in *■ to wait upon the service df the tabernacle of the congrwatioD: 36 And from the age dr fifty years they dudl were here purified must have been the water prepared from the ashes of the red hufer, thia ordmaneawaa undoubtedly instituted before thia lim^ tboorii not deoeribed till ^ zixth chap. 1 — 10. of Oiis book % but that eha]Mer mi|^ ba in connexion with any of ihepreoeding ordinanees, as w^ as where it ia now fmiod. We see from Heb. ix. 13. and 14. that these adtes mingled with water, and sprinkled oa die unclean, and whieh aanetified to the purifioition of dts fiesh, were intended to typify the bUtoA ^ CAtmC, whiA pBTces the conscienee firora dead works, to aarve the living Ood, ver. 15. for, aa widiout diia aprinkling widi Ihewolsr of the Min-ogering, the Levi lea were not fit to serre Qad ia ibe wiktemeas; so without this sprinkling of the blood of Christ, no constncncs ean be purged fnm dead vorka, ioaaraeliie living Ood. See the notes on chap, xix 1 — 10.

Terae 10. Shail put their kande upon Ihe Levitea] It has been argued from this, iliai tl^e eoitgregation had a part in the a^^intment of their own ministers i and that ibia was done by the impoaitian ^ handa. However that may be, it appears, tmt what was done on AU oceoaioe, meant no m<He than that the people gave up this wbole tribe to God, in place of their Jlralbom; and that by thia act Ihey bound inemselvea to provide for Aem, who, because of their sacred service, could follow no mamlar work. And surely it was rigb^ihat they who served &m altar Aould live by the altar, lie ministm of Ood perfbrm o^Ms for tbe people, which the people cannot perform for themselves; and nothing ran be more reasonable than tlwt the people should give tliem the necessaries and oomforts of life, while they are thus enwloyed in their behalf,

Terae 21. And Amrmi^ made an alonament fbr Osm] Thou|^ tbe Levites bad been most solemnly consecrated to tl» Lord's service, and though all tbe l^al waahinga and purifloationB were duW perfiumed on uie occasion i

StMy eould not appsoach Ood till an atomxmnt had n made for them. How stiange is it, after all these aigoifieatioiu o( the viU and pamm of Ood rrisitvs M saan, tfaet tof priaat, sr any peom. will aUempt to diaw ajghteGsdwidMataasloDamNrtl Asmiy Ood Imdi

26 But ahall minister with their brethren m the tabernacle of the cdngre^tron. * to keep the charge, and shall do no aervioe. Tnue Shalt tboa do unto the Levites touching their charge.

A ND the Lord spake unto Moses A in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out*of the land of Egypt, saying,

2 Let the children of Israel also keep > the nasBOver at his appointed season.

3 In the fourteenth day of this month, ■ at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season:

.meeotimg to aU xlte rites of it, and according to 'flSlbt'Wemoniflfi thereof, shall ye keep it. ^ AodTMoaea Ejiiikc unto the children erf" lend, ihst they Bbould keep the passover.

5- Ajsd ■ thef kept the passover on the fburtflioft day of Lhe first month at even in the ■wfldernm ef Binai; aocordii^ to all that the liOBP commanded Moses, so dul the chUdren of leraeh

Verse 24. From txDciUy-Jbte ytan old\ See the note on chap. iv. 47. where the two twms ot twen^-five and thirty yeara ore reconciled.

Verse 28. To keep the charge, and Jtatt do no tereiee] *rbev ahall no lonf^er be obhg«d to perlbrm any UboriouB MTVice, but act aa general directon and eounaellors; therefi>rB they were to be near the camp, sing praiaea |o God, and see that no ■traofer or unclean person wa« permitted to enter. So Ibe Jews, and many other person^ have generally understood thta place.

1. If it reauired so much leml purity to fit the Levitea for thdr worlc in the tabenaue; can we suppose that it requirea leas apiritual puii^ to fit miniaiers of the Qoapel to proelaini the ririiteouaneaa of the Most High, and admimater the maSi: onliiWDoaa of Christiani^ to the flock of Cbiiat I ir theaa muat be without ipof, aa the prieata before without bUmM, and theae were only typical men; we may rest assured that a Christian minister requires no ordinary measures of holiness to prepare him for an acceptable and profitable discharge of hts office.

