was busied in these dispositions for a removal, his messengers had made their way into the city of Jericho, though not without the peril of their lives. The victorious march of Israel had spread dismay among the Canaanites, their army but a few miles distant, the presence of two strangers in the city, would naturally create suspicion; accordingly they were carefully watched and at length traced to the house of Rahab, a woman who lived on the eastern wall of the town, and a mandate from the king of Jericho required her instantly to deliver them up. But their hostess, aware of their danger, had humanely concealed them on the top of her house, beneath a quantity of flax which had been spread there to dry, so that they escaped the search of the king's messengers. She acknowledged, indeed, that they had lodged in her house, whence they had but lately departed, and affected to assist in their arrest, by directing the messengers towards the river, the fords of which she said the spies could not yet have reached. Having thus rid herself of the unwelcome intruders, she repaired to her guests, and hastened them away, confessing that she had been prompted to this act of kindness, by the universal terror of her countrymen, and her own perfect conviction that the whole land was given to the Israelites by their God. She believed, he was the true God, and that his purposes could not be frustrated; she therefore entreated, that she and her relatives, might be protected when Jericho should be taken. This just return for the favour she had shewn to them, they readily promised, on the condition, that her family and friends, should be gathered into her house, and there remain: but for the safety of an individual who should venture into the streets, they would not be responsible.

CHARLES. How could the young men be concealed on the top of a house?

MRS. M. The roofs of houses are not in every country inclined like ours. In Palestine, and other eastern climates, they were then flat, and still continue so for customs with them do not fluctuate as they do with us. The inhabitants walk, sit, and sometimes, in hot weather, even sleep on them. The Mosaical law embracing a great váriety of particulars, affecting the safety, or the comfort of its subjects, provided that they should make " battlements for their roof, that they might not bring blood upon their house, if any man should fall from thence." Their houses were also low,-not more than one, or at most, two stories high. That of Rahab, being at the extremity of the city, the escape of the spies was facilitated by letting them down by a cord from the top, to the outside of the wallafter it had been agreed by the parties, that the same cord (which being of scarlet would be conspicuous) should be exhibited in a window in front, as a signal to the Israelites, and ensure the inviolability of the mansion. Pursuing her advice, the young men hastened to the neighbouring mountains, and lay in their recesses, until their pursuers, despairing of success, had returned to the city. On the evening of the third day, they arrived safely at the Hebrew camp, and encouraged their brethren to go boldly forward-for the disheartened Canaanites would be an easy conquest.

Early, therefore, the next morning, being the ninth day of the first month, they decamped and drew nearer to the river, where they lodged that night, and received orders for the operations of the following day.

The priests whose business it was to bear the Taberna

cle and its furniture, were commanded to lead the way. Forty thousand of the two and half tribes, all armed for battle, were to follow next at the distance of two thousand nine other tribes in regular Twelve men, one out of every

cubits from the ark, and the

order, to bring up the rear. tribe, were appointed to erect a pillar of stones in the midst of the river, to commemorate their passage, and to carry thence, twelve other stones for a similar monument on the opposite shore.

The priests were further commanded to stand still when their feet should touch the waters of Jordan-for there they should receive a signal proof of the power and protection of Jehovah.

CATHERINE. What distance in our measurement would these two thousand cubits make, between the ark and the people?

MRS. M. I am not able exactly to tell you, two cubits of different measures are used in scripture. It is uncertain which of the two is here intended. If the shorter be the one, it would make but one mile the longer, would perhaps make two.* It is however supposed to be the same measure, which is called "a sabbath day's journey;" because the Israelites were allowed to travel on that day, only to the Tabernacle, which for ages was the place where alone they might sacrifice; and now in their encampment was pitched in the centre, two thousand cubits distant from the position of the nearest tribes.

In the manner arranged by their general, the whole congregation removed from their station and approached the

* This calculation is adopted with diffidence. It may be sufficient for our purpose..though its accuracy is contested by some Biblical critics.

margin of the river. The priests who bore the ark coff. taining the testimony of God's covenant, stept fearlessly into the water, although it was now the time of barley harvest, when Jordan receiving the melted snow from the mountains of Libanus, overflows its banks. There they halted, in obedience to the orders they had received, and lo! the promised miracle appears! A passage, such as had been made for their fathers through the Red Sea, was opened through the Jordan for them," the waters above, rising up on an heap before the city of Adam" far beyond the place where the Iaraelites stood, and those below, flowing rapidly on towards the Dead Sea, whilst the wondering people passed over the dried channel!

CHARLES. That was indeed a signal instance of divine favour-yet the Jordan is, I believe, but a little stream? MRS. M. Your sister, whose geographical knowledge is somewhat fresher than mine, can tell you its size.

CATHERINE. It is a little stream in comparison with many other rivers, though it is the most considerable in all that region. It is said by some writers to take its name from Jor, a stream, and Dan, a city near its source in the mountains of Lebanon. Passing through the lakes of Samochon and Tiberias, in a course nearly south, and augmented by several rivulets-particularly the wellknown brook Cedron-it terminates in the Dead Sea. Its whole length does not much exceed an hundred miles. It is now so diminished in breadth as to be not more than twenty yards; but it is deep and rapid.

CHARLES. It might however have been forded, for the pursuers of the spies were directed to seek them " by the fords." Why then was a miracle performed, for which there seems to have been no necessity?

MRS. M. There were fords-though, perhaps, not a convenient passage for a multitude of men, women, and children. Besides, it was the pleasure of the Almighty to indulge the natural timidity of the Israelites, and reprove, at the same time, their habitual distrust of his protection. But the particular reason assigned for the exhibition of this miracle-was to "magnify their new conductor in their sight," that they might certainly know that "the Lord of Hosts was with Joshua as he had been with Moses." All their permanent statutes had been communicated immediately to Moses, and by that honoured servant delivered to the chosen nation. In the prosecution of their journey, and the conquest of Canaan, Joshua was likewise to be distinguished above his brethren. When he therefore commanded the priests to stand still in the river-the waters were separated! He then called the twelve men whom he had selected for this service, and directed them to pass over before the Ark, carrying with them twelve stones from the midst of Jordan to the opposite shore.

The forty thousand from the tribes of Reuben, of Gad and Manasseh, then led the van, and the whole congregation of Israel followed. Twelve stones were set up in the bed of the river, where the sacred Tabernacle rested-the priests still waiting until all was finished. At the command of Joshua, they came up out of the channel of the river, and the waters returned to their place, "overflowing all their banks as they did before!" That night they encamped between Jordan and Jericho, at a place called Gilgal, and there the twelve stones which they had borne from the midst of the channel were erected for a testimony to their children of the miracle they had witnessed, when they should ask in time to come-" What mean these