better understanding of our repeated allusions. The history of the Israelites is thus, in a wonderful manner, the history of the human heart. We shall ever find in it, the more we study it, something new and instructive of our own soul-experience, and may forever take warning of their troubles. How much is contained, for instance, even in the length and time of their journey! It was but about three hundred miles, straight across, from Egypt to the Promised Land. And it might have been travelled in a few weeks at most, on foot; but they made of it some thousand or fifteen hundred miles; and by tarryings, difficulties, and rebellions by the way, consumed about forty years in the jour

ney.

So it is in the regenerating life. But it should be remarked here, that there is no absolute necessity for all this trouble. There is an impression with many, that the regenerating life is of necessity a hard, long, up-hill work. It is more or less so, on account of the depth and extent of hereditary evil. But it need not be so much so. It is only our wilful sins and rebellions that make it the hard, intractable thing that it is. The work of regeneration might be more felicitous and easy. How many, through their unfaithfulness, have been many years. in gaining that for which, in a more orderly procedure, and by submission and obedience, a much shorter time would have been sufficient! How much ground may a man lose in the divine life by one act of unfaithfulness or transgression!

And as to the variety of the life thus experienced, this also is foreshadowed in the journey of the Israelites. How often, for example, does it occur to us, that we find ourselves in places or states, precisely such as they were wont to pass through and encamp in, and how often is the course of our life interrupted by some new trial or trouble analogous to the experience of this mystical journey! Thus, sometimes they came into straits and troublesome ways, as at Pihahiroth (Exod. 14: 2, 3, 10); sometimes into large and ample room, as at the plains of Moab; sometimes to places of hunger and thirst, as at Rephidim and

Kadesh (Exod. 17; Num. 20: 1, 2, 11); sometimes to places of refreshing, as at Elim and Béer (Exod. 15: 27; Num. 21:16); sometimes where they had wars, as at Rephidim and Edrei (Exod. 17; Num. 21: 33); sometimes where they had rest, as at Mount Sinai; sometimes they went right forward, as from Sinai to Kadesh; sometimes they turned backward, as from Kadesh to the Red Sea; sometimes they came to mountains, sometimes to valleys, sometimes to places of bitterness, as Marah (Exod. 15: 23); sometimes of sweetness, as Mithka.* And thus it is in the regenerating life. We pass through every variety of experience, and at the end of each state, something is completed in the character of the soul which could not have been done on the straight road to that which was near; that is, in a hasty or less thorough manner. There are no short cuts no avoiding of any of the ground to be gone over; we must travel the whole distance which our evils and imperfections. have made necessary; and thus it is that we are to "remember all the way which the Lord our God leads us these forty years in the wilderness, to humble us, and to prove us, and to know what is in the heart, to prove us, and do us good in the end." (Deut. 8: 2, 16.)

But the most singular turn in all this wonderful journey is that which the Israelites took from Kadesh-Barnea, near the South-western border of Canaan, out towards Eziongaber, on the shore of the Red Sea. After travelling perhaps five hundred or a thousand miles, in many irregularities, and arriving within about one hundred from Canaan, near the very borders of the promised land, they then take a turn directly out and down from their main course, coming again into the wilderness, by the way of the Red Sea. And then, after much wandering and crossing, they have to travel all that distance back again, coming to the same, or nearly the same, place from which they turned out. There are several different maps of this journey, none of which are probably correct in all points, but they all,

* See a note in A. Clarke's Commentary, at end of Num. 33.

as made out from the Scripture history, represent this turning as among the most conspicuous and wonderful of the whole travel. What, now, does it mean? Whence this sudden and retrograde movement for so long and wearisome a distance, after nearing the very precincts of the promised land, and the necessity of going over so much of the same, or nearly the same, ground again? We may be sure that the Divine Providence is most instructive here, and that it is not without a deep significance in the course of the regenerate life.

