The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1900-11-23

buttress the very sky. 1t is the great
metropolis that commands the noun
tain pass. 1t is Jericho. That city
a afterward captured by Pompey
and once by Herod the Great and c
again by the Mohammedans, but this
campaign the Lord plans. There shall
be no swords, no shields, no battering
ram. There shall be only one weapon
of war and that a rams horn The
horn of the slain ran was sometimes
taken. and holes were punctured in
il. and then the musician would put
the instrument to his lips. and ne
would run his fingers ove this rude
musical instrument and make a great
deal OF sweet harmony for the people.
That was the only kind of weapon.
Seven priests We're 20 take these rude,
rustic musical Instruments. and they
we're to go around the city every day
for six dayS-0nc Il day for six days
and then one the seventh day they
were 10 20 around blowing these rude
musical Instruments seven times. and
then at the close Of the seventh blow
ing OF the rams horns on the seventh
day the perordtion of the whole scene
was to be IL shout, at which those
great walls should tumble from cap
stone to base.
Victory Follows Defeat.
The seven priests with the rude mu-
steal Instruments pass all around tbs
city walls on the first day and score n
failure. No so much rs a piece of
plaster broke loose from the wall, not
so much as a loosened rock, nOt so
much as a piece of mortar lost from
it's place. There say the unbeIiev-
ing SsraeIites, did | not tell you so?
Why, those ministers are fools. The
idea of going around the city with
those musical Instruments and expect
ing in that way to destroy it. Joshua
has been spoiled. He thinks because
he has Overthrown and conquered the
spring freshet he can overthrow the
stone wall. Why. it is not philOsophic.
Do you nOt see there is no relation
between the blowing of these musical
instruments and the knocking down
of the wall? 1t is not philosOphic."
And | suppose there were many wise
acres who stood with their brows
knitted and with the forefinger of the
right hand to the fOrefnger of the left
hand arguing it all out and showing
that it was not possible that such a
cause could produce such an effect.
And | suppose that night in the en-
campment there was plenty Of carica-
ture, and il Joshua had been nom
mated for any high military position
he would not have received many
votes. Joshua's stock was down. The
second day the priests blowing the
musical instruments go around the city
and again a failure. The third day
and a failure, the fourth day and a
failure. fifth day and d failure, sixth
day and a failure. The seventh day
comes. the climacteric day. Joshua is
up early i'll the morning and examines
the troops, walks all about, looks at
the city wall. The priests start to
make the circuit OF the city. They go
all around one. all around twice. three
times, four times. five times, six times,
seven times. and a failure. There is
only Il more thing to do, and that is
to utter a great shout. | see the Is
raelitish army strengthening them
selves up, filling their lungs for d Vo-
alteration sUch as never was heard be-
fore and never heard after. Joshua
rnnlG t1at tL. I>--,, Ir-. ,O-,. r~I hn
cries cut to his host. Shout. for the
Lord hath given you the city" All to-
gether the troops shout: Down. Jeri-
chO. Down JerichO." And the long
line of solid masonry begins TO culver
and to o and 10 rock. Stand from
under, She falls! Crash go the walls
and temples. the towers. the palaces,
the air b~lackened with the dust. The
huZZa OF the victorious Israelites n
the groan of the conquered Canaanites
:~ommingle, and Joshua. standing there
in the debris of the walls, hears a |
voice saying. There shall not any man
be able to stand before thee all the
days of thy life
The Savior's DeIiveranc,.
Only IL house spared. Who lives
there? Some great king? No. Some
woman distinguished for great kindly |
deeds? No. She had been c%onspicu- |
Gus for her crimes. 1t is the house of
Rahab. Why was her house spared?
Because she had been a great sinner? |
No. but because she repented, demon |
strating to all the ages that there is
mercy for the chief of sinners. The
red cord OF divine injunction reaching
from her window TO the ground, so
that when the people saw the red cord
they knew ii Was the divine indication
that they should not disturb the
premises, making us think Of the di-
vine cord Of a Savior's deliverance, the
red cord OF u S~avior's kindness, the
red cord of a Savior's mercy, the red
cord of our rescue. Mercy for the
of sinners. Put O Il trust in
that God and no damage shall befaU !