the antiquities of the jews-1-第43节

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looked　to　see　what　Moses　would　do。　They　had　also　their　servants
about　them　to　defend　themselves；　in　case　Moses　should　use　force
against　them。

2。　But　he　came　near；　and　lifted　up　his　hands　to　heaven；　and　cried
out　with　a　loud　voice；　in　order　to　be　heard　by　the　whole
multitude；　and　said；　〃O　Lord　of　the　creatures　that　are　in　the
heaven；　in　the　earth；　and　in　the　sea；　for　thou　art　the　most
authentic　witness　to　what　I　have　done；　that　it　has　all　been　done
by　thy　appointment；　and　that　it　was　thou　that　affordedst　us
assistance　when　we　attempted　any　thing；　and　showedst　mercy　on　the
Hebrews　in　all　their　distresses；　do　thou　come　now；　and　hear　all
that　I　say；　for　no　action　or　thought　escapes　thy　knowledge；　so
that　thou　wilt　not　disdain　to　speak　what　is　true；　for　my
vindication；　without　any　regard　to　the　ungrateful　imputations　of
these　men。　As　for　what　was　done　before　I　was　born；　thou　knowest
best；　as　not　learning　them　by　report；　but　seeing　them；　and　being
present　with　them　when　they　were　done；　but　for　what　has　been　done
of　late；　and　which　these　men；　although　they　know　them　well
enough；　unjustly　pretend　to　suspect；　be　thou　my　witness。　When　I
lived　a　private　quiet　life；　I　left　those　good　things　which；　by　my
own　diligence；　and　by　thy　counsel；　I　enjoyed　with　Raguel　my
father…in…law；　and　I　gave　myself　up　to　this　people；　and　underwent
many　miseries　on　their　account。　I　also　bore　great　labors　at
first；　in　order　to　obtain　liberty　for　them；　and　now　in　order　to
their　preservation；　and　have　always　showed　myself　ready　to　assist
them　in　every　distress　of　theirs。　Now；　therefore；　since　I　am
suspected　by　those　very　men　whose　being　is　owing　to　my　labors；
come　thou；　as　it　is　reasonable　to　hope　thou　wilt；　thou；　I　say；
who　showedst　me　that　fire　at　mount　Sinai；　and　madest　me　to　hear
its　voice；　and　to　see　the　several　wonders　which　that　place
afforded　thou　who　commandedst　me　to　go　to　Egypt；　and　declare　thy
will　to　this　people；　thou　who　disturbest　the　happy　estate　of　the
Egyptians；　and　gavest　us　the　opportunity　of　flying　away　from　our
under　them；　and　madest　the　dominion　of　Pharaoh　inferior　to　my
dominion；　thou　who　didst　make　the　sea　dry　land　for　us；　when　we
knew　not　whither　to　go；　and　didst　overwhelm　the　Egyptians　with
those　destructive　waves　which　had　been　divided　for　us；　thou　who
didst　bestow　upon　us　the　security　of　weapons　when　we　were　naked；
thou　who　didst　make　the　fountains　that　were　corrupted　to　flow；　so
as　to　be　fit　for　drinking；　and　didst　furnish　us　with　water　that
came　out　of　the　rocks；　when　we　were　in　want　of　it；　thou　who　didst
preserve　our　lives　with　＇quails；　which　was＇　food　from　the　sea；
when　the　fruits　of　the　ground　failed　us；　thou　didst　send　us　such
food　from　heaven　as　had　never　been　seen　before；　thou　who　didst
suggest　to　us　the　knowledge　of　thy　laws；　and　appoint　to　us　a　of
government；　…　come　thou；　I　say；　O　Lord　of　the　whole　world；　and
that　as　such　a　Judge　and　a　Witness　to　me　as　cannot　be　bribed；　and
show　how　I　never　admitted　of　any　gift　against　justice　from　any　of
the　Hebrews；　and　have　never　condemned　a　man　that　ought　to　have
been　acquitted；　on　account　of　one　that　was　rich；　and　have　never
attempted　to　hurt　this　commonwealth。　I　am　now　and　am　suspected　of
a　thing　the　remotest　from　my　intentions；　as　if　I　had　given　the
preisthood　to　Aaron；　not　at　thy　command；　but　out　own　favor　to
him；　do　thou　at　this　time　demonstrate　that　all　things　are
administered　by　thy　providence　and　that　nothing　happens　by
chance；　but　is　governed　by　thy　will；　and　thereby　attains　its　end：
as　also　demonstrate　that　thou　takest　care　that　have　done　good　to
the　Hebrews；　demonstrate　this；　I　say；　by　the　punishment　of　Abiram
and　Dathan；　who　condemn　thee　as　an　insensible　Being；　and　one
overcome　by　my　contrivances。　This　thou　do　by　inflicting　such　an
open　punishment　on　these　men　who　so　madly　fly　in　the　face　of　thy
glory；　as　will　take　them　out　of　the　world；　not　in　an　manner；　but
so　that　it　may　appear　they　do　die　after　the　manner　of　other　men：
let　that　ground　which　they　tread　upon　open　about　them　and　consume
them；　with　their　families　and　goods。　This　will　be　a　demonstration
of　thy　power　to　all　and　this　method　of　their　sufferings　will　be
an　instruction　of　wisdom　for　those　that　entertain　profane
sentiments　of　thee。　By　this　means　I　shall　be　a　good　servant；　in
the　precepts　thou　hast　given　by　me。　But　if　the　calumnies　they
have　raised　against　me　be　true；　mayst　thou　preserve　these　men
from　every　evil　accident；　and　bring　all　that　destruction　on　me
which　I　have　imprecated　upon　them。　And　when　thou　hast　inflicted
punishment　on　those　that　have　endeavored　to　deal　unjustly　with
this　people；　bestow　upon　them　concord　and　peace。　Save　this
multitude　that　follow　thy　commandments；　and　preserve　them　free
from　harm；　and　let　them　not　partake　of　the　punishment　of　those
that　have　sinned；　for　thou　knowest　thyself　it　is　not　just；　that
for　the　wickedness　of　those　men　the　whole　body　of　the　Israelites
should　suffer　punishment。〃

