OF SERPENTS. 187 



Princes, when we find perverfe Spirits have murmur'd at a divine 

 Adminiftration. 



A Magnificent Table was fpread for them in the VVilder- 

 nefs, their daily Entertainments were miraculous; they were fed 

 by Ma?i?ia, a delicious Food diftilled from Heaven, admirably 

 fuited to every one's Palate. He commanded the Clouds from above ^ 

 and opened the Doors of Heaven, and rained down Ma-nna upon 

 them to eafy and gave them the Corn of Heaven *. Wherefore 

 have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the Wildernefs, for 

 there is no Bread, neither is there any Water, and our Soul loatheth 

 this light Bread -f- ; T^his vain and empty Bread, fay the LXX. 



They were alfo furnilh'd with miraculous Drink, i. e. Water 

 out of a Rock ; Water that fwell'd into a River, and follow'd 'em 

 in all their Motions, till they arrived in the Land flowing with 

 Milk and Hotiey ; Terms, that include a Scene of Plenty and 

 Pleafantnefs. 



In all their Traverfes through the Wildernefs, they were al- 

 ways under the Guidance and Protedlion of the Shekina ; by 

 which Word the Jews underflood the Prefejice of the Holy Spirit ; 

 of Chrifl, fay the Chriftians. The Shekina was the moft fenfible 

 Mark of the Prefence of God among them, which refted over 

 the Propitiatory, or the golden Cherubims, which adher'd to the 

 Propitiatory or Covering of the Ark ; there the Shekina abode in 

 the Shape of a Cloud. The Rabbins tell us, that it firfl: reiided 

 in the Tabernacle, and defcended into it in the Figure of a Cloud, 

 on the Day of Confecration. It paft from thence into the 

 Sandluary of Solomon's Temple, on the Day of its Dedication by 

 that Prince :{: ; where it continued to the Deftrudtion of Jeru- 

 falem by the Chaldeans, and was not afterwards to be feen there. 



Thus were they conduced and entertain'd by an unintermit- 

 ted Train of Miracles. Now to fret and repine in fuch a Situa- 

 tion, was a Crime of a high and heinous Nature, no lefs than 

 impeaching infinite Wifdom, and taxing it with erroneous Con- 

 duit : If Difficulties occurred in the way, their Duty was Refg- 

 nation, a Temper obvious in Pagans, whofe Religion forbid all 

 indecorous Sallies of the Paffions. 



Bb 2 SO- 



* Pfal. Ixxviii. 23 — 25. t Numb. xxi. 5; 6,—ti» afru r« S/«kic«— 



X Calmetfrom Bajna^e^ Hijiorj of the Jews. 



