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forty Stripes fave one, from the Jews who fo much hated him, 1 Cor. xi. 24? A. Because they pretended to be very fcrupulous in obferving the Law exactly, and therefore they never inflicted more than thirty-nine Stripes, left they should happen to mistake in the Tale, while they were inflicting forty, and thus tranfgrefs the Law.

23Q. What were their most common ways of putting Criminals to Death? A. By hanging them on a Tree, or by ftoning them with Stones, Num. xxv. 4. Deut. xxi. 23. xiii. 9, 10. Num. xv. 35.

24 Q. How many Witnesses were necessary to condemn a Criminal to Death? A. At the Mouth of two or three Witneffes fhall he that is worthy of Death be put to Death, but not at the Mouth of one Witness, Deut. xvii. 6, 7.

25 Q. What was the Defign of God in giving them fo many peculiar Laws about their Civil or Political Affairs? A. (1.) To let them know that God was their King as well as their God, and to keep them diftinct and feparate from the reft of the Nations as his own People and Kingdom.

(2.) Many of thefe Laws were in themselves excellently fuited to the Advantage of that People, dwelling in that Country and under thofe Circumftances.

(3.) Some of these Laws had a moral or fpiritual Meaning in them, which might partly be known at that time, and which was further difcovered afterwards.

26 Q. What Inftances can you give of moral Leffons taught by theft Political Laws? A. Thou fhalt not take the Dam with the Young, Deut. xxii. 6,7. is to teach Men Mildnefs and Compaffion.

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Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox that treads out the Corn, Deut. xxv. 4. is to fhew that Minifters who provide us fpiritual Food, ought to be maintained themselves, I Cor. ix. 9, 10. for fo the Apoftle Paul has explained it.

CHAP. VI.

Of the Sins and Punishments of the Jews in the Wilderness.

10. AF

FTER all this Account of the Moral, Ceremonial, and Judicial Laws, can you tell me whether the People of Ifrael obeyed them or no? A. No; they often broke the Laws of God and finned against him, and were often punifhed, Ifai. Ixiii. 10. Pfal. lxxviii. 32, 33, 34.

2 Q. What were their most remarkable Sins against God in the Wilderness? A. Befides their Murmurings at fome Difficulties in the Beginning of their Journey, their first remarkable and notorious Crime was their making a golden Calf, and worshipping it at the foot of Mount Sinai, Exod. xxxii. 4, 8.

3 Q: What Temptation, or what Pretence could they have for fuch a Crime? A. Mofes was gone up into Mount Sinai, and tarried there fo many Days longer than they expected, that they wanted fome vifible Token of God's Prefence among them; and fo they constrained Aaron to make this golden Image to be a Representation of the Prefence of God, but without God's Appointment, Exod. xxxii. I

Note,

Note, It is fcarcely to be supposed that this was the mere Image of a common Calf, or that the Jews could fall down and worship fuch an Image; or that they could fuppofe an Ox or Calf, which was the Idol of their Enemies the Egyptians, was a proper Emblem of the God of Ifrael, their Deliverer from Egypt. Probably therefore 'twas the Image of a Cherub, partly in the form of a winged Ox: and fince God was reprefented immediately afterward by Mofes as dwelling among the Cherubims on the Mercy-feat, this might be a common Opinion or Notion before-hand among the People, even of that Age: And it might be made as a visible Re. presentation of the Prefence of God, for they proclaimed a Feaft to Jehovah, ver. 5. in the fame manner as Jeroboam, long afterward, made perhaps the fame fort of Images for the fame Purpose, which are called Calves But both this and that being done without God's Appointment, it was all Idolatry, and in a way of utmoft Contempt it was called Worshipping a Calf; and was accordingly punished as highly criminal. See Chap. V. Quest. 37.

4 Q. How did God punish them for the golden Calf? A. The Children of Levi were commanded

* There were fome Things relating to the Worship of God which that People had fome general Notion of before Mofes went up into the Mount to learn all the Particulars from God; as for Inftance, they had Altars and Sacrifices, and sprinkling of Blood, Ex. xxiv. 4, 6, 8. They had Priefts, Ex. xix. 22, 24. and a Tabernacle or moveable Chapel, Exod. xxxiii. 6,7. And they might know that God dwelt among Angels or fome glorious winged Beings as his Attendants; and thefe Cherubs might be fometimes figured as flying Men with Calves Feet, or as flying Oxen, as part of the Equipage or Attendants of God.

manded to flay their Brethren, and they flew three thousand of the Children of Ifrael, Exod. xxxii. 27, 28.

5Q. What was another of their remarkable Sins? A. In the next Stage, after Sinai, they loathed the Manna which God fent them, and murmured for want of Flefh, Num. xi. 4.

6Q. How was the murmuring punished? A. God gave them the Flesh of Quails in abundance, and fent the Plague with it, Num. xi. 31, 33.

7Q. What was a third of their remarkable Sins? A. Being difcouraged by the Spies who fearched out the Land of Canaan, and brought an ill Report of that promised Land, they were for making a Captain to return to Egypt, Num. xiii, 32. and xiv. 3, 4, 36.

8Q. How was this Rebellion chaftifed? A. Ten of the Spies died immediately of a Plague, and all the People were condemned to wander forty Years in the Wilderness, till all those who were above twenty Years old fhould die by degrees in their Travels, Num. xiv. 29-37.

9Q. Who of the Spies were faved? A. None but Caleb and Joshua, who followed the Lord fully, and gave a good Account of the Land of Promise, Num. xiv. 6, 23, 24, 37, 38. and xxvi. 65.

10 Q. What was their fourth remarkable Sin? A. When Korah, Dathan and Abiram stirred up a Rebellion against Moses and Aaron, Num. xvi. 1, &c.

IIQ. What was the Occafion of this Rebellion of Korah and his Companions? A. They pretended that all Ifrael were holy, and that Aaron and his Family had no more Right to the Priesthood than they; and that Mojes took too much

upon

upon him to determine every thing among them, Num. xvi. 3, 10.

12 Q. How were Korah, Dathan and Abiram punished? A. They and their Families were fwallowed up by an Earthquake*, and their two hundred and fifty Companions were burnt by a Fire which came out from God, ver. 31, 35. and when the Congregation murmured against Mofes and Aaron for the Death of thefe Sinners, God fmote above fourteen thousand of them, and they died of the Plague, ver. 41-50.

13Q. What Miracle did God work to shew that he had chofen Aaron's Family to the Priesthood? A. He bid the Heads of the People chufe twelve Rods for the twelve Tribes of Ifrael, and write Aaron's Name upon Levi's Rod, and lay them up in the Tabernacle till the Morrow: At which Time they took each Man his Rod, and Aaron's Rod blofYomed, and yielded Almonds, Num. xvii.

14 Q. What was done with this Rod of Aaron? A. It was laid up in the Ark to be a lasting Teftimony against thefe Rebels, ver. 10. and to confirm Aaron's Right to the Priesthood.

15 Q. What was a fifth remarkable Sin of the People? A. They murmured because of the length of the Way, and for want of better Food than Manna, Num. xxi. 4, 5.

16Q. How was this new Murmuring punished? A. God fent fiery Serpents among them, which destroyed many of them, Num. xxi..

17 Q. How were the People healed which were bitten by the Serpents? A. By looking up to a Serpent of Brafs, which Mofes put upon a high Pole at God's Command, Num. xxi. 8, 9.

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18 Q. * Yet in Num, xxvi. 11, the Sons of Korah are excepted.

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