Connecticut western news., 1895-05-30

his battle If he had been in it, he would havo gone on to victory. He gathers his troops around him and says: "Now let us go up and capture the city of Ali. Let us go up right away"
 They march on. He puts the majority of the troops behind ledge of rocks in tho night, and then he sends compara- lively small battalion up in front of the oity. The men of Ali come out with a shout. This battalion in strategem fall back and fall back, and when all the men of Ali have left the city and arc in pursuit of this scattered or seemingly scattered battalion Joshua stands on Q rock. I 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 Israel ties return, and between these two waves of Israehtish prowess the men of Ali arc destroyed, and tho Israelites gain the victory, and while I sec the curling smoke of that destroyed city on the sky, and while hear the huzza of the Israel ties and tho 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 r' cries Joshua to the troops. There is the city of Gibeon. It has put itself under the protection of Joshua. They sent word: "There arc 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 Ali. There is no use fighting" And they sound retreat, and as they begin to retreat Joshua and his host spring upon them like pan thcr, pursuing them over the rocks, and as these Canaanites, with sprained an kles and gashed foreheads, retreat the catapults of the sky pour volley of hailstones into the valley, and all the artillery of the heavens with bullets of iron pounds the Communities against the ledges of Beth-horon.
 Joshua's Strange Command.
 "Oh, says Joshua, "this is surely a victory r 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 us, 1" See, the sun is going down. Oh, for a longer day than has ever been seen in this climate What is the matter with Joshua? Has he fallen in an apopletio fit? No. He is in prayer. Look out when good man makes the Lord his ally. Joshua raises his face, radiant with prayer, and looks at the descending sun over Gibeon and Ut the faint crescent of the moon, for you know the queen of the night sometimes will finger around the palaces of the day. Pointing one hand at the descend ing sun and the other hand at the faint
 
 God who shaped the worlds and moves the worlds, he cries, "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon." And they stood still Whether it was by refraction of the suns rays or by the stopping of tho whole planetary. system I do not know and do not care leave it to the Chris tian scientists and the infidel scientists to settle that question, while tell you have seen the same thing. ''What, say you, mot the sun standing still?" Yes. The same miracle is performed nowadays. The wicked do not live out half their day, and tho sun sets at noon. But lot man start out and battle for God, and the truth, and against sin, and the day of his usefulness is prolonged and prolonged and prolonged.
 John Summerfield was a consumptive Methodist He looked fearfully white, am told, us he stood in old Sands Street church in this city preaching Christ nd when he stood on tho anniversary plat form in New York pleading for the Bi- | ble until unusual and unknown glorieS rolled forth from that book. When he was dying, his pillow was brushed with | the wings of the angel from the skies, | the messenger that God sent down. Did l John Summerfield's sun set? Did John Summerfeld's day end? Oh, mol He lives on in his burning utterance in be half of the Christian church. The sun stood still.
 Robert McCheyne was consumptive Presbyterian. It was said when ht preached he coughed so it seemed as il he would never preach again. His name | is fragrant in all ChriStendom-thai name mightier today than was ever his living presence. He lived to preach the gospel ill Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dun dee, but he went away very early. H, preached himself into the grave. Ha: Robert McCheyne's sun set? Is Rober McCheyne's day ended? Oh, mol Hi, dying delirium was filled with prayer and when he lifted his hand to pro nounce the benediction upon his family and the benediction upon his country h. seemed to say: 1T cannot die now. want to live on and on. I want to star an influence for the church that vii never cease. I am only 80 years of age Sun of my Christian ministry, stand stil over Scotland. And it stood still | The Dead Hero.
 But 1t is time for Joshua to go home He is no years old. Washington wen down the Potomac, and at Mount Yer non closed his days. Wellington dieC peacefully at Apsley House. Now, ,wher' shall Joshua rest? Why, he is to hay, his greatest battle now. After no year he has to meet king who has nor, subjects than all the present population of the earth, his throne pyramid O skulls, his parterre the graveyards an, the cemeteries of the world, his chario
 the worlds hearse-the king of terrors
 But if this is Joshua's greatest battle i
 is going to be Joshua's greatest victory