and then they went into the midst of it, as is implied, v. 17. 9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither to the ark, or tabernacle, the place of public assemblies, and hear the words of the LORD your God, and what he is about to do. 10 And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God [is] among you, you shall have sensible evidence that he is the living God, and not a dead idol, such as the heathen worship : and [that] he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Periz zites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebu11 sites, and thus fulfil the promises made to Abraham. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth passeth 12 over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man, to 13 be nearer witnesses of the miracle. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, who can dispose of the whole land, and manage the waters and rivers of it as he pleaseth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, [that] the waters of Jordan shall be cut off [from] the waters that come down from above: and they shall stand upon an heap, being as it were congealed, as the Red sea was, Exod. xv. 8. and so kept from overflowing the whole country.

14

And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of 15 the covenant before the people; And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest, that is, the barley harvest, which was in the first month, about the pass16 over,*) That the waters which came down from above stood [and] rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that [is] beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, [even] the salt sea, failed, [and] were cut off: 17 and the people passed over right against Jericho.† And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, not at all fearing that the mountains of water should fall down upon them, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

At this time the river was wider and deeper, owing to the melting of the snows on mount Lebanon, at the foot of which was the head of Jordan; by this means the river over. flowed its banks, so that the priests' feet could easily touch the waters, which they could not have done had the water been within its channel. Observe here the goodness of God in bringing them into Canaan at a time when it was furnished with all necessary provisions.

↑ Probably keeping about one thousand yards from the ark, which stood in the midst. It is strange the inhabitants of Jericho did not attempt to oppose their passage; but this was Owing to the same Providence that divided the waters.

In John i. 28. the place is called Bathabara, the house of passage, probably in mem ory of this event.

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REFLECTIONS.

ET us be willing to follow God wherever he leads us; Israel was to follow the ark, though they did not know what God would do. We have no ark to guide us; but we have the providence, the word, and the Spirit of God. We should submit to the divine word, though called to go through untrodden paths, or difficulties untried and unknown before. We have the presence of God with us, as really as if we had the ark; and our strength will be equal to our day. We need not fear the greatest dangers, for we have God's promise to encourage us: When thou passest through the fire and the water, fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, I am thy God.

2. Let us learn to sanctify ourselves whenever God is to manifest himself to us, or we are to appear before him. When God doeth wonders, let us prepare ourselves to regard them; when we attend on divine ordinances, behold God's glory in the taber, nacle, or see his wonders in his house, and at his table, let us sanctify ourselves, that is, cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit. If sanctification was required of those who were only to behold God's wonderful works, how much more is required of those who are to act in his service, and attend his worship. Let us learn to divest ourselves of all cares, especially of all pollutions; then we shall behold God's wonderful works with a proper temper, and attend without distraction.

3. We see great reason to adore the power and goodness of God in this surprising miracle. When we read this story, we are ready to say with the Psalmist, when Jordan was driven back, What aileth thee, O Jordan, that thou wast driven back? But remember, it was at the presence of the Lord. Psalm cxiv. 5. 7. Or with Habakkuk, ch. iii. 8. Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? No; thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people. How observant are all crea, tures of God's commands! One word of his stopped the course of Jordan, and turned the water into a rock. How glorious a God do we serve, whom all the elements obey! He could have made their path a crystal pavement; but that would not have been so remarkable, nor so magnificent. Frost sometimes does that; but he makes a liquid wall, which was more wonderful. What cannot the Almighty do to save his people! In allusion to this, let not sincere christians, the true Israel of God, be afraid of death; which, like Jordan, is between them and the heavenly Canaan ; since God can make them a safe, easy, and wonderful passage through it, and bring them to the land of plenty and happiness.

CHAP. IV.

In this chapter we have a further account of the Israelites' miracuś lous passage over Jordan; the manner in which they marched through it; the return of the waters when the ark was come out and the setting up of the stones in Gilgal.

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passed oyer Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, repeated the command given chap. iii. 12. with enlargements, 2 saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every 3 tribe a man, And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, every man one as large as he can carry, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place where you shall lodge this night, to transmit the memory of this great event to posterity, and to be a standing proof of the truth of it. Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, chosen before for that employment, out of every tribe 5 a man; And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan; go back again to the place where the ark stands (which stood still in the river till all was done, v. 10.) and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of 6 the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, [that] when your children ask [their fathers] in time to come, as doubtless they will, when they see such a pillar or heap of large stones, in a country where scarce any large ones are to be found, saying, What [mean] ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD ; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off; and these stones shall be for a memorial and a `monument 18 of this great mercy unto the children of Israel for ever.

And

the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto 9 the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. And Joshua set up other twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood, where they might sometimes be seen at low wa-' ter and they are there unto this day.

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For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that

Moses commanded Joshua, that is, to obey God in all his come mands; and the people hasted and passed over, apprehending great danger while they were in their passage, by reason of the mountains of water that stood on each side, and seemed ready to 11 overwhelm them. And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people, whose faith, patience, and courage were very remarkable, waiting till all the 12 people, and cattle, and baggage, were safe over. And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, 13 as Moses spake unto them; About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho; about one third only of their military force: but Joshua chose so many, and left the rest to defend their settlements. 14 On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, as he had done Moses at the Red sea; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life; they were convinced that he acted by divine quthority; considered him as a favourite of heaven, and reverenced and submitted to his or ders. The priests, having seen every thing safe over, stopped 15 in the midst of Jordan, waiting for further directions. And 16 the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, Command the priests

that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of 17 Jordan. Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, 18 Come ye up out of Jordan. And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan; [and] the soles of the priests' feet were fifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as [they did] before; a plain proof that it was not from any natural cause, but from the presence of God; and to all of this the people were eye witnesses. See v. 11.

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And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth [day] of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho ; here they pitched their standing camp, and from hence sent out parties as there was occasion; while the rest of the army marched on further to conquer the country. 20 And those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal, in some conspicuous place, where they might be easily seen, and where, ancient writers tell us, they 21 were seen several hundred years after this event. And he spake unto the children of Israel saying, When your chil dren shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What 22 [mean] these stones? Then ye shall let your children know,

On the fifteenth day of the first month they were sent out of Egypt; so that it was forty years within five days, according to the prediction, till they entered Canaan.

23 saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over; thus reminding them both of this, and their former still greater deliverance at the Red sea; and the design of all 24 was, That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it [is] mighty; that all nations might be convinced of his being, power, and providence, and your relation to him; that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever, worship and serve him alone, all your lives long, and through all generations.

REFLECTIONS.

OD's works of wonder for his church and people think the Israelites had any need of these memorandums to keep up the remembrance of those great events; but God foresaw that they would forget them. These stones preserved the tradition. It is of importance that we treasure up in our memory God's mighty acts for the defence of his church, by making use of some proper means, such as keeping anniversary days, &c. But let us be careful, that while singing kis praises, we do not forget his works.

2. It is the duty of parents to acquaint their children with the works of God, and transmit the remembrance of them to posterity. Children should be very desirous to learn, and should frequently be inquiring, what is the meaning of such or such rites and services; and it would be well if parents would be ready to inform them, whether they inquire or no. They should be concerned to instruct their children in those principles and facts, that may have an evident tendency to engage them to fear the Lord, and continue faithful in his service. Let them season their hearts with true religion; and by these means be training up a generation of wise and holy men, to be a blessing to the church and world in the next age. The resolution of all christian parents should be, as in Psalm 1xxviii. 4. 7. We will not hide them from our children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. That they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.