ous that the memory of
this judgment might be delivered down to posterity, and that future ages
might be acquainted with it; and so he commanded Eleazar, the son of
Aaron, to put their censers near the brazen altar, that they might be a
memorial to posterity of what these men suffered, for supposing that the
power of God might be eluded. And thus Aaron was now no longer esteemed
to have the priesthood by the favor of Moses, but by the public judgment
of God; and thus he and his children peaceably enjoyed that honor
afterward.

CHAPTER 4. What Happened To The Hebrews During Thirty-Eight Years In The
Wilderness.

1. However, this sedition was so far from ceasing upon this destruction,
that it grew much stronger, and became more intolerable. And the
occasion of its growing worse was of that nature, as made it likely
the calamity would never cease, but last for a long time; for the men,
believing already that nothing is done without the providence of God,
would have it that these things came thus to pass not without God's
favor to Moses; they therefore laid the blame upon him that God was so
angry, and that this happened not so much because of the wickedness of
those that were punished, as because Moses procured the punishment;
and that these men had been destroyed without any sin of theirs, only
because they were zealous about the Divine worship; as also, that he who
had been the cause of this diminution of the people, by destroying so
many men, and those the most excellent of them all, besides his escaping
any punishment himself, had now given the priesthood to his brother so
firmly, that nobody could any longer dispute it with him; for no one
else, to be sure, could now put in for it, since he must have seen those
that first did so to have miserably perished. Nay, besides this, the
kindred of those that were destroyed made great entreaties to the
multitude to abate the arrogance of Moses, because it would be safest
for them so to do.

2. Now Moses, upon his hearing for a good while that the people were
tumultuous, was afraid that they would attempt some other innovation,
and that some great and sad calamity would be the consequence. He called
the multitude to a congregation, and patiently heard what apology they
had to make for themselves, without opposing them, and this lest he
should imbitter the multitude: he only desired the heads of the tribes
to bring their rods, [3] with the names of their tribes inscri