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of Heaven should be strong, active, and enduring—the substance of
things hoped for. Then the language of such will be, Bless the Lord,
oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name; for he hath
dealt bountifully with me. Self-denial is considered by some to be
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real suffering. Depraved appetites are indulged. And a restraint upon
the unhealthy appetite would lead even many professed Christians to
now start back, as though actual starvation would be the consequence
of a plain diet. And, like the children of Israel, they would prefer
slavery, diseased bodies, and even death, rather than to be deprived of
the flesh-pots. Bread and water is all that is promised to the remnant
in the time of trouble.
“And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of
the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoarfrost,
on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one
to another, It is manna; for they wist not what it was. And Moses
said unto them, this is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.
This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every
man according to his eating, an omer for every man according to the
number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his
tents.
“And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some
less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much
had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack. They gathered
every man according to his eating. And Moses said, Let no man leave
of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses;
but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms and
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stank. And Moses was wroth with them. And they gathered it every
morning, every man according to his eating, and when the sun waxed
hot, it melted.
“And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice
as much bread, two omers for one man. And all the rulers of the
congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is
that which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath
unto the Lord. Bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye
will seethe; and that which remaineth over, lay up for you, to be kept
until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade,
and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses
said, Eat that today; for today is a Sabbath unto the Lord. Today ye