The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1906-12-15

the land which Moses gave you ON
this side Jordan; but We shall pass
before your brethren armed. all tho
mighty men Of valor, and help them;
until the Lord have given your breth-
rem rest as he hath given YOU"
And the Reubenites and the Cad
ties and half the tribe Of Manasseh
had promised that they would do even
as Moses had commanded, but the
first day had passed without their put
ting In an appearance, and then the
second and now the third day had
dawned. the day on which they were
to go into the Promised Land, and
still they did not appear. And as the
people waited there by the swollen
waters they wondered whether their
brethren would fail them, and how
they were to cross over.
It must be that Joshua would lead
them across, for the night before he
had sent word through the camp tell.
ing the people to sanctify themselves
and declaring that on the morrow tho
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 and
gain the Promised Land? Troubled
and anxious they set about the morn
ing task Of gathering the mama, but
scarcely had they finished, when mes
sengers came from Joshua. saying:
when we see the ark of the Gov.
enant of the Lord your God, and the
priests the Levites bearing 1t, then ye
shall remove from your place, and go
after it.
But the river?" the people ex.
claimed, "and the armed men Of the
tribes of Reuben and Cad and Man
asseh have not come. as they proms
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 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
In the harder task of winning posses
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 30 sweet after the long
weary years Of wandering. But they
would do II because they had prom
Used. 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 inner
itance Nay. the permanency of their
own possessions must depend upon
their brethren taking possession Of
the land as Moses had parceled It out.
Thus during those three days did they
purpose to Loyalty support Joshua
And on that third day while tho
people waited by Jordan's brink with
their focks and their little onos un-
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 tho
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 .
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 tho
Reubenites and their brethren, armec
and ready for war.
There are times when the Joy and
gratitude OF the heart arc SO intense
that the lips are dumb ana the voice
hushed before realization OF the great
blessing which has come Into the life
There were the great multstudes Of
the children of Israel watchia az those
mighty waters Of the Jordan rolling
apart and opening highway by
which their feet might gain the Prom
Used Land; there were the armed
forces Of their brethren going before
them into the land as token Of tho
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 muItitudes.
WHARF now woro THAR Acs,y,ta ana