Our readings during this month are the book of Joshua in the Old Testament with the epistle to the Ephesians, and John's three epistles with his Gospel, in the New. There may not seem to be very much in common between these portions, but there are certain thoughts which underlie them all, to say nothing of the fact that, forming part of that one word of God, they are all in divine harmony.

We will first look at Joshua. The general subject is the inheritance of the people in the land of Canaan. The wilderness has been traversed, and they are brought into the place which God had promised to give them. But they have to fight to get possession of what is theirs, as the land is occupied by the nations " more and mightier than themselves." But God goes before them, and in His power the heathen are cast out and a resting place for His ransomed people is found. All this is most rich in typical teaching. In fact, every portion of it yields most beautiful illustrations of our spiritual inheritance and the warfare of faith which is needed to enter practically upon it.

The main divisions of the book are very simple:

1. (Chaps. 1:-12:) The entrance into the land and the overthrow of the enemy.

2. (Chaps. 13:-24:) The division of the inheritance to the various tribes-the boundaries and cities falling to each.

Let us look at some of the smaller divisions of this first portion.

In chap. 1:we see Joshua taking the place of Moses, and commanded to lead, the people across Jordan into the land. The prominent features are God's command and promise and the people's courage and obedience.

Chap. 2:is the testimony of the spies and the beautiful gospel picture of Rahab saved in the doomed city of Jericho.

Chaps. 3:-5:give us the great typical teachings of our death and resurrection with Christ as seen in the passage of the Jordan dry-shod. Jordan is the river of death and judgment flowing down into eternal doom. As those waters were arrested when touched by the feet of the priests who bore the ark, so Christ, our Priest, entering into death and judgment for us, arrested its course and opened a way whereby every one who believes in Him can pass over into that spiritual inheritance which has been given to us.

The epistle to the Ephesians, which is our study in the New Testament, unfolds this in a most blessed way, and therefore is a most suited accompaniment to the book we are studying.

The twelve stones in the bottom of the river show that we are dead with Christ; those set up on the banks of the Jordan, at Gilgal, tell us that we are risen with Him, and, as we might say, seated in Him in the heavenly places. The passover and circumcision at Gilgal speak of the practical application of the sentence of death to what we are, thereby teaching us the lesson of " no confidence in the flesh," which is the only power in which we can be victorious in the conflict which we are now called to face.

In chap. 6:and onward we have the account of the various conflicts and victories over the enemies which met them; and we, too, after we have entered upon our spiritual inheritance, find, as the epistle to the Ephesians shows us, that it is not a path of ease, but one of conflict, which meets us. We are not in heaven itself, but in heavenly places; that is, where we can enjoy heavenly blessings; but Satan and his host will do all in their power to keep us from the enjoyment of these, just as the Canaanites sought to resist the children of Israel. Here Jericho speaks of the world and its allurements, most fruitful source of danger, especially to young Christians. Faith, however, following Christ in His victorious path, overcomes the world, and the walls of Jericho fall after they are compassed seven days (chap. 6:).

Chaps. 7:and 8:Ai and Achan show how the smallest things will disclose an unjudged state, which must be met before further victory can be assured. The wiles of the Gibeonites (Chap. 11:) remind us of those wiles of the devil of which Ephesians speaks. Alas, how many an alliance is formed by the people of God because they asked not counsel at His mouth !

In chaps. 10:-12:we have an unbroken series of victories. The country is swept by the victorious nation under the leadership of Joshua, and the enemy is either annihilated or so completely cowed as to offer no further resistance; and so it will be for faith when it remembers to go forth to battle from Gilgal, and to return there after every victory.

Time will not permit us to enter upon the second half of the book, save to say that it is the portion most neglected, and yet full of the richest spiritual lessons. Unquestionably the portion of the tribes corresponds to the spiritual meaning of each, and each single city suggests some special spiritual blessing which is appropriate to the spiritual state suggested by the tribe. We can only urge our readers to the prayerful study of this portion, and they will find most rich results.* *The notes in the Numerical Bible upon Joshua are most rich and helpful here.*

Passing to the New Testament, we will take up Ephesians first, as being most closely linked with Joshua. Its six divisions unfold the spiritual teachings of the Old Testament book in a very beautiful way.

1. (Chap. 1:1-14.) God's counsels of blessing in Christ, who is Head over all things to His Church.

2. (Chaps. 1:is