Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-05-30


prowess the men or Al are Destroyed, ana
the 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 Israelites and the groan Of the Ca
naanites, Joshua hears something louder
than it all ringing and echoing through
his soul, "Therc shall not any man be able
to stand before thee all the days Of thy
life."
His Strange Command.
But this is no place for the host of JOSH
ia to stop. Forward, march," cries Josh
ua to the troops. There is the cityof Glib
con. It has put itself under the protection
Of Joshua. They sent word, "There are
five kings after us; they arc going to de-
stroy us; send troops quick; send us help
right away" Joshua has a three days
march more than double quick On the
morning of the third day he is before the
enemy. There arc 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 All. There is no use fighting"
gin to retreat Joshua and his host spring
upon them like a panther, pursuing thom
over the rocks, and as these Canaanites
with sprained ankles and gashed foreheads
retreat the catapults of the sky pour vol
ley Of hailstones into the valley, and all
the artillery of the heavens with bullets Of
iron pounds the Canaanites against the
lodges Of Beth-horon.
"Oh," says Joshua, "this is surely VIC
toryn "But do you not sec the sun is 60
ing DOWN. Those 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 climatel What is the matter
with JoshuaS Has he fallen in an apoplec-
tic fit? No. He is In prayer. Look out
when a good man makes the Lord his ally.
Joshua raises his face, radiant with prayer,
and looks at the descending sun over Glib
con and at the faint crescent Of the moon,
for you know the queen of the night some
times will linger around the palaces of the
day. Pointing one hand at the descending
sun and the other hand at the faint cres-
cent of the moon, in tho name of that God
worlds, he cries, "Sun, stand thou still
upon Gideon; and thou, moon, in the val
ley of Ajalon." And they stood still.
Whether it was by refraction of the suns
rays or by the stopping of the whole plan
etary system I do not know, and do not
care 1 leave it to the Christian scientists
and the infdel scientists to settle that
question, while 1 tell you have seen the
same thing. "Whatp' say you, mot the
sun standing still?'' Yes. The same mira
Gle is performed nowadays The wicked do
not live out half their day, and the sun
sets at noon. But let q 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 Summerfeld was q consumptive
Methodist He looked fearfully white,
am told as he stood in old Sands Street
church in this city, preaching Christ, and
when he stood on the anniversary platform
in New York pleading for the Bible 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 John Summerfield's S
sun set? Did John Summerfeld $ day end?
Oh, mol He lives on in his burning ut
terance in behalf of the Christian church.
The sun stood still.
Robert McCheyne was o consumptiye
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 Christendom, that name mightier
today than was ever his living presence
He lived to preach the gospel in Aberdeen,
Edinburgh and Dundee, but he went away
very early. He preached himself into the
grave. Has Robert McCheyne's sun set?
Is Robert McCheynes day endedP Oh, no!
His dying delirium was filled with prayer,
and when he lifted his hand to pronounce
the benediction upon his family and the
benediction upon his country he seemed
to say: II cannot die now. I want to live
on and on. want to start an influence
for the church that will never cease. /
am only 80 years of age. Sun of my Chris
tian ministry, stand still over Scotland. !"
And it stood still.