to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel. For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people." And they came near to him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones. But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place. We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on yonder side of Jordan, because our inheritance is fallen to us, on this side Jordan, eastward. And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, and the land. be sudued before the Lord, and before Israel, then afterwards ye shall return, and be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if ye will not do so, ye have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out." So the children of Reuben and Gad fully assented to the proposal of Moses, and answered, "as the Lord hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.”

And Moses gave unto the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Gad, (and now the half tribe of Manasseh had united with them,) the kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, the land with the cities. thereof, and all the coasts round about.

And they immediately began to build cities, and prepare places for their families, and for their flocks; or rather, they repaired the cities which already existed in that country, and changed their names. In this distribution, Gilead fell to Machir, the son of Manasseh; and Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kirjathaim, to Reuben; and Dibon and Aroer and Ataroth, to Gad.

Thus two tribes and a half, out of the twelve, were already provided for; and their armed men were in a much better condition to carry on the war against the Canaanites, than those who were accompanied by their families.

SECTION XLVIII.

A RETROSPECT OF THE JOURNEYINGS OF ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS.

FOR forty years this whole nation were made to wander in the wilderness, on account of their sins and rebellion against God, and against his servant Moses. Where they spent the greater part of their time, or how they were occupied, during this long period, we have no means of knowing. It is not improbable, that they remained years in the same place;

but in all their movements they were guided by the pillar of cloud in the day, and of fire by night; so that they were never at a loss when they should march, or where they should encamp. And during all this time they were regularly supplied with "angel's food;" and with water from the rock, which followed them. But respecting a large portion of the incidents which befell them in their journeying, we have no record; and we may be sure therefore, that the knowledge of these things is no how necessary for the edification of the Church. As it is, we have a number of striking facts, well suited to furnish admonition and warning to all who seriously consider them. And in a country so barren, and to a people who had no occupation but marching from station to station, there must have been great sameness in the transactions of every day.

Moses, it is true, has given us, in the 33d chapter of Numbers, forty-two stations, where the Israelites successively encamped; but we are not informed of the distances between these stations; nor of the time spent at any one of them; and it is now impossible to ascertain where they were situated; or in what direction they were journeying when passing from one to

another.

There are some difficulties attending this long residence in the wilderness, which we know not how to solve; as, for example, how the numerous flocks and herds were supplied with pasturage; but we need not perplex ourselves about such matters, because He who could provide food for more than two millions of human beings for forty years, could easily provide provender for the sheep and cattle also. Indeed, it is probable, that the same manna which furnished sustenance to the men, was made use of to feed the beasts which accompanied them. A greater difficulty would be to understand, how so great multitude of people could be furnished with decent clothing during their residence in this inhospitable region, if we were not expressly informed that their shoes and raiment did not wear out during the whole journey. As, at the end of their march, Moses says, "And I have led you forty years in the wilderness, your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy feet." Deut. xxix. 5.

The whole distance from Mount Horeb to Kadesh-barnea, which was on the borders of the wilderness next to Canaan, was no more than a journey of eleven days. And from the time. of leaving Kadesh-barnea, until they crossed the brook Zered, was no less than thirty-eight years. Thus long did they remain in the wilderness after they once came almost in sight of the promised land.

SECTION XLXIX.

DEUTERONOMY, OR RECATITULATION OF THE LAW.

MOSES having been expressly informed that he should not go into the land of Canaan, and the people having now arrived near to Jordan, in the plains of Moab over against Jericho, he was aware that he was approaching the close of his earthly pilgrimage; and was therefore desirous of putting the people in remembrance of the various divine laws and institutions which he by the command of God had delivered to them. He recounts to them therefore, how he had appointed judges by taking "wise and understanding men from among themselves, and made them officers of different ranks, to assist in the administration of affairs. He then relates how he had, at the suggestion of the people, selected twelve men to explore the land; and how on account of the murmuring and rebellion of the people they were then prevented from taking possession of the country; and how the Lord declared that none of those then above twenty years of age should ever enter Canaan; but their children only. He reminds them that they were prohibited from meddling with Edom, Moab, or Ammon; since God had not given them their countries for a possession. But he recounts to them the conquest which they had made of the country of the Amorites, when Sihon and Og made war upon them. He solemnly charges them to avoid every species of idolatry: calls to their remembrance the awful exhibition of the divine glory at Horeb, and the various commandments and ordinances which they had then received; and desires them to recollect that they had there seen no manner of similitude, when the Lord spoke to them out of the midst of the fire. This was intended to teach them not "to make a graven image the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female; the likeness of any beast that is on the earth; the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air; the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground; the likeness of any fish that is in the waters, beneath the earth. And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, should be driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all the nations under the whole heaven." He next tells them how the Lord was angry with him, for their sakes, and sware that he should not go unto the good land. After which he returns again to repeat his warnings against idolatry, and predicts the dreadful consequences of this crime. He speaks of the cities of refuge which he was directed to set apart. Then calling the attention of all the