2. If the Christian ministry be established to prepare men for the kingdom of God, of tbeiioliaeas of which the purity of the camp was but a faint emblem; how can any man expect to enter that place of bleMedoess, who haa not his heart n>rinkled from an evil eonscieacfl^ and hia body wadied with pure water— fais life and conversation agreeable to the sacred precepts laid down in the Gospel of Christ 1 If the law otMoses were more read in referenee to the Gospel; the Go^l itself^ and its requisitkina^ would be much better understood. Reader, however it may be with thee, Anii7iomiani*m is more general among religious people than is usually imagined. What multitodes of all oenominations are expecting to enter into the kisgdom of God, without any proper preparation for the place I Without holiness none slmll see the Lord; and from this decision of the divine justict^ there ahall never be aw appeal.

NOTES ON CHAPTKR IX. Terae 1. The Lard rpakt unte Moaea\ The fourteen first verses of this chapter, certainly refer to the transactions that took place at the time of uiose mentioned in the commenoement of this book, before the numbering of ihe people; and several learned men are of opinion tlmt these foortsen verses riiould be referred back to that place. We have already met with inataneea where traiupotiHoru have, ven probably, token plaoe t and it is not difficult to account for them. As in very early times writing was Mswrally on leaves of Ihe Egyptian flag pmyrut, or on nia tesHM of difiereni Bubataitee^ fceta and inuiaaetkm

6 Tf And there were oertoin men, who were <• denied by the dead tody of a man, that they could not keep the passover that day: 'and they came before Moses and before Aaron od that day:.. ™,

7 And those men said unto bmi, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore arc we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the Lord in his appointed season among the children of Israel?,......

8 And Moses said unto than, Stand still, and 4 1 will see what the Lean will cominaiid otmcerning you.

10 Speak unto the children of Israel, sayinff. If any man of you or of your posterity duul Be unclean by reason of a dead body, or 6e in a journey aftir off, yet he slwU keep the panovM'

11 " The fourteenth da/ or the secood month at even they shall keep it, cmd • eat it with unleavened bread and bitter Mrbs.

1 2 ( T hey shall leave none of it unto the morning, *nor break anvbone of it: 'according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall ke^ H,

13 Bnt the man that it clean, and ia not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul * shall be cut off from among his people: because * he broiigfac not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season, that man shall ' bear his sin.

14 And if a stranger shall mjoamamoiw yoii, and will keep the passover unto the Loan;

thus entered were very liable to be deranged: so thai when afterward a series was made up into a book, many transactions might be inserted in wrong places; arid thus the exaet dmmehgv of the facta be greatly diauutwd. HSS. written on the leaves Of trees, Having a haU ia each Ihiough which a cord is passed to keep ibem all in their places, are frequentlyto be met with in the cafaiaeta of the curious, and some euch ere now before me — abmild the eotd break, or be accidentally unlooaed, it woukl ba exceedingly difficult to string them all in their proper places I aceideaU of this kind I have ofiea net with, lo my very great perplexity; and in some cases found ii almost impoasibfe to restore each individual leaf to ism own place; for it should be observed, that these eepamie pieces of oriental writing, are not paged like the le»vea of our printed books; nor are there frequesitJy any eaubwords or aignaturea at the tiottom to connect the This one oonsideiatioii will aeeouDt far several Cros.., tioTU, especially ia the Pentateuch, where they oeour i frequently than in any other part of the Sacred WriliiigB. Boubigant, who grants the existence of such traiuposi tions, thinks that this is no sufficient reason why Am present order of narration should be changed: "It ■ enough," says be, no» ignorare Hbrtm soa Motit csss oato rerun sito Umport gftarum, nm kutoriam JUo psrp*- tuo daboraiam, *' to know that these books contain mn account of things transacted in the days of __ thou^ not in their regular or cfarenologieal order."

VerseS. According loaUt/uritai^U] Seaidl rites and ceremoniea largely explained in the Exod. xii.

