princes and people, there, and there only, shall we find that liberty which is the exemption from the tyranny of erroneous prejudice and false reasoning, and the fraternity of Christian brotherhood. And to rebel against the government of a State which is administered upon these principles, or to separate from the rulers of a Church which thus appeals to the Word of God as the foundation or the sanction of its faith and laws, constitutes that crime of disobedience which, in rejecting authority, destroys at the same time the bonds of affection and the ordinance of God; and few crimes are so great as rebellion and schism among the believers in the religion of peace and truth. Miriam, though a prophetess, and Aaron, though the saint of the Lord, are both related to have committed this crime, and to have incurred the severest condemnation of the God of Israel. Their brother, the leader of Israel, had married a woman who is called a Cushite, or Ethiopian. Because he did so, we are told they spake against their ruler. Now we are not informed of the causes of their so doing. The Scripture was not written to gratify our curiosity. We do not know whether the Ethiopian or Cushite woman was Zipporah, who had lately become reunited to her husband, and who is supposed by some of the Jewish writers to have offended Miriam and Aaron by influencing their brother in the choice of the seventy elders of the people, without consulting them. We do not know whether she was a daughter of a king of Ethiopia, as Josephus records; or whether, as is possible, she may have been one of the mixed multitude who had accompanied Israel from Egypt, and had not participated in their sin, we know not. This alone we know, that Moses had not broken the law of God, which permitted the marriage of the people of Israel with any stranger except the Canaanites. (Exod. xxxiv. 16.) Neither had he broken the tacit compact which exists between all rulers and their people, as it exists between parent and child, husband and wife-that he should not use his authority arbitrarily, or harshly, or cruelly, or unjustly. And therefore that Aaron and Miriam, though they were gifted with the honour of the priesthood, and the power of prophecy, were utterly unjustifiable in resisting the authority of Moses; they were consequently both instantly and severely condemned; and their example has left this memorable lesson to the Church of God,—that no gifts nor graces, not even the dignity of the priesthood, nor the possession of prophecy, will justify the rebellion that opposes, nor the schism which separates from, authority, when that authority is exercised according to the higher rule which regulates the whole mass of society. We may rightly believe that the influence of these two eminent personages would soon have alienated the people from their ruler, if it had not been effectually checked. That influence was accordingly met, and opposed, and destroyed in this manner. Moses was already known to be, not merely the meekest or most humble-minded man among the children of Israel, but the man who was favoured above them all with most frequent Divine communications and oracular responses spoken from the Divine Power which attended the encampments of the people. The authority which this frequent communication gave to Moses was now publicly confirmed. Miriam and Aaron were commanded by a voice from the cloud, which manifested the presence of the God of Israel, to stand at the door of their tents. They obeyed. The same voice then assured them, that whereas the most common mode of imparting the Divine Will was by dreams and visions, or by an inferior manner of receiving the commands of God, Moses, as the great Prophet and as the more honoured friend of the Divine Guide and Leader of Israel, had received, and should continue to receive, the sacred communications from the invisible world from the mouth of that Divine Guide and Leader, as a human friend converses with a human friend. (Numb. xii. 1—8.) He declares that His servant Moses had been faithful to His God, and therefore that his real or supposed lesser defects could not justify their rebellion and opposition. When the voice from the pillar of cloud had thus pronounced the decision of their Divine Leader, the cloud removed from the tabernacle over which it was accustomed to hover, to testify to all the chiefs and people of Israel, that a state of rebellion and schism is also a state in which the usual communications which God made with His people were suspended; and that neither the Priest nor the Prophet, whatever were their former excellencies, could now be acceptable to their Divine Master. The leprosy was always considered as a token of God's punishment, as a proof that the person afflicted with it was guilty of the worst sins. It was the duty also of the High Priest to declare when the leprosy existed, and to pronounce the sentence upon the leprous person, of banishment from the camp of Israel and from the visible Church of God. When the cloud had departed, Miriam was found to be leprous, and Aaron was compelled, by his high office, to declare her disease; and it was only at the intercession of Moses, after the request of Aaron, that the sentence of her perpetual banishment was rescinded, and that, after seven days of separation, she should be restored to the communion of the people. The crime was great. The punishment, and the removal of that punishment, were equally miraculous. As the further pledge and proof of the authority of Moses, Miriam was shut out from the camp for seven days only; and the whole of the twelve tribes heard of the schism, and remained at their station the whole of the seven days, sympathizing with the Priest and the Prophetess, but still obedient to their God and guide. So ended the thirteenth journey of the Israelites. When the seven days had expired, they were commanded to leave Hazaroth, and proceeded to Rithmah, or Paran, or Kadesh-barnea, for these three names are given to their next station'. There it was that, being near to the southern border of the land of Canaan, Moses was commanded to send out twelve spies to explore the country, and to bring back a report of their discoveries. To prevent the possibility of jealousy, one spy was selected out of each tribe, except the tribe of Levi, which was to have no inheritance in the promised land, but to be dispersed throughout the country, when it should be conquered by their brethren. We shall consider their report in the next Section; our lesson, however, to be learnt from this portion of the history is, to consider well the danger of rebellion and schism, as interrupting our communion with God and the Church of God; to remember the punishment with which even a 1 Compare Numb. xii. 16, xiii. 3. 