The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-07-20

around him and saye: '.No~ let us 20
up and capture the city Of Al; let M
60 up right away"
They march on. He puts the majori-
| ty of the troops behind ledge OF rocks
in the night. and then he sends = come
paratively small battalion up in front
of the city. The men of Al como ont
with . shout This battalion In
stratagem fall back and fall back, and
when all the inch of All have left the
city and are in pursuit OF this scat
tered or seemingly scattered battalion.
Joshua stands on rock-I see his
locks flying in the wind as he points
his spear toward the doomed city, and
that is the signal. The men
rush ont from behind the rocks
and take the city. and 1t is
put to the torch. and then these Is
raelites In the city march down and
the flying battalion of Israelites re-
turn, and between these two waves OF
Israelitish prowess the men of All are
destroyed, and the Israelites gain the
victory; and while ! see the curling
smoke of that destroyed city on tho
sky, and while Lhear the huzza of the
lsraelites and the groan of the Ca
NANTES, Joshua hears something loud
err than it all. ringing and echoing
through his soul: "rhere shall not any
man be able to stand before shee all
the days of thy life"
But this is no place for the host of
Joshua to stop. Forward, march,"
cries Joshua to the troops. There is
the city of Gideon. 1t has put itself
under the protection of Joshua. They
sent word: "There are five kings after
us; they are going to destroy us; send
troops quick; send us help right
away" Joshua has q three days
march more than double quick On
the morning of the third day he is be-
fore 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 con-
| quered the spring freshet and knocked
dc wn the stone wall and destroyed
the city of Al. There is no use fight
/
as they begin to retreat Joshua and
his host spring upon them like a
panther, pursuing them over the rocks,
and as these Canaanites, with sprained
ankles and gashed foreheads, retreat.
the catapults of the sky pour volley
of hailstones into the valley, and all
the artillery of the heavens, with bull
let's of iron. pounds the Canaanites
against the lodges of Beth-horon.
'Oh" says Joshua, ''this is surely q
victory" "But do you notsee the sun
is going down? Tho.e Amorites are
going to get away after all, and they
will come up some other time and
bother us, and perhaps destroy us. +"
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 apoplec-
tic fit? No. He is in prayer. Look
out when good man makes the Lord
his ally. Joshua raises his face, radi-
| ant with prayer, and looks at the de-
scending sun over Gideon and at tho
faint crescent of the moon, for you
know the queen of the night sometimes
will linger around the palaces of the
day. Pointing one hand at the de-
scending sun and the other hand at
the faint crescent of the moon, in the
name of that God who shaped the
worlds and moves the worlds, he cries:
Sun, stand thou still upon Gideon;
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
the whole planetary system. 1 do
not know, and do not care. leave il
| to the Christian scientists and infidel
scientists to settle, while 1 tell you
have seen the same thing. what"
you say, mot the sun standing still?"
Yes. The same miracle is performed
nowadays. The wicked do not live out
( half their day. and the sun sets at
noon. But let a man start out and
battle for God, and the truth, and
against sin. and the day of his useful
ness is prolonged, and prolonged, and
prolonged.
| Robert McCheyne was a consump-
tive Presbyterian. 1t was said when
he preached, he coughed SO it seemed
as if he would never preach again.
His name is fragrant in all Christen-
dom. that name mightier to-day than
was ever his living presence. He lived
to preach the gospel in Aberdeen, Ed
| inburgh and Dundee, but he went away
very early. He preached himself into
| the grave. Has Robert McCheyne's
sun set? Is Robert McCheyne's
day ended? Oh, no! His dying delirium
was filed with prayer, and when he
lifted his hand to pronounce the benz
ediction upon his country, he seemed
| to say: II can not die now; want to
live on and on. want TO start an in
| f1uence for the church that will never
cease. l am only thirty years of age.
Sun of my Christian ministry, stand
still over Scotland" And tstood still
But 1t is time for Joshua to go home
| He is one hundred and ten years old.
Washington went down the Potomac,
and at Mount Vernon closed his days
Wellington died peacefully at Apsley
| House. Now. where shall Joshua
rest? Why, he is to have his greatest
battle now. After one hundred and
ten years he has to meet king who
has more subjects than all the present
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 teyrors. Bat il this il