Verse 7. We are deJtUd by Iht dtad both/ of a: It is probable that the defilement mentioned here, waa casinned by the aasisling at the burial of some person — & work both of necesaity and mercy. This ciraimstwtoc^ however, gave rise to the ordinance delivSred in the lOih, 11th, 12ih, I3lh, and 14th veraea, so that on particular occasions the paaMver might be tmee oeMmed: 1st. Ac its r^ular time, die 14th m die jlrsf mmth. 2L Aa svtrK time, tlie 14th of the oetoiid month. But ibe man who had no legal hinderanee^ and did not celebrate it on one or other of those times, was to be cut off from the J>e(mt« of God; and Ihe reason given for this cuttmg off, tm, uimx hm brought not th* Offering of God in kio appmnttd waMsa — therefore thai man ottalt bear hio aw, ver. 13. Wn have already seen, from the authori^ of Sl Paul, tlsM Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for os; and that it w his sacrifice that was pointed out by the paaehn) laanb? this, therefore, we may observe, uM those who ck> mc sooDST or later eat the true Pasaorer; and get the sntw proouMd by d»aprinkling of Us bkNML sbdl ba oi Digitized by VjOOy Ic

■eeording' to th« ordinance of the passover, and according to the maoner thereof, bo shall he do: * ye sbalThave one ordinance, both for the Btr«)tffer, and for btm that was born in the land.

15 Y And * on the day that the tabernacle was reared up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, tuzmeiy, the tent of the teatimony: and " at even there was upon the tabernacle aa it were the appeMtinee of fire until the mominif;

16 So it wa« alway: the elond covered it b*f Axy, and the appearance of fire by night.

17 And when the cloud ^ was tiUten up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of larael joameyed: and m the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched tbeir tents.

18 At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the oommftndment of the Lobd they pitched: as long as the clond £d>ode upon the tabernacle they rested io their tents.

19 And when the cloud * tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children <^ Israel f kept the charge of the Lobd, and joorneyed not.

SO Aad so it was, when the clond was a few 4ays npon the tabernacle: according to the commandment of the LoHD tbey abode in their tents, and aocordins to the commandment of the L<sd they journeyed.

21 And so it was, wfaenttie cloud ■ abode from mmoDg unto the monung, and that the cloud was tacen up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether t7 was by day or by night, that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.

22 Or viheiher it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the doud tarried iipon the tabernacle, remaiaiog thereon, the children of Israel ^^KNie in their tents, and joameyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.

from among those that AaXl enter into the rest prep&red for the people of God; and for the laine reason too — "Thty bring not the offering of God in iit appointed ttoMim, ana therefore Oiey thcUl bear Iheir tin.

Veroe 15. TV doud covered the tabemade\ See the whole account of thia supernatural cloud largely explained, Ezod. xiii. 21. and zl. 31—38.

Cdmet obaervea, that the ISth verse, beginning a new •tdqect, dboald begin a new chApler, as it haa no connexion - wioi what Koea before) and he thinks this chapter, begun with the iMh verse, should en} with the 16ih verse of the following.

Vene 21. Whether hy day or by nigh£\ As the beat of the da7 is very severe in that same desert, the ni^iU season is sometimes t^osen for the performance of s joum^ i tboof^ it is very likely that, in the ease of the lanelile^ this was seldom resorted to.

Verse 32. Too day — a monSi — a year] It was by the divine counsel alone that they were directed in all their per^inations; and from the above words we see that their Itmes of tarrying at different stations were very unequal.

Verse 23. Kepi the diarge qf the Lord] When we consklsr the stroDg diapositioa which this people ever testified to fellow their own will in all things; we ma^ be well surprised to find them ia these joumeyings so implicitly following the direction of Ood. There could be no trick or impoMhtre here. Hose^ had he been the most cunning of men, new tiMi bsvs imitated the apptaranee» referred to in this chapter. Tcm doud, aod evny thing in its motioa, was BO evidently super?ia/urai, ^t the peopU had no doobt of its being the symbol of (he Divine prMeoce.

Ooo dHMe to keep tliis people so dqmxient upon him- 1^ ami so aubmisslvo to the decisions of bis own will, tmn bs wouW not even give them regular times of marchiaC sr rsstisg: they were to do both when and where Ood SIW keA. Thus thay were ever kept ready for their march, ihoa^ perfectly ignorant of the time when they should ■aw ■esse ^ But this was all well: ihey had the pres- SBM 0( Ood with them; the cloud by day and the fire by JiicH demonstrated that Ood was among them. Reader, thou art here a tsiuuit at will to Ood Almighty: how soon, is whst pIsM, or in what circumstaoca^he may call titee tssMrsbiiUo the elerasl workt, thoa knowaal aotl But tested in their tents, ahd at the conunandment of the Lord they journeyed: they i kept the chwge of the Lord, at the comnumament oS the Lord by the hand of Moseet

2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: tluit thou mayest use them for the ■< calling of the osseinbly, and for the journeying of the camps.

