The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-28

U
purpose TO regain the lost iands OF ms
ancestors AT last the fuihlment oil the
hope came. The estate which had passed
j into other hands seventy years before
was regained. and Warren Hastings spent
J his old age and died In the nome OIL his
forcfathers at Daylesford.
/ II WAS in no boastful spirit that Caleb
said. 'let US 90 up and take the land; we
Had not the Israellies an army Of
100000 men, and was not this a
sufficient force 10 carry all be-
+ fore ity But If not. there was another
consideration which ought to have stilled
All murmnrs ana silenced all fears and
inspired the whole host with exulting
+ hone The Lord of hosts was marching
before the Israelitish camp. 1t was by
His authority that they were TO take pos
session of the land They had been com
mandcd 10 conquer it, not in their own,
hni In His strength.
TINE. the sons of Anek were there
men of great statue. but not so tail and
so terrible as the pillar Of cloud and IRE
that went before Israel. Even had II
been time that the Israeltes were rs
grasshoppers before giants, what were
tbose giants before God, Yes, there was
reason for weeping, but they wept for
the wrong thing. Ii was for their own
unbeliel and cowardice that they should
have wepi. They should have
listened 10 the clarion call Of Caleb,
and To- the eohoing voice OF Joshua: they
could have marched at once TO assured
victory.
But what was the remOnstrance OF two
men against the testimony of TEN The
people first murmured, then broke out
into mutinv. They threatened TO
stone Joshua and Caleb. The mob always
seeks a victim, and those faithful leaders
would have been slain had not the glory
of the Lord famed out and awed the in
surgents.
REJECTED GENERATION.
Then came the solemn words Of doom.
The Lord said Because all these men
have seen my glory and my miracles
which did in Egypt and in the wilder
ness. and haze not hearkened 10 my
voice. surely they shall not see the land
which sware TO their fathers" But
nv servant Caleb, because he had another
spirit in him and hath followed me fully,
him will bring into the land, and his
seed shall possess IT,
In execution Of this sentence all the
men Of that generation were compelled
10 wander in the wilderness for forty
years, and one by one TO perish there;
their children only were permitted to
enter the Land of Promise, because they
alone were ready at once to 60 up and f.
capture il.
a GREAT PARABLE.
So ends this impressive history But
what is all this 10 us-what interest have
we in events which happened between
two and three thousand years ago; ! an .
swer the creates interest, the most imme /.
date interest. The history of Israel is
solemn parable 1t is revelation, not +
in words only, but in marches /
and battles, in thunder and fame, .
in tears and in triumphs The bondage 4
of the Israelites in Egypt is but another +
name for the more cruel bondage of sin .
under which We were born Their task /
master-Pharoah-was a type Of our ty- /
rant-Satan. Their deliyerance from cap f
tiyity by the hand of Moses, was but s .
picture of our rescue from the slavery of /
sin by One like unto Moses, but greater .
than he Their march through the will .
derness was but an image OF our pill I
grmage through life Their promised /
Canaan was but an emblem Of our .
Heaven.
If we ever reach II 1t will be because,
like Caleb, we have another spirit and .
because we follow the Lord fully" But F.
what does that mean, and how are we 80 .
TO follow as TO reach our promised land .
and take our places among the crowned .
and glorified in the kingdom reserved for
usy
THOUGHT, RESOLUTION, AND ACTION.
answer first, we must give our dtten-
ton 10 the things most worthy of thought. /
1t is a shame for people who can think .
to be always occupied with triies and .
give no heed to their greatest interests. /
1t is absurd and wicked 10 forget death,
judgment, and eternity-the things that /
must come-the things for which we
must be prepared II we will F.
not consider, we will never get the least /
idea of the worth Of the soul or OF the ne .
cessity of securing its salvation. But no .
one can keep this great necessity In mind .
without ,cishtng 10 obtain what Is worth .
all the world besides. BY and by the .
wish will lead 10 resolution When man .
SAYS, by Gods help | will lead q new
life, he takes the first step toward his .
salvation. When the prodigal son said,
II will arise and go to my father" there /
was hope for him. When the man said /
10 Christ, Il will follow Thee whitherso-
ever Thou goest," he made the best reso-
luton that could be put into words
But resolving does no good unless It
leads 10 action. Here the prodigsl in
strucis us again. lie not only said, II
will arise but che arose and
came TO his father There IS
no salvation for US outside the arms of
Gods mercy In Christ. IL was for this
reason that on last Sunday night | took
such pains to explain 10 you what was
meant by saving faith and was so earnest
in beseeching you at once 10 believe
Chrlst's word and trust His grace and
consecrate yourselves to His service.
Having done this. do you want 10
know what is meant by religious life
The answer comes short, straight, and
plain. 1t IS following Jesus Hear
His own words If any man will serve
Me let him follow Me" MY sheep hear
my voice and know them and they fol-
low Me" He that fOlloweth Me shall
not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life"
We cannot follow one whom we do
not see we will not follow one whom
we do not love When the blind mans
eyes were opened he saw Jesus, and the
next thing we read Is, He followed
Jesus in the way" He followed because
his heart also was opened 10 love Him,
and then he learned to love the way.
THE DARK LANTERN.
We are told that Caleb followed the
Lord fully; then he took his stand on the
Lord side openly, in the presence of all
the people, and lie did this, not only when ,
all the multitude refused to 90, but were |
ready TO stone him for his decision. HAY
ing believed on Christ, would you follow
Him fully, then you must profess His
must espouse His cause pub.
licly-you must join yourself TO His
people. Do you say, 81 can serve {
IL tt.l. d.