Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-05-06

OIL lOnOT OF olliOHt5
neither satisfied nor content with their lot
They 1nurlnur against the weather; IL ID LOO
cold OF too warm, too wet or too dry lot tneir
cou,Iurt. They murmur in seasons OF scarcity,
and in the days Of plenty. They murmur al
The guilt and gains OF extortloners-(and VINO
can blame thom for it?)-and they murmur at
tho allotments of Providence in these days
Of darkness aud trial which God has appointed
to proTs US, and SEQ whether we %lll humble
ourselves under His mighty hard, or whether
we have any just claims to the lofty virtue OF
a self. sacr flung ra!rioiSn-tncro arc many
murlnurcrR. They murInur at their govern
rnent and the pvivations imposed by tho war.
Disasters in the field call forth murmurs, which
arc reoeatcd from day to day, because their
hopes of relief from present evils are not at
oncrrcaliztd They have been praying, during
several months, for the blessings oil peace and
p-os1rtity-end they murmur that the answer
to Their prayer is SO long delayed.
Ia view Of Tie prevalence Of Ibis habit IN
our titles, ve ought not to be surprised that
the fgsacltes, just freed from their task mas.
;ers, unaccGsto Ied IL war, cncompassed by
hostile army nu one side, and the Red Sea on
the other, bugan 10 murmur before Troy got
out OF Egypt In Imminent peril OF dastruc
ton, with it.lu or no confidence in God, no
wonder tfey complained TO Moses -"Becanse
there .vcT.. no graves in Egypt hast thou taken
us away t. ;ii. in the wilderness: Wherefore
last thou deal thus with US, to carry us forth
cut q EgyptY" Their words express tho feel
incs OF p ;crvilr sensual people, unprepared
for the deeds of scf-denisl and vsIor to which
thsr wer1 cailct. God in his mercy bears
~, no tb IN k.Stp0d Gti1l
ana SEQ tie salvation Of tho Lord
The sen opens before them-aId they pass
thTnngl, or Dry ground to tho opposite shore,
aud -, tie rahucnt waves bury the host OF
their rr.!,:l enemies in the deep, they raise their
,riumnhani song Of victory. Now, We think
they tlight hush !heir murmuring-but i'm
mediately aIlct their shouts Of triumph We
Hear their murmurs again u the waters OF
Msrah. And here too Lhe goodness and for
hearancc uf Gdd are manifested by miracle,
making tho waters swest and wholesome In
the wihernss,s Of Sin, before they had been
ont of Egypt two ulon,hs, they are murmuri6g
again in bitter words OF complaint, -"WouId
10 God wo had died in the land OF Egypt,
when ,1s sat by tho lash pots and cat bread
to tho isl}l." They now charge Moses with
bringing them into the desert tn Kill thaln 81
s.arystiun TIC Lord still onduTes their
muymuri7gs, sends luall1 70 satlatc their raw
encus appetite Tor isSh, and also inaun2, The
bread OF heaven. Bat they are not satisfied;
aud they sre Gliding with Moses at Rephldim.
"Wksreloro hast thou brought, Us up ont o.
Egypt to XII us with ihirsLY" The Lord in
his n:arcy relieved them again by Inirucic, and
tins rock a.,i.tan by Muses. sent forth its gush.
So .-,E,r., o., o,,rrlr- THAR raotu
~ icr 9Th in the second year Of their exodus
from bondage, their complaining murmurs
seem to nave exhausted Ike Divine fOrhoaranca
The aagcr OF the Lord vas kndled by their
complaints, as lilo heard them crying, "whU
stall givs us flesh to l.i : W. reuieIhher the
iish -. did Cat in Egypt freely; The cacGm5crs
and the melons and the locks and Tho onions;"
and in their ptrvlrse cravings for the Injuries
OF their Scrytudc, their souls aatted the bread
,ehch was given them from ueava,:. And
G III gave thom tho desh OF quails 10 eat
till il became loalhsoInc TO them: and 4
'groat plague" cnsunl when swept many
oi them into prematnic graves. Their habit
OF Iaurnnring had uecnme lnycteralc, and We
bear it asaia alter e icw days, in such words as
thn.u--"would God that Tc bad died 10 the
land OF Egypt, or would God that We had died
in the wilderness Wherefore hath the Lord
brought rs unto iiis lind 10 FILL by The sword,
that our wigs AID OUR children should 10
prey = Such we're their complaints on hear
Ing tie report Of the spies The whole as
scmby is infected by the panic, and they prO-
p,,sc to elect a captain to lead them back into
Egypt And tie Lard said ''lIoH long will
people provoke Mo ?-agls hr'w long Will it bn
ere they bolievo me- Ter al the Signs which
have shn~ed them: | will SnitY thuin win
the pusiilence and iisinhorit chem"
At the earnest nlcrccssi"n and cntTeaty oil
Moses. whose prayer MAS urged by his regard
lrr The glory Of Cad AID To gave Ills name
from rcpyoHca among the heat Ell, Tho threat
elad Judgment was dcicTi 81 uut all ol that
generation, save Joshua AMI Caleb, were
o1rlucd 10 exclusion froin the land of PROMISE.
lhs Lord sad--''As | livo all the earth shall
he filed with tho glory OF The Lord - But
"As Tor you, y3uT carcasaca shall fall in The
wilderness.
Tha impending t:oGn, did mol save than ffo!:i
their bssorling sin. We hear their niuTmurs
asan in the wilderness ot Tin. and again in
their journey around Elo.n; whore, 10 punish
t;lslr sin aal folly, Cad sent fiery 6crpen,s
Among them for ihci. destruction Writing
IN SUFFERING! i:om wounds iricied by poison
GUS reptiles, Of Subsequent? dying Of tho pes.
thence they fell ngloriausly asvictims to the
sin of nnrmu,ing. We cannot here pursue
tho narrative Or recount the nurEnurinss
heard from that People los centuries following
-evcn ilIi the days OF Inc prophet Jonah, who
cpmpaiuad anrely Ike !, spoiled child, be-
Cause n gnurd which grow up in Tue night
wi;hcred away beneath he genial heat Of 4
nogndsy sun.
Are there any anon: Us wro murlrur against
the privatinns, tho dncouiagemenls, and re-
verses ii our national Crisis Lot them read
and poGcr the lesson prepared Ior them, on
the pages ui tho sscrc,I volume, aad discard
tho thought oil nuvmuring.