AND the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel.

And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.

And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,

And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.

And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying,

Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God. of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the Lord?

Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord,

But that ye must turn away this day from following the Lord? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the Lord, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.

Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, wherein the Lord's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession, among us: but rebel not against the Lord, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the Lord our God.

Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity. Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,

The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the Lord, (save us not this day,)

That we have built us an altar to turn from following the Lord, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord.

And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel?

For the Lord hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad ; ye have no part in the Lord: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord.

Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice :

But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the Lord before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the Lord.

Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in. time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.

God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn this day from following the Lord, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the Lord our God that is before his tabernacle.-JOSH. xxii. 11-29.

THE GOLDEN TEXT.

"One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts."-Psalm cxlv. 4.

Subject.-"Altar of Witness."-Josh. xxii. 11-29. OUTLINE LESSON.

I. See six good examples in this chapter :

1. The 2 tribes kept their word (Numb. xxxii. 18, 27, 32; Josh. i. 16). They fought by the side of their brethren till Canaan was all conquered. Like God Himself: "He is faithful that promised."

2. The 2 tribes were anxious to keep up their connection with God's sanctuary. No wish to take advantage of their distance, and say, "We cannot come."

3. Israel were jealous of the least appearance of a worship different from what God had commanded.

4. Israel were not afraid to rebuke what they thought to be sin; but they did it gently. See 2 Tim. iv. 2-" Reprove...with all longsuffering."

We, too, are building "altars of witness"-whatever we shall leave behind when we die. E.g., Pilgrim's Progress a "witness" to Bunyan's genius; St. Paul's Cathedral to Sir C. Wren's; but much smaller things would tell equally. Suppose we were killed in a railway accident: what would be the witness of the things found on us or at our home? Would our lives "declare God's mighty acts" (G. Text) to those who recollected us?

FOR HOME STUDY.

ABOUT WITNESSES AND WITNESSING:

Witnesses to Christ:-The Father, John viii. 18; the Holy Ghost, John xv. 26; the Prophets, I Pet. i. II; John the Baptist, John i. 7; the Apostles, John xv. 27, Acts i. 8; Christ's own works, John v. 36, x. 25; the Scriptures, John v. 39.

The Apostles bore witness to Christ's sufferings, I Pet. v. I; and resurrection, Acts i. 22, ii. 32, iv. 33, x. 41.

Christ the True Witness, Rev. i. 5.

The Holy Ghost a Witness in our hearts, Rom. viii. 16; see I John v. 10.

The Cloud of Witnesses, Heb. xii. I.

Our Sins Witnesses against us, Isa. lix. 12, Jer. xiv. 7. Witnesses like the Altar Ed:-Jacob's pillar, Gen. xxxi. 48, 52; Moses' song, Deut. xxxi, 19, 21, 26; Joshua's stone, Josh. xxiv. 27.

False Witnesses :-Break God's Commandment, Exod. xx. 16; shall be punished, Prov. xix. 5, 9, xxi. 28; assailed Christ, Matt. xxvi. 60.

LEANING ON JESUS.

A LITTLE girl lay near death. She had been brought low by a sad and painful disease. Not long before, her step had been as light, and her heart as joyous, as any of her companions; but now her body was racked with pain, the icy hand of death had touched her, and she was about to go into eternity.

"Does my little one feel sad at the thought of death?" asked her papa, as he watched the look of pain on her face.

"No, dear papa," said she, smiling; "my hand is all the while in the hand of Jesus, and He will not let it go."

"Are you afraid, dear child?" asked her minister, at another time.

"No, I cannot fear while Jesus supports me," she replied quickly.

"But are you not weary with bearing pain?"

She answered, "I am leaning on Jesus, and don't mind

the pain."

And so this child, one of Christ's lambs, went to the fold above leaning on the Good Shepherd, who "gathers the lambs in His arms."

We, too, must all die. Shall we be found leaning on Jesus, so that we shall not mind pain, or fear death?

A CHILD'S HYMN.

IT is the God who reigns above, That made the earth and sea, And yet He condescends to love A sinful child like me.

I know He formed each pretty flower,
And made the sky so blue :
How very great must be His power,
His love and wisdom too!

How I must grieve Him when I sin,
And say a naughty word,

For every word is known to Him,
And every thought is heard.

Then let me try, day after day,
A Christ-like child to be ;
And serve God in some humble way,
Who is so good to me.

"I'D GO TO HIM WITHOUT PUSHING."

A CHRISTIAN mother was once showing her little girl, about five years old, a picture representing Jesus holding an infant in His arms, while the mothers were pushing their children towards Him.

"There, Carrie," said her mother, "that's what I would have done with you if I had been there."

"I wouldn't be pushed to Jesus," said little Carrie, with beautiful and touching earnestness; "I'd go to Him without pushing."

Now this was just right. This is the way in which we ought to go to Jesus. How kind He is! How tender! How ready to help and bless! My dear children, won't you go to Jesus at once? Oh! go "without pushing." Ask Him to help you to put away every idol, and "have no other God before Him."-From "The King's Highway." By the Rev. Dr. Newton.-(In the Press.)

A GOOD WISH.

I ASK not, wish not, to appear More beauteous, rich, or gay, But to grow wiser every year, And better every day.

The Juvenile Library. Packets A, B, C, D, and E, of this attractive series may now be had. Well illustrated, with glazed paper covers. Twelve assorted books in each packet. Price sixpence per packet. Sunday-school teachers will find these little books of special service to them as gifts to their scholars.

JOSHUA'S WARNING.

AND it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.

And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age:

And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you.

Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.

And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you.

Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them :

But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.

For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day.

One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.

Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God.

Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:

Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.

And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.

When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.-JOSH. xxiii.

THE GOLDEN TEXT.

"Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God."— Josh. xxiii. 11.

Subject." Foshua's Warning."--Josh. xxiii.

OUTLINE LESSON.

Why should Joshua think a warning necessary? It is the golden age of Israel's history: Canaan in possession, Tabernacle at Shiloh, services there all regular, everything happy and peaceful; ought he not to be satisfied?

1. He knows by sad experience how ready Israel is to forsake God.

2. There is a special reason for apprehension. The Canaanites are not all dispossessed, see ver. 7, 12. Heathen cities still here and there in the land. May they not tempt Israel to idolatry?

There are just the same reasons for our being warned. (a) Sin within us. (b) The world around us. Both pull the same way. See then,

1. What Joshua warns us to do. Not "watch"-not "fight"
-not "struggle"-not "resist "-though all these right.
But see G. Text-" to love God." Why this? Because
love is such a strong thing, see Cant. viii. 6, 7-stronger
than sin, world, and devil, all put together. Do you yield?
It is because you don't love God enough. Life-boat can't
sink, because compartments full of air: get heart full of
love, then you will not sink.

2. How Joshua rests his warning on God's faithfulness.
(a) Because God is faithful, we need not go astray, for He
will fight for us; see ver. 9, 10; Rom. viii. 31, 32.
(b) Because God is faithful, we know His threatenings will
come true as well as his promises, see ver. 14, 15. No
escape from the "evil things," if we go astray,

"Oh, to grace how great a debtor, Daily I'm constrained to be;
Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee!
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,—Prone to leave the God I love;
Saviour! take my soul and seal it; Seal it for Thy courts above.”

FOR HOME STUDY

WARNINGS AT UNEXPECTED TIMES AND PLACES:-

A warning even in Paradise, Gen. ii. 17. Needea, see next