the Camp: but fo order'd, as to be a light and guide to the Perfians; at the fame time, that it was darkness and deception to the Affyrians. That if any of the enemy mov'd in the night (fays the Greec writer) they might fee, and not be feen of them, by means of the FIRE. It was a cloud and darkness to the Egyptians (fays the Hebrew wri ter) but it gave light by night to the Ifraelites, fo that the one came not near the other all the night for the Egyptians, judging by the Fire, thought the Ifraelites to be much nearer than they were. The onely difference between the authors of the Pentateuch and the Cyropedia is, that the latter relates more particularly how this was done; while the other omits fome circumftances, or rather words them differently, the thing being then familiar to every body. The author of the Cyrapedia wrote of matters he learnt from ftrangers, utterly unknown, or feldom us'd in his own country: wheras the author of the Pentateuch relates what was well known, or customary co his rea ders; and therfore not needing to be defcrib'd by those minute circumstances, which he omits on a thousand other fuch occafions. XVIII. I SHALL give but this one example of fuch Omiffions. When men of clear understanding and found judgment read in Deuteronomy, that, during the forty years wandring of Deut. 8. 4. the Ifraelites in the wilderness, their cloaths were & 29.5. not grown old, nor their fhoos worn out, nor their feet fwollen for want of being fhod; they know Exod. 10. the reafon is, because they were fupply'd with 9, 24, 26. the wool and skins of thofe numerous herds and & 12.32, flocks they had along with them, which are ve3. alibi ry diftinctly mention'd: and moreover, that Wespallim. vers, Taylors, and Shoomakers (any more than other Artificers, fuch as Architects, Carpenters, 38. Num. Goldsmiths, Exod. 31. Item 35. Goldsmiths, and Jewellers) cou'd not be wanting in a multitude of more than fix hundred thousand men, befides women and children. And, in ef fect, we find they had all these in the Wildernefs, at the building of the Tabernacle, under the direction of BEZALEEL and AHOLI AB Yet this not being particularly expreft in the fame 1. & feq. place, where the garments and fhoos of the Ifrac 5-25lites are mention'd (as what good Hiftorian does 30. es alibi. always write what fhou'd be naturally fuppos'd?) you are not ignorant how numerous be the wri ters who maintain, that their Cloaths and their Shoos were fo farr from becoming old: that they even grew wider and longer, in proportion to the growth of their limbs from childhood to man, hood; that the feams never unript, that no part was ever worn or torn. This fhows, that Numbers and Truth are not infeparable. Here are abundance of Myfteries, occafion'd by a writer's not faying in direct terms, that nothing was wanting to the Ifraelites in the wilderness; which defect NEHEMIAH, magnifying God's providence on this very fubject, literally fupplies, faying: forty Neh.9. 21, years didft thou sustain them in the Wilderness, fo that THEY LACKED NOTHING; their cloaths waxed not ald, and their feet fwelled not. But this cannot fatisfy, thofe, by whom figures are cafily chang'd into miracles, and monfters made of omilfions. I am forry to find a man otherwise very learned, MANASSEH BEN ISRAEL among them, who attributes this miracle to the 22 Cloud No other Creature, but an enthufiaftical Chrifti 22. Affi mas, el Milagro de los Veftidos, que no fe envegecian, mas fe confervavan en un mifmo fer, creciendo Juntamienté con ellos, en virtud de las nuves de la honra, como tambien el no fe les aver hinchado en tanto camino los pies. In his Argument to the 8th chapter of Deuteronomy. an an Father, or his more credulous modern disciple, inftructed by a fabulous Jewish Cabalift, cou'd be capable of conceiving or propagating fuch abfurdities, as are vended on this fubject. But the country of Chimeras is of vaft extent. Every man of an implicite conftitution, is as fond and conceited of the wonderful, the extraordinary, and the I know not what, in his Religion, as he's in his Mistress. As each of 'em muft needs be a None-fuch in their kind, fo he profeffes himself always ready to fight or fuffer for both, be his rivals ever fo formidable. Neither the one nor the other is ever in the wrong; or being fo, muft never be contradicted: and he paffes for an envi ous or an ill-bred fellow, who does not join in drinking the health or finging the praises of both. These are nice points of honor, where the confulting of fedate reafon, wou'd be apt to cool a heroic paffions and hinder an impertinent obfti nacy, to pass for the virtues of fidelity and perfeverance. The comparison does hold thro-out of these Visionaries and Knights-errant are equally ridiculous, whether they turn bullies for Religion or Ladies. But not to lose fight of our ftratagems, wherof abundance have been antiently, and are ftill perform'd by the help of FIRE, VEGETIUS fays, when 23 Armies are divided, they fignify to their Confederates in the night time by flame, and in the day-time by fmoke, what can by no other means be done. And FRONTINUS, the 24 Arabs, whofe custom 23 Si divifae fint copiae, per noctem Flammis, per diem Fumo, fignificant focijs, quod aliter non poteft nunciari. Lib. 3. cap. 5. 