3 And when > they phail blow with them, all the (leaembly ehall HFeemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

4 And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes which ore heads of the thooBanoB of Israel, stiall gather themselves unto thee.

5 When ye blow an alarm, then the campa that lie on the east parts ehall go forward.

G When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie " on the guuth side shall take their journey: they siudl blow an aJarm for their journeys.

this uncertainty cannot perplex Ihee if thou be properly subject to the tm/I of God, ever willing to lose thy own in it. But thou canst not be lliiis subject, unless tiiou have the testimony of the presence and approlMiion of God. How awful to be obliged to walk into the valley of the shadow of death without iniel Reader, prepare tQ meet thy Qod.-

Verse 2. Makt Ihee heo trumpttt ^tUter] l%e neces^ sily of such instruments will at once Kppw, wfaeb ths amazing extent of this numerous army is considered, aiu how, even the sound of two trumpets could twAi them all, is difficult to conceive; but we may suppose, that when tbey were sounded, the motion of those thai were within reaich of that aoond, taught the others in suocesnon what tbqr^iould do.

As the trumpets were to be btown by ibs pri^U only, the sons of Aarost thm were only two, because there were only two such persons to use them, at this time, EUexar and Ithamar. In the time of Joshua, there wars sMsn trumpeu used by the priesu) but these wen mads according (oouriaxt,ofrttnu'A«nis,Jo«h.vi. 4. Inthetims of Solomoa, when the priaou hod greatly incressed, there were 120 priesU sounding with trumpets, 3 Chroo. v. 13,

Josephus intimate^ that one of these trumpets was alwaya used to call the nobles Uwether: the other to assemble the people; see vtr. 4, It is possible that tbeaa tnimpeu were made of difTereot lengths and wteguaa, and consequently ihev would emit dinerent tones. Hhib the sound itself would at once show which was the soa^ moni for the congregation, and which (or the priswss only. These trumpets were allowed to be emblawMilieal of the sound of the Oospel; and in this reference, tbey appear to be frequently used. Of the/oJs of the trumpets of the swctuoiy, see note on Exod. xzv. 31.

Verse 5. When ye blow an oJarm] njnvi <«rtrf\ probably meaning Mhorl, broken, tharf ttmes, **™'iwi*ing with long one^ blown with both tbs tronpsis at ones. Fr«m the similarity in the word^ sons aupposs that ihs Hebrew teru&h, was similar to the Romaa tarstentors, or sound of tbeir clarum.

Verse 6. Wien ye bhw a second aiam] A siKgts alarm, as above stated, was a signal for tbs ea^ward <bviaion to march j two such slarm^ the ail ' ~ ~ DiPzed by^

7 But when the coofcreeation ia to be gathered toffetber, ' ye shall blow, out ye shall not ^ sound an alarm.

8 ' And the sone of Aaron, the priests, ehall hloiv with the trumpets; and they shall be to you ibr an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.

9 And 'if ye go to war in your land againet the enemy that toppresseth you, then ye tjhall blow an alarm wiln the trumpets; and ye ehsdl be "remembered before the Lord your God, and ye i^holl be saved from your enemies.

10 Also * in the day of vour gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt-oH'erings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-ofleringtt: that they may be to you " for a memorial before your God: I am the Lord your God.

11 It And it came to pass, on the twentieth day or the second montn, in the second year, that the cloud ' was taken up from ofl' the tabernacle of the tefltiraooy.

13 And the children of Israel took 'their journeys out of thft ■ wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the ' wilderness of Paran.

13 And they first took their journey according to the commandment of tlie Lobd, by the himd of KfoBCs.

14 T 0 In the first place, went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah, accordiiw to their armies: and over bis host mts ' Nahsnon, the son of Amminadab.

15 And over the host of the tribe of the children of latachar, ira« Nethaneel the son of Zuar.

16 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebutun, loaa Eliab, the son of Helon.

17 And ■ the tabernacle waa taken down; and

division; and probably three for the weal division, and Jour for tibe Tiorlh. It ia more likely that thi« was dto case, than that a single alarm lorved for each, with a small interviU between them.

