The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-06-06

fields day end? Oh! no. He lives on
IN his burning utterances in behalf of
the Christian church. The sun stood
still.
robert McCheney was a constructive
presbyterian. 1t was said when he
preached, he coughed SO it seemed as
II he would never preach again. His
name Is fragrant in all Christendom.
that name mightier to-day than was
ever his living presence He lived to
preach the gospel in Aberdeen, Edin-
Durgh and Dundee, but Ire went away
very early. He preached himself into
the grave. Has Robert McCheney's
sun set? Is Robert McCheney's day
ended? Oh, no! His dying delirium
was filled with prayer, and when he
lifted his hand to pronounce the bene-
dlction upon his family, and the bene-
dlction upon his country, he seemed
to say: II cannot die now; I want
to live on and on. 1 want to start
an influence for the church that will
never cease. l am only 30 years of
age. Sun Of my Christian ministry.
stand still over Scotland" and it stood
still.
But 1T Is time for Joshua to go home.
lie Is ITO years old. Washington
went down the Potomac, and at Mount
Vernon closed his days. Wellington
died peacefully at Apsley House. Now,
Wher shall Joshua rest? Why, he is
to have his greatest battle now. After
ITO years he has to meet Il king who
has more subjects than all the pres
ent population Of the earth, his throne
pyramid Of skulls, his parterre the
graveyards and the cemeteries of the
world, his chariot the worlds hearse
the King of Terrors. But if this is
Joshua's greatest battle, it is going
to be Joshua's greatest victory. He
gathers his friends around him and
gives his valedictory, and it is full
OF "reminiscences. Young men tell what
they are going to do; old men tell what
they have done.
And as you have heard a grandfather
or a great-grandfather, seated by the
evening fire, tell Of Monmouth, or York
town, and then lift the crutch or staff
as though it were Il musket, to fight,
and show how the old battles were
Won-so Joshua gathers his dying
friends around his dying couch. and he
tells them the story of what he has
been through, and as he lies there, his
Wrinkled forehead, I wonder if God
has kept his promise all the way
thrOugh-the promise of the text. AS
he lies there he tells the story one,
two or three times-you have heard
old people tell a story two or three
times overland he answers: 81 80 the
way Of the earth, and not one promise
has failed, not one word thereof has
fl - 1,0c 10
word thereof has failed.'' And then
he tulns to his family, as a dying
parent will, and says: Choose now
whom you will serve, the God Of Israel
or the. God of the Amorites AS for
me and my house, we will serve the
Lord A dying parent cannot be reck-
less or thoughtless in regard to his
children. Consent to part with them
at the door of the tomb he cannot. By
the cradle in which their infancy was
rocked, by the bosom on which they
first lay, by the blood of the covenant,
by the God of Joshua, it shall not be.
We will not part; we can not part.
Joshua Jireh, we take thee at thy
promise: II will be a God to thee
and thy seed after thee"
Dead, the old chieftain must be laid
out. Handle him very gently. That
sacred body is over 40 years of age.
Lay Shim out; stretch out those feet
that walked dry shod the parted Jor-
dan. Close those lips which helped
blow the blast at which the walls
Of Jericho fell. Fold the arms that
lifted the spear toward the doomed
City OF All. Fold it right over the
heart that eXulted when the five
kings fell. But where shall we get
the FURNISHED granite for the headstone
and the footstone? l bethink myself
now. I imagine that for the head it
shall be the sun that stood still upon
Gideon, and for the foot the moon
that stood still in the Valley of AjaloD