dying hour he recalled the day on which he had
passed over Jordan with his staff,--a day remembered by him once before,
when he had become two bands, wrestled with the angel, and halted on his
thigh. His staff had become his token of the covenant, his reminder of
God's faithfulness, his sacrament, or visible sign of an invisible
grace.

Joseph, though he was so completely Egyptianised that he did not, like
Jacob, ask to be buried in Canaan, and only two of his sons became,
through Jacob's blessing, heirs of the promise, yet gave commandment
concerning his bones. His faith believed that the promise given to
Abraham would be fulfilled. The children of Israel might dwell in Goshen
and prosper. But they would sooner or later return to Canaan. When his
end drew near, his Egyptian greatness was forgotten. The piety of his
childhood returned. He remembered God's promise to his fathers. Perhaps
it was his father Jacob's dying blessing that had revived the thoughts
of the past and fanned his faith into a steady flame.

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down."[291] When the Israelites had
crossed Jordan and eaten of the old corn of the land, the manna ceased.
The period of continued miracle came to an end. Henceforth they would
smite their enemies with their armed thousands. But one signal miracle
the Lord would yet perform in the sight of all Israel. The walls of the
first city they came to would fall down flat, when the seven priests
would blow with the trumpets of rams' horns the seventh time on the
seventh day. Israel believed, and as God had said, so it came to pass.

The treachery of a harlot even is mentioned by the Apostle as an
instance of faith.[292] Justly. For, whilst her past life and present
act were neither better nor worse than the morality of her time, she saw
the hand of the God of heaven in the conquest of the land, and bowed to
His decision. This was a greater faith than that of her daughter-in-law,
Ruth, whose name is not mentioned. Ruth believed in Naomi and, as a
consequence, accepted Naomi's God and people.[293] Rahab believed in God
first, and, therefore, accepted the Israelitish conquest and adopted the
nationality of the conquerors.[294]

Of the judges the Apostle selects four: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah.
The mention of Barak must be understood to include Deborah, who was the
mind and heart that moved Barak's arm; and Deborah was a prophetess of
the Lord. She and Barak wrought their mighty de