The congregation being sentenced to wander forty years in the wilderness, during which time the whole unbelieving race was to be cut off, the account, we have of those years is very concise: much is doubtless passed over, and only here and there a remarkable circumstance recorded, and interspersed with sundry laws. The xvth chap. of Numbers records a most striking warning against sins of presumption, and an affecting instance of condign punishment inflicted on a transgressor. 66 Whenever," observes Mr. Scott, "we set our own inclinations in opposition to the known commands of God, and when God saith, Thou shalt not, our conduct replies, But I will, we are guilty of sins of presumption; and though the matter be in itself trivial, yet the daring rebellion is exceedingly atrocious." After this express and solemn warning had been given, a person was observed gathering sticks on the sabbath-day, in contempt of the commandment, and he was condemned, as a presumptuous offender, to be stoned, for a warning to the rest; which sentence was executed the next day.-Sin is not now generally visited with visible judgment in this life, yet let not any harden themselves in sin and presumption, and flatter themselves that they shall eventually go unpunished. If he that despised Moses' law thus died without mercy, of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God!

During the wanderings of the people, a new rebel

lion arose, occasioned by the jealousy of some of the Levites against Moses, Aaron, and his sons, whom they envied the honour of the civil government and priesthood, insinuating that both had been usurped by Moses and Aaron, without any commandment from the Lord. Moses on this occasion mildly yet forcibly reasoned with the people, and fell on his face, to deprecate the wrath of God, and to seek his direction. Afterwards, on Moses' summoning the ringleaders to appear before him, and give an account of the insurrection, they insolently refused to appear. Moses then invoked the Divine interposition and challenged Korah with his company of Levites, (who had attempted to invade the honours of the priest. hood,) to meet Aaron as his competitor in the presence of all the people, and prove, by the burning of incense, which of them the Lord would acknowledge and establish. And now the glory of the Lord. appeared, and Moses and Aaron received an intimation to separate themselves from the congregation, all of whom had probably more or less concurred in the rebellion, and who justly deserved to be consumed by the Divine anger; but Moses and Aaron fell on their faces, and earnestly pleaded that the people might be spared, and that only the ringleaders might be made an example. Accordingly the people were directed to depart from about the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and a solemn appeal was made by Moses to the Divine Being, to vindicate his commission. "If, (said he) these men die the

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common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me but if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord." No doubt this appeal was made by him at the express command of God, who immediately confirmed the word and authority of his servant by causing the earth to open and swallow those men and all their possessions; fire also came forth, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that had presumptuously burnt incense. The golden censers of these men were gathered out of the conflagration, and made into broad plates for the covering of the altar as a continual memorial to the children of Israel, whenever they should bring sacrifices, and to the Levites who should assist in offering them, that the seed of Aaron alone should be permitted to burn incense before the Lord. Instead of being duly humbled by this awful visitation, and acknowledging the Divine seal thus enstamped on the commission of Moses and Aaron, the people, with the most astonishing and provoking perveiseness, persisted in their rebellion, by ascribing to Moses and Aaron the awful death of those who had perished in their presumption. This conduct justly brought on them a new display of the Divine displeasure: a plague broke out, and consumed 14,700 of them. This dire calamity was stayed by Aaron,