brim of the water, that the waters that came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap; and the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground.'
"'And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood; and they are there unto this day.'
"'When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land; for the Lord your God dried up the waters from before you until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up, until we were passed over; that all people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever,' Amen. Josh. 1:11; chap. 3, 4.
"Oh, thou Jehovah; Israel's God, and by thy new covenant, my God; thus far hast thou brought me through the wilderness: bearing, chastising, forgiving, restoring. Well hast thou made out thy wilderness name to me: 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.' Great have been my provocations, but greater still thy covenant mercy. I have not perished with them that believed not; sore bitten I am, but thou hast fixed mine eyes on the lifted-up Healer, and I am in his hand for further cure. My journey has been long, and my way devious; but my blessed Joshua is still in view. I must be near to
Jordan's flood; I have been preparing victuals from thine own repository of truth. And now, my blessed High-priest and Ark of the covenant, lead on my staggering steps the little further. I have not gone this way heretofore, but thou hast measured these waters while they overflowed all their banks. Thou hast passed through, and made the passage safe for thy people. At thy command the waters stand up upon a heap, and they pass through in thy presence on faith's firm ground. Keep then mine eye upon thee, and I shall fear no evil. And Oh, my, blessed Leader, if it might please thee, I would ask a boon, yet with submission, that thy sensible presence might be with me all the way through; and that thou wouldst bring from my quivering lips a testimony to the glory of thy grace, that my children may know that thou hast pardoned, restored, perfected, dried up the waters of terror, carried me triumphantly through, and put me in possession of the purchased inheritance. Amen.
"'This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.' chief.' 1 Tim. 1:15.
"I have often inquired, What is there within us, or without us, on which a sinner can rest in peace in a dying hour? If it be a holy life, there can be no peace for me — taking the law of God for my standard; backslider is my name; yet I think in this sacred volume I find a hope even for me, the chief of sinners.
"'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.' 'He that cometh from heaven is above all, and what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth.' 'He that receiveth his testimony has set to his seal that God is true.' 'The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand; he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.' John 3:14-36. Here is a hope for me; the world is made up of sinners, I am one of them, and though the chief, am not excluded. The Son of man came to save that which was lost, Matt. 18:11; I am of that description. 'The Pharisees said, Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? Jesus said, The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.' Matt. 9:11. I am a sinner, and sick. 'I will have mercy, and not sacrifice; for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' I am a sinner, and need repentance. 'Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.' Acts 5:31. 'The Lord is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.' 2 Pet. 3:9.
"Christ said to the woman of Samaria, a notorious sinner, 'If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing