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


shall be only one weapon Of war. and
that a rams horn. The horn of the
slain ram was sometimes taken. and
boIes were puncturCd in it, and then
the musician would put the instrument
to his lips, and he would run his fin
gers over this rude musical instrument
and make q great deal of sweet harmO-
ny for the people. That was the only
kind of weapon. Seven priests were to
take these rude, rustic musical instru-
ments. and they were to go around the
city every day for six days-Once a day
for six days-and then on the seventh
day they were to go around blowing
these rude musical Instruments seven
times, and then at the close Of the sew
enth blowing of the rams horns on the
seventh day the peroratiCn of the whole
scene was to be Il shout at which those
great walls should tumble from cap
stone to base.
The Lords Victory.
The seven priests with the rude mu~
steal instruments pass all around the
city walls on the first day and score a
failure Not SO much as piece of plas-
ter broke loose from the wall, not SO
much as a loOsened rock, not so much
as piece of mortar lost from it's place.
There" say the unbelieving Israelites,
did I not tell you so? Why, those
ministers are fools The idea of going
around the city with those musical in
strumentS and expecting 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 blow
ing of these musical instruments and
the knocking down of the wall? 1t is
not philcsophic." And l suppose there
were many Nwiseacres who stood with
their brows knitted and with the fore
finger Of the right hand to the forefn-
ger of the left hand arguing it all out
and showing that it was not possible
that such q cause could produce such
an effect. And l suppose that night in
the encampment there was plenty Of
caricature. and if Joshua had been
nominated for any high military posi-
ton he would not have received many
votes. Joshua's stock was down. The
second day the priests blowing the mu-
steal Instruments go around the city,
and again 81 failure. The third day,
and failure; fourth day, and a fail
ure: fifth day. and a failure; sixth day,
and failure. The seventh day comes,
the climacteTic day. Joshua is up early
in the morning and examines the
troops. walks all about and looks at the
city wall. The priests start to make
the circuit of 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
to utter great shout. | see the Israel
itish 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 CIV
en- you the city, All together the
troops shout: Down. Jericho. Down,
Jericho!' and the long line of solid ma
sonry begins to culver and to move
ard to rock. Stand from under! She
falls Crash go the walls and temples,
the towers. the palaces, the air black
ened with dust. The huZZa of the vic
torious IsraeIites and the grOan of the
conquered Canaanites cOmmingle, and
Joshua. standing there in the debris of
the walls hears voice saying, There
shall not any man be able to stand be-
fore thee all the days of thy life"
Rahab's DeIiverance.
Only one house spared. Who lives
there? Some great king? No. Some
woman distinguished for great, kindly
deeds? No. She had been conspicuous
for her crimes. 1t is the house of Ra-
hab Why was her house spared? Be
cause she had been a great sinner? No,
but because she repented demonstrate
ing 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
it was the divine indication that they
should not disturb the premises, max
ing us think of the divine cord of
Saviour's deliverance, the red cord of
SaviOur'S kindness, the red cord of a
Saviour's mercy, the red cord of our
rescue. Mercy for the chief of sinners.
Put your trust in that God, and no
damage shall befall you. When our
world shall be more terribly surround
ed than was Jericho, even by the trum-
pets of the judgment day, and the hills
and the mountains, the metal bones
and ribs of nature, shall break they
who have had Rahabs faith 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 DER 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 All It