What a picture is this of human frailty ! The mind discouraged on one account, looks not out for circumstances of alleviation and comfort, but gives itself up to disquietude and dejection. Temporal blessings lose all their relish. Let even the bread of life be administered to persons in such a frame, they can taste no sweetness in it ; the promises of God seem not suited to their case; nor are they sufficient for their support. They "can- not hear the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely." If they even turn their minds to the right object, it is only to confirm their own doubts, and to augment their own sorrows. Their experience is like that of Asaph, " My sore ran in the night, and ceased not ; my soul refused to be comforted : I remembered God, and was troubled13."]
2. A murmuring spirit — [How lamentable to hear them on this occasion accusing God and his servant Moses of having brought them out of Egypt with a view to deceive their expectations and to kill them in the wilderness ! But the mind, once thrown off its bias, will stop short of nothing, unless it be restrained by the grace of Godc. Let any one that has been in deep affliction, look back and see, whether he has not found his mind rise against the immediate authors of his calamities, and ultimately against God himself, for having appointed him so hard a lot d ? It is true, we do not perhaps intend to accuse God ; but we do it in effect ; because, whoever be the instrument, it is his hand that smites. Whether Chaldeans or Sabeans invaded the pro- perty of Job, or tempests destroyed his family, the holy sufferer referred the events to God, as their true author. Without God, not a hair of our head could be touched, even if the whole world were confederate against us : when therefore we murmur at the calamities we suffer, we murmur in reality against him who sends them.]
It may be asked perhaps, How could they help yielding to this discouragement ? That they might have done so, will appear, whilst we shew, III. The way in which they should have fortified themselves against it —
It behoved them in this trouble, as indeed in every other, to consider,
1. Whence it came —
[It did not spring out of the dust ; it came from God ;
even from him who had brought them out of Egypt, and had
supported them to that veiy hour. Had they not had evidence
enough of God's power and goodness during the nine and
& Ps. lxxvii. 2, 3. c Isai. viii. 21, 22. d Prov. xix. 3.