Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-12-26

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MS lips, and he would run his fingers
over this rude musical instrument and
make great deal of sweet harmony for
the people. That was the only kind of
weapon. Seven priests were to take
chesc rude rustic musical instruments,
anu they were to go around the city
every DAY for six days-once a day for
SIX Gays, and then on the seventh day
tney were to go around blowing these
rude musical instruments seven times,
ana then at the close Of the seventh
blowing of the rams horns on the
| seventy day the peroration of the whole
scene was to be q shout at which those
great walls should tumble from capstonc
to base.
The seven priests with the rude musi-
cal instruments pass all around the city
walls on the first day. and u failure.
Not so much as q piece of plaster broke
loose from its place. .'rhere,' say the
nnbelieving Israelitcs, ssdidn't tell you
so? Why, those ministers are fools.
The idea of going around the city with
those musical instruments and expecting
in that way to destroy it, Joshua has
been spoiled; he thinks because he has
overthrown and destroyed the spring
freshct he can overthrow the stone wall. -
Joshua's stock was down. The second
day the priests, blowing the musical in
struments, go around the city, and a
failure. Third day, and a failure; fourth
day. and failure: fifth day, and fail
ure; sixth day, and a failure. The sew
enth day comes, the climactcric day.
Joshua is up early in the morning and
examines the troops, walks all around
about, looks at the city wall. The
priests start to make the circuit of the
city. They go all around once, all
around twice. three times, four times,
five times, six times, seven times, and a
failure.
There is only one more thing to do,
and that is to utter a great shout. l sec
the Israelitish army strengthening them
selves up, filling their lungs for a vo-
cifcratiOn such as was never heard be-
forc and never heard after. Joshua
feels that the hour has come, and he
cries out to his host: ''Shout, for the
Lord hath given you the city!'' All the
people begin to cry, ''Down, Jericho,
down, Jericho!' and the long line of
solid masonry begins to CULVER and to
move and to rock. Stand from under!
She falls! Crash! go the walls, the
temples, the towers, the palaces; the air
blackened with the dust. The huzza of
the victorious Israelites and the groan
of the conquered Canaanites commingle,
and Joshua, standing there in the debris
of the wall, hears a voice saying, 'There
shall not any man be able to stand be-
fore thee all the days of thy life.''
Only one house spared. Who lives
there? Some great king? No. Some
woman distinguished for her great kindly
deeds? No. She had been conspicuous
for her crimes. 1t is the house of Rahab.
Why was her house spared? Because
she had been great sinner? No, but
because she repented, demonstrating to
all the ages that there is mercy for the
chief of sinners.
But Joshua's troops may not halt here.
The command is Forward, march!
There is the city of All; it must be taken.
How shall it be taken? Ascouting party
comes back and says, Joshua, We
, can do that without you; it is going to be
very easy job; you just stay here while
we go and capture it," They march witt
small regiment in front of that city
The men of All look at them and give ONT
.. yell, and the Israelitcs run like reindeer
Tho northern troops at Bull Run did not
with the Canaanites after them. They
never cut such sorry figure as when
they were on the retreat Anybody thai
goes out in the battles of God with only
half force, instead of your taking the
} men of All the men of All will take you. }.
Look at the church of God on the re-
treat. The Bornesian cannibals ate up
Munson, the missionary. 'sFall back!'
said a great many Christian people
'sfall back, O church of God! Borneo
will never be taken. Don't you see the
Bornesan cannibals have eaten up Nun.
son, the missionary?" Tyndall deliv.
ers his lecture at the University OF
Glasgow, and great many good people
say: s'Fall back O church of God! Don't
you see that Christian philosophy is go.
ing to be overcome by worldly philoso.
ply? Fall back!' Geology plunges its
crowbar into the mountains, and there
, are great many people who say: "Sci.
, enti!ic investigation is going to over.
throw the Mosaic account of the crea.
, ton. Fall back!'' Friends of the
| church have never had any right to fall
back.
J Joshua falls on his face in chagrin. 1t
is the only time you ever see the back OF
his head. He falls on his face and be.
gins to whine, and he says: 'Oh, Lord
/ God, wherefore hast thou at all brought
UnlS people ONoT OOIudtl W uCAlNc1 uS AuoN
the hand of the Amorites to destroy us!
Would to God we had been content and
, dwclt OH the other side of Jordan! For
!, the Canaapitcs aud all the inhabitants OF
, the land shall hear of it, and shall envi-
ron us round and cut off our name from
the EARTH"
am very glad that Joshua said that.
Because it seemed as if he were u super
natural being; and therefore could not
J be an example to us; but I find he is 5.
man, he is only d man. just as some
, times you find man under severe oppo.
sition, or in bad state of physical
health, or worn out with overwork, ly-
ing down and signing about everything
, being defeated. am encouraged when
1 hear this cry of Joshua as he lies in
, the dust.
God comes and arouscs him. How
does he rouse him? BY complimentary
apostrophe? No. He says: sect thee
up. Wherefore liest thou upon thy
, face?'' Joshua rises, and warrant you
with mortified look. But his old cour-
, age comes back. The fact was, that was
| not his battle. If he had been in it he
; would have gone on to victory. He
gathers his troops around him and says: