ultitude more were smitten with a great plague while yet they ate
of the flesh they craved; therefore the place of the camp was named
the "Graves of Lust." Num 11. Such was the reward of their
concupiscence, which Paul here aptly explains as "lusting after evil
things."

13. Truly it is but lusting after the wrath and punishment of God
when, in forgetfulness of and ingratitude for his grace and goodness
we seek something new. The world is coming to be filled with the
spirit of concupiscence, for the multitude is weary of the Gospel.
Particularly are they dissatisfied with it because it profits not the
flesh; contributes not to power, wealth and luxury. Men desire again
the old and formal things of popery, notwithstanding they suffered
therein extreme oppression and were burdened not less than were the
people of Israel in Egypt. But they will eventually have to pay a
grievous penalty for their concupiscence.

14. In the third place, the apostle mentions the great sin--idolatry.
"Neither be ye idolaters," he counsels, "as were some of them." Not
simply the lower class of people were guilty in this respect, but the
leaders and examples. As they led, the multitude followed. Even
Aaron, the brother of Moses, himself high-priest, swayed by the
influential ones, yielded and set up the golden calf (Ex 32, 4) while
Moses tarried in the mount. We are astounded that those eminently
worthy individuals, having heard God's Word and seen his wonders
liberally displayed, should so soon fall unrestrainedly into the
false worship of idolatry, as if they were heathen and possessed not
the Word. Much less need we wonder that the blind world always is
entangled with idol-worship.

15. Where the Word of God is lacking or disregarded, human wisdom
makes for itself a worship. It will find its pleasure in the thing of
its own construction and regard it something to be prized, though it
may be imperatively forbidden in God's Word, perhaps even an
abomination before him. Human reason thinks it may handle divine
matters according to its own judgment; that God must be pleased with
what suits its pleasure. Accordingly, to sanction idolatry, it
appropriates the name of the Word of God. The Word must be forced
into harmony with the false worship to give the latter an admirable
appearance, notwithstanding the worship is essentially the reverse of
what it is made to appear. Similarly popery set off its abominations
of the mass, of monkery and the wo