After the Hebrews had long encamped at Kadesh, they, at God's di||rection, moved southward, by 17 different marches, sundry of which might be hither and thither, to Eziongeber, on the eastern gulf of the Red sea. They then returned to Kadesh-barnea, by much the same route. Here, after the death of Miriam, their water failed; the people murmured, and God bade Moses speak to a rock in that place. Neither Moses nor Aaron, on this occasion, shewed a proper confidence in God; and Moses, with an angry address to the Hebrews, struck the rock, instead of speaking to it. For this offence both of them were excluded from the promised land. The Hebrews were not yet allowed to enter Canaan, but were ordered to take a long circuit to the eastward. From Kadesh, Moses sent to the king of Edom, and begged a free passage through his territories 3

elders to be added for his assistants; || derness till the end of 40 years, till and by the effusion of a prophetic all the rest were consumed by death, spirit on them, the men were marked and their children should enter in. out, and qualified for their work. To confirm his threatening, the ten Soon after, quails were brought in spies who occasioned this uproar, such plenty, that the Hebrews eat of were struck dead on the spot. Conthem a whole month, till the flesh, trary to God's declaration, and Mocursed of God to them, came out at ses's prohibition, the congregation, their nostrils, and occasioned a pesti- now turned furiously bent to invade lence, which cut off many of them; Canaan, immediately attempted it; and the place was called Kibroth- but the Amalekites and Canaanites Hattaavah, the graves of lust. At easily drove them back, with conHazeroth, Aaron and Miriam quar-siderable loss. The Hebrews contirelled with Moses, as if he now ma-nued long at Kadesh-barnea; but naged matters by the advise of Zip- whether the affair of Korah, and of porah his wife, and had not consulted Aaron's budding-rod, and his making them in the affair of the elders. Mi-atonement for the congregation at riam was smitten with a leprosy, to Moses's orders, or the giving of the punish her insolence; but at Moses's laws elative to meat-offerings, breach request, the Lord healed it, after a of Sabbath, Levites' portion, and red few days. When they came to Ka- heifer, happened here, we know not, desh-barnea, on the south border of Numb. xii. to xix. Canaan, Moses, excited by the people, and permitted of God, sent 12 spies to view the land of Canaan. After they had spent 40 days in this search, and had gone to the northern borders thereof, they returned, and two of them, perhaps Caleb and Joshua, brought a large bunch of grapes, carried on a rod between them, to shew the fertility thereof. All the spies acknowledged the land to be fertile; but ten of them maintained that it was unwholesome, and the cities and people were so strong that they could not hope to conquer it. Caleb and Joshua with great concern remonstrated, that as the land was exceeding good, so, with God's assistance, they could as easily conquer the inhabitants, as a man eats his food. The congregation crediting the ten, were on the point of stoning the two last, and called to be directly led back into Egypt. Provoked with their outrageous contempt of his pro-which was at first refused, but it seems mised land, God had destroyed them was afterwards permitted. Soon after on the spot, had not Moses interceded Aaron's death in mount Hor, the Hefor them. He denounced, that none brews were harassed by Arad king of them able to bear arms, but Caleb of Hormah, but they quickiv prevai and Joshua, should ever enter it; ed against him. Fiery serpents too, but they should wander in the wil-bit them for despising the manua

a number of the laws he had given them, with some additional ones, and caused them to renew their solemn