"Hie camps, or grand divisions of this ereat army, always lay, as we nave already seen, to the easi, south, West, and north: and here, the eaat and south camps alone sre mentioned} thejCrs^eontaininx Judah, luacaar, and Z^uhm I the ttcond, Reuben, Suneon, and Oad. The wert and Tutrlk divisions are not named, and yet we are sure they marched in consequence of express orders or signals, as well 03 the other two. TTiero appears, therefore, a deficiency here in the Hebrew text, whicn is thus supplied xmtw fitfr**. "And when ye blow a third alarm or t^nal, the camps on the v>eH shall march: and when ye Uow a JimrA alarm or signal, the oampa on the north shall mareh." l^is addition, however, is not acknowledged by the Samaritan, nor by any of the other versiwis, but the Coptic. Nor are there any various reading in the collections of Kennicatt and De Roon, which countenance the addiiion in the above versions. Houbicut diinks ^is addition so evidently necessary that he nas inserted the Latin in his text, ana in a note supplied dM Hebrew woids: and thinks that these words were Miginally in the Hebrew text, Init happened to be omitted in coosecnience of so many oimitar words occurring so often in the same verse, wnieh might dasde and deceive the eye of a transcriber.

YeraeS. ^ye jfo to »or] These trumpets shall be sounded fi^r the purpose of collecting the people together: to deliberate about the war, and to implore the protection of God against dteir enemies.

Verse 10. In the day ^ your gladnM*\ On every festival the people shall be collected 1^ the same means.

Ye ehall he remembered before the Lord] When ye decamp, encamp, make war, and hold rdigunu featieeU, aoeordiag to hia appointment, which appointment shall be signified to you by the priests (wfaa at the command of Cwd, for such purposes, shall blow the tnmipeie) then ye may expert both the presence and bleating of Jdiowh, m sU (fast y« undertake.

tlie sons of Oershon, and the sons of Blerari, set forward ' bearing the taberoaele.

IS H And c the standard of the camp of Henben set forward, according to their armies; and over his host toas Elizur, the son of Shedeur.

19 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon, was Shelomiel, the son of Zarishaddai.

30 And over the host of the tribe of the ohik (Iren of Grad, was Eliasaph, the son of DeueL

21 And the Kohathitee set forward, b^irinf the ^ sanctuary: and > the other did set up the tabernacle against they came.

22 f And 0 the standard of the camp of tiw children of Ephraim set forward, according to their armies: and over his host waa Ehshama, the son of Ammihud.

2% And over the host of the tribe of the children of Maitasseh, was Gamaliel, the son erf* Pedahzur.

24 And over the host of the trOw of the children of Beigamin, was Abidan, the son df

25 And 1 the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, lehieh wo* the rear* ward of all the camps throughout their ImmIs: and over his host was Ahiezer, the boo of Am* mifihaddai.

26 And over the host of the trOie of the children of Asher, was Pagiel, the son of Ocran.

27 And over the hoK of the tribe of the chit dren of Naphtali, was Ahira, the son of Soul

28 " Thus " were the jonrn^ings of the children of Israel, according to their armies^ when they set forward.

29 IF And Moses said unto Hobab, the son d* ° Raguet, the Midianite, Moses* fkukeT4n-law, We are journeying unto the |dace of which the Lord sau, I will give it you: come thou widi

Verse II. The twentieth da.j qf the eetmdmonihlTbe Israelites had lain encamped in die wildnoess of Sinai about eleven monSha, and twenty days, compare Exod. xix. I. with this verse. They now received tlie order of God to decamp, and proceed towards the promised land; and therefore the Samaritan introduces, at ui* place, the words which we find DeuL i. 6—9. 7ns Jjord our Ax/ j^poAs un/ous<nHorel^ savins'; Ye have dwelt hng aua^ in Ikie moutit, tumanatake your journey, Ac

Verse 12, The cloud reeled in the wiiaemtta of PoronT lliis was tlu-ee days' journey from the wilderness of Sinai, see ver. 33. and the people had three stations — the first ai Kibroth Hallaavah, the second at HaxerUh^ chapk zL 3S. and the third in the wilderness of Paran, see cluqk zii 16. But it is extremely difficult to determine these journeyingi with any degree of exactness; and we are oflen at a haa to know, whether the place in question was in a direct ot retrograde position from the place previously meotioiMl.

Verse U. "Hte »tandard—qf Judahj See this order of marching explained ailarge on chap. ii. The followii^ is the order in which this vast company proceeded in diar march:

Terse 29. Moeea eaid to H^frob] For a ctmnnsUntial account of this person, see the notes on Exod. ii. IB. 16. and 18. iii. 1. iv. 20, 24. and for die transactioa recorded here, and vrtiich is probably out of its place, see Exod. xviii. 6. where the subject is discuMod at large.

We are journeying] Ood has brought us out of thraldom, and Ve are duisw on our throuch the wilderness, travelling' towards the ptacs of rest which be has s^ pointed us, trusting in his promise, guided' by his presence^ and supported by hispower. Conu thou with ns, amit sM win do thee good, 'niooe who wiaty loenm the heavtaly at, and ^ we will do thee food: for ' the Lord hath spoken good concemine iBrael.

30 And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart unto mine own land, and to my ktbdred.

31 And he said, Leare ub not, I pray thee, forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderoeas, and thou mayest be to as ■ instead ofeyes.

32 And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it •haU be, that t what goodness the Lord shall do onto OB, the same wul we do unto thee.

33 t And thev departed from ■ the mount of the LoBD three days'^journey: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord ' went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for tiieiD.

34 And ' the cloud of the Loud was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.

35 And it came to piiss, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, ■ Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and lei them that hate thee flee befbre thee.

36 And when it rested, he mmJ. Retnrn, O Lmo, onto the 'many thousands of Israel.

iahentsnee, moat walk in the way towards it, and auoci- «M widi the people who angciagia ttmt way.— True leligiaii is em b^eroleDt. — Tiiey who know moat of the goodoaM of God, are the noet forward to invits others to partake of that ffoodnesa. That reli^on, which excludes ^1 othera from salTation, unless they believe a particular creed, aud worship in a particular way, is not of God. Even Mobab, the Anb, according to the <^nion of Mosee, nu^t receive the nme bleaaingi whidi Ood had promised to TwMweL provided he aecoinpaoied them in llie some way.

TTu Lord hath ipoken good amceming Ivrael.] The nsme bra^ is taken in a general aense, to aignify theTb^ lower* 0^ Cfbd: and to tbem, all the promiaeC in the Bible are maae. Uod has B]>oken good v; and he haa ^token good to themt and not one word that he hath ■poken uiall fiuL Reader, haat thou left thy unhallowed cMiDexions in lifel Host thou got into the camp of the Mm Hif^ 1 Then continue to follow Qod with InaeL •Dd thou efaalt be incorporated ia the heavenly bmily, wod ritare in Israel's benedictions.

Vcrae 30. IvriU not go; but IwiU depart to mitumen land, and to my jfetndred] Prom the strong ezpostulatkmrin the 31st and 3U versea, and from Ju<^ea 1. 16. iv. II. and 1 Sam. xr. 6. it ia likely that Hobob changed his mind; or that if he did go back to Madian, he returned agun to Israel, oa the above scriptures show that his poeisrity dwelt among the Israelites in Canaan. Header, after having been almost persuaded to become a Christian, to take Chnst, his cross, his reproach, and his crown, fot: dif portion, art thou again purposing to go back to th^ own mia, and to thy kindred? Knowest thou not that this land it the place of destruction — that the children of this world, who ore not taking God for their portion, are going to perdition t Up, get ihee hence, for the Lord witrdestroy (his place by fire: and all who are not of the kindred and fami- ^of Christ, shall perish at thebrightneas of hi* appearing]

Terse 31. Thou mayeat be to \x» inolead qf eve», Bit what need hod they of Hobab, when they had the pillar and fire eontinually to point out their wi^ 1 Answer. Hm doud direeied their swurof jnurocTi^ but not their particular exeurnunt. Fartiet took aevuat joumeya while the grand army lay still. See chap. xiil. xz. xxzl. ZTxii dee. They therefore needed such n person as Hobab, who was well acquainted with the desert, to direct these panienlar exenrvions; to point them out watering-places, and plaeea where they might meet with fuel, Ac. ifcc. What man cannot, nndn- thotdtreetion of God's providenee, ^ for binuelf, Ood will do in the way of eapeod mnejr. Ba eould have direeted tbem to the fbtiBtains, and to the ^aces of ftiel; but H<Aab ean do this, thervfore let HoLob •« employed; and let Hobab know, for his encouraeeyni, that while he is serving others in the way of Gkld's providenee, he is securing his own best interests. On was munds Hobab should be invited; and for this reason HjAto should go. Man cannot do God's work; and Ood wtB sot do the work which ho haa qualified and com- MBdid man lo perform. Tbm then the Lord is ever Msn, even white he ia helpins man bjf man. Sea some wmUs obawntionaoB diia anlqeet in Marmtr, roL ii. p.

