L1 a.V f. The Searchers of [anaau. 879 A theirweakne!fe, then for themto efpie the llrength oftheir adverfJrics ~ When we meafure our fp~ritua!l fucce!Te by our owne power, we 3rt vanquifl1ed before we fight; He that would overcome,mull neither look upon his own lrme,nor the anne ofhis enemy,but themouth and handofhim that bath promifed,and can performe. Who are we Aefl1 and bloud, with our breath in our noflrils, that we lhould /ioht with Principalities, powers,fpirituall wickednetfes in heavenly places~ Themafch is too uneqtmll; we are not likeGrJ!hoppersto thefe Giants;when we compare our fdves with them,how c.<n we but defpairc<whtnwe comparethem withGod,how can we be difcouraged 1 He that bath brought us into this field, bath promifed us viCtory.God knew their llrength,erc he offered to commit us. Well might they have thought,Werenot theAmalekites llronger then we~were B not they armed, wenaked' Did not the onely hand of t.Mofts, by lifting up, beat themdown 1 Were notthe Algyptians no le!Teour mallers ~ Did not Death come running after us in their Chariot• ~ Did we not leave thefe buryed inthe Sea, the other unburied in thewildernelfe1 Whence had the Anakims their llrength,but from him that bids us goe up againfl them1 Why have the bodiesofour forefathers taken po!Teflionof theirHebron, but for us 1 But now, their fearehath not left them fo much reafon,as to compare their adverfaries with others,but onlywith themfdves: Doubtleffe,thefe Giantswere mighty,but their feare bath lhetched them out fome Cubits,beyond their ltature.Diflru!t makes our dangers greater,and our helps le!Te then they are,and forecalts ever worfe then/hall be; and ifevils be poflible,it makes them certJine. c Amongfl thofe twelveMeiTengers,whomourfecond Moj(s fentthorow the Land ofPromife,there was but one Iud,u: but among!t thofe twelve, which the former uut,s addreffed thorow the fame Land,there is but one ea/eh: and yetthof< were cho en out<>fthe meandl:,thefe out ofthe heads oflfrael.As therelsnofociety free from fome corruption: fo it is hard, if ina community ofmen, ther~ be not.f\Jme faithfulneffe. · We fl~all wrong God, ifwe feare le~ good caufes !hall be quite forfaken; he· knowes how to ferve himfelfofthe befl,ifthe fewe!t; and couldas eafily be artended with a multitude,ifhe did not feek his own glory,in unlikelihoods. IPjh11• was filent,and wifely fparedhis tongue fora further advantage;Glnly Caleb fpake I doe not heare him&y,Whoam I to ltrive with a multitude~ What can loD jh11• and I doe againlt ten Rulers 1 It is better to fit ltill,then to rife and fall : But he refolves to 1\vimmeagain/1: this ltreame,and will either drawftiends to the truth,or enemies upon himfelfe. True Chriflian fortitude teaches us not to regard the number,or quality ofthe opponems,but the eqoity ofthe caufe; and cares not to !tand alone, and challenoe all commers:and ifitcould beoppofed byasmanyworlds,as men,it may beoverborn, , but it cannot bedaunted: Whereas popularitycarries weak minds,nnd teaches them the fafety oferring with amultitude. Caieb f.1w the Giamly Anakims,and the walled Cities,as wdl as the relt;and yet he fayes, Let mgoe ttp andpoffiffi it : As ifit were no more, but to goe,and fee, and conquer. Faith is couragious, and makes nothing ofthofe dangers, wherewith oE thers are quailed. It is very materiall with what eyes we look upon all objeCls. Feare doth not more multiply evils,then faith diminilheth them ; 1vhich is therefore bold,bec•ufe either it fees not, or contemnes that terrour, which feare reprefents to the weake. Thereis none fo valbm as the belecver. · It had been happy for Ifrael, if CJ/ebs counfell had been as elfeCluall as good; Bu~ how eafily have thefe Rulers difcouraged a faim-hearred people ! In !lead of hftmg up theu enfignes,and marching towards Canaan ; they fit them downe, and hftuptheirvoyce and cry. Therodsoftheir Algyptian Task-ma!t~rs had never been fo litforthem, asno1v,forcrying. They had caufe indeed to weep for the fin oftheir infideli:f" but now they weep for feare ofthofe enemies they faw not. I feare 1f there ha beene ten Ca/chs to perfwade, and but two faint fpies to difFfff• courage ·-
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