In the Sixteenth Chapter a yearly folemn Feaft is enjoined the whole Nation, to be an everlasting Statue, an annual Attonement for the Sins of the People.

Prohibitions and Precepts, Laws and Directions are continued on to the twenty-fifth, where a remarkable Prophecy is recorded, and its regular conftant Accomplishment afforded the Ifraelites standing Miracle, and moft convincing proof of the divine Inspiration of their Lawgiver: "I will command my Bleffing on you in the fixth Year, and it fhall bring forth fruit for three Years, and ye fhall fow the eighth Year, and eat yet of the old Fruit until the ninth Year; until her Fruits come in, ye fhall eat of the old Store." This regularly came to pafs, and as long as the Law was reverenced, an ample Supply and Provifion was made for the Sabbatic year. Befides this, every fiftieth year was to be a Jubilee, when every Ifraelite of every denomination, was commanded, in the moft public manner, to found his Trumpet nine feveral times, and proclaim

Liberty! - Liberty!" - throughout all the

Land. Freedom to all Servants and Slaves,-A Release to the Poor of all Debts, and a Reftoration to their Poffeffions and former Inheritance.

The

The Land too was to enjoy Reft, they were neither to sow, nor reap, nor put up into Barns any overplus whatever, though it grew luxuriant and fpontaneous. Many advantages arose to the Ifraelites from this wife Inftitution. Ambition was prudently restrained, an Estate never went out of a man's family; those who had been fold, returned now every Man to his own House ; Public tranquility and undisturbed poffeffion was a neceffary confequence, and a promife of unbounded prosperity was announced as a reward and an encouragement to fidelity.

The last year of our Saviour's Life, was the year of Jubilee, and the laft the Jews ever kept; for from the feventh year after their entrance into Canaan, there were juft 1400 years to the thirtythird of Our Saviour's Life, which gives juft twenty-eight Jubilees.

The fecond year from their departure out of Egypt this Book is faid to have been delivered to them by Mofes, in the year of the World 2524.

It contains only the actions of one Month, and pronounces bleffings on all those who obferve its Precepts and a moft awful curfe on the Tranfgreffor.

NUMBERS.

ON THE BOOK OF

NUMBERS,

T

HIS Book takes its Name from the many numberings reported in it, and the firft is very remarkable; the Men of War from twenty years old and upwards, in the fecond year from their leaving Egypt, amounted to fix hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty, befides Levites. The eight first Chapters contain further Directions and additional Laws for the Priefts and the Sanctuary, and afterwards an Account of the Spies fent out as Searchers to difcover the Land of Canaan. The remaining part of the Book carries on their Hiftory and Journey, Travels, Troubles, Murmurings and Rebellions, their Sufferings, Streights and Enlargements, Dangers and Deliverances, Conquefts and Nota ble things they did or fuffered during the space of thirty-nine years, wherein they rather wandered than regularly journeyed in the Defert, R.

their

their Vices, Obftinacy and Rebellion, keeping them back from the borders of Canaan, when they were very near, almoft in poffeffion of it. In the eleventh Chapter their murmurings are feverely reproved, and very many are destroyed by Lightning. To affift Mofes in his ardous task of Government, feventy Elders are now elected, and they have their different Offices allotted them.

The Ifraelites had long murmured and fighed for fifh, and onions, and leeks, a favoury and very cheap food among them. God was displeased with their ingratitude and complainings, and fent them fo very great a profufion of Quails that they covered the ground two cubits. high around all their Camps, but the murmurers were very fhortly afterwards all deftroyed by a Peftilence.

In the twelfth Chapter Miriam and Aaron's fedition is related, and Miriam's punishment: fhe was inftantly led out from the Camp a Leper as white as fnow. In the fixteenth Chapter the confpiracy and rebellion of Korah is awfully punished with an Earthquake. The thirteenth and fourteenth Chapters record the Names, Instructions and Acts of the Spies fent to infpect the Land of Canaan, together with the People's ungrateful

1

ungrateful murmurings, and the threatnings of God for their difobedience. The feventeenth appropriates the High Priesthood to the family of Aaron by a very fignal Miracle, the blof foming of Aaron's Rod; after fuch a warning and prohibition no one would dare ufurp the Priesthood. The death both of Miriam and Aaron are recorded in the twentieth, and the manner in which Aaron was firft divefted of his dignity and prieftly Habits, the Enfigns of his Office. Mofes, and Eleazar, Aaron's Son, accompanied the High Prieft up a high Mountain named Hor, and there, in the fight of all the People, Aaron ftripped off his prieftly Robes, ánd put them himself upon his Son. At the age of ninety-three Aaron here died, and they buried him on the Mountain and on the fpot he died.

The Ifraelites were now encamped in the de fert of Zin, and almoft famifhed for want of Water: On Mofes' application to God, he was commanded to ftrike the Rock with his Rod, and inftantly the waters gufhed out in great abun dance for them and all their Cattle,

The twenty-first Chapter relates fundry Jour neys and fresh murmurings; the People cry out "We fhall die in the Wilderness, there is no Bread, there is no Water, our Soul loath