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1. When Moses had led the Hebrews away from thence to a place
called Paran, which was near to the borders of the Canaanites,
and a place difficult to be continued in, he gathered the
multitude together to a congregation; and standing in the midst
of them, he said, "Of the two things that God determined to
bestow upon us, liberty, and the possession of a Happy Country,
the one of them ye already are partakers of, by the gift of God,
and the other you will quickly obtain; for we now have our abode
near the borders of the Canaanites, and nothing can hinder the
acquisition of it, when we now at last are fallen upon it: I say,
not only no king nor city, but neither the whole race of mankind,
if they were all gathered together, could do it. Let us therefore
prepare ourselves for the work, for the Canaanites will not
resign up their land to us without fighting, but it must be
wrested from them by great struggles in war. Let us then send
spies, who may take a view of the goodness of the land, and what
strength it is of; but, above all things, let us be of one mind,
and let us honor God, who above all is our helper and assister."
2. When Moses had said thus, the multitude requited him with
marks of respect; and chose twelve spies, of the most eminent
men, one out of each tribe, who, passing over all the land of
Canaan, from the borders of Egypt, came to the city Hamath, and
to Mount Lebanon; and having learned the nature of the land, and
of its inhabitants, they came home, having spent forty days in
the whole work. They also brought with them of the fruits which
the land bare; they also showed them the excellency of those
fruits, and gave an account of the great quantity of the good
things that land afforded, which were motives to the multitude to
go to war. But then they terrified them again with the great
difficulty there was in obtaining it; that the rivers were so
large and deep that they could not be passed over; and that the
hills were so high that they could not travel along for them;
that the cities were strong with walls, and their firm
fortifications round about them. They told them also, that they
found at Hebron the posterity of the giants. Accordingly these
spies, who had seen the land of Canaan, when they perceived that
all these difficulties were greater there than they had met with
since they came out of Egypt, they were aftrighted at them
themselves, and endeavored to affright the multitude also.
3. So they supposed, from what they had heard, that it was
impossible to get the possession of the country. And when the
congregation was dissolved, they, their wives and children,
continued their lamentation, as if God would not indeed assist
them, but only promised them fair. They also again blamed Moses,
and made a clamor against him and his brother Aaron, the high
priest. Accordingly they passed that night very ill, and with
contumelious language against them; but in the morning they ran
to a congregation, intending to stone Moses and Aaron, and so to
return back into Egypt.
4. But of the spies, there were Joshua the son of Nun, of the
tribe of Ephraim, and Caleb of the tribe of Judah, that were
afraid of the consequence, and came into the midst of them, and
stilled the multitude, and desired them to be of good courage;
and neither to condemn God, as having told them lies, nor to
hearken to those who had aftrighted them, by telling them what
was not true concerning the Canaanites, but to those that
encouraged them to hope for good success; and that they should
gain possession of the happiness promised them, because neither
the. height of mountains, nor the depth of rivers, could hinder
men of true courage from attempting them, especially while God
would take care of them beforehand, and be assistant to them.
"Let us then go," said they, "against our enemies, and have no
suspicion of ill success, trusting in God to conduct us, and
following those that are to be our leaders." Thus did these two
exhort them, and endeavor to pacify the rage they were in. But
Moses and Aaron fell on the ground, and besought God, not for
their own deliverance, but that he would put a stop to what the
people were unwarily doing, and would bring their minds to a
quiet temper, which were now disordered by their present passion.
The cloud also did now appear, and stood over the tabernacle, and
declared to them the presence of God to be there.
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