but they were miraculously healed, by looking at a brazen serpent lifted up on a pole. God did not permit Moses to attack the Moabites or Am-covenant with God; and set before monites; but when they came to the them the manifold blessings which borders of the Eastern Canaanites, would attend their obedience, and ruled by Sihon and Og, these kings curses that would follow on their came against the Israelites in battle; wickedness. He left a written copy their troops were routed, themselves of his law, to be placed at the side killed, and their country seized.Af-of the ark; and ordered the reading ter winding to the west for some of it to the people at their public time, the Hebrews encamped at Shit-meetings, especially on the year of tim, on the east of Jordan. Here Ba-release. After giving Joshua a solaam in vain attempted to curse them; lemn charge with respect to his behere the Midianitish women seduced haviour, he composed an elegant many of them to whoredom and idol-hymn, that represented the excellenatry. Moses ordered 1000 of the cy of God, and their duty to him, idolaters to be put to death, and a and their danger if they apostatized plague cut off 23,000 more. Moses from it. He then blessed the tribes then numbered the people, and found of Israel; that of Simeon, perhaps that none of these capable of war because chief compliers with the Miwhen they came out of Egypt, but || dianitish whoredom and idolatry, only Caleb and Joshua, were alive. Here excepted; and concluded with a lofty too, Moses received some new laws, commendation of God, as the source concerning offerings, feasts, vows, of their happiness. This finished, he and the marriage of daughters falling went up to the top of Pisgah, where heirs to their father, and cities of re- God strengthened his eyes to take a fuge. He punished the Midianites clear view of the whole of the western with almost utter extinction; divided Canaan. His natural strength was no the territories he had taken from the way abated, but, perhaps, in an exAmmonites, to the tribes of Reuben, stacy of wonder at the goodness of Gad, and part of Manasseh, on con- God, he breathed out his last; and dition they should go over Jordan, || to mark the future divine burial of his and assist their brethren to conquer ceremonies, and to hinder the Hethe rest of Canaan; and he appointed brews from idolizing his relicks, the three of their cities for refuge. God Lord buried him in the valley over

pointed out to him the borders of Ca-against Beth-peor; but his grave haan westward of Jordan, and direct- could never be found. Satan, it seems, ed, that Eleazar the high-priest, and thought to have discovered his body; Joshua, who had already been mark-but Michael the archangel prevented ed out for his successor, and ten princes pertaining to the tribes concerned, should divide it according to the proportion of the tribes and their families, Numb. xx. to xxxvi.

it, and solemnly charged Satan to give up his attempt-Moses and Elias appeared to our Saviour on the holy mount: and if Moses then resumed his natural body, we can hardThe eleventh month of the fortiethly forbear thinking he must now wear year of the Hebrew travels was now it as glorified in heaven, Deut. i. to begun. Moses finding that no inter-xxxiv. Matth. xvii. 1-6. Besides cession could procure God's admission of him into the promised land, and knowing that his end drew near, rehearsed to the Hebrews a summary of what God had done for them, and

the five books ascribed to him, Moses also wrote the 90th psalm. It has been pretended, that these five books were not written by him; but as the Holy Ghost always ascribes them to

and by power and prayer subdues every enemy, and brings his people, not merely to the border, but to the enjoyment of their promised rest! Nor can murmuring, unbelief, or other base usage, make him leave them or forsake them. What a renewed Mediator between God and men, with whom God entered into covenant, and who confirms the new covenant by the shedding and sprinkling of his blood! He had his Father's law written on the tables of his heart, fulfilled it as a covenant for us, and gives it to us as a rule. He did not only fast and pray, but die for a rebellious and stiff-necked race, and is our infallible security against our experiencing the breach of God's promise, and for our

him, and sometimes calls them by his name, the pretence is absurd, Josh. vii. 34. 1 Kings ii. 3. 2 Chron. xxiii. 18. and xxv. 4. and xxxiv. 14. Luke xvi. 29. The Jews too, have unanimously ascribed them to him, as the penman thereof; and so have several of the Heathens. In the character of Moses, every thing is opposite to that of an impostor: his narratives are faithful, and disinterested: he is every where the reverse of flattery his miracles were wrought before multitudes, and in things wherein they could not be deceived. Notwithstanding his loading them with ceremonies, and representing them in a shameful light, the Jews extol him as almost a deity. The Mahometans extol him, as next to Jesus and Ma-everlasting enjoyment of his presence. homet. Numbers of the ancient Heathen spread his renown; and much of what they ascribe to their God Bacchus, is perhaps but the history of Moses blended with fable.

What an illuminated and incomparable Prophet, that knows the whole mind of God, and can teach us to profit! He is the brightness of his Father's glory; but we behold his countenance as veiled with our nature, and so can have familiar intercourse with him. What a glorious Priest, who sheds and sprinkles his

ther; on the book of the law, fulfilling it; and on the people, purging their consciences from dead works to serve the living God; and who sends all the ministers of the church, and consecrates all the saints, these spiritual priests, to the service of God! He is king in Jeshurun, among the upright ones, his true Israel, and settles the whole frame, and every ordinance of his church, and has the whole government thereof committed to him.-Voluntary was his death; his grave was divinely assigned him, but in it he saw no corruption; and with him was buried the law of Moses, and the sins of his people.

