The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-07-20
THE GREATEST SOLDIER.
Rev. r. Dewitt Talmage. as Ma
tional Guard Chaplain.
His Annual Sermon before the thirteenth
RexitAeht N. q. s. N. Y.-The Les
sons Afforded by the Great
Soldier, Joshua.


The following annual sermon was
delivered by Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage
in his capacity of chaplain of the Thir-
teenth regiment N. q. s. N. T.. In EN-
bury Memorial church, Brooklyn. His
subject was: "Thc Greatest Soldier of
All Time," the text being.
There shall not be any man able to stand be-
fore thee all the days Of thy life.-Joshua f., s.
The Gallant thirteenth" as this
regiment is generality and appropri-
atclv called, has gathered together for
the worship of God, and to hear the
annual sermon. And first look with
hearty salutation into the faces of the
veterans, who, though now not in ac-
tive service. have the same patriotic
and military enthusiasm which charac-
terized them. when, in 1863, they babe
farewell to home and loved ones and
started for the field, and risked all
they held dear on earth for the re.
establishment of the falling United
States government. "All that a man
hath will he give for his life," and you
showed yourselves willing to give
lives. We hail you'll We thank you!
We bless you, the veterans of the thir-
teenth. Nothing can ever rob you of
the honor of having been soldiers
in one of the most tremendous
wars of all history, a war with
? Grant, and Sherman, and Hancock,
and Sheridan, and Farragut on one
side, and Lee, and Stonewal jack
son, and Longstreet on the other.
AS in Greek assemblages, when speak,
ers would arouse the audience, they
shouted "Marathon!" SO if / wanted to
stir you to exclamation l would only
need to speak the words: Lookout
Mountain" Charlottesville" Get
tysburg." And though through the
passage of years you are forever free
from duty of enlistment, il European
nations should too easily and too
quickly forget the Monroe doctrine,
and set aggressive foot upon this con-
tinent, l think your ankles would be
supple again. and your arms would
grow strong again, and your eye would
be keen enough to follow the stars of
the old flag wherever they might lead.
And next, greet the colonel and his
staff. and all the officers and men Of
this regiment. 1t has been an event.
full year in your history. If never be-
fore, brooklyn appreciated something
of the value of its armories, and the
Importance of the men who there drill
for the defense and safety of the city.
The blessing of God be upon all of you,
my comrades of the Thirteenth rcgi-
ment! And looking about for subject
that might be most helpful and inspir-
ing for you. and our veterans here as
sembled, and the citizens gathered to-
night with their good wishes, have
concluded to hold up before you the
greatest soldier of all time-Joshua,
the hero of my text.
For the most part, when the general
of an army starts out in conflict he
would like to have small battle in
order that he may get his courage up
and he may rally his troops and get
them drilled for greater conflicts; but
this first undertaking of Joshua was
greater than the leveling of Fort Pu-
las.si. or the laundering down of Glib
raltar, or the overthrow of the Bastile
1t was the crossing of the Jordan at
the time of the spring freshet. The
SHOWS OF Mount Lebanon had just been
melting and they poured down into
the valley, and the whole valley was
raging torrent. So the Canaanites
stand on the bank and they look
across and see Joshua and the Israeli
ties, and they laugh and say: "Ahal
aha! they can not disturb us until the
freshet falls; it is impossible for them
to reach u.s." But after awhile they
look across the water and they see a
movement in the army of Joshua.
They say: What's the matter now2
Why, there must be panic among
these troops, and they arc going to fly,
or perhaps they are going to try to
march across the River Jordan. Joshua
is lunatic." But Joshua, the chief
tain of the text, looks at his army and
cries: Forward, march, and they
start for the bank of the Jordan.
One mile ahead go two priests car
rying glittering box four feet long
and 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 fat, Jordan parts.
The army of Joshua marches right on
without getting their feet wet, over
the bottom 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
tamarisks and willows and pull them
selves up bank thirty or forty
feet high, and having gained
the other bank, they clap
their shields and their cymbals,
and sing the praises of the God of
Joshua. But no sooner have they
reached the bank than the waters be-
gin to dash and roar, and with a ter
rife rush they break loose from their
strange anchorage Out yonder they
have stopped; thirty miles up yonder
they halted. On this side the waters
roll off toward the salt sea. Bntas the
hand of the Lord God is taken away
from the thus uplifted waters-waters
perhaps Hplifted half mile--as the
Almighty hand is taken away those
waters rush down, and some of the un-
believing Israelites say: "Alas, alas;
what MISFORTUNE! Why could not those
waters have stayed parted? because
perhaps we may want to go back,
Oh, Lord, we are engaged in risky
business Those Canaanites may eat
us nm. How If we want 20 90 hocL .