Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-05-31

people say: Fall back, o church Of
God Don't you see that Christian phi
losophy is going to be overcome by world
" philosophy? Fall back!" Geology
plunges its crowbar into the mountains,
and there are great many people who
say: Scientific investigation is going to
overthrow the Mosaic account of the Gre
alton. Fall backp' Friends Of God
have never any right to fall back.
Joshua falls on his face in chagrin 1t
is the only time you ever see the back
of his head. He falls on his face and be-
gins TO whine, and he says: 80 Lord
God, wherefore hast thou at all brought
this people over Jordan to deliver us in
to the hand of the Amorites to destroy
us! Would to God we had been content
and dwelt ON the other side Of Jordan
For the Canaanites and all the inhabit-
ants Of the land shall hear of it and
shall environ us round and cut of our
name from the earth.
am very glad Joshua said that. Be
fore it seemed as if he were supernat-
urGl being, and therefore could not be
an example to us, but l find he is
man, he is only man. Just as some
times you find man under severe OPP
position, or in bad state Of physical
health, or worn ont with overwork, ly-
ing down and signing about everything
being defeated, l am encouraged when
hear this cry Of Joshua as he lies IN
the dust.
The Retreat Of the Enemy.
God comes and rouses him. How does
he rouse him? By complimentary apos-
trophe? No. He says: "Get thee up
Wherefore iest thou upon thy face:"
Joshua rises, and, warrant you, with
mortified look. But his old courage
comes back. The fact was that was not
his battle. If he had been in it, he
would have gone on TO victory. He
gathers his troops around him and says:
"Now let us go up and capture the city
Of Al. Let us 90 up right away.
They march on. He puts the majority
of the troops behind ledge Of rocks in
the night, and then he sends compara-
lively small battalion up in front Of the
CITY, The men Of Al come out with a
shout This battalion in strategem fall
back and fall back, and when all the
men Of Al have left the city and are in
pursuit Of this scattered or seemingly
scattered battalion Joshua stands on a
rock. see his locks flying in the wind
as he points his spear toward the DOOM
ed city, and that is the signal. The men
rush out from behind the rocks and take
the city, and it is put to the torch, and
then these Israelites in the city march
down, and the flying battalion Of Israeli
ties return, and between these two waves
of Israelitish prowess the men Of Al are
destroyed, and the Israelites gain the
victory, and while I see the curling
smoke of that destroyed city on the sky,
and while hear the huzza Of the Israel
ties and the groan Of the Canaanites,
Joshua hears something louder than it
all, ringing and echoing through his
soul, There shall not any man be able
to stand before thee all the days Of thy
life"
But this is no place for the host OF
Joshua to stop. Forward, march y
cries Joshua TO the troops. There is the
city Of Gideon. 1t has put itself under
the protection of Joshua. They sent
word: There are five kings after us.
They are going to destroy us. Send
troops quick. Send US help right away.
Joshua has three days march more
than double quick. On the morning OF
the third day he is before the enemy.
There are two long lines Of battle. The
battle opens with great slaughter, but
the Canaanites soon discover something.
They say THAT is Joshua. That is the
man who conquered the spring freshet
and knocked down the stone wall and
destroyed the city of Al. There isno use
fighting." And they sound retreat,
and as they begin to retreat Joshua and
his host spring upon them like pan
ther, pursuing them over the rocks, and
as these Canaanites, with sprained an
kles and gashed foreheads, retreat the
catapults Of the sky pour a yolley OF
hailstones into the valley, and all the
artillery of the heavens with bullets OF
iron pounds the Canaanites against the
lodges Of h-horon.
Joshua's Strange Command.
"Oh," says Joshua, "this is surely a
victory" But do you not see the sun
is going down? Those Amorites are go
ing TO get away after all, and they will
come up some other time and bother Us,
and perhaps destroy u.s." See, the sun
is going down. Oh, for longer day
than has ever been seen in this climate
What is the matter with Joshua? Has
he fallen in an apopletic fit! No. He is
in PRAYER. Look out when a good man
makes the Lord his ally. Joshua raises
his face, radiant with prayer, and looks
at the descending sun over Gideon and
at the faint crescent Of the moon, for you
know the queen of the night sometimes
will linger around the palaces OF the
day. Pointing one hand at the descend
ing sun and the other hand at the FAINT
crescent of the moon, in the name OF that
God who shaped the worlds and moves the
worlds, he cries, "Sun, stand thou stu
upon Gibeon, and thou, moon, III the
valley of Ajalon." " And they stood stllL
Whether it was by refraction Of the
suns rays or by the stopping OF the
whole planetary system do not know
and do not care lsave it to the Chris
tian scientists and the infidel scientists
to settle that question, while tell you
have seen the same thing. what, "
saw YOU, mot the sun standing stillT
Yes. The same miracle is performed
nowadays. The wicked do not live out
half their day, and the sun sets at noon.
But let man start out and battle foi
God, and the truth, and against sin, and
the day of his usefulness is prolonged
and prolonged and prolonged.
John Summerfeld was consumptivt
Methodist. He looked fearfully white,
an, told, as be stood in old Sands Street
church in this city preaching Christ anc
when ne stood ON the anniversary plat
form in New York pleading for the 81
BILE until unusual and unknown glorie
rolled forth from that book When h