Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-08-22

Lesson for August 20. es
Golden Text-Whcn thou passeth
through the winters, will be with thee. =
lisa. 43: 2.
! The lesson this week il found III Joshua
3: GIT. We have come to the crossing
Of Jordan. Is 1t not typical of many a.
| passage In these lives of.ours? There are
| Jordans of loss, Jordans of difficulty, Jor-l
dams of bereavement, and the last great
Jordan of death. 1t represents not the
end of things, but the beginning. And SO
the major reference here IL not to the
final laying down of life's burdens mt the
grave but rather the taking up of the
cross at conversion. And to many it sug-
gests that marked time in Christian cx-
| perience, not always coincident with the
first glimpse of Jesus, when with tho
total conservation Of body, soul and spirit
to God, there comes a new apprehension
of the work and new strength for it's
| performance Let ms all find encourage
ment for the way, and face toward duty
with the certain expectation of victory
through grace. Beautiful land of Gods
promise, land flowing with milk and
honey.
"Sanctify yourselves" 1t Is the way
to prepare for all great ordeals. Get
near to God. Tomorrow the Lord will
| do wonders among you." He will If we
let Him. God is waiting still for a sane
| tilted people in order that he may do
wonders among them. His mighty power
is but days march distant.
'Tbe waters which came down from
above stood and rose up" The how we
know little about. the fact only is plain.
There was some way a damming up of
| the waters above, naturally the waters
below flowing away to the sea. There in
the midst passage for Israel. That is
what God promised. Leave means and
measures to the miracle making God, was
simply to obey the plain directions and
fulfil the simple conditions. This done in
humble trust, 10, the mighty hand of our
God opening the way.
"And the people passed over right
against Jericho" They were facing
| work. Right beyond as they made the
Jordan passage was city to be taken,
and it fronted them as they lifted their
feet from Jordan. AS we cross our Jor-
dams of conservation it is always toward
some Jericho to be taken, or some Canaan
to be won; 1t is always the beginning Of
| conquest.
''Then let my soul march boldly on.
Press forward to the heavenly gate;
There peace and joy eternal reign,
And glttering robes for conquerors
wait"
Hints and illustrations.
Let Joshua have the lead. At all Jor-
| dams there are two voices crying. one in
faith, the other in doubt; one bidding on,
the other calling back; one of the spirit,
| the other of the flesh. Hear the voice of
Joshua. His name means deliverance,
| the Jesus Of the Old Testament. Forty
years before Joshua had sought hear
ing. He will bring us into the land, y,
| he was saying, "and give it tous. A land
which fOweth with milk and honey, only
rebel not We against the Lord" Then
they turned from him and to discontinue
and death. Now they hear him, heed
him, and go on to victory. Let the men
Of Joshua to-day keep lifting the voice in
Christ's name. You are needed, brethren.
Keep on; some time the people will heed
and God will be glorified. Have courage.
The story of the Jordan passage is a
stirring one to us all. Let it's graphic
details be brought out. Imagine one Of
the company watching the preparations
from the midst of the families of Israel,
perhaps a child, and describing the events
the thronging multitude on the banks,
the formation of the procession, the sum-
mons to move, the receding waters, the
lifting of the foot dry-shod on the other
shore. 1t all lends itself very readily to
graphic and forceful delineation. Keep
this red-letter day in the history of Israel
clear and strong in mind and heart.
Trust God. See here what marvels
God can do among his people when faith
and obedience give hin sway. Forty years
before the people were brought up to this
same opportunity. But they were not
| equal to it. Fear and unfaith held clam
orous control, and Israel went stumbling
back into the wilderness. But new
generation is now at the front, and a new
spirit is in the ascendency. That spirit,
the spirit Of trust, God uses to his glory
| and to the advancement of Israel. 1t is
what he waits for still, n loyal, acquies-
cent people. Among them and with them
He will work wonders. Give him leave.
Gods sovereignty always means goodness
to those who trust Him.
In crossing the Jordan Israel kept the
ark well in view. "When We see the ark"
| Joshua said, remove from your place
and go after it," and they were to leave
"a space" between in order that they
might know ''the way by which We must
CO." The Bible is the ark which enshrines
for us the wish and will of God. Keep it
in sight Come not irreverently nigh it as
mere earthly thing. Leave enough
space that it may ever point the way eff
fectivsly. Walk, near enough, yet not too
near. Watch and pray. Tread softly,
carefully after the ark. rejoicing with
trembling. Follow the Book, set the eye
upon it, make il lamp to the feet and light
to the path. "My brethren and sisters"
said the converted heather, "this is my
resolve: the dust shall never cover my
Bible; the moths shall never eat it.: the
mildew shall never rot tiny light and
my joyv' Jordans were not OBTAINING
| him.
Christ Himself is the great high priest
who goes before us at all the Jordan cross
ings. His footsteps we see for lie is
touched with feeling of our infrmities,
and He was tempted in all points like ms
we are, yet without sin. His victory also
we see, for the waves have fled at the
touch of His feet, and He has already
crossed the foods ''the captain of our
salvation, perfect through suffering"
Lord, we follow on after thee; in every
thing Thou art perfect. Gotthold speaks
thus: For my part, my soul is like a
hungry and thirsty child, and i need His