strong in collecting it. However these strong men, when they had gathered more than the measure appointed for them they had no more than others, but only tired themselves more in gathering it, for they found no more than a homer a piece; and the advantage they got by what was superfluous, was none at all, it corrupting, both by the worms breeding in it," and by its bitterness.* So divine and wonderful a food this was! It also supplied the want of other sorts of food to those that fed on it. And even now, in all that place, this manna comes down in rain, according to what Moses then obtained of God to send it the people for their sustenance. Now the Hebrew manna, for the particle man, in our language, is the asking of a question, What is this? So the Hebrews were very joyful at what was sent them from Heaven. Now they made use of this food for forty years, or as long as they were in the wilderness.

7. As soon as they were removed thence, they came to Rephidim, being distressed to the last degree by thirst; and while in the foregoing days they had light on a few small fountains, but now found the earth entirely destitute of water, they were in an evil case. They again turned their anger against Moses; but he at first avoided the fury of the multitude, and then betook himself to prayer to God, beseeching him, that as he had given them food when they were in the greatest want of it, so he would give them drink, since the favour of giving them food was of no value to them while they had nothing to drink. And God did not long delay to give it

* It seems to me from what Moses, Exod. xvi. 18, St. Paul, 2 Cor. viii. 15, and Josephus here says, compared together, that the quantity of manna that fell daily, and did not putrity, was just so much as came to a homer a piece through the whole host of Israel, and no more.

This supposal, that the sweet honey dew, or manna, so celebrated in ancient and modern authors, as falling usually in Arabia, was of the very same sort with this manna sent to the Israelites, favours more of Gentilism, than of Judaism or Christianity. It is not improbable that some ancient Gentile author, read by Josephus, so thought; nor would he here contradict him, though just before, and Antiq. B. iv. c. iii. sec. 2. he seems directly to allow that it had not been seen before. However, this food from heaven is here described to be like snow; and in Artabanus, a heathen writer, it is compared to meal like to oat-meal, in colour like to snow, rained down by God. Essay on the Old Test. append. p. 239. But as to the derivation of the word manna, whether from man, which Josephus says then signified, what is it? or from manak, to divide, i. e. a dividend or portion allotted to every one, it is uncertain, I incline to the latter derivation. This manna is called angel's food, Psalm lxxvii. 26, and by our Saviour, John vi. 31, &c. as well as by Josephus here and elsewhere, Antiq. B. iii. c. 5. sec. 3, said to be sent the Jews from heaven.

them, but promised Moses that he would procure them a fountain and plenty of water, from a place they did not expect any so he commanded him to smite the rock which they saw lying there,* with his rod, and out of it to receive plenty of what they wanted; for he had taken care that drink should come to them without any labour or pains-taking. When Moses had received this command from God, he came to the people who waited for him, and looked upon him, for they saw already that he was coming apace from his eminence. As soon as he was come, he told them, that God would deliver them from their present distress, and had granted them an unexpected favour; and informed them that a river should run for their sakes out of the rock. But they were amazed at that hearing, supposing they were of necessity to cut the rock in pieces, now they were distressed by their thirst and by their journey; while Moses, only smiting the rock with his rod, opened a passage, and out of it burst out water, and that in great abundance, and very clear. But they were astonished at this wonderful effect; and, as it were, quenched their thirst by the very sight of it. So they drank this pleasant, this sweet water; and such it seemed to be, as might well be expected, where God was the donor. They were also in admiration how Moses was honoured by God; and they made grateful returns of sacrifices to God for his providence toward them. Now that Scripture, which is laid up in the temple, informs us how God foretold to Moses, that water should in this manner be derived out of the rock.t

CHAPTER II.

HOW THE AMALEKITES, AND THE NEIGHBOURING NATIONS MADE WAR WITH THE HEBREWS, AND WERE BEATEN, AND LOST A GREAT PART OF THEIR ARMY.

1. THE name of the Hebrews began already to be every where renowned, and rumours about them ran abroad. This made the inhabitants of those countries to be in no small fear. Accordingly, they sent ambassadors to one another, and exhorted one another to defend themselves, and to en deavour to destroy these men. Those that induced the rest

*This rock is there at this day, as the travellers agree; and must be the same as was there in the days of Moses, as being too large to be brought thither by our modern carriages.

Note here, that the small book of the principal laws of Moses is ever said to be laid up in the holy house itself; but the larger Pentateuch, as here, somewhere within the limits of the temple and its courts only. See Antiq. B. v. c. i. sec. 17.

to do so, were such as inhabited Gobolitis and Petra. They were called Amalekites, and were the most warlike of the nations that lived thereabouts; and whose kings exhorted one another, and their neighbours, to go to this war against the Hebrews; telling them, that an army of strangers, and such a one who had run away from slavery under the Egyptians lay in wait to ruin them; which army they were not, in common prudence, and regard to their own safety, to overlook, but to crush them before they gather strength, and come to be in prosperity; and perhaps attack them first in a hostile manner, as presuming upon our indolence in not attacking them before; and that we ought to avenge ourselves of them for what they had done in the wilderness: but that this cannot be so well done when they have once laid their hands on our cities and our goods: that those who endeavour to crush a power in its first rise, are wiser than those that endeavour to put a stop to its progress when it is become formidable for these last seem to be angry only at the flourishing of others, but the former do not leave any room for their enemies to become troublesome to them. After they had sent such embassages to the neighbouring nations, and among one another, they resolved to attack the Hebrews in battle.