people, he repeats unto them the ten commandments which they had heard from the mouth of the Lord at Horeb, and which he had written afterwards on two tables of stone; which he followed with the following solemn and impressive exhortation to obedience: "Hear, therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it, that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." Moses directs the people to exterminate the nations of Canaan; to form no covenants or marriages with them, lest they should turn their hearts away from following the Lord. Their altars and images and groves they were commanded to destroy. He admonishes them of the danger of forgetting God in the time of their prosperity, and recounts the way by which they had been led, and the deliverances which they had experienced. He encourages them to expect the presence and guidance of God, in taking possession of the promised land, and warns them not to provoke God as did their fathers when they made the golden calf; and repeats all the transactions connected with that memorable transgression. He again exhorts them to render love and obedience unto God, and to destroy all memorials of idolatry; and commands that enticers to idolatry should certainly be put to death, whoever they might be. He also recited some of the ceremonial laws which had been given them, particularly those which related to clean and unclean animals; to tithes and offerings; to the seventh year; to the three great annual festivals, the passover. the feast of weeks, and the feast of tabernacles. He also instructs them anew respecting the rites of sacrificing; and the provision made for the priests and Levites. He recites the law respecting the setting apart six cities as places of refuge for the manslayer; and gives rules respecting the number of witnesses which should be required, making it necessary that in the proof of any crime, there should be two or three witnesses; no man was to be convicted on the testimony of one witness. He also directed what punishment should be inflicted on false witnesses; the rule which he established was severe but equitable; whatever punishment the false witness would have brought

upon the innocent person arraigned, the same should he be adjudged to suffer; "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." Moses also gave precepts respecting making war and peace; and directed that a priest should be appointed to accompany the army to encourage the people; and the very words which he should speak to the people were set down. "Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies; let not your hearts be faint. Fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified, because of them; for the Lord your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." And the officers of the army were to permit every one who had built a new house and had not dedicated it, and him who had planted a vineyard and had not yet eaten of its fruit, and him who had betrothed a wife and had not taken her; and also every one who was fearful and faint-hearted, to return home. Proposals of peace were always to be offered, and if the people submitted they were merely to be made tributary; but this rule had no application to the inhabitants of Canaan who were doomed to utter destruction; lest they should teach you to do after their abominations, which they have done unto their gods. In besieging cities, fruittrees were to be preserved. He gives directions for expiating a murder, where the perpetrator was unknown; and for the punishment of a rebellious son, who was both a glutton and a drunkard. Persons suspended on a tree must be taken down, before night; "for he that was hanged was accursed of God." He gives a variety of laws respecting matters of minor importance; as in relation to strayed cattle and articles of property lost; concerning the unlawfulness of an interchange of apparel between males and females; respecting fringes or tassels on the borders of the garments; respecting garments of different materials, as linen and woollen. Peculiar laws were given for the detection and punishment of incontinency before marriage. Laws of discipline to regulate the receiving of persons into the congregation of the Lord are made known. Cleanliness is strongly inculcated by the Mosaic laws. It was allowed, when in the vineyard or field of a neighbour to eat what was needed, but not to carry any thing away. Moses permits divorce, on condition that the husband write a bill of divorcement, and give it into her hand, and then she might be married to another. The stealing of their brethren to make merchandise of them, was punishable with death. Punishment by stripes was not allowed to exceed forty; and lest this law should be transgressed they commonly stopped at thirty-nine. A peculiar law is announced respecting the treatment of the man who refused to marry his deceased brother's widow. Modesty in women is provided for by a severe law; and perfect justice and fairness in trade is