they tempted God in their hearts, by asking meat for their lust. 19. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? 20. Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also, or provide flesh, for his people? pre

These frequent rebellions of Israel, with the sence of God in the midst of them, and his miracles before their eyes, would seem incredible, had they been related any where but in the oracles of truth; and did not the heart of every self-knowing Christian at once acknowledge the picture which is here drawn of human nature, its incredulity and perverseness. For hath not God delivered us from the house of bondage, and supported us in the wilderness? is not Jesus present in the church, and are not his miracles of love and mercy continually before our eyes, in the Word and in the Sacrament? Yet, who does not still "provoke" and "tempt the Most High?" who does not ask provision for his "lust," when his necessities are satisfied? and who, after all the proofs he has had of God's power and goodness, is not apt, upon every appearance of danger, to be diffident and distrustful of his providence? Before we condemn others, let us try ourselves, and judge righteous judgement. When David pronounced the words, "The man that hath done this thing shall surely "die," little did he think of being told, by his faithful monitor," Thou art the man. Conscience, if duly interrogated, will be a Nathan to every one, and show him his own transgressions, in those of old Israel.

21. Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; 22. Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: 23. Though he had commanded the clouds from above and opened the doors of heaven, 24. And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. 25. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

The discontents mentioned above, in verse 17, &c. were posterior not only to the miracle at the rock, but also to the gift of "manna," which, after some little time, the people "loathed," and demanded" flesh," repenting that they had forsaken Egypt, where they fared more to their satisfaction: see Numb. xi. The cause of the discontents was infidelity, and the effect of them a display of God's indignation : "The Lord was wroth-because they be"lieved not," &c. Now, as St. Paul styles the water "spiritual," or, sacramental " drink," proceeding from "a spiritual rock, which rock was Christ;" so he terms the manna, spiritual," or, sacramental meat: They did all eat of that same spiritual meat:" 1 Cor. x. 3. And our Lord, in John vi. discourses at large upon the subject, to convince the Jews, that God, who gave to their fathers manna in the wilderness, had in HIM given them "the true bread" of eternal life, which the manna was intended to represent. "I am the living bread which came down "from heaven; if any man eat of this bread he shall "live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my "flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

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Christ crucified is the support of spiritual and eternal life; faith is the mouth by which this support is received; manna was an outward and visible sign of it to the Israelites in the wilderness; the eucharistic bread is such to Christians in the world. When that holy ordinance is celebrated, "the doors of heaven "are opened," spiritual food is given from above, "and man eats Dr on, the bread of the mighty ones;" whether by "mighty ones" we understand those who eat the bread, and are invigorated thereby, or the blessed persons who give the bread to man. Such is our manna, our sustenance in the wilderness, our viaticum, while on the road to Canaan. But how is it "loathed," and despised, in comparison with "the flesh-pots of Egypt," by men who " be"lieve not in God, and trust not in his salvation !" Will not the same cause produce the same effect? Will not "Jehovah hear this, and be wroth?" Will not" a fire be kindled against Jacob, and anger also come up against Israel ?" "For this cause," saith an apostle to the irreverent Corinthian receivers, many are weak and sickly among you, and many "sleep." 1 Cor. xi. 30.

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26. He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. 27. He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea. 28. And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. 29. So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire: 30. They were not estranged from their lust. But while the meat was yet in their mouths, 31. The wrath of God

came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

The people, discontented with manna, asked, in a tumultuous and rebellious way, for flesh, at the same time distrusting the power of God to give it them in the wilderness. Flesh, however, was procured. A wind, proper for the occasion, went forth from Jehovah, and brought a cloud of quails, which furnished the whole camp with a most delicious kind of flesh food, for the space of an entire month. But from the event we learn, that inordinate desires, though sometimes complied with, and satisfied by heaven, do not therefore go unpunished; on the contrary, they are often punished by being complied with. The blessings, chosen for us by God, are blessings indeed, and, like the manna, bring no sorrow with them: but when we choose for ourselves, and are so unhappy as to be gratified in that choice, our portion too often proves a curse; and, while the much-loved morsel is yet between our teeth, "the "wrath of God comes upon us," for making a wrong choice. This will always be the case in the end, whenever earth is preferred to heaven, and sense to faith.

32. For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. 33. Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

Mercies are followed by provocations; provocations are punished with judgements; to judgements succeed repeated provocations, which call down fresh judgements. Immediately after the history of the quails, we read of a sedition stirred up by Aaron and

Miriam, and of new murmurs at the report, brought by the spies, concerning the promised land; in consequence of which last, the nation had been destroyed, but for the intercession of Moses; and the whole generation of those who came out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb, actually fell in the wilderness, wasted and consumed by various plagues and calamities, during a forty years' peregrination: see Numb. xii. xiii. xiv. St. Jude makes mention of such a generation in the early days of the Christian church, speakers of "hard speeches against Christ, murmur

ers, complainers, walking after their own lusts;" and he therefore puts converts "in remembrance, "how that the Lord, having saved the people out of "the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that "believed not:" Jude, verse 5. and 15. Because, notwithstanding all that Jesus has done, and continues to do for the church, men "sin yet more, and "believe not for his wondrous works," but either despise the heavenly country, or despair of obtaining it, therefore is the hand of God heavy upon the world; "vanity and trouble" wear out the life of man; and they who have passed the waters of baptism, fall short of the promised rest.

34. When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned, and inquired early after God. 35. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. 36. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. 37. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.

Several instances of this behaviour occur in the

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