Numbers 16:41

When their crimes were so great, heavenly solicitude was of no avail. As often as they were corrected, so often amendment did not follow. As we are not corrected, even though soundly scourged, so they, though constantly struck down, did not mend their ways. What is written? "The following day all the multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying 'You have killed the people of the Lord.' " What followed? Fourteen thousand and seven hundred men were struck down and consumed by divine fire.Since the multitude all had sinned, why were not all punished, especially since, as I have said, none escaped from Korah's mutiny? Why did God wish the whole assembly of sinners to be killed on the former occasion but only a portion at the latter time? It is because the Lord is filled with both justice and mercy and in his indulgence he gives way to his love, and in his will to teach a lesson he gives way to his severity.

After these things it is related: "and the children of Israel murmured," it says, "against Moses and Aaron, saying: you have killed the people of the Lord. And it came to pass, when the congregation rushed upon Moses and Aaron, they fled in the assault to the tabernacle of testimony; and a cloud covered it, and the majesty of the Lord appeared. And Moses and Aaron went in before the face of the tabernacle of testimony." We do not read before that a cloud covered the tabernacle and the majesty of the Lord appeared and received Moses and Aaron within the cloud, except now, when the people rose up against them and wished to stone them. Let us learn from this how great is the profit in persecutions for Christians, how much of grace is conferred, how God becomes their defender, how abundantly the Holy Spirit is poured out. For then most of all the grace of the Lord is present, when the savagery of men is stirred up; and then we have peace with God, when for the sake of righteousness we endure wars from men. For where sin abounded, grace did more abound. The cloud of the tabernacle therefore covered them, and the congregation rushed upon Moses and Aaron, and the glory of the Lord appeared. However great Moses and Aaron may be by the merit of their life, however mightily they may prevail in the virtues of the soul, yet the glory of God could not have appeared to them, except when they were now set in persecutions, in tribulations, in perils, and in death itself almost at hand. And do you therefore not think that the glory of the Lord can appear to you while you sleep and are idle. Or did not Paul the Apostle also merit to obtain the glory of God in these things? Does he not, above all the rest, enumerate that he had been in tribulations, in necessities, in prisons, thrice beaten with rods, once stoned, that he had suffered shipwreck thrice, perils of the sea, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from false brethren? And the more these things abound, by so much the more do they confer the glory of God upon those who have borne them patiently.