_Answer_. Yes, he always was merciful and kind and patient. Infidels have taken the ground that he visited them with plagues and disease and famine; that he had them bitten by serpents, and now and then allowed the ground to swallow a few thousands of them, and in other ways saw to it that they were kept as comfortable and happy as was consistent with good government; but all these things were for their good; and the fact is, infidels have no real sense of justice. _Question_. How did God happen to treat the Is- raelites in this way, when he had promised Abraham that he would take care of his progeny, and when he had promised the same to the poor wretches while they were slaves in Egypt? _Answer_. Because God is unchangeable in his na- 384 ture, and wished to convince them that every being should be perfectly faithful to his promise. _Question_. Was God driven to madness by the conduct of his chosen people? _Answer_. Almost. _Question_. Did he know exactly what they would do when he chose them? _Answer_. Exactly. _Question_. Were the Jews guilty of idolatry? _Answer_. They were. They worshiped other gods --gods made of wood and stone. _Question_. Is it not wonderful that they were not convinced of the power of God, by the many mira- cles wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness? _Answer_. Yes, it is very wonderful; but the Jews, who must have seen bread rained from heaven; who saw water gush from the rocks and follow them up hill and down; who noticed that their clothes did not wear out, and did not even get shiny at the knees, while the elbows defied the ravages of time, and their shoes remained perfect for forty years; it is wonderful that when they saw the ground open and swallow their comrades; when they saw God talking face to face with Moses as a man talks with his friend; after they saw the cloud by day and the 385 pillar of fire by night,--it is absolutely astonishing that they had more faith in a golden calf that they made themselves, than in Jehovah. _Question_. How is it that the Jews had no confi- dence in these miracles? _Answer_. Because they were there and saw them. _Question_. Do you think that it is necessary for us to believe all the miracles of the Old Testament in order to be saved? _Answer_. The Old Testament is the foundation of the New. If the Old Testament is not inspired, then the New is of no value. If the Old Testament is inspired, all the miracles are true, and we cannot believe that God would allow any errors, or false statements, to creep into an inspired volume, and to be perpetuated through all these years. _Question_. Should we believe the miracles, whether they are reasonable or not?