LXXII.

NUMBERS, Chap. XI. Ver. 1. to 6.

120

v. 1. When the people complained, it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and confumed them that were in the uttermoft parts of the camp.

2. And the people cried untoMoles; and when Mofes prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched.

3. And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the Lord burnt among them.

LXXIII.

Quails Given. The People Plagu'd

H! who the Depths of Man's falfe Heart
can tell,

And bafe Ingratitude, as deep as Hell!

As faft as God can Pardon, we rebel :
Obnoxious Sinners think his Bolts too flow,
Challenge his Thunder, and prevent the blow.
The ftubborn Mutineers, their Fellows flain,
Mercy to them, and Grace, indulg'd in vain,
Against the Hand that gave 'em Life complain :
For Flesh their cry, around the Camp it ran,
From every Tent 'twas heard, and every man:
Ye fhall, faid God: your raging With enjoy,
And with the fatal Grant your felves deftroy!
One Day, nor Two, nor Twenty fhall fuffice,
Since you the Lord, and what he fends despise;
For a full Month of Days you Flefh fhall eat,
Till with the lufted Dainties all replete,

You loath, like Manna now, your own defire,
And fated with the Food unblefs'd expire.

}

He said, when ftrait tempeftuous Winds arife, And fill with Clouds of Quails,the burthen'd Skies: Tired with their Flight they fall the Camp around, And cover wide away the Sandy Ground; Thick as th' unnumber'd Drops, when Aufter brings Warm fruitful Rains upon his Humid Wings, The People feize the animated Show'r, And half alive their bleeding Limbs devour. Nor long behind the thanklets Gluttons ftaid, Nor was the threatn'd Vengeance long delay'd: A fudden Plague from Heav'n th' Unjuft confumes, And late Pofterity with Horror fhows their Tombs. LXXIII.

LXXIII.

NUMBERS, Chap. XI. Ver. 31. to 34,

131

v. 31. There went forth a wind from the Lord,and brought quails from the fea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a days journey on this fide, and as it were a days journey on the other fide, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

32. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: be that gathered leaft, gathered ten bomers: and they spread them all abroad for themfelves round about the camp, &c.

LXXIV. 29 ma

Aaron and Miriam's fedition, her Leprofie and Cure.

M°

TOSES, on Earth the meekeft Man in vain;
The more he bears, the more the Crowd
complain :

The Foe to Goodness moves domeftic Strife
Betwixt his haughty Sifter and his Wife:
Ambition, Pride, and reftlefs Female Rage,
Three pow'rful Fiends did on his fide engage:
Place, and Preeminence, (which cou'd they chufe
What Woman wou'd not rather die than lofe!)
The weighty Causes of their mutual Jarrs;
This no Superior, that no Rival bears.
Miriam too weak, her Brother Aaron draws
Against their Sifter to espouse her cause :
Mofes for his unhappy choice they blame,
A Cufbite the, their Stocks and Nations shame:
Silent he ftood, nor in their Fewds engag'd,
With weightier Thoughts employ'd - the more en-
At length they into open Faction brake,
The Lord by them, as well as Mofes fpake:
Nor thisth' All-high, who from his radiant Throne
Regards the Meek, and still their Cause will own;
His well-known Glory in the Cloud appears,
Far off the whole Affembly kneels and fears:
A Voice from his Majestick Presence went,
Which Aaron call'd, and Miriam from their Tent:
Trembling they came, when thus Jehova said:

(rag'd,

And

And were you not, audacious Pair! affraid Against my Servant Mofes to repine,

And with th' accurfed murm'ting Crowd combine?
If You the Great Prophetic Office share
In Dreams and Vifions I'll my will declare;
But Face to Face with Him I'll speak, and he
Shall only my unclouded Glories fee.

He faid, and from the guilty Pair withdrew;
The marks of heav'nly Anger foon they knew:
All o'r a ghaftly Leper Miriam grown,
Unclean, deform'd, and to her felf unknown :
Affrighted Aaron faw, to Mofes ran,

Fell at his Feet, and thus with Tears began:
Our fhameful Guilt and Folly we deplore
Goodness like yours, my Lord! will ask no more:
That Mercy which your greateft Foe can fpare
O now let a repenting Sifter share!

He hears, he prays, and Heav'n did her restore, The Plague remov'd, as found and beauteous as be fore.

NUMBERS, Chap. XII,

VI. Miriam and Aaron Spake against Mofes because of the Ethiopian woman, whom he had married, for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

2. And they faid, bath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moles? bath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord beard it, &c.