[ 70 ]
wicked are compared to wolves; now the nature of a wolf will devour mankind whenever it is in his power, but let him have powder with him and rifle well charged, he may pass through the wilderness with safety; they will run by the smelling of powder in a hard winter when there is no pray to be got; the wolf will give a howl, a sign of distress, and perhaps five hundred or more will gather and they will make fond and play with each other very lovingly and from this they W >H strike a curie and form a trot; they will get to a canter, and the first one that falls, by guiding or being weak, all the rest will turn and devour him and eat him up; and from this let us learn a lesson, this is the way with the world, they do to each other this. You may see by the charge our Lord gave his disciples, saying, behold, that is a wonder to the world for the world will look; at them as a speckle bird, he sent them forth as lambs among wolves; this is not to go into their exile, for he said unto us touch not nor handle not the unclean thing, and I will receive you; they must always have their rifle well charged with truth and grace, knowing that the love of God, through the preaching of the gospel, do cover a multitude of sins; this is the great cannon of their faith, and while they thus walk in this path no wolves can devour them In the multitude of council there is safety, together we stand but if divided we are sure to fall, and be ye aware of the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, because there they buried the people that lusted. Num. 11: 34. "But if Israel is not gathered Jacob will not loose his reward. Now, therefore, kill every male among the little ones and kill every woman." Women and children ordinarily speaking, were not to be killed in war; but the great Lord of life was pleased to order it otherwise in the present case in detestation of the wickedness of the people, who by the counsel of Balaam had sent their women among the Israelites on purpose to draw them from God. This mention of the journey of the children of Israel from Egypt to the land of promise, were figures according to the fathers of the steps and degrees by which christians, leaving sin are to advance from virtue to virtue, till they come to see the God of Gods in Zion.
Sec. 5. The Book of Deuteronomy.
This book is called Deuteronomy, which signifies a