26, with xxxiii. 18, and Deut. i. 20. prophetess was afflicted, when she became guilty of this sin and to learn also from the command to the spies to explore the land of Canaan, to understand what are the enemies against whom we must fight, and whom we must conquer also by God's grace, before we can hope to take possession of our own promised rest, the Canaan of our better inheritance. NUMBERS XXXIII. 17. The thirteenth journey.-From Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth. 17 And they departed and a encamped at Haze1490. from Kibroth-hattaavah, roth. BEFORE CHRIST NUMBERS XII. 1-15. Leprosy of Miriam. 1 And Miriam and known unto him in a Or, Cushite. because of the || Ethiopian him in a dream. Exod. 15. 20. Mic. 6. 4. с n in in 8 With him will I speak m mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then BEFORE CHRIST 1490. a ch. 11. 35. g Gen. 15. 1. & 46. 2. Job 33. 15. Ezek. 1. 1. 10. 8, 16, 17. Luke 1. 11, 22. Acts 10. 11, 17. & 22. 17, h 18. Gen. 31. 10, 11. 1 Kings 3. 5. Matt. 1. 20. Hebr. 3.2.5. 1 Tim. 3.15. i Ps. 105. 26. Exod. 2. 21. ried: for he had † mar+ Heb. taken. ried an Ethiopian woman. 2 And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses Ezek. 35. 12, was very meek, above all P were ye not afraid to the men which were upon speak against my servant Exod. 33. the face of the earth.) Moses? d Gen. 29. 33. ch. 11. 1. 13. e Ps. 76. 9. 16. 19. 9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. 10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. 4 And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. fch. 11. 25. & 5 And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and 11 And Aaron said unto called Aaron and Miriam: Moses, Alas, my lord, I and they both came forth. beseech thee, lay not the 6 And he said, Hear sin upon us, wherein we now my words: If there be have done foolishly, and a prophet among you, I wherein we have sinned. the LORD will make myself 8 m Exod. 33. 11. Deut. 34. 10. " 1 Cor. 13. 12 Let her not be as 'Ps. 88. 4. BEFORE CHRIST 1490. BEFORE CHRIST one dead, of whom the flesh face, should she not be unto the LORD, saying, again. I 2 Chron. 26. 20, 21. 15 And Miriam was Deut. 24. 9. shut out from the camp 14 ¶ And the LORD seven days: and the people "See Hebr. said unto Moses, "If her journeyed not till Miriam father had but spit in her was brought in again. 12. 9. NUMBERS XXXIII. 18. The fourteenth journey.-From Hazeroth to Rithmah (Numb. xxxiii. 18), or Paran (Numb. xii. 16), or Kadesh-barnea (Numb. xxxii. 8). a ch. 11. 35. & 33. 18. b ch. 32. 8. Deut. 1. 22. 18 And they departed in 2 Rithmah. from Hazeroth, and pitched NUMBERS XII. 16. 16 And afterward the zeroth, and pitched in the people removed from a Ha- wilderness of Paran. NUMBERS XIII. 1-20. The spies sent out. 1 And the LORD spake 5 Of the tribe of Si- e ch. 12. 16. 1 Chron. 4. 6 d Of the tribe of Judah, ch. 34. 19. Caleb the son of Jephun neh. 15. ⚫ ver. 30. 2 b Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their 7 Of the tribe of Issa- Josh. 14. 6, 7, fathers shall ye send a char, Igal the son of Jo- Judg. 1. 12. man, every one a ruler seph. among them. 8 Of the tribe of Ephra3 And Moses by the im, Oshea the son commandment of the LORD Nun. 9 Of the tribe of Benderness of Paran : all those jamin, Palti the son of men were heads of the Raphu. children of Israel. 10 Of the tribe of Ze Sodi. [4 And these were their bulun, Gaddiel the son of 11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe BEFORE CHRIST h of Manasseh, Gaddi the southward, and 1490. son of Susi. i the mountain : 12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli. 13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael. 14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi. 15 of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. BEFORE CHRIST 1490. i Gen. 14. 10. 18 And see the land, h ver. 21. what it is; and the people Judg. 1.9, 19. that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; 19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; 20 And what the land Neh. 9. 25, 35. 16 These are the names of the men which Moses is, whether it be k fat or sent to spy out the land. lean, whether there be wood And Moses called Oshea therein, or not. And be 'Deut. 31. 6, ch. 14. 6, 30. the son of Nun Jehoshua.] ye of good courage, and g ver. 8. Exod. 17. 9. 17 And Moses sent bring of the fruit of the them to spy out the land of land. Now the time was Canaan, and said unto the time of the firstripe them, Get you up this way grapes. Ezek. 34. 14. 7, 23. LET US PRAY, that we be permitted by God's good providence to live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. That we never unite with the factions that disturb the State, nor with the schisms that divide the Church; but that we dwell among our own people, and worship with our own people, with the grateful persuasion that our rulers in Church and State desire only the good of the nation, and the honour of God, and that we study well, as we journey through the wilderness, the strength of the enemies of our salvation, and the excellencies of the land of promise. O LORD, our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, and Lord of lords, the only Ruler of the Governments, the Sovereigns, the States, and the Churches of this world; we Thine unworthy servants, do render to Thee our humble and hearty thanks that we are the citizens of that land where Thy Holy Word is so given by Thy Church to the people in the ordinances of Thy Church in the daily service, and in the weekly prayer, that the knowledge of Thy truth is common to the prince and the peasant, and to all orders and conditions of men among us. We humbly thank Thy holy name that the course of this world has been so ordered by Thy Providence, that Thy Holy Word is received among this our own religious and Christian people, as the foundation of the public law, the guide to the lawgiver in the Senate, and the director of the conscience of the loyal and obedient people. Make us duly sensible of these Thy mercies. Give us a heart to love and fear Thee, and to submit to every ordinance of man for Thy sake, that Thy holy name be not blasphemed, nor Thy true religion be dishonoured, by our uniting ourselves with unreasonable and factious men. Enable us to do our duty in that state of life to which Thy Providence shall call us. May we live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. May we study to be quiet amidst the storms |