Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-22
NO WAY OF RETREAT.
God Does Not Intend the Christian
Army to Look Backward, as
SHOWNB THE MIRACLE OF MEROM
He Stayed the Freshet for the Advance,
and Then Closed the Path.
REGULAR SERMON OF REV. DR.. TALNAGE
,srEcIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH,

BROOKLYN, Dec. 2.-Dr. TalmaU
preached the following sermon this morning
in the Academy of Music, in this city, and
again in the evening at service in New
York. His text was Joshua, XII, 5: And
when all these kings were met together,
they came and pitched together at the waters
of Merom to fight against Israel"
We are eneamped tonight in Palestine by
the waters of Merom. After long march we
have found our tents pitched, our fires kindled
and though far away from civilization, a
variety of food that would not compromise a
frst-class American hotel, for the most of our
caravan starts an hour and half earlier in the
morning. We detain only two mules carrying
so much of our baggage as we might acci-
dentally need. and n tent for the MONDAY
luncheon. The malarias around this Lake
Mer"m are so poisonous that at any other sea-
son of the year encampment here is perilous,
but this winter night the air is tonic and health
full In this neighborhood Joshua fought his
last great battle. The nations had banded
themselves together to crush this Joshua, but
along tie banks of these waters Joshua left
their carcasSes Indeed it is time that we more
mlnutey examine this Joshua OF whom we
have in these ;iiscourseS caught only moment
airy glimpse although he crossed and recrossed
Palestine, and next to Jesus is the most stirring
and mighty character whose foot ever touched
the Holy Land
Moses was dead. A beautiful tradition says
the Lord kissed him, and il that act drew forth
the soul of the diving lawgiver. He had been
buried. only one Person at the funeral. the same
One who kissed him. But God never takes
man away from any place of usefulness but he
has someone ready. The Lord does not 90
looking around amid great variety of candi-
dates to find someone especially fitted for the
vacated position. He makes a man for that
place. Moses has passed off the stage. and
Joshua the hero puts his foot on the platform
of history so solidly that all the ages echo with
the tread.
\ GREAT UNDERTAKING.
For the most part, when the General of an
army starts out in 4 conflict he would like to
have a small battle in order that he may gethis
courage up and he may rally his troops and get
them drilled for greater conflicts; but this first
undertaking of Joshua was greater than the
levelin= of Fort Pulaski. or the laundering
down OF Gibraltar, or the overthrow of the bas-
tile. Il was the crossing of the Jordan at the
time Of the spring freshei The SHOWS Of Mount
Lebanon had Just been melting and they poured
down into the valley, and The whole valley was
a raging torrent. So the Canaauites stand on
one bank and they look across and see Joshua
and The lsraelites. and they laugh and say:
AHA! aha! they cannot disturb US in time
Uati the freSheis fall; it is impos sible for them
10 reach us But after 4 while they look
across the water and they movement in
the army of Joshua. They say, What's the
matter now? Why there must be panic among
these troops. and they are going To fly, or per-
maps they are going TO try 10 march across the
river Jordan. Joshua is 4 lunatic.n But Joshua
the ehIeftan. looks at his army and cries. For
ward, march. and they start for the bank of
the Jordan.
One mile ahead 60 two priests CARRYING a
Cllttrrlug box four feet long and two feet wide.
1t Is the ark Of the covenant And they come
down, and no sooner do they just touch the
rim of the water with their feet. than by an
almighty fat. Jordan parts. The army of
Joshua marches right on without getting their
feet wet, over the bottom of the river, path
Of chalk and broken shells and pebbles, until
They get to the other bank. Then they lay hold
of the oleanaers and tamarisks and willows and
pal themselves up a bank 81 or 40 feet high,
ana having gained the other bank. they clap
Their shields and ;heir synbals. and sing the
praise of the God of Joshua. But no sooner
have they reached the bank than the waters
begin TO dash and roar, and with a terrific rush
they break loose from t.eir strange anchorage
Out youGer they have stopped. 30 miles of
distance they halted. On this side the waters
roll Of toward the salt sea.
