MAMA. We formerly read much about prophets, what did we say they were?

MARY. Men whom God enables to foretel what is to come.

MAMA. Yes, Mary, that is the primary meaning of the word, but not its only one. Our Lord himself is called our "Prophet;" and foretelling the future was the least of his great benefits to mankind.

MARY. It must mean a Teacher, also, Mama; one who reveals God's will to us.

MAMA. It does, and in a third or lower sense, it signifies in the Bible one supernaturally inspired to praise and glorify God. Such seems to have been the gift of prophecy here, and also on that memorable occasion when it was asked of a hitherto idle and undistinguished youth," Is Saul also among the prophets?" But was this great though subordinate privilege confined to those of the Seventy who went out to the Tabernacle?

MARY. No, Mama, there were two who staid in the camp, and they "prophesied too."

MAMA. A clear proof that their abstinence from public attendance was justifiable and not sinful; and a corroboration of our Christian axiom, that God is not confined to " temples made with hands," but present in his retirement

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with every sincere and conscientious worshipper. Who" envied, for Moses's sake," this distinguished privilege?

MARY. Joshua, the young man who always waited on Moses.

MAMA. And how did his meek master rebuke him?

MARY.

"Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit among them!"

MAMA. Let such be our ardent aspirings, Mary, that the "knowledge of God may fill the earth, as the waters cover the sea!"

How was

the miracle predicted in the former part of this chapter now accomplished?

MARY. God sent forth a wind, and brought quails in quantities from the sea, and let them fall all round the camp. Mama! what a very strange way of giving the people flesh! where did they all come from?

MAMA. Being birds of passage, and in great numbers in southern countries, there is no difficulty in supposing (were it necessary) that the "wind" sent by the Almighty could direct their migrating thousands, for this special purpose, to the camp of Israel; especially as in parts of America at this day, flocks, or rather clouds of pigeons, past all human computation, settle periodically

on given spots, till the air is darkened, and the earth is encumbered with their carcases; and the hundreds of people who flock to the annual slaughter, are wearied knocking down with sticks their exhausted senseless prey. This curious phenomenon has never yet been explained; and till it is, we may save ourselves the trouble of accounting for a miracle. I only know, that reading modern travellers' descriptions of this flight and carnage of pigeons, helped me, (as many modern narratives do,) to take in the number and slaughter of the quails in our chapter. How long did God promise that the people should be thus miraculously fed?

MARY. "A whole month," Mama; but it only says here, they gathered two days and a night.

MAMA. I wanted to see if you would observe this. How was this sudden supply rendered permanent?

MARY. "They spread them abroad all round the camp;" but surely, Mamma, in so hot a country they would spoil.

MAMA. No, my dear; exactly because it is so very hot and dry, mere exposure to sun and wind will in those countries preserve flesh for a long time. Sometimes it is buried by the Arabs

in the burning sand-sometimes only hung at their saddle-bow; but if moisture is excluded, it will keep weeks if necessary. Yet I daresay the offals, and less carefully preserved remnants of their unholy excess, were made God's instruments in producing the pestilence which followed. How soon did it visit this carnal and sinful people?

MARY. "While the flesh was yet within their teeth," Mama, so their enjoyment of it was not long.

MAMA. Longer in proportion by far, my dear Mary, and less to be despised in comparisonthan the snatches of base earthly gratification, for which thousands forfeit their hopes of eternity. We call them fools, and justly! Let us beware lest they have cause to retort the charge, when they see us shut out like themselves from the Canaan above. Three short days did those "eat flesh" and perish in the wilderness, who might have spent long lives of sanctified prosperity in Canaan, had they but once believed, and trusted in God.

MARY. Mama! surely Moses was the worst used man that ever lived. In the next chapter his very brother and sister" spoke against him." MAMA. And on what account, my dear? MARY. On account of his Ethiopian wife. I

remember you said at the time it was wrong in him to marry her.

MAMA. Not exactly, Mary,-I only pointed out a remarkable instance in which this heathen connexion endangered his life; and we have now another, in which it exposed him to domestic unhappiness, and brought sin and disgrace into his family.

MARY. But God was angry with Miriam and Aaron about it.

MAMA. Yes, Mary, because (whatever might be the pretext of their rebellion,) it was founded on pride, which He delights in humbling-and outraged His authority, which He is sworn to uphold. Miriam, who, we may remember, led in a very different spirit the praises of the women on the passage of the Red Sea,-probably resented the loss of her consequence since Jethro had brought his daughter to share with her husband Moses, the respect of Israel. But that was no reason why she should exalt herself to an equality with Moses himself, and lead on Aaron to partake her guilt; which we must suppose her to have done, as she alone was punished. How was

her sinful pride appropriately humbled?

MARY. She became "leprous, white as snow." I know that was a great disgrace, Mama, no one could keep company with her.