lieved God's word: they believed what He said, and received the promises; the rest believed what they saw and felt, and perished in the wilderness.

And oh, how beyond all praise was the faith of these two men, and how precious was the fruit that it produced! What glory it brought to God—what blessing on themselves. Hath the Scripture said in vain"Whosoever believeth in Him shall not be ashamed." At the risk of their lives did Caleb and Joshua stand up in the face of the whole assembled multitude of unbelievers, and preach "SALVATION BY FAITH."

Everything was against these two lone and solitary men, except the Word of God; but, like Jesus in the wilderness, they fed and acted on that. Theirs was a glorious cry"Let us go up at once, and possess the land, for we are well able to overcome it." "Their defence has departed from them, and the Lord is with us." (Num. xiv. 9.) They are mighty-we are weak. They are giants-we

are grasshoppers. But it is neither might nor power in this battle: the question is, on which side is the Lord? "Their defence has departed from them, and the Lord is with us."

And how did the people listen to this teaching: "The whole congregation bade stone them with stones." (Num. xiv. 10.)

From that day to this, the great mass of mankind has received the same teaching in the same spirit. But there was another Listener besides the people, and how did He listen to this teaching? Read Num. xiv. 10-38. I quote a portion :-"And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke Me, and how long will it be ere they believe Me? As truly as I live, as ye have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you: your carcases SHALL fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against

Me, doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Fephunneh, and Joshua the Son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in."

Happy Caleb! Happy Joshua! As it was to your father Abraham, so shall it be to you; your faith shall be counted to you for righteousness; and let who will perish, you shall be saved. "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee: only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling." (Ps. ci. 3-10.)

Reader, God bless you. My last words to you are, that if we attempt it in reliance on God's Word, there is no single thing that He has commanded us to do, that we cannot do. Remember Caleb. Remember Joshua. Re

member too the six hundred thousand who fell in the wilderness, because WITH GOD ON THEIR SIDE, they said-" We cannot." Let a man live and die, saying "I cannot," and he is lost for ever.

XVIII.

The Conclusion.

OU CANNOT. Nothing can be more true. In your own strength and power you can no more give up sin, turn to God, believe in Jesus Christ,

and get through Him sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, than these Israelites, of whom you have been reading, could have gone up unaided against the inhabitants of Canaan, and taken posession of their land. You cannot: but it is because you cannot, that God has given you a Saviour to do for you and in you, what it is so true you cannot do for yourself.

The Lord Jesus Christ, and Satan (for Satan can speak the truth if it suits him) both teach this truth: "you cannot." A man, by the grace of God, has anxious moments about eternity,

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