the antiquities of the jews-1-第32章

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the　country　was　a　great　trouble　to　them；　for　it　was　entirely　a
desert；　and　without
sustenance　for　them；　and　also　had　exceeding　little　water；　so　that
it　not　only　was　not　at　all　sufficient　for　the　men；　but　not　enough
to　feed　any　of　the　cattle；　for　it　was　parched　up；　and　had　no
moisture　that　might　afford　nutriment　to　the　vegetables；　so　they
were　forced　to　travel　over　this　country；　as　having　no　other
country　but　this　to　travel　in。　They　had　indeed　carried　water
along　with　them　from　the　land　over　which　they　had　traveled
before；　as　their　conductor　had　bidden　them；　but　when　that　was
spent；　they　were　obliged　to　draw　water　out　of　wells；　with　pain；
by　reason　of　the　hardness　of　the　soil。　Moreover；　what　water　they
found　was　bitter；　and　not　fit　for　drinking；　and　this　in　small
quantities　also；　and　as　they　thus　traveled；　they　came　late　in　the
evening　to　a　place　called　Marah；　（1）　which　had　that　name　from　the
badness　of　its　water；　for　Mar　denotes　bitterness。　Thither　they
came　afflicted　both　by　the　tediousness　of　their　journey；　and　by
their　want　of　food；　for　it　entirely　failed　them　at　that　time。　Now
here　was　a　well；　which　made　them　choose　to　stay　in　the　place；
which；　although　it　were　not　sufficient　to　satisfy　so　great　an
army；　did　yet　afford　them　some　comfort；　as　found　in　such　desert
places；　for　they　heard　from　those　who　had　been　to　search；　that
there　was　nothing　to　be　found；　if　they　traveled　on　farther。　Yet
was　this　water　bitter；　and　not　fit　for　men　to　drink；　and　not　only
so；　but　it　was　intolerable　even　to　the　cattle　themselves。

2。　When　Moses　saw　how　much　the　people　were　cast　down；　and　that
the　occasion　of　it　could　not　be　contradicted；　for　the　people　were
not　in　the　nature　of　a　complete　army　of　men；　who　might　oppose　a
manly　fortitude　to　the　necessity　that　distressed　them；　the
multitude　of　the　children；　and　of　the　women　also；　being　of　too
weak　capacities　to　be　persuaded　by　reason；　blunted　the　courage　of
the　men　themselves；　…　he　was　therefore　in　great　difficulties；　and
made　everybody's　calamity　his　own；　for　they　ran　all　of　them　to
him；　and　begged　of　him；　the　women　begged　for　their　infants；　and
the　men　for　the　women；　that　he　would　not　overlook　them；　but
procure　some　way　or　other　for　their　deliverance。　He　therefore
betook　himself　to　prayer　to　God；　that　he　would　change　the　water
from　its　present　badness；　and　make　it　fit　for　drinking。　And　when
God　had　granted　him　that　favor；　he　took　the　top　of　a　stick　that
lay　down　at　his　feet；　and　divided　it　in　the　middle；　and　made　the
section　lengthways。　He　then　let　it　down　into　the　well；　and
persuaded　the　Hebrews　that　God　had　hearkened　to　his　prayers；　and
had　promised　to　render　the　water　such　as　they　desired　it　to　be；
in　case　they　would　be　subservient　to　him　in　what　he　should　enjoin
them　to　do；　and　this　not　after　a　remiss　or　negligent　manner。　And
when　they　asked　what　they　were　to　do　in　order　to　have　the　water
changed　for　the　better；　he　bid　the　strongest　men　among　them　that
stood　there；　to　draw　up　water　（2）　and　told　them；　that　when　the
greatest　part　was　drawn　up；　the　remainder　would　be　fit　to　drink。
So　they　labored　at　it　till　the　water　was　so　agitated　and　purged
as　to　be　fit　to　drink。

3。　And　now　removing　from　thence　they　came　to　Elim；　which　place
looked　well　at　a　distance；　for　there　was　a　grove　of　palm…trees；
but　when　they　came　near　to　it；　it　appeared　to　be　a　bad　place；　for
the　palm…trees　were　no　more　than　seventy；　and　they　were　ill…grown
and　creeping　trees；　by　the　want　of　water；　for　the　country　about
was　all　parched；　and　no　moisture　sufficient　to　water　them；　and
make　them　hopeful　and　useful；　was　derived　to　them　from　the
fountains；　which　were　in　number　twelve：　they　were　rather　a　few
moist　places　than　springs；　which　not　breaking　out　of　the　ground；
nor　running　over；　could　not　sufficiently　water　the　trees。　And
when　they　dug　into　the　sand；　they　met　with　no　water；　and　if　they
took　a　few　drops　of　it　into　their　hands；　they　found　it　to　be
useless；　on　account　of　its　mud。　The　trees　were　too　weak　to　bear
fruit；　for　want　of　being　sufficiently　cherished　and　enlivened　by
the　water。　So　they　laid　the　blame　on　their　conductor；　and　made
heavy　complaints　against　him；　and　said　that　this　their　miserable
state；　and　the　experience　they　had　of　adversity；　were　owing　to
him；　for　that　they　had　then　journeyed　an　entire　thirty　days；　and
had　spent　all　the　provisions　they　had　brought　with　them；　and
meeting　with　no　relief；　they　were　in　a　very　desponding　condition。
And　by　fixing　their　attention　upon　nothing　but　their　present
misfortunes；　they　were　hindered　from　remembering　what
deliverances　they　had　received　from　God；　and　those　by　the　virtue
and　wisdom　of　Moses　also；　so　they　were　very　angry　at　their
conductor；　and　were　zealous　in　their　attempt　to　stone　him；　as　the
direct　occasion　of　their　present　miseries。

