The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-01-01
THE WATERS OF MEROM.
SUBJECT OF SUNDAYS SERMON BY
REV. T. DE WITT TALMACE.

'0''''N~''>T
the Children of Israel Entered the Holy
Land.
BROOKLYN. Dec, 2i--Dr. Talmagc
preached the following sermon this
morning in the Academy ui Music in
this city, and again in the evening ut
The Christian Herald service in New
York. His text was Josh. .Xi, 5 "Aud
when all these kings were met togcth-
er they came and pitched together at
the waters Of Meromto fight against
Israel"
We are encamped tonight in Palcs-
tine by the waters Of Merom. After a
along march we have found our tents
pitched, our fires kindled, and though
fal away from civilization variety Of
food that would not com promise first
class American hotel, for the most Of
our caravan starts an hour and half
earlier in the morning. We dctain
only two mules, carrying so much Of
our baggage as we might accidentally
need and Il tent for the MONDAY lunch
con. The malarias around this Lake
Merom are SO poisonous that ut any
other season of the year enrampmcnt
here Is perilous, but. this winter night
the air is tonic and hcallhful. In this
neighbOIhood Joshua fought his last
&lCdJ Ditl Jlc. lnC DtlIolS ittl pith(ltu
themselves together to crush this
Joshua, but along the banks OF these
waters Joshua left their carcnSSeS.
Indeed it's time that we more min
utely examine this .jOShua OK whom
we have in these discOurSeS caught
only a 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 tradi-
tion says the Lord kissed him, and in
that act drew forth the soul of the dy-
ing 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 60 look
ing around amid agrcat variety Of can
didates to find some one especially Gt
ted for the vacant position. lie makes
man FOR that place. Moses has pass
puts his foot on the platform of history
80 solidly that all the ages echo with
the tread. lie was a magnificent
fighter, but he always fought Oh the
right side, and Eu never fought Unlc>;
God told him to fight. He got his MI
itary equipment, from God, who gave
him the promise at the start, "Tnrrc
shall not any man I've able TO stand he
fore thee all the days Of thy life" God
fulfilled this promise, although Josh
ua's first battle was with the spring
freshet. and the next with a stone wall.
and the next leading on Il regiment Of
whipped towards, and the next battle
against darkness, wheeling the sun
and the moon into his battalion, and
the last against the kinE Of terrorE,
death-five great victories.
For the most part, when the general
OF an army starts out in Il conflict he
would like to have q small battle in
order that he may get his courage up
and rally his troops and get them drill
ed for greater conflicts; but this first
than the leYellng Of Fort Pulaski, or
the laundering down of Gibraltar, or
the overthrow Of the BaStile. 1t WAS
the crossing Of the Jordan ut the time
Of the spring frcshet. The SHOWS of
Mount Lebanon had just been melting,
and they poured down into the valley.
and the whole valley was raging tor
rent. So the Canaanltes stand OF ORG
bank, and they took across and see
Joshua and the lsraelites, and they
laugh and say, "Aha! aha! they cannot
ulSIuID us III Clile-ultlI Inc lIC3netS
fall 1t is impossible for them to reach
u.s." But after while they look across
the water and they see Il movement in
the army Of Joshua. They say: "What's
the matter now? Why, there mast he
panic among these troops, ana they
are going to fly, or perhaps they are
going to try to march across the river
Jordan. Joshua is q lunatc." But
Joshua, the chiefain, looks ut his army
and cries, "Forward, march," and they
start for the bank Of the Jordan.
THE PARTING OF JORDAN.
One mile ahead go two priests carry
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 j oshua marches right on with
out getting their feet wet over the bot
tom 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 tamarlSkS
and willows and pull themselves up Il
bank thirty or forty feet high, ami
having gained the other bank, they
clap their shields and their cyn,hiis
and sing the praises of the Gud or
=
reached the bauk than the waters be-
gin to dash nd roar, and with u terri.
fc rush they break loose from their
strange anchorage. Out yOndrr thGs
have stopped, thirty miles OF distance
they halted. On this side the waters
roll off towards the sal, sea.
But as the land of the Lord God is
taken away from the thus uplittcd
waters--waters perhaps uplifted half Il
mile-as the Almighty hand is taken
away those waters rush down, and
spme Of the unbclieving Israelitcs say:
itAlas, alas, what misfortune! Why
could not those waters have staid part
edY Because perhaps we may want to
go back. o Lord, we are engaged in a
risky business. These Canaanites may
eat us up. How if we want to go back .?
Would it not have been more com
plete miracle If the Lord had parted
the waters to let us come through and
kept them parted to let us go back if
we are defeated?" My friends, God
makes no provision for 4 Christians