Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-06-01

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Joshua.
Bat no sooner have they reached the
bank than the waters begin to dash and
roar. and with terrific rush they break
loose from their strange anchorage. Out
yondcr they have stopped; 80 miles up
yonder they halted On this side the
waters roll off toward the salt sea. But
rs the hand Of the Lord God is taken
away from the thus uplifted waters
waters perhaps upliftel half mile-as
the Almighty hand is taken away those
waters rush down, and some Of the I'M
believing lsraelites say: ssAlas, alas,
what aniisfortuIe Why could not those
waters have staid parted Because per-
haps VIC may want to so back. o Lord,
wo are engaged in risky business.
Those Csniaanites may eat us mp. How
If we want to go back? Would it not
have been more complete miracle If
the Lord had parted thewaters 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 a
Christian 8 retreat. He clears the path
III the way to Canaan To go back is
todie. The same gatekeepers that swing
back tie amethystine and crystalline
gate OF the Jordan to let Israel pass
through now swing shut the amethystine
and crystalline gate of the Jordan to
keep the Israelites from going back. l
declare it i'll your hearing today, victory
ahead, water 40 feet deep in the rear
T',f,--,.rtl. al.oa1 81,
you death and darkness and woe and
hell But you say, why didn't those
Canaanites, when they had sach
splendid Understanding on the top of
the bank 80 or 10 feet high--completely
demolish these poor Israelites down in
the riveriV viii tell you why. God
had made promise, and lie was going
to keep it. There shall not any man
be able to stand before thee all the days
Of thy life. +"
The March.
But this is no place for the host to
stop. Joshua gives the command, For.
ward, mareh!" In the distance there is
Il long grove Of trees, and at the end of
tae grove is a city. 1t is q city Of ar
bors, city with walls seeming to reach
to the heavens, to buttress the very sky
1t is the great metropolis that commands
thc mountain pass 1t is Jericho That
city was afterward captured by POM
pey, and it was afterward captured by
Herod the Great, and it was afterward
capture by the Mohanndans, but this
campaign the Lord plans. There shall
be no swords, no shields, no battering
ram. There shall be only one weapon Of
war, and that a rams horn. The horn of
the slain ram was sometimes taken and
holes were pnnctured i'll it, and then
the musician would put the instrument
to his lips, and he would run his fingers
over this rude musical instrument, and
make great deal Of sweet harmony for
the people. That was the only kind Of
weapon. Seven priests were to take
these rude rustic musical Instruments,
and they were to go around the city ev-
cry day for six days-once day for six
days, and then on tho seventh day they
were to go around blowing these rude
musical instruments seven times, and
then at the close Of the seventh blowing
of the rams horns on the seventh day
the peroration Of the whole scene was to
be u shout, at which those great walls
should tumble from capstone to base.
The seven priests with the rude music
al Instruments pass all around the city
walls ON the first day, and failure
Not SO much as piece of plaster broke
loose from the wall, not so much as a
looscned rock, not so much as piece of
mortar lost from its place. tIherc,' say
tie Gnbelieying israelites ''Didn tell
yoa so? Why, those ministers are fools.
The idea Of going around the city with
these musical Instruments and expecting
i'll that way to destroy it! Joshua has
been spoiled. He thinks because he has
overthrown and destroyed the spring
freshet he can overthrow the stone wall
Why, it is not philosophic. Don't you
see there is noTelaticn between the blew
ing of these musical instruments ard the
knocking down Of the wall? 1t isn't
philosophy "
And | suppose there were many wise
acres who stood with their brows knit
ted, and with the foreirger Of the right
hand to the forefnger Of tho left hand
arguing it all ont and showing it was
not possible that such a cause should
produce such an effect And l suppose
that night in the encampment there
was plenty Of philosophy and caricature,
and if Joshua had been nominated FOR
any high military position he would not
have got many votes. Joshua's stock
was down. The second day, the priests,
blowing the musical Instruments, 90
around the city, and failure Third
day, and n failure; fourth day, and
failure; fifth day.. and failure; sixth
day, and a failure. The seventh day
comes, the chmacteric day Joshua is
up early in the morning aud examines
the troops, walks all around about, looks
at the city wall. The priests start to
make the circuit of the city. They go
all around. once, all around twice, three
times, four times, five times, six times,
seven times, and failure
The Shout at the Fall.
There is only one more thing to do,
and that is to utter a great shout. | see
the Israehtish army strengthening them
selves up, filing their lungs for a vocif
Grafton such rs was never heard before
and never heard after. Joshua feels that
the hour has come, and he cries out to
his host, ''Shout for the Lord hath Civ
en- you the city!" All the people begin
to cry: Down, Jericho! Down, Jeri-
cho!" And the long line of solid ma
fonry begins to culver and to move and
TO rock. Stand from under She falls
Crash go the walls, the temples, the
towers, the palacesl The air is black
tned with the Gnst. The huzza of the
victorious Israelitcs and the groan of
;he conquered Cialaanitcs conmingle,
and Joshua, standing there in the debris
Of the wall. hears u voice saying,
There shall not any man be able to
stand before thee all the days of thy
life. "
But Joshua IS troops may not halt here.
The command is, "ForW ard, march,"