their enemies, to guide an army of fix hundred thousand men (ard that behind them too) befides women and children, who were probably as many more; which great company must take up the area of fome miles in their marching?

Again, it is faid, v. 24. That the Lord looked through this pillar in the morning watch, and from thence troubled the hoft of the Egyptians by taking off their chariot wheels, &c. now if we fet afide the vulgar acceptation of it, and understand this in Mr. Toland's fenfe, what an unpardonable diminution must it be of the divine Majefty, to fuppofe that God looked at the hoft of Egypt through the fmoke of a flambeau, carried at the end of a pole? How muft this leffen our ideas of the Almighty Agent in this great tranfaction?

Upon the murmuring of the people of Ifrael, in Exod. xvi. 2. we find, that as Aaron spoke to them to come near before the LORD, v. 9. they looked towards the wilderness (which way the cloud conducted them) v. 12. and behold the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And after the Ifraelites had finned, in making the golden calf, chap. xxxiii. that the LORD commanded Mofes to depart from the prefent ftation, and go up with his people, to the land which he had promised to Abraham and his feed, and I will fend, faid he, an Angel before thee, and I will drive out the Canaanites, &c. for I will not go up in the midst of thee, because thou art a ftiff-necked people, left I consume thee in the way, (which implied, that hitherto he had himself gone before them, after an extraordinary manner) therefore now put off thine ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do with thee. When the Ifraelites had complied with this command, appearing in the mournful habits of true penitents, and Mofes had taken the Tabernacle, and pitched it without the hoft, afar off from the camp, in order to humble them (the removal of it being a token of God's difpleasure) it came to pafs, as Mofes went into the Tabernacle, that the cloudy pillar again defcended, and flood at the door of the Tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Mofes; (thereby fhewing the people, that he afferted the authority of Mofes, and owned him, though he had for the prefent forfaken them) and all the people faw the cloudy pillar ftand at the Tabernacle door, which they knew was a certain fign of the divine prefence there, and therefore all the people rofe up and worshipped, v. 10, 11. And all the people faw the cloudy pillar ftand at the Tabernacle dooor: and all the people rofe

up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. And the Lord fpake unto Mofes face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.

It is exprefly aflerted, that the divine Majefty descended in the cloudy pillar to the door of the Tabernacle, out of which cloud the LORD talked with Mofes, as it were face to face ; and that the whole congregation of Ifrael, upon the fight thereof, were ftruck with an awful fenfe of the divine prefence, and with the higheft veneration worshipped in their tent doors.

We fee here, it was not an officer appointed to remove that imaginary torch of Mr. Toland to the door of the Tabernacle, but the Shekinah itfelf defcended. It is apparent, that our author has purpofely omitted that part of the text which is inconfiftent with his argument; for he quotes only that which, with any colour of reafon, may be turned to his fide of the queftion, and omits what follows. When the Mischean, that is, the dwelling place of the Moft High was finished, and made fit for the divine refidence, it is faid, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle: Whilst the outward part of this appearance fpread over it as a cloud, the Tabernacle within was filled with inconceivable radiance and glory; with light inacceffible; infomuch that Mofes was not able to enter in, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the house. Is not this paffage inconfiftent with Mr. Toland's fenfe of the affair, fince the reason given by the text, why Mofes could not enter the Tabernacle, is plainly because the cloud abode on it, from whence darted the inacceffible glory of the LORD? and that this was the fame cloud, mentioned from the beginning, we are affured by what immediately follows, when it is faid, that when the cloud was taken up (obferve it was not taken do wn, which it must have been according to Mr. Toland's notion, from over the Tabernacle) the children of Ifrael went onward in all their journies, but if the cloud was not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up; for the cloud of the LORD was upon the Tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the fight of all the houfe of Ifrael, throughout all their journies. Yet this, in direct contradiction to the text Mr. Toland fays, had nothing in it miraculous, affirming ridiculously, that Moles was only debarred from entering the Tabernacle by the fmoke and flame which iffued from the altars at the first lighting of the fire.

In the 9th of Numbers we have a recapitulation of what was done before; 'tis faid, on the day that the Tabernacle was

reared up, the cloud covered it, namely, the tent of the teftimony; and at even there was upon the Tabernacle, as it were appearance of fire, until morning: fo it was always the cloud which covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by

night.

The phrafe, as it were the appearance of fire, plainly indicates, that it was not common fire, which was lighted and lifted up on high, but that fomething fupernatural appeared in the cloud, of the likenefs, or as it were the appearance of fire.

I think it needlefs to take notice of what Mr. Toland fays, in relation to the people's refting or journeying at the command of the LORD by Mofes, fince it is plainly as confiftent with the cloud being fupernatural, as it is with his fenfe of it, that the people conftantly refted, when the cloud defcended and pitched on the Tabernacle, and journeyed whenever it moved forwards, as the LORD commanded Moles.