NO WAY OF RETREAT.
But as the hand OF the Lord God is taken
away from the thus upliftcd waters-waters
perhaps uplifted half mic-as the almighty
hand IS taken away, those waters rush down.
and some of the unbelieving Israelites say:
Mas, alas what misfortune! Why could not
those waters have stayed parted? Because
perhaps we may want to go back. o Lord. we
arc engaged in a risky business. Those Ca
naaniJes may eat Us uD. How If We want to go
hack Mould il not have been 4 more com
ulete miracle if the Lord had parted the waters
Tu let us come through. and kept them parted
80 let Us 60 back if we are defeated?' My
friends, God makes no provision for
Christians retreat He clears the path
al the way to Canaan. To go back is
TO die. The same gatelleepers that swing back
the amethystine and crystalline gate of the
Jordan 10 let Israel pass through now swing
shut the anne; hyStine and crystalline gate
But This is no place for the host to Stop.
Joshua gives the command, forward, march -
IN ;hC distance there Is 4 long grove of trees.
and at the end Of the grove is a city. 1t is
city Ct arbors. city with walls seeming 10
reach 20 The heaven. 20 buttress the very sky.
Il Is the great metropolis that commands the
mountain pass. 1t is Jericho. That city was
aiterward captured by POmpey. and it was
atJerwaUd captured by Hernd the Great, and it
WAS aftcrward captured by the Mohammedans
hut this ca .pIign the Lord plans. There shall
Zoe no swords. no Shields no batterng ram.
There shall ne only one weapon of war, and
that a rams horn. The horn OF the slain ram
was sometimes taken and miles were pune
tureL IN il. and then the musician would
pat the instrument TO his lips. and he
would run n,s fingers over this rude
musical instrument. ana make a great deal
Of sweet harmony for the people. That was
the only kind Of weapon. Seven priests were
10 take these rude rustic musical instruments,
and they were to go around the city every day
1ur sIN days, and then on the seventh day they
were TO 20 around blowing these rude musical
instruments seven times. and then at the close of
luG seventh MOVING Oh the rams horns on the
seventh day, the peroration of the whole scene
was to he shout at which those great walls
should tumble from capstone TO base
The seven priests with the rude musical in
strumenls pass all around the city walls on the
first day. and failure. Not much as a
piece OF plaster broken loose from the wall-not
SO much as lOosened rock, not so much a
piece OF mortar lost from Its place. "Ihere,"
Saiu The unbeiieving IsrGelitcS, didn't tell
YOU so? Why, those ministers are FOOLS The
idea OF going around the city with those mu-
Il ~
destroy it, Joshua has been spoiled; he thinks
because he has overthrow and DESTROYED the
spring fresneI, he can overthrow the stone
wall"
THE SEVENTH DAY.
Joshua's stock was down. The second day.
tie priests blowing the musical Instruments go
around the city. and 4 failure. Third day, and
failure: fourth day, and failure; fifth day,
and a failure; sixth day, and failure. The
seventh day comes. the climacteric day.
Joshua IS "a early IN the morning and exam
ines the troops, walks all around about looks at
the city wall. The priests start To make the
circuit OF the citI They go all around a. once,
all around twice, three times. four times. five
times. six times. seven times, and failure.
There is only one more thing to do, and that
Is TO utter a great shout. l see the lsraeiitsh
army Strengthening themselves uD, filling their
lungs for a vociferation such as was never
heard before and never heard after. Joshua
feels that the hour has come, and he cries our
to his host: shout; for the Lord hath given
you tie city, All the people begin to CRY:
-'DoYn. Jericho. down jerichor' and the long
line 0t solid masonry begins 20 quiver and to
move and 10 rock. Stand from under! She
falls! Crash! 20 the walls. the temples, the
towers. tie palaces; the air blackened with the
dust The Auzzi Of the victorious Israelites
and the groan Of the conquered Canaanites
commln@le, and Joshua, standing there in the
debris OF the wall, hears a voice saying: There
shall noi any man be able to stand before thee
all the davs OF thy life"
Only orc house spared. Who lives there?