Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-01-08
A BRAVE WARRIOR.
Or. TALMAGE Pl.EACHES ABOUT
JOSHUA'S MIGHTY VALOR.


mt ality Jordan Was Parted, the |
Walls ofJcricho Were Blown Down |
and tho SUI and the Neon Stood |
Still.
BRooxLrx, Dec. 81. - DR.. Talmagc |
preached the following sermon this morn
ing in the Academy OF Music in this city,
aud again in the evening at the service in
New York. His text was Joshua II. 8:
"And when all these kings were met
they came and pitched together
At the waters Of Merom to fight against
israel"
We arc cncamped tonight ic Palestine by
tho waters Of Merom. After long march
we have found our tents pitched, our fires
kindled, and though far away from civii-
cation, q variety of food that would not
compromise . frst-class American hotel,
for the most Of cur caravan starts an hour
and . half earlier in the morning.
We detain only two mules carrying 50 much
Of our baggage as We might accidentally
need, and o tent for the monday luncheon.
The malarias around this Lake Merom are
so poisonous that at any other season OF
the year encampment here is perilous, but
Vul0 WIuCCI uAkuU tuO 0AA 81 eShAc eSAA~
healthful. In this neighborhood Joshua
fought his last great battle. Tho nations
had banded themselves together to crush
this Joshua, but along the banks Of these
waters Joshua left their carcasscs. Indeed
it is time we moro infinitely examine this
Joshua Of whom VIC have in these dis
courses caught only monetary glimpse,
although he crossed and recrossed Pales-
tine, and next to Jesus is tho most stirring
and mighty character whose foot ever
touched the Holy Land.
For the most part, when the general OF
an army starts out in conflict he would
like to have o small battle in order that he
may get his 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 levelling OF
Fort Pulaski, or the laundering down OF
Gibraltar or the overthrow Of the Bastile.
II was 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 raging torrent so the
Canaanites stand on one bank and they
look across AMI see Joshua and the Israel
ties, and they laugh and say: "Aha! aha!
they cannot disturb US in time-until the
freshets fall; il is impossible for them to
reach u.s." But after while they look
across the water and they see movement
in the army OF Joshua. They say, whats
the matter now? Why, there must DO
panic among these troops. and they arc
going to fly, or perhaps they are going to
try to march across the river Jordan.
Joshua is q lunatic." But Joshua, the
chieftan, looks at his army and cries:
Forward, march !" and they start for tho
bank Of tho Jordan.
One mile ahead go two priests carrying
o glittering 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 fiat, Jordan
| parts. The army of Joshua marches right
| through without getting their feet wet, over
tho bottom OF the river, path of chalk
and broken shells and pebbles, until they
| get to the other bank.
| But this is no place for the host to stop.
Joshua gives the command. Forward
march," III the distance there is a long
grove Of trees. and at the end Of the grove
Is q city. 1t is o city Of arbors, q city
with walls seeming to reach to the heaven
| to buttress the very sky. 1t Is the great
|
pass. It Is Jericho. That city was after
ward captured by Pompey, and It wa.
sfterwsrd captured bv Herod the Great
and It was sfterward captured by tn
Mohammedans; but this campaign thu
LORD plans. There shall be no swords, NJ
shields, no battering ram. There shall b
only one weapon Of war, and that ram.
horn.
The seven priests with the rude musica
instruments pass all around the city wall
on the first day, and failure. Not 81
much as piece Of plaster broke loose from
the wall-not 50 much as q loosened rock
not 50 much as q piece Of mortar lost from
its place. 'IThere," say the unbelievint
Israeltes, didn't I tell you SO? Why
those ministers are fools. The idea o
going around the city with those musica
instruments aud expecting in that way t
destroy 1t! Joshua has been spoiled; h
thinks because he has overthrown and dc
stroyed the spring freshet, he can over
throw the stone wall. Why, 1t is no
phllosophic- Don't you see there is n
relation between tho blowing OF thes
musical instruments and tho knocking
down of tho wall? 1t isn't philosophy"
Joshua's stock was down. The secon,
iay, the priests blowing the musical in
struments go around the city. and a fail
ure Third day. and failure; fourth day
and q failure; fifth day. and failure
sixth day, and failure. The seventh da
comes, the climacterc day. Joshua is u
early in the morning and examines tn
troops, walks all around about. looks a
the city wall. The priests start to max
the circuit of the city. They 90 all aroun
once, all around twice, three times, fou
times, Eve times, six times, seven times
and ia lure.
There is only one more thing to do. an
that is to utter o great shout. see tn
Israelitish army Strengthening themselve
up, filing their lungs for vociteratio
such as was never heard before and neve
heard after. Joshua feels that the hou
has come, and he cries out to his hos1
"Shout; for the Lord hath given you tn
city" All the people begin to cry: dow
Jericho, down Jerichow and the long lin
Of solid masonry begins to qulver and
move and TO rock. Stand from under
She falls! Crash! 60 the walls, the ten
pies. tho towers, the palaces; the air blacl