The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-01-07
IN PALESTINE.
The Field Where Joshua Fought
and Triumphed.
The Sun Haits at Noon in the Career oil
the Wicked, But the Day Of the
Christian Is Prolonged For
ever-Sermon by Rev. I.
Dewitt Talmage,
Ii. ID.

hlHSS WtIc iiCO toSCthSi' why S"'N~
and pitched together at the waters OF
Merom to fight against Israel"
We are encamped tonight in Pales-
tine, by the waters of Merom. After a
| long march we have found our tents
pitched, our fires kindled, and, though
far away from civilization, variety OF
food that would not compromise first
class American hotel. For the most OF
our caravan starts an hour and hall
earlier in the morning. We detrain
only two mules, carrying so much OF
our baggage as we might accidentally
need and tent for the monday lunch
con.
The malarias around this Lake Merom
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 healthful. In this neigh
borhood Joshua fought his last great
battle. The nations had banded them
selves together to crush this Joshua, but
along the banks of these waters Joshua
| left their carcases. Indeed, it is time
that we more infinitely examine this
Joshua, of whom we have in these dis.
courses caught only momentary
| glimpse, although he crossed and re-
crossed Palestine, and, next to Jesus, is
the most stirring and mighty character
whose foot ever touched the Holy Land.
Moses was dead. A beautiful tradi-
ton says the Lord kissed him, and in
that act drew forth the soul of the dy-
ing law-giver. He had been buried
only one Person at the funeral the same
One who kissed him. But God never
takes a man away from any place OF
usefulness but he has some one ready.
The Lord does not go looking around
amid great variety OF candidates to
find some one especially fitted for the
vacated position. He makes 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. He was a magnii.
cent fighter, but he always fought on
the right side, and he never fought I'M
less God told him to fight lie got his
military equipment from God, who gave
MIN the promise at the start: ''There
shall not any man be able to stand be-
fore thee all the days of thy life" God
fulfilled this promise, although Joshua's
first battle was with the spring freshet,
end the next with stone wall; and the
next, leading on a regiment of whipped
towards; and the next battle against
darkness, wheeling The sun and moon
into his battalion, and the last against
the King of Terrors, Death-five great
victories.
For the most part, when the general
OF an army starts out in a conflict he
would like to have a small battle in or.
der 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 leveling of Fl. Pulaski, or the thun.
dering down of Gibraltar, or the over.
throw of the Bastile. 1t 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 va
ley was raging torrent. So the Ca.
naanites stand on one bank and they
look across and see Joshua and the Is.
raelites, and they laugh and say: "Aha
nha they can not disturb us in time
until the freshets fall, it is impossible
for them to reach u.s." But after q
while they look across the water and
they see a movement in the army OF
Joshua. They say, "What's the matter
now? Why there must be a panic
among these troops, and they are going
to fly, or perhaps they are going to try
TO march across the river Jordan
Joshua is lunatic." But Joshua, the
rhieftain, looks at his army and cries
Forward march," and they start fol
the banks of the Jordan.
One mile ahead go two priests carry
ing glittcring box four feet long ant
two feet wide. 1t is the ark of the
covenant. And they come down, anG
no sooner do they just touch the rim o.
the water with their feet than by ar
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 broker
shells and pebbles, until they get to the
other bank. Then they lay hold of the
oleanders and tamarisks and willow.
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 praise.
of the God of Joshua. But no sooner
have they reached the bank than the
waters begin to dash and roar, and witt
terrific rush they break loose from
their strange anchorage. Out yondel
they have stopped, thirty miles of dis
lance they halted. On this side the wa
tiers roll off toward the salt sea. But a
the hand of the Lord God is takel
away from the thus uplifted waters
waters perhaps uplifted half mile
as the Almighty hand is taken away
those waters rush down, and some o
the unbelieving Israelites say: ALAS
alas. what misfortune! VIII,
could not those waters have stayet
parted? Because perhaps we may wan
to 90 back. o, Lord! we are engaged
in a risky business. Those Canaanite
may eat us up. How If we want to g
back? Would it not have been a NOR
complete miracle If the Lord had parte'
the waters to let us come through, ant
kept them open to let us go back If w
are defeated?' My friends, God makes
no provisions for Christians retreat
He clears the path all the way 4
Canaan. To go back is to die. Tn