The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-01-30
FOR Inc JeCl
SUNDAY READING.

The international Sunday School lessons
for January 18th and Gath, have, in my
Judgment, a particular interest at this time.
They include portions of the fourth and
fifth chapters of Josiah, and relate the
crossing of the Jordan, by the children of
Israel, into Palestine or the promised land,
the building of a memorial monument,
on the west bank, with twelve stones taken
from the bed of the river, and the prepare
ton for the full occupation and enjoyment
of the land which God had promised to
Abraham.
The doubt and indecision which had
heretofore characterized these people, and
which for forty years had kept them from
crossing into the land of Canaan, were now
at an end. They had boldly resolved at
last to leave the barren country, to rouse
themselves from their weakness and folly,
to give up the idle, aimless life which they
had been leading, to commit themselves
fully to Gods care, throw themselves Oh
His promises, and obey His command, to
matter what enimies might await them or
what obstacles oppose. Before them rolled
the Jordan, swollen far beyond its usual
width and depth by the harvest flood, and
the anguish of their soils must have been
great indeed, as they looked at the rushing
torrent and knew that across it was the
only way to the better and truer life they
had resolved to lead. Resolutely they had
gone down to the margin of the stream,
determined to brave all the peril, all the
pain, even destruction, sustained only by
their faith in God; and soon they see this
faith realized. The flood is pressed back
by an unseen omnlpotent hand and they
cross over, they and their wives and chill
dren, on dry ground.
Then comes the command of God, take
with you twelve stones from the bed of the
river and build a monument as a memorial
of your deliverance. You come down to
this river in great anguish of soul, during
all your passage you were oppressed with
the crushing fear that the powers which
held back the waters might be relaxed and
you be engufed, every step you took was
over doubts born of the circumstances
which surrounded you, the remembrance
of your past transgressions of my law
the proftless, selfish life you have been lv-
ing in violation Of my commands chung to
you like great burthen as you pressed
your way through this river, it is meet that
the remembrance of this occasion should
not pass away; take therefore from the
place where you struggled with this scr
row, anguish, and doubt-from the very
spot where you saw the ark Of the cove
nant which was to you the symbol of My
power and My intention to deliver you,-
something which shall be to you and your
children memorial of your determination
for new life and of My power and love.
And, when safe on the other side, these
people are not left to remain at ease EN- oy
ing the recollections of the past, but in
stantly commenced the prepar alton for the
conquest of the whole land, only the bor-
Joshua, their leader, is soon after met by
an angel who gives his name as "the Cap
ton of the Lords Host " and held "drawn
sword in his hand" thus giving these peo-
Pile to understand at the very outset that
their delverance was not the whole of the
new life, that God required nothing less
than the possession of the whole land
which he had promised them, and that this
was only to be obtained by conflict.
During the past few weeks many persons
in this community have determined to enter
upon new life. The spark of Divinity
which exists in every human soul has as
serted itself, and they have felt that life
/ having no higher object than mere personal
qualification was false life, utterly desti
tute of real happiness and constantly shad
owed by the consciousness that God could
not give his approval. With firm purpose
they have taken the only way to the bet
ter and truer life which lies through earn
est and sincere repentance, though anguish
of soul and deadly fear that mercy may
not longer stay the food of Divine Justice
pressed down by this weight of glief,
sustained only by the promise of God,s
mercy, they have step by step taken their
way amid darkness and doubts and finally
reached point where, by faith they real
ze that this is faithful "saying and
worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners.
Standing thus upon the verge Of this new,
true live. which shall furnish capabilities
for the highest emotl,.Is and faculties Of
the Cod like human soul, how many Of
THESE nave carried away from that season
of bitter anguish and sorrow of soul some
real experience, which shall be to them,