Numb. x. 29. And Moses said unto Hobab, the so?i of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you. Come thou with us; and we ivill do thee good: for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.*
HOBAB, it should seem, was the son of Jethro, who is here called Raguel, and in another place
* If this were the subject of an Address previous to confirmation, it might be treated thus :
I. The invitation —
[Whither was Moses going ? To the land of Canaan
There was not a child in all the camp of Israel, who did not know whence he had been brought, and whither he was bending his
course
c 2
Reuel a. He was the brother of Zipporah, whom Moses had married in the land of Midian. Both Jethro, and his son Hobab, had accompanied Moses for a season : but Jethro had left him some time sinceb: and Hobab also now proposed to leave him, and " to go back to his own country and kindred." But Moses besought him not to go, but to proceed with Israel to the promised land; assuring him, that, though aMidianite, he should participate in all the blessings which God designed for Israel. On finding that this consideration was not sufficient to influence his mind, Moses urged the services which Hobab might render to Israel in their journey through the wilderness ; for though God had undertaken to guide Israel through the wilder- ness, and to provide for and protect them in the way, yet there were many local circumstances which Hobab was acquainted with, by the communication of which, from time to time, he might render very essential services to Moses and to all Israel.
This is really the state of God's Israel now. They are all sensible that they have been brought out of bondage to sin and Satan : and there is not one amongst them who does not consider himself as a pil- grim here, and is not daily pressing forward to the heavenly Canaan as his rest, his portion, his inheritance.
And is not this the course which you are now about to enter upon? Look at the vows which were made for you in your baptism, and which you are now about to take upon yourselves. Are you not solemnly pledging yourselves to renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh, &c. &c. &c. ? This then is the very thing which the journeying of the Israelites in the wilderness shadowed forth, and which all God's Israel at this very time are doing.
We say then to you, yea, to every one of you in particular, " Come thou with us." Though thou be young, like Hobab, come with us : yea,
though thy father Jethro be gone back, " come thou with us " ]
II. The arguments, &c. —
These may be nearly as stated in the Sermon, except that, in the benefits accruing to them, the benefits of early piety may be stated: and, in the benefits which they may confer, it may be shewn what blessings they may be to their young companions, and possibly to their own parents also.
For an Address after confirmation, corresponding with this, see that on Numb. xiv. 3, 4.
a Exod. ii. 18. b Exod. xviii. 27.