Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-11-19

I upon Gideon.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1S.-In this dis
course DR.. Talmage follows Joshua on
his trfumphal march and speaks en-
couraging words to all who are engag-
ed in the battles of this life; text, JOSH
ua i, ), There shall not any man be
able to stand before thee all the days
of thy life"
Moses WIS dead. A beautiful tradi-
ton says the Lord kissed him and in
that act drew forth the soul of the dy-
ing lawgiver. He had been buried;
only one person at the funeral-the
same One who kissed him. But God
never takes man away from any
place Of usefulness until he has some
one ready to replace him. The Lord
does not go looking around amid a
great variety of candidates to find some
one especially fitted for the vacated po-
Sitfon. He makes man for that place.
Moses has passed off the stage, and
Joshua. the hero, puts his foot on the
platform of history SO SOlidly that all
the ages echo with the tread. He was
a magnificent fighter, but he always
fought On the right side. and he never
He got his military equipment from
God, who gave him the promise at the
start, There shall not any man be able
to stand before thee all the days of thy
life" God fulfilled this promise, al
though Joshua's first battle was with
the spring freshet. the next with q
stone wall. the next leading on regi-
ment of whipped towards and the next
battling against darkness, wheeling the
sun and the moon into his battalion
and the last against the king of ter
rorS, death-fve great victories,
Parting the Jordan.
AS a rule. when the general of an ar
my starts out in war he would like
to have a small battle in order that he
may get his own courage up and rally
his troops and get them drilled for
greater conflicts. but the first under
taking of Joshua was greater than the
leveling of Fort Pulaski or the assault
of Gibraltar or the overthrow of the
BaStille. 1t was the crossing of the
Jordan at the time of the spring fresh
eft. The SHOWS of Mount Lebanon had
just been melting. and they poured
down the valley. and the whole valley
was Il raging torrent. So the Canaan
ties stand on one bank, and they look
across and see Joshua and the Israel
ties. and they laugh and say: AHA!
They cannot disturb US until the fresh
cts fall. 1t is impossible for them to
reach US" But after awhile they look
across the water. and they see
movement in the army Of Joshua. They
GO hor &c, I1n
there must be Il panic among those
troops. and they are going to fly. or
perhaps they are going to try to march
across the river Jordan. Joshua is
lunatic'' But Joshua. the chieftain,
looks at his army and cries. Forward,
march, and they start for the bank of
the Jordan. One mile ahead go two
priests carrying n glittering box four
feet long and two feet wide. It is the
ark of the covenant. And they come
down. and no sooner do they just touch
the rim of the water with their feet
than, by an Almighty fat. Jordan parts.
The army of Joshua marches right on
without getting their feet wet over the
bottom Of the river, path Of chalk
and broken shells and pebbles. until
they get TO the other hank. Then they
lay hold of the oleanders and tama-
risks and willows and pull themselves
up a bank 90 or 40 feet high. and. hav-
ing gained the other bank, they clap
their shields and their cymbalS and
sing the praises Of the God of Joshua.
But no sooner have they reached the
bank than the waters begin to dash
and roar. and with a terrific rush they
break loose from their strange anchor
age. AS the hand of the Lord God is
taken away from the thus uplifted wa
ters-waterS perhaps uplifted half q
mile-they rush down, and some of the
unbelieving Esraelites say: ALIAS, alas,
what Il misfortune! Why could not
those waters have StaiG parted be-
cause, perhaps. we may want to go
back? 0 Lord. we are engaged in q
risky business! Those Canaanftes may
eat US up. How if we want to go back?
Would it not have been more COM
plete miracle if the Lord had parted
the waters TO let US come through and
kept them parted to let us go back if
we are defeatedT"
Gods Promise.
My friends. God makes no provision
for Christians retreat. He clears the
path all the way to Canaan. To go
back is to die. The same gatekeepers
that swung back the amethystine and
crystalline gate of the Jordan to let
Israel pass through now swing shut
the amethystine and crystalline gate
Of the Jordan to keep the Israelites
from going back
i Victory ahead. but water 30 feet deep
behind. surging to death and darkness
and woe. But you say. why did not
these Canaanites, when they had such
u splendid chance. standing on the top
of the bank SO or 40 feet high. COM
HaIctnl1- dnrnoliSh thnSo raonr. Is.r.a OIL