none of the congregation, but is capable and fit to do those holy actions, which ye have appropriated to yourselves; and the Lord would be as ready to testify his acceptation of them.

XVI. 4 Moses fell upon his face.

In a deep sorrow for this presumptuous sin of these princes, and in an humble invocation upon God who only could right these proud challenges, Moses cast himself down upon his face.

XVI. 5 Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him, whom he hath chosen.

To morrow the Lord will give a visible proof, whether he hath set us apart to these his highest services; and whether he be well pleased, that ye should, without any special calling thereunto, approach unto his presence to offer sacrifices to him.

XVI. 7 Ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.

Rather thou, O Korah, being one of the tribe of Levi, takest too much upon thee and thine, thus to encroach upon the Priests' office; which thou shalt well find in the sequel.

XVI. 14 Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men?

Canst thou hope so to blind the eyes of these people, that they shall not discern thy fraudulent, presumptuous, and false dealing with them?

XVI. 47 The plague was begun among the people.
God had begun to strike the people with a sudden death.

XVII. 13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying? We do well see, how deadly a thing it is, for us to offer to meddle with any of the sacred businesses of the tabernacle; but, O Lord, what shall become of us? Some of us are swallowed up of the earth; others of us are consumed by fire; others, by the sudden stroke of thy hand: O God, wilt thou not be entreated to take off thy revenging hand from us, till we be all utterly consumed ?

XVIII. 1 Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary.

Thou, and thy posterity that is descended from the loins of Levi, shalt be answerable for any abuse, that is done in the sanctuary. XVIII. 7 I have given the priest's office unto you as a service of gift.

I have, of my free choice and gift, designed you to the office and service of the priesthood.

XVIII. 19 It is a covenant of salt for ever.

It is an incorruptible and everlasting covenant.
XVIII. 22 Lest they bear sin.

Lest they suffer death, as the due punishment of their sin.

XVIII. 24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heaveoffering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit.

The tithes of the children of Israel, which they set apart and con

secrate to the Lord, by lifting them up in way of oblation to God, I have given to the tribe of Levi, as a constant and perpetual inheritance, to claim and enjoy for ever.

XVIII. 27 And this your heaveoffering shall be reckoned unto you, of though it were the corn of the threshing floor, and as the fulness of the winepress.

And this tenth part, which you shall offer out of your tithe, shall be no less imputed to you or accepted from you, than if it were raised out of your own cornfloor, or your own winepress.

XIX. 9 It shall be kept &c. for a water of separation.

It shall be kept for the cleansing of those, that are separated upon occasion of legal uncleannesses.

XX. 10 Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

Hear now, ye rebels; is it likely, that we shall fetch water out of this hard rock, to satisfy your thirst? This we are required to do; but is this a thing possible to be done?

XX. 12 Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel.

Because ye doubted of the performance of my word; and, in a weak distrust, struck the rock twice, as not being confident of the issue, whereas ye were only bidden to speak unto the rock, to yield forth these waters.

XXI. 5 Our soul lotheth this light bread.

We are weary of this manna; as that, which we find a light and unsatisfying food, in comparison of that solid and substantial diet, which we had in Egypt.

XXI. 6 Fiery serpents.

Serpents, which, wheresoever they stung, caused a deadly inflammation in the body.

XXII. 22 And God's anger was kindled because he went.

And God, who seeth the heart, and knew the sinister affections and intentions wherewith Balaam went, was sore displeased at his so going.

XXII. 28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass.

And God caused the ass miraculously to speak with the voice of a man, to reprove the foolishness of the prophet.

XXII. 31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel.

The eyes of Balaam, which before were held, that they could not see the visible shape which the angel had taken upon him, were now freed, and enlightened to behold that sight.

XXII. 34 I have sinned.

I have done ill, in smiting my beast causelessly.

XXIII. 9 From the tops of the rocks I see him, and from the

hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

I am set upon this high rock and mountain; on purpose, that, upon the sight of Israel, I might curse him: I do indeed behold him, but I have no power to curse him. Lo, this people shall be an entire nation within themselves; and shall be a peculiar people, severed and set apart to God, from all other nations upon earth.

XXIII. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel?

This people shall, through the blessing of God, so multiply, that a man may as soon count the several moats of dust on the whole face of the earth, as reckon their number; yea, one of those four squadrons into which they are divided, shall, for their multitude, be past the sum of any computation.

XXIII. 19 God is not as man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent.

God hath already spoken a word of blessing, and hath accordingly decreed a large benediction for Israel; do not therefore hope vainly, that he will, upon any entreaty, reverse his word, and do contrary to what he hath determined and revealed.

XXIII. 21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath seen perverseness in Israel.

God, in his great mercy and favour to Israel, will not impute their sins unto them; he will not take notice of their offences, to punish them according to desert.

XXIII. Ibid. The shout of a king is among them.

As God is now their king to govern and protect them, so he hath ordained that they shall have kings out of their own loins, to rule over them; whom they shall receive with great joy and acclamation. XXIII. 23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel.