4。　But　as　for　Moses　himself；　while　the　multitude　were　irritated
and　bitterly　set　against　him；　he　cheerfully　relied　upon　God；　and
upon　his　consciousness　of　the　care　he　had　taken　of　these　his　own
people；　and　he　came　into　the　midst　of　them；　even　while　they
clamored　against　him；　and　had　stones　in　their　hands　in　order　to
despatch　him。　Now　he　was　of　an　agreeable　presence；　and　very　able
to　persuade　the　people　by　his　speeches；　accordingly　he　began　to
mitigate　their　anger；　and　exhorted　them　not　to　be　over…mindful　of
their　present　adversities；　lest　they　should　thereby　suffer　the
benefits　that　had　formerly　been　bestowed　on　them　to　slip　out　of
their　memories；　and　he　desired　them　by　no　means；　on　account　of
their　present　uneasiness；　to　cast　those　great　and　wonderful
favors　and　gifts；　which　they　had　obtained　of　God；　out　of　their
minds；　but　to　expect　deliverance　out　of　those　their　present
troubles　which　they　could　not　free　themselves　from；　and　this　by
the　means　of　that　Divine　Providence　which　watched　over　them。
Seeing　it　is　probable　that　God　tries　their　virtue；　and　exercises
their　patience　by　these　adversities；　that　it　may　appear　what
fortitude　they　have；　and　what　memory　they　retain　of　his　former
wonderful　works　in　their　favor；　and　whether　they　will　not　think
of　them　upon　occasion　of　the　miseries　they　now　feel。　He　told
them；　it　appeared　they　were　not　really　good　men；　either　in
patience；　or　in　remembering　what　had　been　successfully　done　for
them；　sometimes　by　contemning　God　and　his　commands；　when　by　those
commands　they　left　the　land　of　Egypt；　and　sometimes　by　behaving
themselves　ill　towards　him　who　was　the　servant　of　God；　and　this
when　he　had　never　deceived　them；　either　in　what　he　said；　or　had
ordered　them　to　do　by　God's　command。　He　also　put　them　in　mind　of
all　that　had　passed；　how　the　Egyptians　were　destroyed　when　they
attempted　to　detain　them；　contrary　to　the　command　of　God；　and
after　what　manner　the　very　same　river　was　to　the　others　bloody；
and　not　fit　for　drinking；　but　was　to　them　sweet；　and　fit　for
drinking；　and　how　they　went　a　new　road　through　the　sea；　which
fled　a　long　way　from　them；　by　which　very　means　they　were
themselves　preserved；　but　saw　their　enemies　destroyed；　and　that
when　they　were　in　want　of　weapons；　God　gave　them　plenty　of　them；
…　and　so　he　recounted　all　the　particular　instances；　how　when　they
were；　in　appearance；　just　going　to　be　destroyed；　God　had　saved
them　in　a　surprising　manner；　and　that　he　had　still　the　same
power；　and　that　they　ought　not　even　now　to　despair　of　his
providence　over　them；　and　accordingly　he　exhorted　them　to
continue　quiet；　and　to　consider　that　help　would　not　come　too
late；　though　it　come　not　immediately；　if　it　be　present　with　them
before　they　suffer　any　great　misfortune；　that　they　ought　to
reason　thus：　that　God　delays　to　assist　them；　not　because　he　has
no　regard　to　them；　but　because　he　will　first　try　their　fortitude；
and　the　pleasure　they　take　in　their　freedom；　that　he　may　learn
whether　you　have　souls　great　enough　to　bear　want　of　food；　and
scarcity　of　water；　on　its　account；　or　whether　you　rather　love　to
be　slaves；　as　cattle　are　slaves　to　such　as　own　them；　and　feed
them　liberally；　but　only　in　order　to　make　them　more　useful　in
their　service。　That　as　for　himself；　he　shall　not　be　so　much
concerned　for　his　own　preservation；　for　if　he　die　unjustly；　he
shall　not　reckon　it　any　affliction；　but　that　he　is　co