and the murmuring were foremost in the to shut in, means "enclosuree ; " so named ruin which followed. perhaps from some ancient stone enclosures Ver. 84.-Xibroth-Hattaavah, The graves erected by wandering tribes for their herds of greediness. Septuagint, MvfipaTa TiJ, and flocks. It has been identified with Ain el hr,!vµia,. This name, like Tabeerah, we.s Hadhera, a fountain eighteen hours north- given to the place by the Israelites them- ee.st of Sinai, but on no se.tisfactory grounds selves in connection with their own history; beyond a partial resemblance of name. As- the name, therefore, like the se.d memory it suming that the march lay in a northerly enshrined, lived only in the sacred record. direction through the desert of Paran, the It is utterly uncertain where it Jay, except Israelites would naturally follow the road ! that it was apparently the terminus of a three which leads across the southern mountain , days' journey from Sinai, and in the desert of barrier of et Tih, e.nd on by the Wady es- : Paran. How long they stayed at Kibroth- Zulakeh into the desert plateau. On this Hattaavah is also quite uncertain. If the road there is a large fountain, with pasturage, plague followed hard upon the coming of the at a place called el Ain, and another some- quails, a few <lays would suffice for all the what further at Bir ed-Themmed. One or events recorded in this chapter, and we may other of these was probably the site of Haze- well believe that the people would be only too roth (cf. Stanley, 'Sinai,' p. 84). It is, how- glad to receive the signal of departure e.s soon ever, entirely II matter of conjecture, 11nd of as they had buried their unhappy brethren. Iittle real interest. The progress of Israel Ver. 35.-And abode at Hazeroth. Or, which is of unfading importance to us is a "were in Hazeroth." Septuagint, iy,v■To moral and religious, and not a geographical, ;, Aaoi; iv 'A.a.,pw!. Hazeroth, from "'11r;I, progress.
HOMILETICS. Vers. 4-85.-The sin of concupiscence, and its punishment. We have in thie section a Divine commentary, in dark and terrible characters, on the commandment, "Thou shalt not covet." And we know that the record was given to us "to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they e.lso lusted" (1 Cor. x. 6). We have also, intermingled with the dark record of sin e.nd wrath, a beautiful picture of the long-suffering of God with the errors e.nd impatience of his servo.nt, o.nd of the unfettered energy of his free Spirit. In e.11 ihese things they were Tv,ro, qµwv, our examples. Consider, therefore- I. THAT ALL THIS SIN AND MISERY BEGAN WITH" LUST 111 i. e. UNHALLOWED AND UNRE- STRAINED DESIRE, which is indeed the inner source of a.II iniquity, because it is the will of the creature setting itself upon the.t which the Creator has forbidden or denied; hence it is the simplest and readiest way in which the creature ce.n rebel ag&inst the Creator, for it is always possible, and indeed easy, to lust, and there is no one who is not tempted to it. Thus Eve lusted for the forbidden fruit, and brought death into the world. Even so St. James says, "Every man is tempted, when be is drawn away of his own lust, and is enticed. Then when lust he.th conceived, it bringeth forth sin." And our Saviour, that all evil proceeds out of the heart, which is the seat of the emotions and desires. If, therefore, our desires were held in subjection to the will and word of God, there would be no sin in us; but as long os concupi- scence is in us, it will assuredly draw us into evil (ci Rom. vii. 7, 8, 11; Eph. ii. 8; 1 John ii. 16). II. THAT THE FIRST EXPRESSION (AT ANY RATE) OF THIS UNHALLOWED DE~IRE CAME FROM THE MIXED MULTITUDE-the aliens, or holf-breeds, who had come with them, not from faith in God, but from inferior motives. Even Sll the low morn! tone nnd the frequent enormities chargeable upon Christians are due in the first instunce to those who a.re only nominally Christian, who have been attracted into the fellow- ship either by accident of birth or by worldly e.nd unspiritual motives. It is the fate of every great and successful movement to carry a.way with it many who have (inwardly) no sympathy with it and no part in it. So it was with Israel, so with the Church of Christ, so with e.ny religious revival. Here is the great danger of an established and fashionable Christianity; it numheni e. multitude of nominal ad- herents, whose motives o.nd desires are wholly unchastened, and who are e.lway11 reody to set the worst example, and to encourage the most pernicious practices, Compare the "false bret~ren," ~ Oor. xi. ~6, ' NtllJBJIIS, 11' THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. [cH, xr. 4--86.