never thought of sending spies to search out the land, and to tell them against what cities they should direct their first efforts. It was a carnal expedient, as the event proved. True it is, that "Moses was well pleased " with the proposal g: but he would not have been well pleased, if he had clearly seen from whence it issued, and what would be the result of it. He conceived it to be expressive only of a determination to go up, the very instant they should be directed where to go. And, supposing that there was no mixture of unbelief in it, it might be laudable enough. But what need had they of men to " search out the land," and to direct their efforts? Had not Almighty God himself, for the space of a whole year, " gone before them to search out places from day to day where they should fix their tentsh?" Had he done this "by a pillar of fire by night, and by a cloud by day," and was he not both able and willing to shew them " by which way to go up " to the land, and what cities to attack ? I say again, it was a carnal expe- dient, as the event proved : and it was the source of all the calamities that they endured for the space of forty years. Had they said to Moses, ' Pray to God for us, to direct us ; and we are ready to go ; ' they would have done well : but, by trust- ing to an arm of flesh, they fell.
In like manner, we should obey the divine mandate without delay. We should " not confer with flesh and blood' :" we should not be consulting how we may avoid the trials which God has taught us to expect ; but should look simply to the Captain of our salvation, and follow implicitly his commands ; regarding no word in comparison of his, nor ever dreaming of a more convenient season than the present. What He calls us to do, we should " do " instantly, and " with all our might."]
2. Our confidence in him should be entire —
[They were bidden " not to fear, or be discouraged." So neither should we " fear " any dangers that may threaten us, or " be discouraged" under any trials we maybe called to sustain. As for " Anakims," or cities " walled up to heaven," what are they to us ? Is not " He greater, that is in us, than any that can be in them? " If Jehovah be on our side, what have we to fear? We may say of all our enemies, as Joshua did of those he was called to encounter, " They are bread for usk ;" and shall not only be devoured as easily as a morsel of bread, but they, and all that they have, shall be our very support, invigorating our souls by the energies they call forth, and augmenting the happiness which they labour to destroy. Whatever may occur, we should never stagger at the promise through unbelief; but "be strong in faith, giving glory to God1." We should go
s ver. 23. h ver. 33. * Gal. i. 16.
k Numb. xiv. 8, 9. l Rom. iv. 20.