The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-08-03
USES OF STRATAGEM.
Chaplain Talmage breaches to
New York Ailitiameu.

Chaplain TalmAgo breaches to
New York Militiameu.
Graphic Description Of the Capture OF Al
BY JOshua-Retreat Sometimes Victory
-Christ's Conquest Over Evil
Work For Christians.
In late sermon to the Thirteenth regi-
ment, New York National Guards, in
camp, Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage took for
his subject, uses Of Strategem," and his
text was from Joshua viii. :: ''Then ye
shall rise up from the ambush and seine
upon the city," He said:
Men of the Thirteenth regiment and their
friends here gathered, of all occupations
and professions, men Of the city and men
of the fields, here is theme fit for all Of
US.
One Sabbath evening with my family
around me, we were talking over the scene
Of the text. In the wide open eyes and the
quick interrOgations and the blanched
cheeks I realized what thrilling drama it
was. There is the old city, shorter by
name than any other city in the ages,
spelled with two letters-A I-Ai. Joshua
and his men want to take it. How to do it
is the question. On q former occasion, in q
Straightforward, face to face fight, they
had been defeated; but now they are going
to take it bE ambuscade.
General Joshua has two divisions in his
army-the one division the battleworn
commander will lead himself, the other
division he sends of to camp in IN am
bush on the west side of the city of Al.
No torches, no lanterns, no sound OF heavy
battalions, but $1,000 swarthy warriors
moving in silence, speaking only in q
whisper; no clicking Of swords against
shields, lest the watchmen of Al discover
it and the stratagem be q failure. If .
registering soldier in the Israelitish
army forgets himself, all along the line
the word is "Hush!" Joshua takes the
other division, the one with which he is to
march, and puts it on the north side Of the
city of Al, and then spends the night
in accommodating in the valley. There he
is, thinking over the fortunes of the COM
ing day, with something of the feelings Of
Wellington the night before Waterloo, or
Of Meade and Lee the night before Gettys-
burg. There be- stands in the night, and
says to himself: "Yonder is the division
in ambush on The west side of Al. Here 10
the division have under my especial COM
mand on the north side Of Al. There is the
old city slumbering in its sin. Tomorrow
will be the battle Look the morning al
ready begins to tip the hills. The mill
tary officers Of Al look out in the morning
very early, and while they do not see the
division in ambush, they behold the other
division of Joshua, and the cry:. ITO
arms! To arms" rings through all the
streets of the old town, and every sword,
whether. hacked and bent or newly
welded, is brought out, and all the inhAb.
liant Of the city Of All pour through the
gates, an Infatuated torrent, and their cry
u: ''Come, we'll make quick work with
Joshua and his troops"
No sooner had these people Of Al come
cut against the troops Of Joshua than
Joshua gave such . command as he sci.
dom gave: "Fall back!" Why, they could
not believe their own ears. Is Joshua's
courage failing him? The retreat is beaten
and the Israslites are flying, throwing
blankets and canteens on every side
under this worse than Bull Run de-
feat. And you ought to hear the soldiers
Of Al cheer and cheer and cheer. But
they huzza too soon. The men lying in
ambush are straining their vision to get
some signal from Joshua that they may
know what time to drop upon the city.
Joshua takes his FURNISHED spear, glitter
ing in the sun like a shaft of doom, and
points it toward the city; and when the
men up yonder in the ambush see it, with
hawk-like swoop they drop upon Al, and
without stroke Of sword or stab of spear
take the city and put it to the torch. So
much for the division that was in ambush.
How about the division under Joshua's
command. No sooner does Joshua stop in
the fight than all his men stop with him,
and as he wheels they wheel. for in a voice
of thunder he cries 'Halt" One strong
arm driving back torrent of flying troops.
And then, as he points his spear through
the golden light toward that fated city. his
troops know that they are to start for it.
What q scene il was when the division in
ambush which had taken the city marched
down against the men of All on the one
side. and the troops under Joshua doubled
up their enemies from the other side, and
the men of Al were caught between these
two hurricanes Of Israelitish courage,
thrust before and behind, stabbed in breast
and back. ground between the upper and
the neither millstones of Gods indignation.
Woe to the city of Al, Cheer for the
triumph of Israel.
Lesson the first: There is such q thing
as victorious retreat. Joshua's falling back
was the first chapter in his successful be-
siegement. And there are times in your
life when the best thing you can do is to
run. You were once the victim of strong
drink. The demijohn and decanter were
your fierce foes. They came down upon
you with greater fury than the men of Al
upon the men of Joshua. Your only safety
is to get away from them. Your dissipat-
ing companions will come around you for
your overthrow. Run for your life! Fall
back! Fall back from the drinking saloon.
Fall back from the wine party. Your
fight is your advance. Your retreat is
your victory. There is a saloon down on
the next street that has almost been the
ruin Of your soul. Then, why do you 60
along that street: Why do you not pass
through some other street rather than by
the place of your calamity? A spoonful of
brandy taken for medicinal purposes by q
man who twenty years before had been
reformed from drunkenness, hurled into
inebriety and the grave one Of the best
friends I ever had. Your retreat is your
victory. Here is a converted infidel. He is
50 strong now in his faith in the Gospel he
says he can read any thing. What are you
reading: Bolingbroke? Andrew jackson
Davis tracts: Tyndall's Glasgow Univer-
sity address: Drop them and run. You will
be an infidel before you die unless you
quit that. These men Of Al will be too
much for you. Turn your back on the
rank and file Of unbelief. Fly before they
cut you with their swords and transfix you
wkh their javelins. There are people who
have been well nigh ruined because they