that all must die
because of sin; but those who look to Jesus and trust in Him will have
their sins pardoned, and will live with Him in glory forever.

[Illustration: THE BRAZEN SERPENT.]

THE PASSAGE OF THE JORDAN.

Having wandered for forty years in the wilderness, the Israelites drew
near to the river Jordan, at a place opposite Jericho. Moses was dead,
and Joshua was now the leader of the host. God told him that the time
had come when the people of Israel were to enter Canaan; to which land
they had all this long time been travelling, but which previously they
had not been permitted to enter on account of their sin. A description
of this sin is given in the Bible, in the fourteenth chapter of
Numbers.

But the people were now to cross the Jordan and enter Canaan. They
were a very great multitude, and the river lay before them. How were
they to cross? God told them! He commanded Joshua that the priests
were to take the ark of the covenant and to go before the people; who
were to follow a short distance behind. Could the priests and the
people walk across the deep water? No. But as soon as the priests
reached the river, and their feet were dipped in the water, God
divided the Jordan into two, leaving dry ground for the Israelites to
cross upon.

The priests carried the ark into the middle of the bed of the river
and then stood still, and all the people passed on before them. When
all were over, the priests carrying the ark moved forward also, and
the waters returned to their proper place again. But before they did
so, Joshua commanded twelve men, one from each tribe, each to take a
stone from the river's bed; and these stones were set up as a memorial
of the marvellous manner in which God had brought the Israelites
across the Jordan into Canaan.

[Illustration: CROSSING THE JORDAN.]

THE CAPTAIN OF THE LORD'S HOST.

News of the miraculous way in which the Israelites had been brought
across the Jordan spread rapidly among the Canaanites, and when they
heard what God had done, they were very much afraid. We are told that
"their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more,
because of the children of Israel."

God had said to Joshua that the land of Canaan was to be taken
possession of by the Israelites; and had commanded him to "Be strong
and of a good courage," and had strengthened him by saying, "Be not
afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee
whithers