Oxford eagle., 1906-10-25

" eAls Ao&fDNlDk NlOee drea1luA 4
days. after so many had perished. and /
Israel had at last been turned hack /
into the wilderness this man came t
I % ne and demanded 20 know why In .
the face of giants and walled cities I
and strong armies. | had declared /
that We were able 20 20 up and POS /
.ess the land
Because said. the Lord has
promised ms the land for a posses 4
sion. and be Is able 10 give us victory I
over our enemies
But he exclaimed. testify. why .
should God ask rs. or expect rs. 10 .
a. things which our reason tells rs 4
are inpossihie- | voah rather take .
[ nv chances IN the wilderness than II
TIA; dreadful land
~And When reminded him that God T
hat sworn that none Who had refused
% 70 zp and POSSESS the land should .
ever enter Il. and recalled the awful .
Judgment on the ten spies who had .
p~rfshet before the Lord after bring .
ing up their evil report. he had shout I
I = te1artiy that he would not die in 4
the wilderness. that II any ever came 4
lnto the Promised Land. he would be
among the number
This boast vas roised abroad 4
through the tribe. and Il became al .
most a p-overb among the people that 4
Shelah would not taste death while .
Israel vas yet without a country
Is this What has kept the spirit cs .
so many bold and defiant during these /
Years. notwithstanding that in what 1
soever place Israel has cast her camp /
there have the graves Of the dead 4
been rade,- asked Moses. with grow
ing interest
No doubt I. has had much to 10
with it replied Caleb. but You
must remember tha; the heart ~ IN
belief which Eas born of the difscuIty
and dangers which confronted them in
the Promised Land. has only been in
tensi,ed BY the trials % the wilder
ness journey Faith grows not in the
soil Ot fear and fiscourenf
But with Sheiah IL vas di-e-p-.. ,rr
the stubborn defiant spirit which -
had maintained through the years az
last gave way under circumstances as
remarkable as they we're gratifying
And this Is the second part 10 our
story. and here Is where NE see the
victory % faith IN bis death
-Sheiah had <-aud d upon whom
his heart Was set and Il was the onIy
JOY OF his life 10 watch the boy Erux
and develop. and With the greatest
care he gave the boy instruction in
the history Of his people. and sought
70 arouse in hin ;hA: sp!-!: os as.,,s
and purpose for his future thar would
give him prominent place anoux hts
people some day. In fact. think he
secretly cherished ne --.s-ght and
hope that this boy might G, ne dav
prove formidable foe to ms. for as
you viii well understand. Sheiah en-
tertained 10 kindly feelings towards
ne
Well. this boy grew 10 Young nan
hood. and chance brought him one day
several years agD into the presence OF
Joshua and As a result a deep friend
ship sprung up between the older
man and th- stripping Fearful to tell
his xrancfzther. for he knew that the
latter felt noue too kindly towards
hiu- this was the one secret Be kept
frsu him The result Of this friend
ship VAS a broadening OF the Young
mans vision and an opening up TO i
him Of new understanding Of the his
tory OF his people Up TO this time
be had been taught TO consider tha, i
the plight - the peopie IN the vii f
dernsss vas the result Of the failures /
and blunte-s Of their leaders. and nat 4
urally he shared the prejudice Of his .
grandfather But with the coming Of ]
Joshua into his life the shadows os +
doubt and hate lifted from his mind 4
and he took hold OF God with a new
faith
Then began a battle in his own
heart He came to understand the
Judgment Of God upon the unbeIievtnx.
and that they were 10 all perish in
the wilderness The fate Of his /
grandfather preyed upon his mind. /
and mis- irreverent boast that he would .
live to 20 into the Promised Land
filed him with nameless dread For /
weeks he struggled with the matter.
and at last determined that he would
speak to his grandfather about il.
This he did. but the old man few into
rage and charged his grandson with
disloyalty. and ordered him from his
presence With breaking heart the
young man left and found refuge with
Joshua The old man was sorry for
his temper. as soon as the boy had
gone. and sought to recall him. but
he had gone. For days he sought him.
Too feeble himself to go. he sent
messengers all through the camp. and
while they sought him. he was fighting
a battle in his own heart.
IF God had wanted them to 20 for.
ward and possess the land. he was
able 70 help them Perhaps he was
wrong. after all And then he re-
called the saving OF the elders OF Is
rael that God had declared that none
who had refused to enter through IN
belief should ever 90 into the Prom
ised Land. but should die in the viii
derrsss- Then bis thoughts reverted
20 his grandson again. and Il suddenly
flashed across him that II that were
true. he was one who stood in the
way OF the realization Of Israers hope
He was helping to keep his grandson
out OF Canaan But at last the vic
tory came. and with ,. peace, and
when the messengers returned with
the boy. the latter found the old man
with sweetness Of spirit viewing his
own fate. The certain hope OF Israel.
and that OF his grandson nIIed him
with new joy Death will be wei
come here. he whispered. for know
now that you will go in and inherit
the land
That was several days ago. CON
I cluded Caleb. and now the AGED She
lah is being laid in his grave in
u h. uxff -