24 Arabes, cùm effet nota confuetudo eorum, qua de adventu hoftium interdiu Fumo, noctu Igne fignificare inftituerant, ut fine intermiffione ea fierent, praeceperunt, adventantibus autem adverfarijs intermitterent: qui cùm, ceffantibus luminibus, exiftimarent ignorari adventum fuum, avidiùs ingreffi oppreffique funt. Dé Stratagem. lib. 2. cap. 5. was well known to give notice of the enemies approach by Smoke in the day-time, and by Fire in the nighttime, order'd this method to be obferv'd without intermiffion, except when the Enemy drew near: wherupon thefe feeing no flame, and therfore believing their coming was not difcover'd, made an inroad with the greater impetuofity, and were in confequence overthrown. But to produce more inftances wou'd be mifpending of time, fince that cited out of the Cyropedia is, as I noted before, an exact parallel. XIX. THE next difficulty arifes from fome people's confounding one Cloud with another, or rather with others. In the firft place, they confound the guiding Cloud with that of mount Si nai, which was a cloud properly fo call'd, out of which iffu'd thunder and lightning. And it came Exod. 19 to pass on the third day in the morning, as you have 16. it in the 19th of Exodus, that there were thunders, and lightnings, and a thick Cloud upon the Mount; which, juft after, is call'd Smoke, by an eafy me- ver. 18. taphor ufual to others Writers, who term the fog on mountains a ruffet Cloud and likewise thick darkness. A little before in this fame chapter it is also called a thick Cloud, as in the following chapter it is called thick darkness: very natural preparations for thunder and lightning. It is faid to have cover'd the Mount, as clouds are wont Ibid. 24. to do, and is the fame that is again mention'd in 15----18. the thirty fourth chapter. After indicating these ver. 5. places, twill be an eafy thing to diftinguifh from the metaphorical Cloud on the Tabernacle, this real Cloud on the mountain, wherever it occurrs, 25 Fit quoque uti montis vicina cacumina coelo Quàm fint quaeque magis, tanto magis edita fument as ver. 9. ver. 21. as well as the many allufions to it in the books of the Old Teftament. It wou'd be too long a digreffion here, and indeed it merits a Differtation by it felf, to fhow that by the Glory of GOD fo often mention'd on this occafion, is fignify'd Flames of Fire, as Thunder is call'd his Voice. But this, I fay, requires an entire discourse. In the mean time they, who are for diminishing of Clouds and multiplying of Miracles, will have it, that tho no further mention is made of the Cloud's leading the Ifraelites when once they left the wildernefs, and came to the cultivated countries about the river Jordan, where its guidance became wholly needlefs I fay, notwithstanding all this, they pertinaciously maintain that it continu'd afterExo.19. wards, as a ftanding miracle among the Jews; 42. & 30. first in the Tabernacle, and next in the Temple. It was in this Cloud (permanent according to them) Levit. 16.2. that GOD promis'd to meet AARON, with the fucceding High Priefts, and to speak with them: Exod. 25. for GOD, as SOLOMON remarks, faid, that 22. & 29. he wou'd dwell in the thick darkness; alluding, 42. & 30. without all queftion, to the places juft cited out 7. 89. & of Exodus. The place of the Cloud, both in the 17.4. Tabernacle and the Temple, was on the Mercy1 Kings 8. feat between the two Cherubims, in the Holy of Holies; where the High-Prieft alone enter'd 5. 14. & once a year, to make an extraordinary expiation for the whole people. The time and manner of this expiatory Sacrifice are particularly defcrib'd in Leviticus, where it is faid, that the LORD ItemExod. faid unto MOSES, Speak unto AARON thy brother, 30. 10,&c. that he come not at all times into the holy place 26. 1 Kings 8. 12. 36. Num. 12. 2 Chron. 6. I. Levit. 16. 2. within the vail before the Mercy-feat, which is upon the Ark, that he die not; for I will appear in the Cloud upon the Mercy-feat. Here you have the miraculous Cloud, fay they yet that this was not the conducting Cloud in the wilderness, but onc |