igo A NATURAL HISTORY 



on a fudden falls into Extremity of Anguifl:i ; and why ? Guilt, 

 Guilt . , . fli'uck with Horror of Mind for the Effufion of inno- 

 cent Blood ; was arraign'd, and fentenced by his own Confcience, 

 and became his own Executioner : His Guilt was the Wound 

 that bled within, and what Words can defcribe the Agony that 

 made that wretched Man throw himfelf into Hell for Eafe. 



SECT. IV. 



This gloomy Occurrence fell out in the laft Year of theii: 

 Pilgrimage. The Wildernefs thro' which they had travelled 

 abounded with thefe venemous Creatures, but were under the 

 Reftraint of a kind Providence, and not fufFer'd to diftrefs the 

 Camp of IJ'rael till now. Deut. viii. 15. Who led thee through the 

 great Wildernefs^ wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions. 



Thus, for their repeated Provocations, they were purfued by 

 divine Vengeance to the very Borders of Ca?iaa7i. 



Just as they were congratulating one another upon the glo- 

 rious Profpecl before them, an Army of venemous Serpents in- 

 vade their Camp, and made a terrible Slaughter among them. 

 Little did our firfl Parents fufpeil a Serpent in Paradife, nor 1/- 

 rael fuch a Vifit from fiery Serpents upon the Confines of the 

 holy Land, the weftern Border of Paradife. 



This Plague in the Camp, was the lafi; Punifhment inflifted 

 upon the Hoiife of IJrael in the Wildernefs, When they came 

 out of Egypt, it appeared they were about fix hundred tboifand 

 Men, befides Women a7id Children, and a mixt Multitude : Of 

 that mighty Number, none but two, viz. Jo/ua and Caleb en- 

 ter'd into the promifed Land 5 the reft, for their Unbelief and 

 reiterated OifenceSj perilli'd by the way 



• Exod. xii. 37> 38. 



CHAP. 



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