LECTURE XLV.

THE CAMP OF ISRAEL.

"The tribes being now mustered, registered, and formed into distinct troops, the next order given to Moses and Aaron was about the regular form of their encampments in the places where they resided, and of their marches when they made their movements."-OLD Lectures.

"The square was the figure under which the Israelites formed their encampments in the wilderness, and under which they fortified or defended the holy tabernacle, sanctified with the immediate presence of the divinity."."-HUTCHINSON.

"How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters."-BALAAM'S PROPHECY.

UNDER all the visible manifestations of divine favour in behalf of the Israelites, at their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and during their subsequent sojourning in the wilderness the passage through the Red Sea-the pillar of a cloud and of fire-the awful appearance on Mount Sinai-the establishment of a permanent religion in the tabernacle worship—and the daily supply of food from heaven1-all of a miraculous nature-their frequent murmurings and dissatisfaction-form a remarkable feature in their history. Every trifling obstacle that presented itself to their progress, and every untoward occurrence, formed a pretext of accusation against Moses and Aaron, who had conducted them into the wilderness, and querulous complaints against God, who was their protection and defence. Nor were those dispositions restrained by the most signal and repeated punishments. They committed fornication with the daughters of Moab, and fell by the plague four and twenty thousand persons. They tempted Jehovah, and were destroyed of serpents. They murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. These awful events proved no warning to the survivors. Even the final and total exclusion of that generation from

the promised land had no effect upon their children and they continued to murmur and disobey, even while in the act of enjoying the gracious gifts of their munificent Benefactor.

The several occasions of their dissatisfaction were various and contradictory. They were tired of their bondage in Egypt, which was severe and burdensome; and yet they were no sooner delivered, than they expressed their resentment against Moses for the part he had taken in that deliverance. When Moses was in the mount, they regretted that their leader had departed from them; and when he returned to resume his magisterial office, they rebelled against him on the principle that he had assumed an undue authority over them.? When on travel, they complained of weariness-when at rest, of inactivity. They murmured for want of breadfor want of water, which he gave them out of the dry rock-for want of flesh.10 If any restraint was imposed upon them, they became perfectly refractory and ungovernable; as, in gathering a superfluous quantity of manna;11 and, in fighting with the Amalekites, contrary to the express command of Moses; for both which errors a signal punishment speedily followed.12 These con

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stitute a few of the subjects of their repeated complaints, and show what a dissatisfied and thankless people were committed to the management of our great legislator during their abode in that pathless desert. But most of all they rebelled at the report of the spies, although Joshua and Caleb exhorted them not to be afraid of the Canaanites, whose defence, or shadow (tzillam), had departed from them.14

If it be asked, how are these contradictory feelings to be reconciled? I answer-by a reference to the genius and disposition of the people. They had been held in cruel subjection for the long period of one hundred and fifty years, and a state of slavery is naturally a state of dissatisfaction. Yet their murmurings only served to increase the severity of their oppression, and new burdens furnished them with fresh causes of complaint.15 And this feeling would not be relieved by contrasting their situation with the traditional accounts, which were doubtless prevalent amongst them, of the glory of their ancestors in the time of Joseph, when they were not

only honoured and beloved, but regarded with gratitude and respect by the Egyptians as friends and benefactors.16

Thus were they educated for three generations in the science of grumbling." Their residence in Egypt had been one continued series of dissatisfaction and complaint; it was engrafted in their very nature; and we are not therefore surprised that it was difficult to subdue. But we are surprised that a few generations of prosperity did not succeed in correcting it. The Almighty graciously condescended to expostulate with them by precept, exhortation, and example, for the purpose of uprooting this inherent propensity, which he foresaw would prove their bane and final ruin. He gave them bread from heaven, and water from the hard rock,1 to sustain them in the barren desert. It was useless. All his glorious manifestations in their behalf, his luminous presence, his solemn promises, were directed to this end; no less than the terrible visitations which swept them off by thousands.19 His mercy and long-suffering are the most prominent features throughout a history which abounds in repetitions of obstinacy, rebellion, and neglect of God.

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The Israelites in the wilderness were marshalled according to their tribes,20 each tribe being subdivided into families. Every head of a subdivision, or thousand, was furnished with an ensign, or banner, under which his followers arranged themselves," according to a pre concerted plan, both when in camp and when on the march; and thus all confusion was prevented, how hastily soever the order might be given to proceed, or to halt and pitch their tents. The four leading divisions were designated by the component parts of the cherubim, a man, an ox, a lion, and an eagle.

It has been estimated that there were about two millions of souls in the camp of Israel,24 which, by a general division into twelve parts, will give nearly 170,000 souls to each tribe.25 It is well known, however, that the tribes were not thus equally divided." Within the square formed by the twelve tribes was placed the camp of the priests and Levites, which was also of a quadrilateral form; and the sides were occupied by Moses, Aaron, and the priests, and the families of the

three sons of Levi. The priests had their station in the east, between the standard of Judah and the entrance of the tabernacle. The Kohathites pitched on the south," the Gershomites on the west, and the Merarites on the north. And thus each party having its particular office, all confusion was avoided when the tabernacle was removed, or set up.

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The above general division will show the state of discipline which was considered necessary to preserve order and regularity. For a single tribe, consisting of 170,000 souls, would constitute an unwieldy host, and difficult to remove from place to place, encumbered, as it must have been, with women and children, aged and sick persons, and cattle, if the arrangement and disposition had not been punctilious and exact. Banners, therefore, were a useful auxiliary to each subdivision and section; and they were accordingly of different colours, and charged with various devices, that there might be no difficulty in.. distinguishing them ;32 and that the people, on a known signal, might be enabled to assemble round their own family ensign.

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The camp was thus arranged according to the most approved disposition, both for commodiousness and convenience. A perfect square of twelve miles was set out, and one mile on each side appropriated to a single tribe; and those which were nearest in affinity to each other were commanded to encamp together, the tabernacle being placed in the midst, surrounded by the tents of the priests and Levites, with their several banners. The Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty, of this disposition cannot be too much admired. Here was sufficient room for every purpose, both public and domestic, and nothing superfluous. The space was not inconveniently crowded, nor were the separate camps of the tribes so detached as to leave each other unprotected. Moses had been well trained in the castrametary warfare of the Egyptians, and on this great occasion brought his experience into efficient operation for the welfare of the people of God." Being thus arranged, the order of march was prescribed; and it is impossible to conceive a system better adapted to the purposes and regularity than that which was enjoined on the Jews in the wilderness of Arabia.39

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An extraordinary instance of the fatal consequences