The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-14

The InternstiOnal Sunday School Lesson,
for October ID. The Report OF Ine
Sp,e-." Numbers ISIS. l7-l4:sj.

for Octohrr Is. "The Report Of The
SPIES" Numbers ISIS. 17-lA:SJ.
By william T. Ellis.
When the devil sent forth his varied
army Of ~ervants to do their worst to
the human ace. the messenger from
whom he expected the most was call
ed Fear.
And that black visitant a ever
since been one. Of the most dlileen'
and successful Of his emissaries. COW
ardice has conquered more lives tnan
the sword. Sheer, Grass, panic, 1rlsnt'
fright. shameless and Wlde-eyeo' Is
only one phase Of the effects OF rear:
indecision, a timorOus excess OF pru-
dence. and a dread Of untried ways IS
the manifestation OF rear
by which individuals and nations are
often destroyed. They who are AFRAID
to go forward are always WIN US,
hindering the noblest possibilities OF
life. even in our own land today. as
we'll as in the history OF the Hebrew
emigrants from Egypt.
Great teachings concerning pa
triotism. as we'll as concerning the
character-eQuipment OF youth. are
bound up in this tragedy of old Israel.
halted on the very edge OF the Prom
Used Land, to await the report OF the
twelve explorers or investigators sent
ahead Of the host. The moral OF IT all
is the cost of cowardice. The Jews
took counsel Of their fears. instead OF
needing the brave words Of Caleb n
Joshua; and so they were kept in the
wilderness for thirty-eight years long
er. until the crop Of towards a died
off. and a people Of somewhat better
stuff had been raised up.
Two Kinds OF Reporting.
The story Is rather solemnizing for
the newspaper man, for it was upon
the basis Of the reports Of the men
sent TO n out the facts that the
craven decision was made. Even to-
day the world is dependent upon the
findings Of newspaper reporters for its
judgment Of events. great and small
A careless. timOrOus OF unfaithful
newspaper writer may cause world
wide harm. Little did the ten scared
spies realize the tremendous result
that would follow their Danicky TIL
ings.
Everything should be done on :
basis Of carefully ascertained facts
That Is as true in war as in law. II
social service as in neighborhoot
conversation. Moses chose twelv'
leading men. one from each tribe, t,
go up into the Promised Land to lear
conditions, while the host, which ha'
been out from Egypt for a year and
half. waited amid. the sweet spring
of Kadesh. Care was exercised to Sc
cure reliable scouts. Everythin
would depend upon their word.
From whatever angle they are ap
preached, facts are facts. The dis
crepancies are not in history. but !
historians. The reporters Eyes an
ears are an essential factor in ever
narrative. Foreign missions are
case in point. One set Of traveller
who have been in the East declal
that missions are a farce and q TAI
ure. Another set of travellers av'
that they are the most potent soci
and political factor now at work
the nOn-Christian world. How shs
W. decide, temperament and CT.
bility of the witnesses" Out OF Ca
aan the twelve missionaries brc,,el
two diameterically opposite report
Ten said the land could not be Pc
sessed: two said go up and conQu
it. And, as often, the minority r
port was right.
With Eye of Terror.
The art Of seeing straight is raj
Few persons have unimpaired visi,
for compromising life in its whol
ness. The youth who talk glibly
seeing life" confessedly mean sect
Only the dirty side OF life. The pes
mist Is a man who needs the atte
ton Of a spiritual oculist: he Is Z
seeing things in their relationship.
Becaus their own eyes were fill
with terror, ten OF the spies Of Mo
came back scared. Fear "a nipl
their manhood. Courage gone. II
were as unreasonable as a mob In
burning building. The fortified cit
looked big to them. and the inha
tants seemed giants. That was
ia they had grasshopper min
and entertained contemplate thong
Of themselves. Had they been br,
and big in their own souls, the a
tude Of their difficulties would h;
appeared less.
Cowardice is contagious. The fe
some and faithless words OF the tel
fled ten revealed the hearts of
crowd rs ave- to the cor r
went all to pieces. and began to r
and rail in O madness Of panic. r
wanted to go bach to Egypt. II