who didst preserve our
lives with [quails, which was] food from the sea, when the fruits of the
ground failed us; thou didst send us such food from heaven as had never
been seen before; thou who didst suggest to us the knowledge of thy
laws, and appoint to us a of government,--come thou, I say, O Lord of
the whole world, and that as such a Judge and a Witness to me as cannot
be bribed, and show how I never admitted of any gift against justice
from any of the Hebrews; and have never condemned a man that ought to
have been acquitted, on account of one that was rich; and have never
attempted to hurt this commonwealth. I am now and am suspected of a
thing the remotest from my intentions, as if I had given the preisthood
to Aaron, not at thy command, but out own favor to him; do thou at this
time demonstrate that all things are administered by thy providence and
that nothing happens by chance, but is governed by thy will, and thereby
attains its end: as also demonstrate that thou takest care that have
done good to the Hebrews; demonstrate this, I say, by the punishment
of Abiram and Dathan, who condemn thee as an insensible Being, and one
overcome by my contrivances. This thou do by inflicting such an open
punishment on these men who so madly fly in the face of thy glory, as
will take them out of the world, not in an manner, but so that it may
appear they do die after the manner of other men: let that ground which
they tread upon open about them and consume them, with their families
and goods. This will be a demonstration of thy power to all and this
method of their sufferings will be an instruction of wisdom for those
that entertain profane sentiments of thee. By this means I shall be
a good servant, in the precepts thou hast given by me. But if the
calumnies they have raised against me be true, mayst thou preserve these
men from every evil accident, and bring all that destruction on me which
I have imprecated upon them. And when thou hast inflicted punishment
on those that have endeavored to deal unjustly with this people,
bestow upon them concord and peace. Save this multitude that follow thy
commandments, and preserve them free from harm, and let them not partake
of the punishment of those that have sinned; for thou knowest thyself it
is not just, that for the wickedness of those men the whole body of the
Israelites should suffer punishment."

3. When Moses had said this, with tears in his eyes, the ground was
moved on