Lord heard it; ""and his anger was kindled j and the ■ fire of the Loan burnt among them, and consumed them that ■were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

3 And the people cried unto Moses; and wlran Moses 'prayed unto the Lord, the f!re 'was quenched.

3 And he called the name of the place " Taberah: because the fire of the Lord burnt amour

4 1 And the ' mist multitude that was among

286. Instead o^ And thou mayeU be to tu inotead ^ eyee, the Scptuuiint tmnilate the passage thua, mi iv^ ■■ «fH* imr£i>TiK, Jbid thou thall be an elder among ttf. But Moaea probably refers to Hobab'a accurate knowledge of the wilderness, and to the assistance he could give them as a gvide.

Verse 33. TTte ark teeni before (ftem] We find from ver. 21. that the ark was carried biy the AohathUe* in the centre of the army: but as the artny never moved till the cloud was taken up, it is said to go btfore them, i, e. (o be the firat to move, as without llua motion, dw Inodlites continued in their encampments.

Verse 36. Rite up. Lord, and let Aine enemies be eeat' tered!] If Ood did not arise in iliia way and scatter his enemies, there could be no hope that Israel could get safely through the wilderness. Ooa must go first, if Israel would wish to follow in safety.

Verae 36. Return, O Lord, wiio the many thmuandt ^ Iera^\ These were the words spoken by Moses at the moment ttie divisions halted in order to pitch their tents. In referenee to this subject, and the history with which it is coDDCcted, the 63th Psalm seems to havebeen composed. Many thotuandes literally, the ten thoueand thoueando. Unless the ark went witli Aem, and the cloud of the divios glory with it, they eould have neither direction nor aqfety t unless the ark reated with them, and the cloud of glory with it, they could have neither reU nor eoit\fort. How necessary are the word Ood, and (he jS^H; of Ood, for the direction, comfort^ and defence, of every genuina follower of Christ I Reader, pray to Gix) tliat thou mayest have both with thee through all tha wilderness; — through all the ehaosM and ehancea of this mortal life: — if thouos guided by Am counsel, thou shalt be al last received into his glory.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XI. ' Verse 1. And when iJie people comp/a in ed] What the cause of this complaining was, we know not. lie conjecture of Sl Jerom ia probable; they complained because of the longth ^ the way. But ayirely no people had ever lest eaoae for murmuring~-lhey had God among them; and miracles of goodness were continually wrouiiiit in tbdr behalf.

Itdiapleaeedtlteliord] For his extraordinary kindness was lost on such an ungraiefiil and rebellious people. And hie anger was kinaJed — Divine Juetice. was neceasarily inceoMd against such inexoisahle conducL

And the fire iff" the Lord burnt among themi Either a supemoniral fire waa sent tx this occasioii, or the lightning waa oommiosionod against them, or Ood smote them with one of those hot, sunocating winds, which are very common m those oounlrifs.

And eontumeii— in the uUermoet parte qf the camp] It pervaded the whole camp, from toe centre to the cir> cumfarenoe^ carrying death with it u all the murmurerat for we are not to suppoae, that it was confined to the uttermost parts of the camp, unless we eould imngbw that thers ware none culpable any wksra else. If this vera the same with the eaae mentioned ver. 4. then, as it is possible that the mixed mullilude oec^ied the oulermoat parts of lbs

them k Tell a lusting: and the chthlrcn of Israel also 1 wept again, and said, " Who shall give us fleah to eat?

5 'We remember the fieh, which we did eat in Effypt freely; the cucumhers, and the melone, ftnd the leekfl, and the onions, and the garlic;

6 But now *oar soul t*« dried away *, there ia nothing at all, besides this manna, ft^^ifeour eyes.. 7 And V the manna was as coriander seed, and the ' colour thereof as the colour of • bdellium.

8 And the people went about, and gathered it, and ETOund xt in mills, or beat it in a mortar, Mid baked it in pans, and made cEdtes of it: ana * the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

9 And <■ when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell uoon it.

10 \ Then MoBes beard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the

faar oT his teot: and ' the anger of the Lord was indled greatly; Mosea also was displeased.

11 * And Moacs said unto the Lord, Wherefive hast thou afRicted thy savant t and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thon layest the burden of all this people upon me 7