Be it observed, then, that the place of this turn-out, called Kadesh, and sometimes Kadesh-Barnea, the latter term signifying the wandering son, was distinguished for contentions about truths. It is thus spoken of in Ezekiel, where the borders of the Holy Land are described. "And the South side, Southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh." (47: 19.) It was at Kadesh also where Moses struck the Rock, as before in Horeb, from which came forth waters which were called Meribah, by reason of the contention and strife there. (Num. 20: 1-11.) In like manner it was at Kadesh that the spies were sent forth to the land of Canaan, and to which they returned, and where they murmured and made a strife, not being willing to enter the land. Their story was that it was a land flowing with milk and honey, nevertheless the people were strong who dwelt there, that the cities were walled and very great, and what frightened them more than any thing else was, they saw the children of Anak there. (Num. 13: 27-29.) So gigantic and formidable did all this appear, that they were discouraged from entering into it; and for all their murmurings they were commanded by the Lord to turn back into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. (Num. 14: 25.) By this is represented the exceeding greatness of the evils and falsities of the natural mind, which, at certain stages of the regenerate life, appear so great and formidable, that the spiritual principle is discouraged and falls backward, not having fortitude to go on any further. And this,

frequently, is because truths have the predominance,— because truths are not sufficiently united to their kindred goods. By the aid of such truth, however, we are frequently enabled to see our evils more fully and clearly, and they frequently rise up before us in all the gigantic proportions of the Anakims of old. "A people great and tall- who can stand before the

children of Anak?" (Deut. 9: 2.)

Now, it was at this place. at Kadesh-Barnea, that the children of Israel turned out from their track so strangely, and took almost a direct downward course, for a long distance, coming again into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. What does it signify, but that, in our onward spiritual course, next to absolute sinning and profanation, there is no danger so great as the danger of going too fast? not too fast if it is really a progress in goodness, but too fast in one directionin the direction of mere truth. This, in fact, is that way of the Philistines which is near, or which is first and most easily arrived at; Kadesh-Barnea was situated near the land of the Philistines; the Divine Providence had assigned them this locality for the sake of the interior sense; and the Philistines, we may all know, signify faith separate from charity, or mere truth in the understanding without good in the will. That such is the signification is evident from the character given to the Philistines wherever they are spoken of in the Word. Thus in Jeremiah, the Prophet is directed to speak against the Philistines, of the waters that rise up out of the North, an overflowing flood, which should destroy the land, the city, and all that dwell therein. (47: 1, 2.) That is, a flood of falsity which should destroy all truth and good. It is also apparent from the wars which the sons of Israel had so frequently with the Philistines, and the subjugation of the former by the latter. They are also called the "uncircumcised" and unclean.

But now, this is not only true of the people originally spoken of thus historically, but of every man, when he comes into the commencement of the regenerate life. There is a spiritual Philistea which is always nearest. It is comparatively

a short cut from the Egypt of the natural mind to mere truth in the understanding. And many, on looking out upon the journey before them, would be strongly tempted to go that way. Who would think of going the other way—the long, fatiguing, circuitous route which the Israelites took? But it becomes a necessary route to nearly all who would reach the heavenly state. The nearest is always attended with most danger. It is comparatively easy to furnish the understanding with truth. There is a certain sublimity connected with spiritual truths, a feeling of elation and superiority, which is refreshing to indulge in, and which makes even controversy a matter of chief delight. The good of charity is very likely to be overlooked in a warfare and division about truths. These are our spiritual Philistines, in the Kadesh-Barnea of the soul. Hence it was that when the Israelites arrived here, they were brought into grievous temptations, fell into strife and contention among themselves, and had to turn directly out and down from their course to a far-off region by the Red Sea!

Thus it is ever with man. It is especially so with those who are most enlightened in spiritual things, and who will compose that more glorious church of the future, which will be known as the "New Jerusalem." I speak not here of any sectarian or ecclesiastical establishments, but of all those, wherever they may be, who will see the light which is soon to dawn more fully upon the world, and who will come into distinct spiritual associations. The people of this church will be more exposed to spiritual temptations, from the very plane of life and thought they will be in. And by the aid of so much truth, and so many fine discriminations, they will be able to see the promised land, as it was seen by the spies, and almost entered upon by the Israelites at Kadesh. The spiritual understanding can do a great deal in this matter. But oh! how much harder it is to practise ! -to be fully true to our own ideal! And what a danger there is of mistaking our own ideal for our own state!

And now let us note another remarkable fact in this experi