twenty years old should die by degrees in their travels, Numb. xiv. 29-37.

9 Q. Who of the spies were saved?

A. None but Caleb and Joshua, who followed the Lord fully, and gave a good account of the land of promise, Numb. xiv. 6. 23, 24. 37, 38. and xxvi. 65.

10 Q. What was their fourth remarkable sin?

A. When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, stirred up a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, Numb. xvi. 1, &c.

11 Q. What was the occasion of this rebellion of Korah and his companions?

A. They pretended that all Israel were holy, and that Aaron and his family had no more right to the priesthood than they; and that Moses took too much upon him to determine every thing among them, Numb. xvi. 3. 10.

12 Q. How were Korah, Dathan, and Abiram punished?

A. They and their families were swallowed up by an earthquake*, and their two hundred and fifty companions were burnt by a fire which came out from God, ver. 31. 35. and when the congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron for the death of these sinners, God smote above fourteen thousand of them, and they died of the plague, ver. 41—

50.

13 Q. What miracle did God work to shew that he had chosen Aaron's family to the priesthood?

A. He bid the heads of the people choose twelve rods for the twelve tribes of Israel, and write Aaron's name upon Levi's rod, and lay them up in the tabernacle till the morrow: at which time they took each man his rod, and Aaron's rod blossomed and yielded almonds, Numb. xvii. 2-10.

* Yet in Numb. xxvi. 11. the Sons of Korah are excepted.

14 Q. What was done with this rod of Aaron ? A. It was laid up in the ark to be a lasting testimony against these rebels, ver. 10. and to confirm Aaron's right to the priesthood.

15 Q. What was a fifth remarkable sin of the people?

A. They murmured because of the length of the way, and for want of better food than manna, Numb. xxi. 4, 5.

16 Q. How was this new murmuring punished? A. God sent fiery serpents among them, which destroyed many of them, Numb. xxi. 6.

17 Q. How were the people healed, which were bitten by the serpents?

A. By looking up to a serpent of brass, which Moses put upon a high pole at God's command, Numb. xxi. 8, 9.

18 Q. What was the sixth remarkable sin of Israel?

A. Whoredom and idolatry; for they loved the Midianitish women, and worshipped their gods, Numb. xxv. 1, 2.

19 Q. How was this whoredom and idolatry punished?

A. By the command of God and Moses to kill the offenders, and by a plague which slew twenty-four thousand, Numb. xxv. 4, 5. 9.

20 Q. Who tempted them to this idolatry?

A. Balaam, the wicked prophet and soothsayer, Numb. xxxi. 16.

21 Q. Why did he tempt them to it?

A. Because God hindered him from cursing Israel, when Balak the king of Moab had hired him to do it, Numb. xxii. 5-12.

22 Q. How did God hinder him?

A. 'I'hree ways. (1.) By forbidding him to go at first, though afterwards he permitted him. (2.) By making his own ass speak to him, to stop him when be was going. (3.) By inspiring him with prophe

cies, and compelling him to bless Israel three or four times, instead of cursing them, See Numb. xxiii. 12. 30, 31. and xxiii. 7, 8, &c.

21 Q. What became of Balaam at last?

A. He was slain among the Midianites by the men of Israel under the conduct of Moses, before they came to the river of Jordan, Numb. xxxi. 1–8.

CHAPTER VIII.

Of the Jews' entrance into Canaan, and their Government by Judges.

SECTION I.

Of the Israelites Possession of Canaan.

1 Q. WHAT became of the people of Israel after all their wanderings in the wilderness?

A. Though their sins and punishments were many and great, yet they were not destroyed: but God brought them at last into Canaan, the land which he promised to their fathers, Josh. i. 11.

2 Q. Did Moses lead them into that land?

A. No; he was only permitted to see it from mount Pisgah, and there he died, and God buried him, Deut. xxxiv. 1-8.

3 Q. Did Aaron go with them into Canaan?

A. Aaron died before Moses, and Eleazar his son was made high-priest in his room, Numb. xx. 24— 28.

4 Q. Why were not Moses the lawgiver, nor Aaron the high-priest, suffered to bring the people into the land of promise?

A. Because they had both sinned and offended God in the wilderness, and God would shew his dis pleasure against sin, Deut. xxii. 48-51.

5 Q. What other lesson might God design to teach us by this conduct of providence?

A. Perhaps God might teach us hereby that neither the law of Moses, nor the priesthood of Aaron were sufficient to bring us into the possession of the heavenly country, of which Canaan was a figure.

6 Q. Who was appointed to lead the people of Israel into the promised land?

A. Joshua, whose name is the same with Jesus, and who came to be the governor and captain of Israel after Moses died, Josh. iii. 13-15.

7 Q. How did they get over the river Jordan?

A. As soon as the priests who bore the ark dipped their feet in the brink of the river, the waters which were above rose up in a heap, and the channel was left dry while all the people passed over, Josh. iii. 14, 15.

8 Q. What memorial did they leave of their passing over Jordan on foot?

A. By God's appointment they took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, where the priest stood with the ark while the tribes passed over, and set them up as a monument in the place wherein they lodged the first night, Josh. iv. 3-9. 23.

9 Q. How were they commanded to deal with the Canaanites when they took their land?

A. They were required to destroy them utterly, lest if they should live, they might teach Israel their idolatries, and their wicked customs, Deut. vii. 16 -26.

10 Q. But what right had the Jews to destroy them, and take their country?

A. The Canaanites were abominable sinners, and God, by particular inspiration, made the Jews the executioners of his wrath against them, just as he might have used a plague, or the beasts of the earth to have

destroyed then: and then, as the sovereign Lord of all, he gave their forfeited country and possessions towhom he pleased, Lev. xviii. 24, 25. Psalm cxxxvi. 17-22.

Here let it be observed, that this awful instance of one nation's destroying another, and seizing their lands and possessions, was authorized by God himself, the righteous Judge of the world, in and by a long train of most conspicuous and public miracles and prophecies; so that the Israelites could not be deceived in their divine commission for this bloody work. Nor is it liable to be made a precedent, or a pretence for any other nation or person to treat their neighbours at this rate, be they ever so wicked, unless they can shew such astonishing and undoubted attestations of a plain commission from God, the righteous Governor of the world, and the sovereign Lord of all.

11 Q. What was the first city they took in Canaan? A. Jericho, whose walls fell down when by God's appointment they sounded trumpets made of rams' horns, Josh. v. 20.

12 Q. What did they do when they took the city? A. By God's command they devoted it as the firstfruits, to be a sacrifice to the Lord, and therefore they burnt all the goods in it, together with the city, as well as destroyed all the inhabitants, except Rahab the harlot, and her kindred, Josh. vi. 24, 25.

13 Q. Why was Rahab spared?

A. Because she believed that God would give Israel the land of Canaan, and she hid and saved the spies whom Joshua sent, Josh. ii. 9—14, and vi. 25, 26. Heb. xi. 31.

14 Q. How did the army of Israel succeed against the men of Ai?

A. God suffered Israel to be put to flight before the men of Ai, because Achan an Israelite had stole and hid some of the spoil of the city of Jericho, which was accursed, and devoted to the fire, Josh. vii. 5-9. 15 Q. How was the anger of God appeased for this crime?