The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-20


put tie instrument 10 his lips. and he
would run his fingers over this rude musi-
cal Instrument and make a great deal or
sweet sound for the people. That was
the only kind of weapon Seven priests
were TO take these rude. rustic musical
INSTRUMENTS. and they were 10 90 around
the city every day for six days-once a
day for six dayz-snd then on IN seventh
day they were TO go around blowing these
rude musical instruments seven times,
and then at the close OF the seventh blow
81. OF the rams horns on .he seventh
cay, the peroration OF the whole scene
was to be a shout. at which tk,se great
walls should tumble from eapstone TO
base.
The seven priests with the rude musi-
cal instruments pass all around the city
walls on the first day. and score failure
Not so much as a piece OF plaster broke
loose from the wall-not so much as
l0osened rock. not so much as piece OF
mortar lost from Its place. There. say
the unbeiieveing Israelites. did ! not Ten
you SO? Why, those ministers are fools
The idea Of going around the city Win
those musical instruments and expecting
in that way to destroy IL. Joshua mas
been spoiled; he thinks because he has
overthT0Wn and conquered the spring
freshet, he can overthrow the stone wall
Why, IL Is not philosOphic- Do you not
see there is no relation between the blow
ing Of these musical instruments and the
knocking down Of the wall? II Is not
philOs0phinc.'
And ! suppose there were many wise
acres who stood with their brows knitted
and with the forefinger OF the right hand
10 the f0refnger OF the left hand. arguing
II all out, and showing that IL was not
possible that such a cause could produce
such an effect. And ] suppose that night
In the encampment there. was plenty OF
caricature, and II Joshua had been NOM
mated for any high military position he
would not have received many votes.
Joshuas stock was down. The second
day the priests blowing the musical in
struments go around the city, and again
a failure The third day, and fall
ure; fourth day. and a failure; fifth
day. and a failure; sixth day. and a
failure. The seventh day comes, the eli
macteric day. Joshua is up early in the
morning and examines the troops, walks
all about, looks at the city wall. The
city. They go all around once, all around
twice, three times, four times, five times,
six times, seven times. and a failure.
There is only one more thing TO do. and
that is 10 utter a great shout. ! see the
Israelitish army Strengthening themselves
up, filling their lungs for a vociferation
such as never was heard before and never
heard after. Joshua feels that the hour
has come, and he cries out to his host:
Shout, for the Lord hath given you the
city All together the troops shout:
Down. Jericho; down, Jerichor and the
long line of solid masonry begins 10 quiv-
er and 10 move and to rock. Stand from
under! She falls. Crash! go the walls
and temples, the towers, the palaces; the
air blackened with the dust. The huzza
of the victorious Israelites and the groan
of the conquered Canaanites commingle,
and Joshua. standing there in the debris
of the walls. hears a voice saying: There
shall not any man be able to stand be-
fore thee all the days of thy life
only one house spared. Who lives
there? Some great king? No. Some wo-
man distinguished for great kindly deeds
No. She had been conspicuous for heI
crimes. 1t is the house of Rahab. Why
was her house spared? Because she had
been great sinner? No, but because SHE
repented, demonstrating TO all the ages
that there is mercy for the chief of sin
rers. The red cord of divine injunction
reaching from her window 10 the ground
so that when the people saw the red cord
they knew 1t was the divine indication
that they should not disturb the premises
L ri nj Of ha divine a =
Saviour's deliverance, the red cord of q
SaVioIr's kindness, the red cord of a Sa'
viours mercy, the red cord of our rescue
Mercy for the chief of sinners. Put your
trust in that God, and no damage shall
befau you. When our world shall be more
terribly surrounded than was Jericho
even by the trumpets Of the judgment
day, and the hills and the mountains, Iii,
metal bones and ribs of nature shall
break, they who have had Rahab's faitf
shall have Rahab's deliverance.
when wrapped in fire the realms of ether glow,
And heavens last thunder shakes the earth below
Thou undismayed shalt Ger the ruins smile,
And light thy torch at natures funeral pile.
But Joshua's troops may not halt here
The command is, Forward, march!
There is the city of Al; it must be taken
How shall ii be taken? A scouting party
comes back and says: Joshua, We can dt
that without you; it is going to be verJ
easy Job; you had better stay here while
we go and capture it, They march will
small regiment in front of that city
The men of All look at them and give on'
yell, and the Israelites run like reindeer
down the Adirondacks. The Northern
troops at Bull Run did not make suci
rapid time as these lsreelites with TIT
Canaanites after them. They never Gu
such a sorry figure as when they were 0I
the retreat. You who go out IN the bat
ties of God with only. half a force, in
stead of your taking the men of Al, tn
| men of All will take you. Look at th'
| Church of God on the retreat. The BOr
nesian cannibals ate Up Munson, the mis-
| siOnary. Fall back said great man,
| Christian people; Fall back! oh, Church
of God! Borneo will never be taken. ID,
! you not see the Bornesian cannibals hav'
| eaten up MunsOn, the missionary Tyn
| dan delivers his lecture at the Unlversit!
| OF Glasgow, and a great many good peG
| pie say: Fall backi on, Church OF God
| DO you not see that Christian philosoph!
| Is going TO be overcome by worldly phil
| Osophy? Fall backr Geology plunses IL
| crOWbar into the mountains and there ar
/ a great many people who say scientific
| investigation is going 10 overthrow tn
| Mosaic account OF the creation. GeOlOe,
4
| back
but friends of God never have had an,
right 10 fall back. Joshua falls ON hi
| face in chagrin. 1t is the only time yOu
ever see the back OF his head. He falls oil
his face and begins 10 whine, and ne says
| oh, Lord God, wherefore hast ThOs a
| all brought this people over Jordan 10 de
| liver us into the hands of the Amorites
| TO destroy US? Would IL God We hal
| been content and dwelt on tie other sid
| of Jordan. For the Canaanites and al
| the inhabitants of the land shall hear o
| il. and shall environ us round. and Gu
OFF our name from the earth. l am yer
| glad Joshua said that Before, il seeme
| as II he were a supernatural being. an
| therefore, could not be an example to Us
but l find he Is a man, he is only a man
Just as sometimes you find man unde
! severe opposition, or in a bad state o
| physical health, or worn out with over
work, lying down and signing about beinl
| defeated. / am encouraged when | hea
| this cry of Joshua as he lies In the dust
! God comes and rouses him. How
does he rouse him? By compliment
AIRY apostrophe? No. He says, .Ge