November 1

Joshua iii. -5. And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. 6. And Joshua spoke unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. 7. And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know, that as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. 8. And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. 9. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God. 10. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. 12. Now, therefore, take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

The last public act of Moses was a charge to Joshua, in sight of all Israel, to lead the people over Jordan, and put them in possession of the promised land. At the expiration of the thirty days of mourning for Moses, Joshua was summoned to this task by the voice of Jehovah. Having learned through spies sent to Jericho that the Canaanites were filled with terror of the threatened invasion, he made preparations for crossing the river in military order. As the current of the Jordan is strong, this was no easy matter; though there are shallows near Jericho which can be forded when the river is low. But it was now harvest-time; and at that season the melting of the snows on Lebanon causes the Jordan to rise rapidly, and to overflow its banks. This exigency was met by

13. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon a heap. 14. And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people. 15. And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest). 16. That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan; and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. 17. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

the direct intervention of God, who caused the running water to stop, and to pile back upon the channel above, so that this vast multitude passed over on dry ground. This miracle was a pledge, that, though Moses was dead, he who led their fathers through the Red Sea was still among them, the living God; and, in place of Moses and his rod, not Joshua and his sword, but the ark, should be the token of Jehovah's presence and power.

Jordan has become the hallowed and beautiful symbol of the river of death, with the heavenly Canaan beyond. At the end of life's pilgrimage, if our faith holds on, we shall see the waters divide before us; or, like Bunyan's pilgrim, shall behold the shining ones waiting at the brink to bear us across the river to the celestial city.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Whom have we in heaven but thee, O God! and there is none upon earth that we desire besides thee. Thus far, the Lord hath led us on. The ark of thy covenant hath gone before us, guiding our way, defending us from our enemies, and assuring us of thy presence and thy favor. Through all the journey of life thou hast watched over us with more than a father's care, and hast blessed us with more than a father's love. So do thou go with us still; ever guide, defend, and save us; and, when at last we shall come to the river of death, do thou, O Lord! divide the waters before us, and lead us unto thy rest.

Heavenly Father, we thank thee for another night of quiet and repose, and that we have been

Prayer.

[Nos. 14, 19, 34.

strengthened and refreshed for the duties of the returning day. Bless thou us, O God! and we shall be blessed. Ever make thy face to shine upon us. Lift up the light of thy countenance upon those whom we love, and upon thy whole Church. Bless all mankind. Pitifully look upon the poor, the tried, the tempted, the forsaken, the oppressed, and all the children of sorrow. Be very near to such as are drawing nigh to death.

And now, O our Father! grant that we, being made thy children by adoption and grace, may be kept by the power of thy Holy Spirit, and at last rise to the life immortal, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.