The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1895-05-31
THE LONDONDERRY SITTER :


balls and sing tho praises of the God u
Joshua,
But 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
yonder they have stopped; 30 miles mp
yonder they halted. On this side the
waters roll off toward the salt sea- But
as the hand of the Lord God is taken
away from the thus uplifted waters
waters perhaps uplifted half a mile--as
the Almighty hand is taken away those
waters rush down, and some of the I'M
believing Israelites say: "Alas, alas,
what misfortune Why could not those
waters have staid parted? Because per-
haps we may want to go back. o Lord,
we are engaged in risky business.
Those Canaanites may eat us up. How
if we want to go back? Would it not
| have been more complete 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
Christians retreat He clears the path
all the way TO Canaan. To go back is
to die. The same gatekeepers that swing
back the 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.
declare it in your hearing today, victory
ahead, water 40 feet deep in the rear.
Triumph ahead, Canaan ahead; behind
you death and darkness and woe and
hell. But you say, "Why didn't those
Canaanites, when they had such a
splendid demonstrating on the top of
the bank 80 or 40 feet high-completely
demohsh those poor Israelites down in
the river?" will tell you why. God
had made promise, and he 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, march, In the distance there is
long grove of trees, and at the end OF
the grove is city. 1t is 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
the 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 Mohammdans, 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 o rams horn. The horn of
the slain ram was sometimes taken and
holes were punctured in 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 the seventh day they
We're 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 tC
, be n 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 g
loosened rock, not so much as piece Of
mortar lost from its place. There" say
. the unbelieving Israelites. "Didn't tel
you so? Why, those ministers are fools
> The idea of going around the city will
? those musical instruments and expecting
r in that way to destroy it Joshua ha
. been spoiled. He thinks because he ha
, overthrown and destroyed the spring
/ freshet he can overthrow the stone wall
: Why, it is not philosophic. Don't you
I see there is no relation between the blow
? ing of these musical instruments and tn
, knocking down of the wall? 1t ism
f philosophy"
o And suppose there were many wise
acres who stood with their brows knit
t ted, and with the forefnger of the RICH
e hand to the foreinger of the left hand
arguing it all out and showing it wa
j not possible that such cause shoult
@ produce such an effect. And l suppos
n that night in the encampment Their
D was plenty of philosophy and caricature
It and if Joshua had been nominated fo
s any high military position he would nc
Il have got many votes. Joshua's stoc
II was down. The second day, the priests
n blowing the musical instruments, g
IS around the city, and failure. Thir
@ day, and failure; fourth day, and
If failure; fifth day, and q failure; sixt
:, day, and a failure. The seventh ola
:, comes, the climacteric day. Joshua
r up early in the morning and examine
10 the troops, walks all around about, lool
70 at the city wall The priests start
" make the circuit of the city. They G
l. all around once, all around twice, thre
It times, four times, five times, six time
!" seven times, and failure.
re The Shout at the Fall.
le There is only one more thing to d.
s and that is to utter great shout. 81
a the Israelitish army Strengthening then
re selves up, filing their lungs for voci
10 Grafton such as was never heard befo
a. and never heard after. Joshua feels TIL
ne the hour has come, and he cries out
" his host, "Shout for the Lord hath gi
ey en- you the city, All the people beg.
to cry: Down, Jericho! Down, Je1
chor' And the long line Of solid m
y sonry begins to culver and to move al
Q to rock. Stand from under! She fall
It. Crash 60 the walls, the temples, Il
do towers, the palacesl The air is blac
er ened with the dust. The huzza of Il
ty victorious Israelites and the groan
IA the conquered Canaanites commingl
,ir and Joshua, standing there in the debr
,r. Of the wall. hears a voice sayin
nd "There shall not any man be able
er stand before thee all the days of Il
IL life. -
nd But Joshua's troops may not halt her
,ot Tho command is. Forward. march