Consider once more, with respect to the well of Beer- I. THAT A WELL WAS A PERPETUAL SOURCE 011' COMFORT AND CENTRE OJI' BLESSING j hence eo many of the events of Scripture are connected with wells. Even BO in the gospel there are wells of salvation (Isa. xii. 3), from which a man may draw with joy; nor only so, but he shall have a well of life in himself which shall never fail (John iv. 14; vii. 38). II. THAT TO ·rms WELL MOSES WAS TO GATHER THE PEOPLE j Goo WAS TO GIVE THEM WATER. Even eo in the Church of God it is the part of human leaders to gather the people together, to direct their search, to combine their efforts; but it is the part of God, and of God only, to give the spiritual blessing and refreshment. So too, in another sense, Moses in the Pentateuch gathers the people to a well, a well full of Divine consolation and knowledge, and God will give them water if they seek in faith. III. THAT ISRAEL BANG OVER THE WELL, OR RATHER OVER THE PLACE WHERE Goo PROMISED THEM WATER. Even BO it is ours to sing and make melody in our hearts, and to encourage ourselves and others with spiritual songs, while we seek and labour for the sure mercies of God. IV. THAT THE PRINCES AND NOBLES DIGGED THE WELL. Even BO that God only gives spiritual blessings does not dispense with, but, on the contrary, requires and encourages, earnest effort on our part. In a settled and ordinary religious state the fountains of salvation must not be expected to gush in a moment from the rock, but must be dug for in wells. So too they that are most eminent in the Church of God must be foremost in labour for this purpose, V. THAT THEY DUG BY THE DIRECTION OJI' THE LAWGIVER. If they bad dug where fancy or even their own experience guided them, they had not found water. Even so when we seek the supply of grace and of the Spirit of God we must seek it by the direction of the one Lawgiver (Matt. vii. 29; Jamee iv. 12), in implicit obedience to him. VI. THAT THE NOBLES AND PRINCES DUG THE WELL WITH THEIR STA'l'ES, the insignia of their office. Even ·so in the Church of God, if men will labour for the common good, it must be according to the station which God bath given them. If they have received authority, 1hey must use authority; if they bear a commission, they must not be ashamed of it. It may be easier to act merely as one of the throng; it does not follow it is right.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 10--:-85.-.A period of un'broken progress. The l_ifted s_erpent an~ the spirit of faith excited among the people produce not only the immediate and direct effect of healing; certain other encouraging effects are not obscurely indicated in the remainder of the chapter. The events recorded must have extended over some considerable time, and they took the Israelites into very trying circumstances, but there is not a word of failure, murmuring, or Divine displeasure. Th~ narrative ie 286 THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. [oa. n:1. 10-xxn. l