Connecticut western news., 1890-12-24

path all the way to Canaan. To go back is to die. The same gatekeepers that swing back the amethystine and crystalline gate of the Jordan to let Israel pass through now swing shut the amethystine and crystalline gate.
 But this is no place for the host to stop. Joshua gives tine command, Forward, march!'' In the distance there is long grove of trees and at the end of the grove is Q city. It is a city of arbOrs, q city with walls seem ing to reach to the heaven, to buttress the very sky. It is the great metrop- olis that commands the mountain pass. It is Jericho. That city was afterward captured by Poinpey, and it was after ward captured by Herod the Great, and it was afterward captured by the Mo hamnedans; but this campaign the Lord plans. There shall be no swords, no shields, no battering ram. There shall be only one weapon of war, and that rams horn. The horn of the slain ram was sometimes taken and holes were punctured in it, and then the musician would put the instrument to his lips, and he would run his fingers over this rude musical instrument and make a great deal of sweet harmony for the people. That was the only kind of weapon. Seven priests were to take these rude rustic musical instruments, and they were to go around the city every day for six days-once 8 day for six days and then on the seventh day they were to go around blowing these rude musical instruments seven times, and then at the close of the seventh blowing of the rams horns on the sev- enth day the peroration of the whole scene was to be 8 shout at which those great walls should tumble from cap stone to base.
 THE FIRST DAY FAILURE. -
 The seven priests with the rude musi- cal instruments pass all around the city walls on the first day, and a failure. Not so much as piece of plaster broke loose from the wall; not so much as loosened rock, not so much as a piece of mortar lost from it's place. There" say the unbelieving Israelites, didn't I 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 be- cause he has overthrown and destroyed the spring freshet he can overthrow the stone wall. Why, it is not philosophic Don't you see there is no relation be- tween the blowing of these musical in- struments and the knocking down of the wall? It isn't philosophy" And I suppose there were many wiseacres who stood with their brows knitted, and with the forefnger of the right hand to the forefinger of the left hand, arguing it all out and showing it was not possible that such a cause could produce such an effect. And I sup pose that night in the encampment there was plenty of philosophy and caricature, and if Joshua had been nominated for any high military posi- ton he would not have got many votes,
 F. Joshua's stock was down. The sec ond day the priests blowing the musi- cal instruments go around the city, and failure. Third day, and fail ure; fourth day, and a failure; fifth day, and a failure; sixth day, and a failure The seventh day comes, the climacteric 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 failure
 SHOUT, FOR THE LORD HATH GIVEN
 YOU THE CrTYl
 There is only one more thing to do, and that is to utter great shout. Isee the Israelitish army strengthening them selves up, filling their lungs for vo- ciferation such as was never heard be- fore 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, JerichoW and the long line of solid masonry begins to quiver and to move and to rock. Stand from under! She falls Crash! 50 the walls, the temples, the towers, the palaces; the air blackened with the dust. The huzza of the victorious Israelltes and the groan of the conquered Canaanites commingle and Joshua, standing there in the debris of the wall, hears voice able to stand before thee all the days of thy life.'' Only one house spared. Who lives there2 Some great king9 No. Some woman distinguished for her great kindly deeds? No. She had been conspicuous for her crimes. It is the house of Rahab. Why was her house spared9 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 The red cord of divine injunction reaching from her window to the ground, so that when the people saw that red cord they knew it was the divine indication they should not disturb the prem
 ess, making us think of the divine cord of a Saviours deiveranee, the red cord of Saviours kindness, the red cord of Saviour's mercy, the red cord of our rescue. Mercy for the chief of sinners. Put your trust in that God and no damage shall befall you. When our world shall be more terribly surrounded than was Jericho, even by the trumpets of the judgment day, and the hills and the mountains, the metal