LICHENS. 161 
lichen. A pamphlet has been published upon the 
subject by Dr. Arthaud. Such a reference may 
be supposed by some to militate against the pro- 
fessedly miraculous character of the event. But 
this objection may be overruled by the considera- 
tion, that though the manna was miraculous, in 
so far as the manner of its conveyance to the 
Israelites, and the circumstances connected with 
its gathering, were concerned, it was not miracu- 
lous in its origin. The quails were conveyed to 
the Jewish camp by supernatural means, but 
they were not supernatural in themselves ; and, 
in like manner, the manna was showered down by 
the direct agency of God, in the very place where, 
and at the very time that it was required ; but 
it was not a miraculous substance; it was not 
specially created for that purpose. God is 
sparing of His miracles; and in all His direct 
interpositions on behalf of His people, we find 
that He makes use of objects and agencies 
already existing, causing these to fall in with His 
intentions, without originating new ones. If the 
manna was a vegetable product already existing, 
and not a special creation, there is more likeli- 
hood of its being a species of lichen, than any 
other vegetable matter which commentators have 
conjectured. The descriptions of Moses apply 
with greater accuracy to the Lecanora esculenta, 
L 
