Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-11

Time Probably. about April i. 1451 b.
:. The end of the fourteenth year of ...c
r1odus.
Placc.-The camp Of ...e 1sraelites was
IN The east side Of the Jordan river. oppo-
lite the walled city of Jericho. which was
about seven miles distant from the bank
Of the otner side. At This place the Jor-
Dan is ordinarily about ninety feet in
width and very shallow But in the
springtime ii overflows its regular bed
- gUG spreads out over The plains on either
side and becomes a swift. turbulent.
muddy. and very wide stream. The word
Jordan means 'Dcscender" The Jor-
dan is 100 miles long. Its waters at GER
fain seasons descend very Tapidly--forty
feet to the mile near the Lake OF Galilec
4 traveller found the Jordan at me fords
whore the Israelltes crossed on March
I'd. rushing along like a mill-race, and
though It had fallen from its greatest
height. the proper banks of the channel
were invisible, and indicated only by lines
OF oleanders and other shrubs and trees"
FACTS OF THE LESSON.
Central Theme: Gods help across the
waters.
Golden Text: when thou passeth
through the waters l will be with thee:
and through the rivers they shall not
overflow thee" Isaiah xiii, g.
And Joshua said unto the children OF
Israel: Come flirller, aI,d hear the words
OF Jehovah. your Cod And Joshua said:
Hereby We shall know that the living
God. is among you. and that he viii,
without fail. drive out from YOU the
Canaanite. Behold. the ark of the
covenant Of the Lord of all the earth
passeth over before you into the Jordan.
Now. therefore take YOU twelve men out
If the tribes OF Israel for every tribe q
man, ana it shall come TO pass, when the
soles OF the feet Of the priests that bear
The ark OF Jehovah, the Lord Of all the
earth. shall rest in the waters of the Jor-
dan, that the waters of the Jordan shall
he cut off, even the waters that come
down from above, and they shall stand in
one heap" And it came to pass, when
the people removed from their tents. TO
pass over the Jordan, the priests that
hare the ark OF the covenant being before |
The people, and when they that bare the |
ark We're come into the Jordan, and the |
feet OF the priests that bare The ark |
We're dipped in the brink of the water !
Gor the Jordan overfioweth all its banks |
all the time OF harVeSf), mat the waters !
which come down from above stood. and |
rose up in one heap, great way off, al |
Adam, the city that is beside Zaretilan, |
ana J2DSe lildi Went Gown toward the sea
II Arabah even the Salt Sea, were Who'll |
j. cut OIL and the people passed over /
right against Jericho. And the priests /
that bare the ark Of the covenant of Jefo- /
Yah stood firm on dry ground in the |
midst of The Jordan, and all Israel passed
over on dry ground, until all the nation
We're passed clear over the Jordan.
CROSSING BOUNDARY LINES.
The Jordan was the dividing line be-
-grl ha of lNe lid Of
wanderings. and the land OF rest, peace,
and real possession. All the past striv-
ingS, hardships, discipline and knowledge
OF this pilgrim nation would have been a
failure if this boundary Ane had not been
crossed. The Israelites We're at the gates
Of The new kingdom. They We're under a
moral necessity Of entering. or all their
past history of suffering and e~ucation
would have been lost. Men are under the
moral necessity Of making their past eN-
perienceS whatever they he. whether
wretched or noble, sad or triumphant a
success, hg entering into greater ana
higher conditions or kingdoms. All our
opportunities and privileges may be
thrown away al the very goal of victory
if We do not press forward toward a
higher development and possession. The
Nautilus forms new chamber in its
shell each year and presses into ii and
closes the old cell behind ii, and at last
leaves its empty shell behind entirely on
The seaShore. so should it be with men,
leaving at last the earthly life entirely
behind TO enter the efavenly life of
eternity 10 spend it il the presence OF
GOO. Ever upward and onward should
ne the career of all men A Jordan flows
Hetween US and every best good of life
lew life, usefulness. education higher
pheres, holiness, loneliness Of character!
Ne must step across such lines, such