3。　When　Moses　had　said　this；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　the　ground
was　moved　on　a　sudden；　and　the　agitation　that　set　it　in　motion
was　like　that　which　the　wind　produces　in　waves　of　the　sea。　The
people　were　all　aftrighted；　and　the　ground　that　was　about　their
tents　sunk　down　at　the　great　noise；　with　a　terrible　sound；　and
carried　whatsoever　was　dear　to　the　seditious　into　itself；　who　so
entirely　perished；　that　there　was　not　the　least　appearance　that
any　man　had　ever　been　seen　there；　the　earth　that　had　opened
itself　about　them；　closing　again；　and　becoming　entire　as　it　was
before；　insomuch　that　such　as　saw　it　afterward　did　not　perceive
that　any　such　accident　had　happened　to　it。　Thus　did　these　men
perish；　and　become　a　demonstration　of　the　power　of　God。　And
truly；　any　one　would　lament　them；　not　only　on　account　of　this
calamity　that　befell　them；　which　yet　deserves　our　commiseration；
but　also　because　their　kindred　were　pleased　with　their
sufferings；　for　they　forgot　the　relation　they　bare　to　them；　and
at　the　sight　of　this　sad　accident　approved　of　the　judgment　given
against　them；　and　because　they　looked　upon　the　people　about
Dathan　as　pestilent　men；　they　thought　they　perished　as　such；　and
did　not　grieve　for　them。

4。　And　now　Moses　called　for　those　that　contended　about　the
priesthood；　that　trial　might　be　made　who　should　be　priest；　and
that　he　whose　sacrifice　God　was　best　pleased　with　might　be
ordained　to　that　function。　There　attended　two　hundred　and　fifty
men；　who　indeed　were　honored　by　the　people；　not　only　on　account
of　the　power　of　their　ancestors；　but　also　on　account　of　their
own；　in　which　they　excelled　the　others：　Aaron　also　and　Corah　came
forth；　and　they　all　offered　incense；　in　those　censers　of　theirs
which　they　brought　with　them；　before　the　tabernacle。　Hereupon　so
great　a　fire　shone　out　as　no　one　ever　saw　in　any　that　is　made　by
the　hand　of　man；　neither　in　those　eruptions　out　of　the　earth　that
are　caused　by　subterraneous　burn…rags；　nor　in　such　fires　as　arise
of　their　own　accord　in　the　woods；　when　the　agitation　is　caused　by
the　trees　rubbing　one　against　another：　but　this　fire　was　very
bright；　and　had　a　terrible　flame；　such　as　is　kindled　at　the
command　of　God；　by　whose　irruption　on　them；　all　the　company；　and
Corah　himself；　were　destroyed；　（2）　and　this　so　entirely；　that
their　very　bodies　left　no　remains　behind　them。　Aaron　alone　was
preserved；　and　not　at　all　hurt　by　the　fire；　because　it　was　God
that　sent　the　fire　to　burn　those　only　who　ought　to　be　burned。
Hereupon　Moses；　after　these　men　were　destroyed；　was　desirous　that
the　memory　of　this　judgment　might　be　delivered　down　to　posterity；
and　that　future　ages　might　be　acquainted　with　it；　and　so　he
commanded　Eleazar；　the　son　of　Aaron；　to　put　their　censers　near
the　brazen　altar；　that　they　might　be　a　memorial　to　posterity　of
what　these　men　suffered；　for　supposing　that　the　power　of　God
might　be　eluded。　And　thus　Aaron　was　now　no　longer　esteemed　to
have　the　priesthood　by　the　favor　of　Moses；　but　by　the　public
judgment　of　God；　and　thus　he　and　his　children　peaceably　enjoyed
that　honor　afterward。

CHAPTER　4。

What　Happened　To　The　Hebrews　During　Thirty…Eight　Years　In　The
Wilderness。

1。　However；　this　sedition　was　so　far　from　ceasing　upon　this
destruction；　that　it　grew　much　stronger；　and　became　more
intolerable。　And　the　occasion　of　its　growing　worse　was　of　that
nature；　as　made　it　likely　the　calamity　would　never　cease；　but
last　for　a　long　time；　for　the　men；　believing　already　that　nothing
is　done　without　the　providence　of　God；　would　have　it　that　these
things　came　thus　to　pass　not　without　God's　favor　to　Moses；　they
therefore　laid　the　blame　upon　him　that　God　was　so　angry；　and　that
this　happened　not　so　much　because　of　the　wickedness　of　those　that
were　punished；　as　because　Moses　procured　the　punishment；　and　that
these　men　had　been　destroyed　without　any　sin　of　theirs；　only
because　they　were　zealous　about　the　Divine　worship；　as　also；　that
he　who　had　been　the　cause　of　this　diminution　of　the　people；　by
destroying　so　many　men；　and　those　the　most　excellent　of　them　all；
besides　his　escaping　any　punishment　himself；　had　now　given　the
priesthood　to　his　brother　so　firmly；　that　nobody　could　any　longer
dispute　it　with　him；　for　no　one　else；　to　be　sure；　could　now