It is likewife faid, Exod. xxiv. 14. that JEHOVAH called unto Mofes out of the midst of the cloud. Now, how mean and defpicable muft our thoughts be of the glorious GoD of Ifrael, to fuppofe he called to Mofes out of a torch of culinary fire? Therefore Mr. Toland's ideas of this glorious tranfaction are unworthy to be expreffed. And the Pfalmift fays, Pfal. Ixxviii. 14. In the day time alfo be led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire. Who was this He that led them? Was it Hobab? If it was Hobab that divided the Red Sea, and made the waters ftand in heaps, then it was Hobab that led Ifrael through the wilderneís with a fery torch or flambeau. But if it was the infinite JEHOVAH, that divided the fea, and caufed them to pafs through, that made the waters to ftand as an heap, that clave the rock in the wilderness, and gave them to drink, as out of his great deeps, then it was the LORD the GOD of Ifrael, that led them by a miraculous cloud by day, as their GoD and guide; as this fupernatural cloud was a fymbol of his conftant prefence with them, wherefore it is faid Deut. xxxi. 15. And the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle in the pillar of a cloud, and the pillar of the cloud food over the door of the Tabernacle. Now, according to Mr. Toland's fenfe, it must be either the LORD that appeared in the cloud, or fire which Hobab carried upon a pole before the children of

+ The dwelling place of God; that is, it hung over that part of the Tabernacle where the ark of the Testimony was reposited, or aver the most holy place.

Ifrael; which laft is a glaring abfurdity, and almoft impious to fuppofe. Once more, it is faid, Exod. xxiv. 18. that Mifes went into the midst of the cloud. Now if this cloud was, as as Mr. Toland obferves, a culinary fire, carried by Hobab upon a pole before the people, pray how did Mofes enter into this cloud? If it was, as Mr. Toland fays, the fmoke muft either. fuffocate, or the fire must have confumed him. So it appears that Mr. Toland's idea is refuted; that it is not confiftent with either wisdom, fenfe, or truth; and it remains that the cloud was a fupernatural appearance, and fymbol of JEHOVAH'S prefence with his people, &c.

Friendly. I have received with much pleasure your thoughts. and spiritual improvement upon the pillar of the cloud and the pillar of fire; and your establishment of it as a fupernatural appearance and fymbol of God's prefence, that attended the children of Ifrael through the whole of their journeying; but why were the Ifraelites detained fo long in the wilderness, when the journey is fo fhort, comparatively, from Egypt to the land of Canaan?

Truth. It is true, Friendly, the paffage is fhort from earth to Heaven, (of which the paffage of the Ifraelites through the wilderness to the land of Canaan may be typical) perhaps a fingle moment or lefs may decide the journey; fo fhort is the valley of the fhadow of death, which we fo much fear, that the very moment that the foul of a believer departs from the body it is perfectly happy, &c. yet it is the pleasure of our heavenly Father, for wife ends, to detain us in this wildernefs, as he did the children of Ifrael in the deferts of Arabia; which was to illuftrate his love, power, and faithfulness to them: likewife to prove their faith, love, and obedience to him, as mentioned at large in Deut. viii. 2, 3, 4, 5. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee thefe forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And be humbled thee, and fuffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou kneweft not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot fwell these forty years. Thou shalt alfo confider in thine heart, that as a man chafteneth his fon, fo the Lord thy God chafteneth thee.

which words I fhall draw fome obfervations, which will ferve as an answer, why our fpiritual journey is fo tedious to the heavenly Canaan.

And thou shalt remember all the ways which the Lord thy God led thee in the wilderness. This might point forth, that the end of JEHOVAH's difpenfations, in a providential way, is to remind his people of his infinite wifdom, power, and faithfulness, they will not only reflect on it here, with pleasure and comfort, but the remembrance of it in the biifsful regions will enlarge the elevated joy of the faints, and employ the harpers in tuning their harps with the fong for ever new. When the fcene of Divine Providence is untolded, and all its bleffings opened, it will amaze the faints with unknown raptures; then they will fee that the LORD led them by a right way to a city of habitation, that no other way would have been fo happy for them, and none fo honourable to their Heavenly Father.

Secondly, Thete difpenfations are very humbling and trying, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine beart; which might point forth the humbling difpenfations of Divine Providence to the pride or felf-love of our hearts, which are fo fond of a foft and and pleasant way to Heaven; we are apt to grafp at too many things agreeable to the flesh, for which our GoD will humble us, and, by his crofs providences difappointing our keen and fanguine expectations, make us fubmit to his will, and refign to his pleafuie, faying, Father, not my will but thine be done. Likewife thefe difpenfations are to try the truth and fincerity of our faith and love; for if our faith cleaves to GOD, when he frowns upon us, it is certainly a true faith; that faith which lays hold of the faithfulness of Gop, that pleads his promife, when he feems to ftay its hope and expectation is certainly a faith of a divine operation. So there may be true love to God in our fouls, but God by his difpenfations will prove our love, by the touchftone of afflictions, whether we love him for his divine properties and perfections, or for the bleffings we receive from; it is true his bleflings are of an engaging and attracting nature to love, yet he ought to te loved principally for what he is in himself; love is then moft pure and bright in the chriftian, free from mercenary ends and views, when it loves God for the divine properties of his nature. Then from a principle of love it will keep the commandments of the LORD, which is the proof of love, as the text faith, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments

or no.

Thirdly, Gop makes his people fenfible of their wants before he feeds them; and be humbled thee, and fuff red thee t hunger, and fed thee with manna. This might prefigurate our piritual humiliation by the operations of the HOLY GHOST,