Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-12-25

Holy Land.
BRooKLYN, Dee eI-Dr. Talmage preach
II the following. sermon this morning in
ne Academy of Music in this city, and
sg,,in in the evening at The Christian Her
IA service in New York. His text was
Iosb xi. 5, "And when all these kings
were met together they came and pitched
toqether at the waters of Merom to fight
against Israel"
We are eneamped tonight in Palestine
nv 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 first class Ameri-
can hotel, for the most of our caravan starts
an hour and a half earlier in the morn
ing. We detain only two mules, carrying
So much of our baggage as we might acct
aentally need and a tent for the MONDAY
luncheon. The malarias around this Lake
Merom are 50 poisonous that at any other
season of the year encampment here is per-
lions. but this winter night the air is
tonic and healthful. In this neighborhood
Joshua fought his last great battle. The
nations had banded themselves together to
crush this Joshua, but along the banks of
these waters Joshua left their carcasses.
Indeed ii is time that we more infinitely ex-
anime this Joshua of whom we have in
these discourses caught only momentary
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
JOSHUA READY TO TAKE MOSES PLACE.
Moses was dead. A beautiful tradition
says the Lord kissed him, and in that act
drew forth the soul of the dying 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 some one
ready. The Lord does not go looking
around amid a great variety of candidates
to find some one especially fitted for the
vacant position. He makes a man for that
place. Moses has passed off the stage, and
Joshua, the hero, puts his foot on the plat
form of history so solidly that all the ages
echo with the tread. He was magnificent
fighter. but he always fought on the right
side, and be never fought unless God told
him to fight. He got his military equip
ment from God, who gave him the promise
at the start, There shall not any man be
able to stand before thee all the days of
thy life" God fulfilled this promise, al
though Joshuas first battle was with the
spring freshet, and the next with stone
wall, and the next leading on regiment
Of whipped towards, and the next battle
against darkness, wheeling the sun and the
moon into his battalion, and the last
against the king of terrors, death-ive
great victories.
For the most part, when the general Of
an army starts out in conflict he would
like TO have small battle in order that
be may get his courage up and rally
his troops and get them drilled for greater
conflicts; but this first undertaking OF
Joshua was greater than the leyeling of
Fort Pulaski, or the laundering down Of
Gibraltar, or the overthrow of the Bastile.
Ii WIS the crossing of the Jordan at the
time Of the spring freshet. 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 Canaanites stand on one bank, and they
look across and see Joshua and the Israel
ties, and they laugh and say, "Ahal anal
they cannot disturb us in tiine-until the
ireshets fall, it is impossible for them TO
reach us" But after a while they look
across the water and they see a movement
inthe army Of Joshua. They say: Whats
tine matter now? Why. there must be a
panic among these troops, and they are
gong to fly, or perhaps they are going to
try TO march across the river Jordan
Joshua is lunatic'' But Joshua, the
chleftain, looks at his army and cries,
forward, marchi'' and they start for the
bank Of the Jordan.
THE PARTING OF JORDAN.
One mile ahead go two priests carrying
aglittering box four feet long and two
ieet 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 fiat Jor
dan parts. The army of Joshua marches
night 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 oleanders and tamarisks and
willows and pull themselves up a bank
thirty or forty feet high, and, having
gained the other bank, they clap their
shields and their cymbals and sing the
praises Of the God of Joshua. But no
sooner have they reached the bank than
-eNAo OCSin " ut1Sn am NOdhs anu
with terrific rush they break loose from
Their strange anchorage. Out yonder they
nave stopped, thirty miles of distance they
matted. On this side the waters roll off
toward the salt sea
But as the land of the Lord God is taken
away from the thus uplifted waters
waters perhaps uplifted half mile-as
me Almighty hand is taken away those
waters rush down. and some of the unbe-
heving lsraelites say: ''Alas, alas, what a
MISFORTUNE Why could not those waters
nave stai3 parteds Because perhaps we
may want to go back. 0 Lord, we are
engaged in risky business Those Ca
haanites may eat us up. How if we want
70 90 backy Would it not have been a
more complete miracle if the Lord had
parted the waters to let us come through
anu Kept them parted to let as go back If
We are defeated" My friends, God makes
no provision for Christians retreat He
Gears the path all the way TO Canaan. To
- hack IS to die. The same gateSeepers
'Ast swing back the amethystine and
CRYSTALLINE gate Of the Jordan to let
israel pass through now swing shut
TIE amff tVefina and crvSfa1tine rate