Was not Moses a distinguished type of our Saviour? What a proper, nay divine child, was he! but how early and often exposed to danger! To what exile, reproach, contradic-blood on the altar, to satisfy his Fation of sinners, and murder, was he exposed! but how divinely supported in his numerous trials! How amiable his qualities, his contempt of the pleasures, honour, and wealth of this world! his compassion towards his injurious brethren! his amazing meekness! his noted fidelity, boldness, prudence, and zeal!-How solemn and particular his call to his work; and by what multitudes of miracles in favour of his people, and by what ruin on his Jewish, Antichristian, and other enemies, is it confirmed! How extensive his office! What a marvellous deliverer, that frees us from the worse than Egyptian tyranny of sin, Satan, the world, and of Heathenism and Popery! What a marvellous provider of spiritual food, hidden manna, and living water, and unwasting robes of righteousness, for his people! What a glorious leader, who opens a safe passage through every difficulty;

MOTE. Small sins are likened to motes in the eye; they are very troublesome to an awakened and tender conscience, and greatly mar our comfortable looking on God as our sun and shield, Matth. vii. 3.

MOTH; a kind of insect, that in

men

sensibly consumes that in which it may not be known; she uses a thoutakes up its lodging. Some moths sand different arts to entice lodge in, and eat clothes: others to whoredom, and is quite inconstant lodge in, and eat flowers and leaves; in her temper and pretended affecand it is said, perhaps without ground, tion, Prov. v. 6. The motions of sin that some nestle in, and eat the very in our members, are the inward acsubstance of walls. Some moths wraptivity of it, stirring us up to actual up themselves in a kind of silk, which sin; and they are by the law, as its they spin out of their own bowels. curse binds us under the power of Secret curses or judgments, that in-sin, as our punishment; and the corsensibly consume men's character orruption of our nature is irritated and estate, are likened to a moth, Is. 1. 9. stirred up occasionally by the preand li. 8. God likens himself to a cepts and threatenings of the law, moth and rottenness, because by his Rom. vii. 5. judgments he gradually and insensi- To MOUNT; (1.) To grow bly weakened the Jews, and rendered great, Job xx. 6. (2.) To go upthem contemptible, Hos. v. 12. The ward, Isa. xv. 5. The saints mount wicked man buildeth his house as a up, when they are exercised in holy moth; he builds it by covetousness and heavenly desires, thoughts, meand anxious care; imagines his lot ditations, hopes, conversation, Isa. agreeable; but how easily do the x. 31. The Jews mounted up, went judgments of God burn or shake him into dust, or walked proudly, as the out of it! Job xxvii. 18. Man's beau-lifting up of smoke; i. e. however ty, glory, and wealth, waste like a proud they were, they should quickly moth; are secretly and insensibly, be scattered, and fall into ruin, Isa. but quickly consumed, Ps. xxxix. 11. ix. 18. MOTHER. See FATHER. MOUNT, MOUNTAIN, HILL. That MOVE; (1.) To stir out of a there were mountains before the place, 2 Kings xxi. 8. (2.) To stir flood, is manifest; for the waters are up, provoke, Deut. xxxii. 21. (3.) said to have covered the highest mounTo persuade, Josh. xv. 18. (4.) To tains, Gen. vii. 20. It is probable, stir up and strengthen, Judg. xiii. 25. however, that the flood made great (5.) To assist in bearing, or to prac-alterations in the existence or form tise, Matth. xxiii. 4. (6.) To tremble, shake out of its place, Psal. xviii. 7. (7.) To raise up, move to and fro, Job xl. 17. (8.) To terrify and disMountains are useful as courage from doing any thing, Acts they serve to produce mineral and xx. 2. (9.) To be all in a stir, Matth. herbage not found elsewhere; and to xxi. 10. Acts xxi. 30. (10.) To be keep off the east or north winds, and exceedingly affected with wonder and to prevent the vapours from desertpity, Ruth i. 19. The Holy Spiriting the hot countries, and leaving moved or sat brooding on the waters,them parched and to give rise to when his creative influence prepared numerous springs and rivers. Upon the waters for producing fishes and fowls, and the earthy particles therewith mixed to produce herbs, grass and trees, Gen. i. 2. The moving of any lips should assuage my grief; a free bewailing of my case should give me ease, Job xvi. 5. The ways of a harlot are moveable; she goes from place to place, that her character

of mountains. Some have been since cast up by earthquakes; and some are mere heaps of sand collected by the wind.

