ferpents were of the fame kindred with the firmament; their fting was a flame, their venom was a fever, and the fever a calenture; and the whole state of the Ifraelites abode and travel was a little image of the day of judgment, when the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Thefe men, like falamanders walking in fire, dry with heat, fcorched with thirst, and made yet more thirsty by calling upon God for water; fuppofe, I say, thefe thirsty fouls, hearing Mofes promife that he will fmite the rock, and that a river should break forth from thence; obferve how presently they run to the foot of the fpringing ftone, thrusting forth their heads and tongues to meet the water, impatient of delay, crying out that the water did not move, like light, all at once: and then fuppofe the pleasure of their drink, the infatiableness of their defire, the immenfity of their appetite: they took in as much as they could, and they defired much more. This was their Sacrament, and this was their manner of receiving it. And if that water was a type of our Sacrament, or a Sacrament of the fame fecret bleffing, then is their thirft a fignification of our duty*. 17. And they finned yet more against him, by provoking the moft High in the wilderness. 18. And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking meat for their luft. 19. Yea they spake against God; they faid, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? 20. Behold, he fmote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed, can he give bread alfo, or provide flesh for his people? Worthy Communicant, p. 92. These These frequent rebellions of Ifrael, with the prefence of God in the midft of them, and his miracles before their eyes, would feem 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, it's incredulity and perversenefs. For hath not God delivered us from the house of bondage, and fupported us in the wilderness: is not Jefus prefent 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 moft High :" who does not ask provision for his "luft," when his neceffities are fatisfied 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 difficult, and diftruftful of his providence? Before we condemn others, let us try ourselves, and judge righteous judg. ment. When David pronounced the words, "The man that hath done this thing (hall furely die," little did he think of being told, by his faithful monitor, "Thou art the man. man." Confcience, if duly interrogated, will be a Nathan to every one, and thew him his own tranfgreffions, in thofe of old Ifrael. 21. Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth; fo a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger alfo came up against Ifrael; 22. Because they believed not in God, and trufted not in his falvation : 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 fent them meat to the full. The discontents, mentioned above, in verfe 17, &c. were pofterior not only to the miracle at the rock, but alfo to the gift of "manna," which, after fome little time, the people " loathed," and demanded" flesh," repenting that they had forfaken Egypt, where they fared more to their fatisfaction. See Numb. xi. The caufe of the difcontents was infidelity, and the effect of them a difplay of God's indignation; "The Lord was wroth-because they be"lieved not, &c." Now, as St. Paul ftyles the water, 'fpiritual," or, "facramental drink," proceeding from "a fpiritual rock, which rock was Chrift;" fo he terms the manna, spiritual," or "facramental "meat; they did all eat of that fame 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 wildernefs, had in HIM given them "the true bread" of eternal life, which the manna was intended to reprefent. "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.” Christ crucified is the fupport of fpiritual and eternal life; faith is the mouth by which this fupport is received, manna was an outward and visible sign of it to the Ifraelites in the wilderness; the eucharistic bread is fuch to Chriftians in the world. When that holy ordinance is celebrated," the doors of heaven " are "are opened," fpiritual food is given from above, "and man eats on the bread of the mighty "ones;" whether by "mighty ones" we understand those who eat the bread, and are invigorated thereby ; or the bleffed perfons who give the bread to man. Such is our manna, our fuftenance in the wilderness, our viaticum, while on the road to Canaan. But how is it " loathed," and defpifed, in comparison with the flesh pots of Egypt," by men who," be"lieve not in God, and trust not in his falvation!" Will not the fame caufe produce the fame effect? Will not "Jehovah hear this, and be wroth?" Will not "a fire be kindled against Jacob, and anger "alfo come up against Ifrael! For this caufe," faith an Apostle to the irreverent Corinthian receivers, many are weak and fickly among you, and many fleep." I Cor. xi. 30. 26. He caufed an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the fouth wind. 27. He rained flesh alfo upon them as duft, and feathered fowls like as the fand of the fea. 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 defire. 30. They were not eftranged from their luft; but while the meat was yet in their mouths, 31. The wrath of God came upon them, and flew the fatteft of them, and fmote down the chofen men of Ifrael. The people, difcontented with manna, afked, in a tumultuous and rebellious way, for flesh, at the fame time diftrufting the power of God to give it them in the wildernefs. Flesh, however, was pro cured. cured. A wind, proper for the occafion, 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 fpace of an entire month. But from the event we learn, that inordinate defires, though fometimes complied with, and fatisfied by heaven, do not therefore go unpunished; on the contrary, they are often punished, by being complied with. The bleffings, chofen for us by God, are bleffings indeed, and, like the manna, bring no forrow with them: but when we choofe for ourselves, and are fo unhappy as to be gratified in that choice, our portion too often proves a curse; and while the much loved morfel is yet between our teeth, "the "wrath of God comes upon us," for making a wrong choice. This will always be the cafe in the end, whenever earth is preferred to heaven, and fenfe to faith. 32. For all this they finned ftill: and believed not for his wondrous works. 33. Therefore their days did he confume in vanity, and their years in trouble. Mercies are followed by provocations; provocations are punished with judgments; to judgments fucceed repeated provocations, which call down fresh judgments. Immediately after the hiftory of the quails, we read of a fedition stirred up by Aaron and Miriam, and of new murmurs at the report, brought by the spies, concerning the promised land; in confequence of which laft, the nation had been destroyed, but for the interceffion of Moses; and the whole generation of those who came out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb, actually fell in the wilderness, wafted |