Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-01-26

pie who say: Scientific investigation
is going to overthrow the Mosaic ac-
count of the creation. Fall back"
Friends of God have never had any
right to fall back.
Joshua falls on his face in chagrin.
1t is the only time ycu ever see the
back of his head. lie falls on his face
and begins 10 whine. and he says:
oh. Lord God. wherefore hast thou
at all brought this people over Jordan
to deliver Us into the hands of the
AmOrites. To destroy Us Would to
God We had been content AMI dwelt on
the other side Of the Jordan, For the
Canaanltes and al The inhabitants of
the land shall hear of ii. end shall en-
viron lis around and cut of our name
from the face of the earth"
am very glad tn Joshua said that.
Before ii seemed as if he were SUI
pernatural being. and therefore could
not be an example to Us: but | find
he is man. he is only a man. Just
as sometimes you find man under
severe opposition. or in bad state of
physical health. or worn out with over
work. lying down ana signing about
everything being defeated. ! am en-
couraged when | hear this cry OF
Joshua as he lies in the dust.
God comes and rouseS him How
does he rouse him By complimentary
apostrOphe? No. He says: Get thee
up. Wherefore lest thou upon thy
face?" Joshua rises and | warrant
YOU. with mortified look. But his
Old courage comes back The fact was
that was not his battle. II he had been
in it he would have gone on to victory
He gathers his troops around him and
says: Now let us go and capture the
city of Al; let us go up right away.
They march on. He puts a MAJOR
ity OF the troops behind ledge of
rocks in the night and then he sends
a comparatively small battalion up
in front of the city. The men of Al
come out with a shout. This battalion
in strategem falls back and falls back
and when the men of Al have left the
city and are in pursu( of this scattered,
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 out
from behind the rocks and take the
city. ard it is put TO the torch and
these Israeltes in the city march down
and the flying battalion of Israelites
return. and between these two waves
of lsraelitish prowess gain the victory:
and while | see the curling smoke of
that destroyed city on the sky. and
while | hear the huzZa OF the lsraelites
and the groan of the Canaanites.
Joshua hears something louder than it
all ringing and echOins through his
soul: There shall not any man be
able 10 stand before thee in 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
Joshua has three days march more
than double quick. On the morning
of the third day lie is before the enemy.
There are two long lines of battle.
The battle opens with great slaughter
but the Canaanites soon discover some
thing. They say: THAT is joshua;
that is the man who conquered the
Il az
stone wall and destroyed the city of
Al. There is no Use fighting And
they sound a retreat. and as they begin
to retreat Joshua ana mis- host spring
upon them like panther. pursuing
them over the rocks. and as these
Canaantes with sprainei ankles and
gashed fOreheads retreat. the catapults
of the sky pour a voiley of hailstones
into the valley. and all the artillery of
the heavens with bullets of iron pounds
the Canaantes against the lodges of
Beth-hOrOn.
OH says Joshua. this is surely a
victory" But do you not see the sun
is going 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 climate. What is the matter with
Joshua? Has he fallen in an apop-
lectic fit? No. He is in prayer Look
Out when a good man makes the Lord
his ally. Joshua raises his face. ra-
Giant with prayer, and looks ii the de-
scending sun ever Gideon. and at the
faiut crescent of the moon. for YOU
know the queen of the night will some
times linger around the palaces of the
day. Pointing one land at the de-
scending sun and the other at the faint
crescent OF the moon. in the name of
God who shapes the worlds and moves
The worlds. he cries: Sun stand thou
still upon Gideon: and thou. moon. in
the valley of AJaiou." And they stood
still. Whether ii was by refraction OF
the suns rGys. or by the stopping of
the whole planetary system. do not
know. and ! do not care leave it to
the Christian scientists and the infdel
scientists to settle that question. while
| tell you | have seen the same thing.
What. say you, not the sun stand
ing stili?" Yes. The same miracle is
! performed nowadays. he 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 use
| iulness is prolonged. and prolonged
and prolonged.
! ElIt it is time for Joshua to 90 home
lie is 10 years Old. Washington weni