2. These proceedings of the people of these countries occasioned perplexity and trouble to Moses, who expected no such warlike preparations. And when these nations were ready to fight, and the multitude of the Hebrews were obliged to try the fortune of war, they were in a mighty disorder, and in want of all necessaries, and yet were to make war with men who were thoroughly well prepared for it. Then, therefore, it was that Moses began to encourage them, and to exhort them to have a good heart, and rely in God's assistance, by which they had been advanced into a state of freedom, and to hope for victory over those, who were ready to fight them, in order to deprive them of that blessing. That they were to suppose their own army to be numerous, wanting nothing, neither weapons, nor money, nor provisions, nor such other conveniences as when men are in possession of they fight undauntedly; and that they are to judge themselves to have all these advantages in the divine assistance. They are also to suppose the enemy's army to be small, unarmed, weak, and such as want those conveniences which they know must be wanted, when it is God's will that they shall be beaten. And how valuable God's assistance is, they had experienced in abundance of trials; and those such as were not terrible in war, for that is only against men, but these were against famine and thirst, things indeed that were

in their own nature insuperable; as also against mountains, and that sea which afforded them no way for escaping; yet had all these difficulties been conquered by God's gracious kindness to them. So he exhorted them to be courageous at this time, and to look upon their entire prosperity to depend on the present contest of their enemies.

3. And with these words did Moses encourage the multitude, who then called together the princes of their tribes, and their chief men, both separately and jointly. The young men he charged to obey their elders, and the elders to hearken to their leader. So the people were elevated in their minds and ready to try their fortune in battle, and hoped to be thereby at length delivered from all their miseries; nay, they desired that Moses would immediately lead them against their enemies, without the least delay, that no backwardness might be a hindrance to their present resolution. So Moses sorted all that were fit for war into different troops; and set Joshua, the son of Nun, of the tribe, of Ephraim, over them; one that was of great courage, and patient to undergo labours; of great abilities to understand, and to speak what was proper; and very serious in the worship of God; and indeed made like another Moses, a teacher of piety toward God. He also appointed a small party of the armed men to be near the water; and to take care of the children and the women, and of the entire camp. So that whole night they prepared themselves for the battle: they took their weapons, if any of them had such as were well made, and attended to their commanders,as ready to rush forth to the battle, as soon as Moses should give the word of command. Moses also kept awake, teaching Joshua after what manner he should order his camp. But when the day began, Moses called for Joshua again, and exhorted him to approve himself in deeds such a one as his reputation made men expect from him; and gain the glory by the present expedition, in the opinion of those under him, for his exploits in this battle. He also gave a particular exhortation to the principal men of the Hebrews, and encouraged the whole army as it stood armed before him. And when he had thus animated the army, both by his words and works, and prepared every thing, he retired to a mountain, and he committed the army to God and Joshua.

4. So the armies joined battle; and it came to a close fight, hand to hand, both sides showing great alacrity, and encouraging one another. And indeed, while Moses stretched out his hands toward heaven, the Hebrews were too hard for the Amalekites but Moses not being able to sustain his hands thus stretched out, (for as often as he let down his hands, so

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often were his own people worsted,) he bade his brother Aa ron, and Hur, their sister Miriam's husband, to stand on each side of him, and take hold of his hands, and not permit his weariness to prevent it, but to assist him in the extension of his hands. When this was done, the Hebrews conquered the Amalekites by main force: and indeed they had all perished, unless the approach of the night had obliged the Hebrews to desist from killing any more. So our forefathers obtained a most signal and a most seasonable victory; for they not only overcame those that fought against them, but terrified also the neighbouring nations, and got great and splendid advantages, which they obtained of their enemies by their hard pains in this battle; for when they had taken the enemy's camp, they got ready booty for the public, and for their own private families, whereas till then they had not any sort of plenty, of even necessary food. The forementioned battle, when they had once got it, was also the occasion of their prosperity, not only for the present, but for the future ages also; for they not only made slaves of the bodies of their enemies, but subdued their minds also, and, after this battle, became terrible to all that dwelt round about them. Moreover, they acquired a vast quantity of riches; for a great deal of gold and silver was left in the enemy's camp; as also brazen vessels, which they made common use of in their families; many utensils also that were embroidered, there were of both sorts, that is of what were weaved, and what were the ornaments of their armour, and other things that served for use in the family, and for the furniture of their rooms : they got also the prey of their cattle, and of whatsoever uses to follow camps, when they remove from one place to another. So the Hebrews now valued themselves upon their courage, and claimed great merit for their valour; and they perpetually inured themselves to take pains, by which they deemed

This eminent circumstance, that while Moses' hands were lifted up toward heaven, the Israelites prevailed, and while they were let down toward the earth, the Amalekites prevailed, seems to me the earliest intimation we have of the proper posture, used of old, in solemn prayer, which was the stretching out the hand [and eyes] toward heaven, as other passages of the Old and New Testament inform us. Nay, by the way, this posture seems to have continued in the Christian church, till the clergy, instead of learning their prayers by heart, read them out of a book, which is in a great measure inconsistent with such an elevated posture, and which seems to me to have been only a latter practice introduced under the corrupt state of the church, though the constant use of divine forms of prayer, praise and thanksgiving, appears to me to have been the practice of God's people, Patriarchs, Jews, and Christians, in all the past ages.