As we well know, the wilderness was the place of trial; and trial, whether for Israel or God's people in general, means the bringing out of weakness, sin, and failure on our part, and at the same time the manifestation of strength, holiness, and patience on God's part. It is affecting and precious to see at the close of the journey, after years of unbelief and sin on the part of Israel, the futile effort of the enemy to bring a curse upon them. As we recall our own experience, with more of folly and failure in it, perhaps, than any thing else, what a comfort it is to hear the prophet (willing enough to curse,) compelled to say, "How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed ?" " He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel." In the light of that, we boldly lift up our head and say, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?" Yes, with the history of murmurings, golden-calf apostasy, the great refusal at Kadesh, Korah's assumption, and the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram, to say nothing of the failure of the leader (Moses), the priest (Aaron), and the prophetess (Miriam),-with all this behind them, and with the defilement of Baal Peor just in front of them, when the enemy accuses and would bring a curse, grace answers as we have seen. How this sweeps away at once all question as to the believer's eternal security in Christ, magnifying the perfect grace of God, the value of the blood of Christ, and the work of the Spirit, while at the same time God's holiness is none the less seen in the many chastenings visited upon His erring people ! " Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though Thou tookest vengeance of their inventions." (Ps. 99:8.) It is at this latter truth-God's ways of holiness-that we would look a little, as suggested by a comparison of the numbers in the various tribes at the beginning and at the close of their wilderness journey, seen in Num. 1:and 26:Here not less than elsewhere numbers are significant, indicating prosperity (Gen. 48:19) and strength (Luke 14:31).

Reuben (Num. 1:20 ; 26:5) heads the list,-the firstborn, and therefore entitled, according to nature, to the leadership; but because of sin, he was not to have the excellency. In these forty years' wanderings, his numbers dwindle,-at the close, we see him weaker than at the beginning. Looking at his history for a reason for this, we come to the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram, who were of this tribe (Num. 16:i). Desiring to be leaders, under pretense of claiming their rights for the people, they rebel against God's authority in Moses, turn back in heart to Egypt, and murmur at the trials of the way. Swift judgment overtakes them,-the earth opens and swallows them up, but the leaven of their example spreads among the people, and rebellion is only checked when fourteen thousand are slain by the plague. (Num. 16:49.) How many, like these children of Reuben, rebel against God's authority, in pure self-will, and murmur at the trials of the way, only to weaken themselves and their brethren, finding that, instead of being exalted by their independence, they have become abased !

In looking at Simeon, we are struck with the shrinkage from fifty-nine thousand three hundred to twenty-two thousand two hundred,-his strength but little more than one-third of what he had at the start, and we cannot help remembering that it was a prince of this tribe who was the leading offender at Baal Peor, upon whom also judgment was summarily executed (Num. 25:8); and doubtless his brethren (5:6) who were sharers in his sin partook also of his judgment, leaving Simeon's ranks woefully depleted. But what was this sin that wrought such havoc? What Balak's efforts at cursing could not effect, mixture with the Midianites did, in measure. Rebellion, the sin of Reuben, does not leave the tribe so weak as mingling with strange people does Simeon. How many, alas ! of God's people have proven, as Simeon did here, that mixture with the world saps their strength and destroys their spiritual prosperity ! It is the Pergamos state of the Church-marriage with the world, and is so described in Rev. 2:Then, too, as though in solemn warning, it was at the close of the journey that Simeon thus sinned, and there was no time for recovery. Like Solomon afterward, and Lot before, the last thing mentioned is the sin, and their lamp (of testimony) goes out in obscure darkness. David failed grievously, but there was a good measure of recovery (though he bore his scars to the grave). Let us beware of the first symptoms of coldness or worldliness, lest we too, like Simeon, find our last days here blighted by irremediable failure.

Gad also shows a weakening at the close. His outward history shows no reason for this, unless his close connection with Reuben and Simeon (Num. 2:10-16) made him a sharer in their sin and judgment. Association with evil workers, even where one outwardly is not a partaker, has a weakening effect. How we can see this all around !-a repetition of Jonathan,-upright himself, yet linked with the house of Saul. Many of God's people are growing weaker, through ecclesiastical business, social or family relationships with those who drag them into worldliness.

Secret causes sap the strength of Naphtali, and he comes out of the course weaker by eight thousand men than when he entered it. With nothing unusual laid to his charge, he has gone backward. Let us beware lest some " little foxes " spoil our vines,-lest, while outwardly blameless-with nothing positive in our conduct to be condemned as in Reuben, or in our associations as Gad, we may show even greater deterioration than either. It is loss of first love, even where there are abundant works, which brings such weakness.

Fruitful Ephraim seems to contradict his name, loosing eight thousand men. It is one thing to have a name by grace, quite another to prove it in our walk.

But this catalogue has also a bright side..Warnings alone might discourage us. Besides, it is not true that the wilderness is a place that only weakens :on the contrary, rightly gone through, the strength is renewed- "thy pound hath gained ten pounds." There is Judah, who gains nearly two thousand in those forty years of trial. Did Caleb's faith stimulate them all? (Joshua was not perhaps so closely identified with Ephraim, though of that tribe, being the companion of Moses-Ex. 33:II.) Jonathan, and David, and a host of others, show what the faith of one man can do in encouraging others. Companionship with a man of faith is helpful; unless, like Lot, we lean on him, instead of imitating his faith. Caleb, at the close of his journey, could say (Josh. 14:II), "As yet, I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me ; as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out and to come in." So the numbers of Judah speak of vigor undiminished. May it be so with us at the close. Issachar and Zebulun, in the same camp with Judah, can bear the same testimony-that the wilderness does not necessarily weaken. Even here there is a difference,-Issachar's increase of nearly ten thousand being much greater than that of Zebulun. Those who succeed, do so in various degrees.

Manasseh reverses Ephraim's experience, and is an illustration of the fact that " many that are first shall be last, and the last first."Many a sincere, quiet, plodding Christian, with nothing brilliant, will show at the close a brighter record than his brother who apparently had so much better prospects.

Dan, already large, increases; while Asher, from being one of the smaller tribes, takes his place with the largest. " Friend, come up higher" might be said of him.
What varied results, both of failure and success! and to be explained by various reasons. Here are indications of little failures and great ones, of small progress and astonishing progress. Can we not take these two catalogues, and seeing in them a picture for ourselves, learn the lesson ? God shows us that at the close, an examination will be made-"we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ." In these pictures, we can read the end from the beginning, and so be wise, and seek to gather daily gold, silver, precious stones, shunning all that would weaken us, and counting on that grace which bears us on eagle's wings.

"Though the way be long and dreary,'
Eagle strength He’ll still renew;
Garments fresh, and foot unweary,
Tell how God hath brought thee through."

S.R.