The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-10-20

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the present.
YIME-April b. C. 1881. Tenth of Nissan.
PnAcE-The fords Of Jordan. And Gilgal,
Q place now called Jiljulich, about three
miles southeast Of Jericho, and four and one
half miles from the Jordan. Nearit is a beau
tiful fountain known as the Sultan's spring.
CIRcUMsTANCEs-This lesson is contlnu-
alton of the last, beginning with review,
and then proceeding with the story till the
poople are safely settled in Gilgal, their first
encampment in Canaan.
Heirs OVER HARD PLAcEs-l0. Stood IN tho
midst of Jordan: 1900 cubits above the cross
ing-place Of the people. HdSted: not so
much from fear as from desire to actually
take possession of the land so long sought.
~ Passed oper armed: |. e., only the soldiers,
IN aid their brethren in battle. IL. About
$4,000: their whole number of men tit for
war was about 10000 compute from Mum.
20: z, Is, 34). The others remained behind
TO protect the families and possessions on
the east of Jordan. 10. First month! Abb,
called also Nissan, comprising. parts OF our
March and April. 90 Tweirs stones: brought
I'D by twelve men, one from each tribe,
from the place where the priests stood firm
in Jordan %: l2: 4 81. Pach set up, prob
ably on some hill OF mound. "a Au the peo-
ple of the earth might k,losD: the Israelites did
not receive all these blessings for them
selves alone, but for the world The me-
mortal was an invitation to all to come and
trust and serve God. The hand: the in
strument of action and. of power-God's
power.
TIE USE OF MEMoRIALs-They are to keep
great truths in mind vivid and fresh and
free from the fluctuations OF opinion and
speculation. They arc 10 bring the great
truths of the past into the life OF the pres
ent; so that whatever progress may be
made that which is best in the past will
neyer be lost or forgotten. They are proofs
Of the past, irrefrsgabls testimony to the
great facts Of Christianity. They are pub
lie and unceasinS testimony to the word
about God and Christ and the Gospel
Eyerywhere their voice is heard They are
an easy occasion and method Of teaching
the great truths Of religion.
MopBRN MEMoRIALs-It is good for US to
keep memorial days, @ the days Of the
Christian year; and memorial days as
Fourth Of July, Thanksgiving, Decoration
Day; and personal days, as birthdays, mar
riage anniversaries and the like. Libraries,
schools, colleges, churches, hospitals, or
special portions Of them, are worthy me-
MORALS of Gods great acts of favor and
mercy to us.
CoMMHNTs-While the people were cross
ing the river, the priests were to stand In
their places, thus giving the people conf
dence that the waters would not return to
their course too soon. But as soon as all
had CROSSED, the priests came up out Of the
bed of the river, and when they were safe
on the banks, the waters returned to their
old channel, and the Jordan rolled on as be-
fore. In accordance with the command Of
God, twelve men had been selected to take
I'D twelve stones out Of the bed of the river,
80 that they might be made into memorial
pile on the dry land. This they did, and
with them a monument was built, which
might bear witness TO after generations
that God had wrought notable miracle in
behalf of His people.
The cities of the old world are full Of
monuments 10 red to commemorate some
great national event. In our land we have
comparatively few such, but nearly every
child has heard of Bunker Hill Monument
or of the Washington monument at
our National capital Ask them what
these structures are for. They are to per-
ual or event We do well to erect such
things provided the individual or event is
worthy of being remembered. And if, in
tho remembrance, we are careful to give
the glory to God, who has given US tho
blessing we thus record, 1t can only have a
good influence over our lives. This is why
the Psalmist 50 often bids his hearers not
to forget the mercies Of the Lord. Men
20 do mat t,hil la
they are very sure to remember all the evil
things they have had to endure. In this
way there are many people who think that
they have very few blessings and very
many hardships. The trouble with them is
that they forget the one and remember the
other. We are too much like Israel in this
respect. They remembered the few
Marahs, but forgot the daily feeding that
they had enjoyed for those full forty years.
They were keenly alive to the fact that they
had now and then TO endure some discom-
fort, but they forgot the fact that all the
way through the wilderness their shoes had
not waxed old, nor their garments given
way. Yet in spite of all these blessings, no
sooner did any small cloud of adversely
arise than they began 70 murmur, forgetful
of all that the Lord had done for them And
Is 10 not very luuCu So Will U.S. NDll tNPU,
like them, it will be well for us to erect
stones of memorial.
How may we do thisl We may do this by
q proper use of our memories. The Bible is
full of injunctions to remember. Before he
parted from them, Moses had charged the
Israelites to remember various things. If
they were tempted to be proud at any time,
they were to remember that thou vast
servant in Egypt" Deut. 5:l5). If at any
time temptation arose to doubt the power
of God to deliver them, they were hidden to
remember well what the Lord thy God did
do to Pharaoh Deut 7:lS). Or if, at some
other time, they thought too well Of them
selves, they were to remember and forget
not how thou provokedst the Lord thy God
in tho wilderness" Deut. go. In these
ways, if they made proper use of their
memories, they would be helped to avoid
the temptations that were sure TO assail
them in their earthly experiences. In the
same way, if we will only use our memories,
we shall escape from many temptation
that otherwise viii surely overcome u.s.
REQ a 3. Schducser.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
l. We should haste to come to the full re-
ception Of Gods promises and blessings.
q We should take care TO remember the
acts of mercy the Lord has done for US and