ed them all; His presence filled the Tabernacle, He fat upon the Mercy Seat, authorifing their ftay, and in a bright cloud, majestically rofe, and became vifible above the Tent, when Mofes and his People, were to march forwards, under the fafe guidance and protection of God; did his People rebel, peftilence or devouring flames confumed the murmurers, or an earthquake swallowed them up; one, encircled in the higheft dignities, for unjust reflections on Moses and his family, walked from the Camp a loathfome Leper, difgracefully polluted and forlorn; did they encounter with powerful enemies, He fought their battles, the Lord of their Hofs, the God of the Army's of Mofes; a wife and able Tutor, he employed his life in inftructing them, divefting his People of prejudice, and training them up for the Promised Land; at its borders only, Mofes arrived, God here informed him he should die; undisturbed by the fummons, with fortitude and zeal, he kept handing down the laws of life, explaining its duties, and enforcing his precepts, By found of trumpet, Mofes proclaimed his fucceffor, presented him himself to Eleazar, and after a tender greeting, and moft affectionate leave at the foot of the Mount, he afcended the hill, was permitted only a bare fight of Ganaan, after

which

which Mofes died. Thus he lived with God on earth, and was fo peaceably taken home.

A character of fuch glorious pre-emience and unwearied affiduity for the public good, will be revered, highly honored and beloved for ever.

Ifrael wept for Mofes, on the plains of Moab thirty days, and there arofe no Prophet fince in Ifrael, like to Mofes, whom God knew face to. face:

ESSAY

ESSAY

V.

I

ON THE BOOK OF

OSH U A.

OSHUA, this diftinguished Hero and highly' celebrated General, was the Son of Nun, and appointed by God, fucceffor to Mofe's; Head Leader and Chief over Ifrael: and was again by found of trumpet proclaimed throughout the Camp, on the plains of Moab, his new territories and acquifition.

After a speech of Jofhua's, in which he officially informed the Ifraelites of the intended divifion of the Land of Canaan among the Twelve Tribes, and particularized the Lands allotted to Reuben and Gad, and to one half of the Tribe of Manaffeh, not only the Heads of these Tribes, but the Elders and Leaders of all the People,

eagerly

eagerly concurring with the divine appointment, came up in a body to Jofhua, and fwore allegiance to him.

"We folemnly engage to pay the fame Ou "dience to thee, we paid to Mofes :-God bless " and profper thee, as He did Moses."

Joshua had lived high in the esteem of his Commander, and he was raverenced and beloved by the People. He had long been Head, General and Chief over all the Forces of Ifrael; and he was one of the twelve deputed by Mofes to examine the Promised Land as to its foil, fruitfulness, inhabitants, and fortifications; the report he made, widely differed from the report given in by ten out of the twelve, fent on the fame embaffy, and it gained him much credit and the confidence and refpect of his Commander.

During almost all the journey and wanderings in the Wilderness, Joshua had been trained up by Mofes, an eye-witnefs to the wonderful works God had wrought for Ifrael, and he had been inftructed in the genius and difpofition of the People, the land and its inhabitants, which he was now preparing to enter with his very numerous hoft, and of which he had already given in a faith

T

a faithful detail and account recorded in their regifter: Thus Joshua feemed highly qualified for the important and very interefting duties and honoure allotted him.

Well apprised of the many difficulties and dangers before him, under fo very arduous an undertaking, nothing could have fupported Joshua but reliance on God, and he now received more and very express and figual promifes of divine protection and affiftance; the most animating encouragement, directions and affurances of conqueft:

"As I was with Mofes, fo will I be with thee; "be ftrong, be of good courage, fear not, nor "be thou difmayed, the Lord thy God is with thee whitherfoever thou goeft."

The original edict was, " From the Wilder-, «<< nefs and this Lebanon, even unto the great "river, the river Euphrates, all the Land of the "Hittites, and unto the great Sea, towards the going down of the Sun fhall be your coaft; every place between that, and which the fole of your foot fhall tread on, that have I given unto you."

At the death of Mofes, the Ifraelites were encamped at Shittim, on the banks of the river Jordan,