a careful inspection, the mountains will in general appear regularly disposed, as various links in a chain that goes quite round the earth. There is a chain of them begins in Iceland, if not Greenland, and runs with some interruption through Britain, Italy, Sicily, and through Africa, to the mountains of the moon. Another

chain runs from the north of Tartary || earth.
to the cape of Comorin in the East
Indies. One of these is continued
in the other side of the globe, in the
mountains that run from the south
to the north of America. Another
chain of mountains runs across the
above mentioned from east to west,
beginning near the east of China, and
running westward through Tartary,
Media, Macedonia, Switzerland,
France, &c.

lofty Andes sunk into the earth, one after another. In A. D. 1618, a mountain in the north-east of Switzerland, fell upon an adjacent town, and quite buried it, with near 2000 persons in it.

Long ago, the mountains Cymbotus and Sypelus, and the vast promontory of Phlegium in Ethiopia, thus disappeared. The burning mountains of Vesuvius and Strongylus have lost half of their former height. In latter times, Picus, an exceeding lofty mountain in one of the Molucca islands, was swallowed up in an instant, and a lake left in its stead. In A. D. 1556, a mountainous province of China, sunk into Canaan abounded with mountains an immense lake. In the terrible and hills. In the middle of the coun-earthquake of Chili in America, A.D. try, to the west of Jordan, there was, 1646, several whole mountains of the the plain of Jezreel excepted, little else than a beautiful arrangement of hills from the north to the south. The east part of the country beyond Jordan, was also one continued arrangement of hills from north to south. On the north of Canaan, were Mountains and hills are used to rethe mountains Lebanon and Amana. present, (1.) The people that dwell On the east of Jordan, going south-in a mountainous and hilly country, ward, were mount Hermon, Zion, or Ezek. vi. 2, 3. (2.) The temple, Mizar, Gilead, Abarim, Nebo, Pisgah.which was built on the top of a hill, On the south of Canaan, in Arabia, Is. xxx. 29. Jer. xvii. 3, 12. (3.) were mount Sinai, and Horeb, Paran, The church of God, typified by Hor, Seir, Halak in the south part mount Zion, and which is firmly of Canaan, we find the hill of Hahi- settled, conspicuous, and useful in the lah, Engedi, and Ziz; and at Jerusa-world, Psal. ii. 6. Is. ii. 2; and lem, we find the mount of Olives, Calvary, Zion, Moriah, and Careb. In the middle of the country north of Jerusalem, we find the hills of Quarantana, Ephraim, Ebal, Gerizzim, Gaash, Samaria, Tzemaraim, Zalmon, and Amalek, Moreh, and Gilboa.

which, as a great mountain, shall fill the whole earth, when all nations shall be gathered to Christ, Dan. ii. 35, 44. (4.) The ordinances of Christ, which elevate his people heavenward, and afford them much rich and medicinal provision for their souls, Joel iii. 18. Song ii. 8. and iv. 6. (5.) Men high in station, power, and authority, as magistrates in the state, and apostles and ministers in the church, Psal Ixxii. 3. Is. xliv. 25. and lv. 12. (6.) Powerful hindrances. and provocations, and enemies of gospel-influence, and of the people of Christ, Is. xl. 4. and xlix. 11. and xli. 15. (7.) The places where idols were worshipped, which were often in hills.

In the northern parts, were Carmel, Tabor, and the Ladder of Tyre. The mountains of Samaria are these about Samaria, or at least in the territories of the ten tribes, Jer. xxxi. 5; but what mount Israel was, whether some hill anciently denominated from Jacob, or Jerusalem, or the hill of Samaria, or rather the mountainous part of the land of Israel, we hardly know, Josh. xi. 16. Heaps of earth raised for taking of ci-and high places, Ezek. xviii. 6, 11. ties, are called mounts, Ezek. xvii. 17. Jer. xxxiii. 4. Mountains have been sometimes absorbed, or sunk into the

(8.) Idols worshipped in these places, or any thing we trust in, instead of God, Jer. iii. 23. (9.) The heavens,