and troubles and privation of the road, and would induce us rather to idle through our little day in the pursuits and pleasures of this wilderness-world, than at once to set our face like a flint, and commence upon our upward journey. Doubtless the ascent is steep, and the path oftentimes rugged, and the light sometimes obscure, but it is a “promised land," to all the believing and obeying servants of the Lord Jesus, and this to every faithful, confiding pilgrim is abundantly sufficient. He knows, and it is enough for time and for eternity, that" He is faithful who has promised,” and that though heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle of his word shall in no wise pass away, till all be fulfilled.

EXPOSITION XIII.

NUMBERS Xiii. 26-33.

26. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.

27. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

28. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great, and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

29. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

We here learn the continuation of the conduct of the unfaithful spies, upon their return from the land of Canaan. They acknowledge, indeed, for they dared not deny it, that the land deserved the character given to it by the Almighty, but they dismiss its praises shortly and coldly, to dwell on its dangers and difficulties. They do not at first volunteer any opinion upon the possibility, or the impossibility of the Israelites obtaining possession, but they merely exaggerate the obstacles, and leave this to work its natural effect in the minds of the people.

We condemn the children of Israel, and rightly, for being influenced by such representations, but let us for a moment make the case our own, and suppose our Lord to have said, "Strait is the gate and narrow is the way, that leadeth to eternal life, and few there be that find it," and never to have added, "Him that cometh unto me I will

in no wise cast out," how many among us would, like the unfaithful Jews, have turned back and walked no more with him? How many of us would have shrunk from difficulties which we felt we possessed no power, either within us or around us, to overcome! Nay, may we not go still further and ask, Are there none even at this moment who are so appalled by the dangers of the journey or the labours and self-denials of the way, that they have not yet fairly set forth upon the heavenly road, but are still waiting, in a state of suspense, if not of absolute refusal, on this great subject? If so, let them carefully observe the conduct of one whose difficulties were as great, and his promises of help not greater than their own.

30. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

31. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people: for they are stronger than we.

32. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

33. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak,

which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

This was no doubt the language of exaggeration, if not of absolute falsehood, and how strikingly does it contrast with the words of him, who, with the holy and devoted Joshua, was "faithful found among the faithless." "We are well able to overcome it," is the language of Caleb, nay more, as if it were already overcome, "Let us go up at once and possess it." Such in all ages is faith; and so truly is it, as the apostle defines it," the substance of things hoped for." Why did not every Israelite feel with Caleb? The psalmist answers the inquiry, when speaking upon this very subject, he says, "They despised the pleasant land, they believed not his (the Lord's) word."* This was the reason that they obeyed not; they believed not God's word; they did not feel perfectly sure that he would fulfil his promise, and make them the possessors of the land, and therefore they dared not risk the attempt. altogether mistook the nature of the undertaking; they did not see that it was not between them and their enemies, but between God and their enemies, that the fight was to be made; that the Lord was already engaged on their side, and that warring in his strength they could not

* Ps. cvi. 24.

They

fail. Therefore they exclaimed, "We be not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." No doubt they were, and no doubt a nation just emerging from the degradations of a life of slavery might have expected to be defeated by a handful of free men. But this was not the question for them to consider. It was enough that God was with them, who then could be successfully against them?

So is it with the Christian; if he attempts the warfare in his own strength, his efforts will be utterly useless, hopelessly unavailing. "Without me ye can do nothing," are the words of our Lord. "I can do all things through Christ strengthening me," is the confession of him who called himself the very weakest of the apostles. And with this declaration of the Saviour, and this faith of the apostle, let the feeblest disciple go on his way,

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conquering and to conquer;" let him turn his back on no enemy, however powerful, let him shrink from no danger, however appalling; it is enough that that Saviour, who cannot be beaten, has undertaken for him and has said, "None shall pluck them out of my Father's hand."