give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; and I will walk among you, and be your God; and ye shall be my people.

But if ye will not hearken unto me, I will appoint over you, terror and consumption, and the burning ague. And ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat the fruit thereof. And if ye will not hearken unto me, the earth shall cease to yield her increase, and the sword and pestilence shall be among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hands of your enemies; and I will scatter you among all nations; and ye shall perish among the heathen.

These promises and these threatenings of Jehovah have been exactly fulfilled. As long as the children of Israel served and worshipped the Lord their God, they prospered, and their ener mies prevailed not against them. But when they forsook Jehovah, they fell into subjection unto their foes. And when their cup of iniquity was filled and ran over, their sacred city and temple were destroyed, and they were dispersed among the nations; in which miserable condition we now behold them.

QUESTIONS.

What does the book of Leviticus contain? Of what nature were the laws and regulations given to the Israelites? What were the laws inculcating just dealings? What were the laws inculcating humanity to beasts, and benevolence to men? By what promises and threatenings were these laws sanctioned? Were those promises and menaces accomplished?

CHAP. IX.

THE book, entitled Numbers, derives its name from the account which it contains of the mustering and numbering the children of Israel. Two of these numberings were made; the first in the beginning of the second year after their departure from Egypt; and the second in the plains of Moab, towards the conclusion of the sojournment in the wilderness. This book describes, likewise, the journies and encampments of the Israelites, after the promulgation of the law on Mount Sinai; the signal punishments inflicted upon them for their murmuring, distrust, and rebellion. It is ascribed to Moses, and the narrative it gives includes a space of about thirty eight years.

And in the second year after their departure from Egypt, says the historian, the Eternal spake unto Moses in the desert of Sinai, that he should number the children of Israel, by their tribes and families, the males from twenty years of age and upwards, who were capable of bearing arms; and the whole number was found to be 603,550; so exceedingly had the people of Israel multiplied. But the Levites were not numbered, for that they had the charge of the tabernacle and its services, and went not out to battle. And God directed Moses to fix the order of their encampment. And when the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it, and from evening unto morning, through the whole night, it appeared like fire. And when the people were

encamped in the desert of Paran, the Eternal said unto Moses, "Send men to explore the land of Canaan which I give unto the children of Israel; out of each tribe shalt thou send one leading man." At the command of Jehovah, therefore, these chief men among the tribes of Israel departed from the wilderness of Paran, and explored the land of Canaan. And from the vale of Eshcol, they brought a vine branch with one cluster of grapes, so large as to be carried between two of them upon a pole, and pomegranates and figs.

And upon their return, after an absence of forty days, they said unto Moses, before the assembly of the people, "We went into the land whither thou didst send us, which, indeed, floweth with milk and honey, for these are some of its fruits; but strong are the people that inhabit it; and large and fortified are its cities; there, too, we saw gigantic men." And the children of Israel were terrified at the report of the spies, and began to murmur against Moses. But Caleb, one of the spies, said unto them, "Let us go up and take possession of the land, for we are certainly able to subdue it:" but his companions said, "We are not able to go up against that people, for they are stronger than we." And, moreover, they spread abroad an evil report of the land, that it devoureth its inhabitants by sickness. And the Israelites were, above measure, agitated, and cried aloud, "Let us appoint a chief, and return to Egypt." And Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in presence of the assembly, while Joshua and Caleb strove

to soothe the children of Israel. But they were preparing to overwhelm them with stones, when the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud over the convention tent, or tabernacle, in the sight of all the children of Israel. And the men who had brought the evil report of the land were struck dead before the whole assembly; but of them Caleb and Joshua remained alive. And the people mourned and repented them of their iniquity; and, at the intercession of Moses, the Lord their God pardoned their transgression. But again they sinned, when they came to the wilderness of Zin; in that they murmured, because water was not found, saying, "Oh, that we had died when our brethren expired before the Lord! Why have ye brought us out of Egypt, to perish here by thirst?" And the glory of the Lord shone forth from over the tabernacle, and he commanded Moses to bid water flow from the rock. And Moses smote the rock twice with his rod, and the streams gushed out abundantly. But Moses and Aaron sinned, by mistrusting the providence of their God, and therefore was it said unto them, "Ye shall not bring this people into the land which I give into them."

And behold the time came when Aaron should be united to his fathers. And by command of God, Moses and Aaron, and Aaron's son, Eleazar, went up to mount Hor, in the sight of the whole assembly. And Moses, taking off the priestly garments from Aaron, put them upon Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there, on the summit of the mountain; and the whole house of Israel mourned for him thirty days. Again the chil

dren of Israel murmured against Jehovah, and Moses their guide, despising the manna with which God fed them. And the Lord sent among them serpents, whose bite inflamed like fire; and many of the people died. But the children of Israel repented of their transgression, and Moses prayed unto the Lord for them; and the Lord commanded Moses to make a serpent of brass, and to place it upon a pole. And it came to pass, that whosoever of the people was bitten, and looked up unto the brazen serpent, was healed. The Israelites were now arrived in the plains of Moab; when Balak, king of the Moabites, terrified by the approach of their multitudes, and having heard what great things Jehovah had done for the Israelites, sent for Balaam, famous for his divinations, to imprecate a curse on the children of Israel; but the Lord put a blessing into the mouth of the seer, when, from the lofty summit of mount Pisgah, he beheld the host of Israel, instead of the curse which Balak required. But Jehovah God spake unto Moses, saying, "Go up to the top of mount Abarim, and view the land which I give unto my people, for when thou hast beheld it, thou shalt surely die without going thither, because that when the assembly was contentious in the wilderness of Zin, thou and Aaron disobediently neglected to glorify me in their presence. Take Joshua, the son of Nun, who is a man of spirit, and laying thy hands upon him, let him receive a portion of thy power, that the whole assembly may obey him." And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua, and present