moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 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."

This account of such numerous and formidable nations, with whom they would have to carry on a severe conflict in gaining possession of the country, began to alarm the fears of the assembly, and to draw forth the murmurings of discontent and apprehension. Caleb, one of the spies, whose character for courage and confidence in God has been alluded to, endeavored to allay the agitation. Speaking of the land; "Let us go up at once," said he, "and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it."

But others of the spies, cowardly and falsehearted men, contradicted him. They denied that there was any hope of success, in consequence of the superior strength of the inhabitants. They gave an evil report of the land, stating that the population was wasting away, either from the want of food, or the prevalence of deadly diseases-a singular inconsistency with the other parts of their statement, but which is often the case when falsehood or exaggeration are attempted. "All the people that we saw," they added in the same breath, "are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come

Part 2.

8

of the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."

Such information, much of it doubtless false, struck the Israelites with a sudden and general panic. The assembly dispersed in great agitation; and the loud lamentations of fear were heard throughout the camp, during the whole of the following night. The next morning witnessed a scene of universal dismay. Murmurings against Moses and Aaron, broke out on every side. They had to bear the bitterest reproaches. "Would God," was the cry addressed to them, "would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?" They even began to speak, one to another, of making choice of a new leader, to take the place of Moses, and conduct them back again to the land of their late bondage. Fickle, irresolute, faithless, and rebellious, distrusting God, and ready to cast off the authority of those whom he had placed over them, they were willing to abandon the inheritance, rich and full of blessings, which was just within their reach, and to return to their former state of degradation and wretchedness, under the tyrannical Pharaoh and his oppressive task-masters! We need not wonder that such a

people received the severest rebukes from their offended Sovereign. In what way his displeasure was manifested, we shall soon see.

Moses and Aaron were deeply affected by the conduct of the Israelites. Their feelings were too strong for utterance. They prostrated themselves on the earth, in the presence of the whole assembly. They did this to show their mortification and grief; and in that humble posture, silently to expostulate with God, and avert, if possible, his ter rible judgments from their sinful countrymen.

he,

After rising again, Moses endeavored to overcome the fears of the Israelites, and to inspire them with some degree of resolution. "Dread not," said "neither be afraid of them. The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; and in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came unto this place."

Joshua, also, and Caleb, rending their garments, as expressive of their deep sorrow for what had taken place, addressed the people. "The land," said they, "which we passed through, to search it is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye

the people of the land: for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not."

The only effect which these exhortations had upon the Israelites, was to exasperate them the more against Caleb and Joshua. They cried out, that they should be stoned, and would have pro ceeded to put their malicious purpose into execu tion, had they not been checked by the sudden awe that overpowered them, as the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle in view of the whole assembly.

At the same time, Moses heard the voice of God, addressing him in this solemn denunciation : "How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they."

Moses ventured to plead for his people in this familiar and impassioned manner. "Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this 'land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day-time in a pillar of a

cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, the Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people, according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now."

These entreaties prevailed, so far as to prevent the immediate cutting off of the Israelites by some signal judgment.

"I have pardoned them," said the Lord, "according to thy word. But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt, and in the wilderness, have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice. Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it but my servant Caleb, because he had