In vain do ye carry me from place to place, that I might by my incantations procure some mischief to Israel; for, certainly, this people is so strong and safe in God's protection, that no enchantment or any other evil art can prevail against thein.

XXIII. Ibid. According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

Even at this very time, I cannot but with astonishment record, what great and wonderful things the Lord hath wrought for Israel.

XXIV. 1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek enchantments. Notwithstanding all the fair pretences of Balaam, he had, together with his former consultations of God, used all kinds of sorcery to hurt Israel; but since he saw, that none of his wicked plots would succeed, he surceased to practise his enchantments upon them, any more.

XXIV. 2 And the spirit of God came upon him.

God, who knows how to use evil instruments well, and is wont indifferently to bestow these kinds of gifts, caused the Spirit of Prophecy to come upon Balaam.

XXIV. 3 The man whose eyes are open hath said.

The man whose eyes, however formerly shut, yet now are, by the Spirit of Prophecy, so opened, as becomes God's seer.

XXIV. 4 Falling into a trance, but ha.ing his eyes open. Falling into a trance, so as all his outward senses were shut up; yet the eyes of his mind were opened, to behold the visions of God. XXIV. 6 As the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.

As the most sweet and flourishing trees, which the Lord himself hath 'planted, in a most fruitful soil.

XXIV. 7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher then Agag. He shall have a plentiful and rich progeny; his issue shall spread abroad over fruitful regions; and the kings, that shall come of his loins, shall be more mighty than the most flourishing kings of the Amalekites.

XXIV. 9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, &c. who shall stir him up?

He shall rest in fulness of courage, strength, and victory, so as no enemy shall dare to provoke him.

XXIV. 17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

I do, by the Spirit of Prophecy, descry afar off the state and glory of the people of Israel: there shall arise out of Jacob a glorious king, bright as the morning star, which shall not only rule over Israel, but shall powerfully subdue all the enemies of his Church round about.

XXIV. 19 Him that remaineth in the city.

That sheltereth himself in any of the cities of Edom.

XXIV. 21 And he looked on the Kenites, &c. Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

Ye Kenites, the posterity of Jethro, may please yourselves in your security, for that ye are settled in strong and well fortified places; and, according as your name signifieth, have built your nest high and impregnably.

XXIV. 22 Nevertheless the Kenites shall be wasted, until Ashur shall carry thee away captive.

But your hopes shall, at the last, fail you; for when the Assyrians shall prevail against Israel, then shall they also root you out of your land, and carry you away captive with your neighbours. XXIV. 23 Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!

What grievous and intolerable calamity there shall be, when God shall bring this judgment !

XXIV. 24 And ships shall come from the coasts of Chittim, and shall afflict Ashur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.

And ships shall come from the coasts of Greece and Italy, and shall afflict both the Assyrians and the Hebrews; but when they

have done, these rods, that scourged others, shall themselves be burnt; and feel that destruction, which they brought upon others. XXIV. 25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place. And Balaam rose up, and, being frustrated of his wicked plots in cursing Israel, addressed himself towards his return, but, in the way, was overtaken with the just revenge of God.

XXV. 1 And the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moub.

According to the wicked project of Balaam, the people of Israel began to commit fornication with the women of Moab.

XXV. 3 And Israel joined himself to Baal-Peor.

And the Israelites joined themselves, both in spiritual and bodily fornication, with those which worshipped Baal-Peor.

XXV. The heads of the people.

The captains and ring-leaders of this wickedness.

XXV. 6 Brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman. Brought into the camp of Israel, with an open profession and purpose of committing fornication with her, a Midianitish woman. XXV. 12 Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace.

Behold, his zeal hath turned away iny wrath from Israel, so as now, I will be reconciled with them; and for this cause, I do decree to make an everlasting covenant with Phinehas, that he and his posterity shall serve me in the priesthood.

XXVI. 11 Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not. Howsoever Korah perished in that insurrection against Moses and Aaron, vet his sons, as being free from their father's conspiracy, perished not with him; but were employed in the service of God, with very gracious approbation.

XXVII. 3 He died in his own sin.

He was not one of them, which was an author of sin unto others. but, as other unnoted Israelites, he died in the wilderness, without any public offence or censure.

XXVII. 11 A statute of judgment.

A judicial law, that shall continue unto Israel for ever; which, as it is grounded upon just reason, so shall stand in due force upon all occasions hereafter.

XXVII. 12 Get thee up into this mount Abarim.

Get thee up into this mount Nebo, which is one of the hills called Abarim.

XXVII. 14 For ye rebelled &c. Vide Numbers xx. 12.

XXVII. 18 A man in whom is the spirit.

A man, whom I have endued with more than an ordinary measure of my spirit of wisdom and courage.

XXVII. 20 Put some of thine honour upon him.

Let him have the same titles and respect from the people, that thou hadst.

XXVII. 21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim.