The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-12-07

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still they did not appear. And a. ths
people waited there by The swo,las
waters they wondered whether tha,-
brethren would lail them. and hov
they were to cross over that strong
water.
It must be that Joshua would ,e.x
them across, for the night before "a
had sent word through the camp til,
ing the people to sanctify themselves
and declaring that on the morrow tha
Lord would do wonders among them
And that morning in eager expectancy
: the people had come forth from their
> tents, but the river was still there
and their brethren, the Reubenites
and Gadites and the men from Man.
| asseh had not yet come, and how
! then, were they to cross Jordan ana
I gain the Promised Land? Troubled
\ and anxious they set about the morn.
/ ing task Of gathering the mamma, but
scarcely had they finished, when mes.
/ sengers came from Joshua, saying.
When We see the ark Of the COW.
[ enant OF the Lord your God, and the
\ priests the Levites bearing it, then Va
I shall remove from your place, and 20
! after it."
! But the river?" the people OK.
claimed, ''and the armed men of the
I tribes of Reuben and Cad and Man.
asseh have not come. Is they prom.
I ised."
/ But the messenger had departed IN
! haste even while they were making
! their complaint, and ~wonderingly, but
obediently, the people struck their
tents and prepared for the onward
march.
In the meantime there was a test.
ing time going on for the men OF the
tribes of Reuben and Cad and Man.
asseh, to whom the call had come to
leave their families and their posses
sions and go before their brethren to
help them gain possession of the land
on the other side Jordan. God had
blessed them, and given them rest In
a goodly land. They must show their
gratitude by helping their brethren
IA NV hhidCl uDh VI WlLulu6 DOSSeS-
sion of their Inheritance. They must
leave their possessions, even while
they were just beginning to enjoy
them. They must give up their rest
which was SO sweet after the long
weary years Of wandering. But they
would do 1t because they had prom
ised. While any of their brethren
were still without the borders Of the
land God had promised to give them
they could not enjoy their own inher-
itance. Nay, the permanency of their
own possessions must depend upon
their brethren taking possession Of
the land as Moses had parceled 1t out.
Thus during those three days did they
purpose to loyalty support Joshua.
And on that third day while the
people waited by Jordan's brink with
their fiocks and their little ones I'M
til the priests should set forth bearing
the ark Of the covenant they babe their
wives and their little ones good-by,
and turning their backs upon their
own possessions they set their faces
steadfastly in helping their brethren
In obtaining the rest into which they
had already come.
The bugle note had sounded and the
people see the priests lift the ark
and start towards the rivers brink.
And as they watch in awe and wonder,
the waters suddenly stand upon q
heap and those below the place where
the feet of the priests have touched
flow on revealing the bed of the river.
On move the priests until the center
of the river is reached, where they
pause.
So absorbed have the people been
in watching this miraculous dividing
of the waters that they did not OBJ
serve the commotion in the camp in
their rear, but now as the priests
pause in the center Of the river, there
marches forth the long columns of the
Reubenites and their brethren, armed
and ready for war. Forty thousand Of
them, and the foremost lines have
reached the opposite bank of tho
stream over against Jericho before the
hindmost mai with his spear and his
shield has gone down into the dry
bed of the stream.
There are times when the Joy and
gratitude of the heart are so intense
that the lips are dumb and the voice
hushed before realization Of the great
blessing which has come into the life.
There We're the great multitudes Of
the children of Israel watching those
mighty waters Of the Jordan rolling
apart and opening a highway by
which their feet might gain the Prom
ised Land; there were the armed
forces of their brethren going before
them into the land as token of the
help which was to be given them In
conquering the land. But no shout
Of triumph was raised, no voice gave
expression to the gladness which
surged within the breasts Of those
waiting multitudes.
Where now were their doubts and
fears? Where now were their mur-
murings? Swept like chaff before the
mighty wind of Gods triumphant pow
er. There was the ark Of his coven-
ant In the midst Of Jordan as pledge
OF security as they should pass under
that vast wall Of water piling up above
the point where the priests stood.
There were their brethren the Reu-
benites and the Gadites and the men
OF Manasseh standing upon the far
side OF Jordan.
With glad, eager steps, but with the
solemn hush which comea srnm