Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-11-23


an effect. And suppose that night i'm
the eaeampment there was plenty Of
cnricature, and IL Joshua had been
nominated for any high military posi-
ton he would not have received many
votes. JcShua's stock was down. The
second day the priests blowing the mu-
steal Instruments go around the city,
and again failure. The third day.
and n failure; fourth day. and n fail
ure; fifth day. and failure: sixth day,
and failure. The seventh day comes.
the climacteric day. Joshua is UP early
In the morning and examines the
troops. walks ell about and looks at the
city wall. The priests start to make
the circuit of the city. They 90 all
around once, all around twice. three
times, four times. Eve times, six times,
seven times. and failure. There is
only one more thing to do. and that Is
to utter great shout. i see the Israel
itish army Strengthening themselves up.
filling their lungs for vociferation
such as never was heard before and
never heard after. Joshua feels that
the hour he's come. and he cries out to
bis host. shout. for the Lord hath Civ
en- you the cityr' All together the
troops shout: Down, Jericho! Down.
Jerichor' and the long line of solid ma
sonry begins to CULVER and to move
and to rock. Stand from underl She
falls. Crash go the walls aud temples,
the towers, the palaces, the air black
ened with dust. The huzza of the vic
torlous Israelitcs 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"
Rahnb'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
Tor her crimes. 1t is the house of RAJ
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
Tor 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
should not disturb the premises. max
lug us think Of the divine cord of
Saviour's deliverance. the red cord OF
Saviour's Kindness. the red cord of n
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 he more terribly surround
ed than was Jericho. even 10y 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 Rahab's faith shall have
Rahab's deliverauce.
When wrapped in ere the realms Of ether glow
And heavens last thunder shakes the earth below
Thou undismsyed. 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 Al IL
must be taken. a scouting party
comes back and says: Joshua. we can
do that without you. II is going TO be
very easy job. You must stay here
while we 60 and capture It." They
march with n small regiment In front
OF that city. The men of Al look at
them and give one yell, and the Israel
ties run like reindeer. The northern
troops at Bull Run did not make such
rapid time as these Israclitcs with the
Canaanites after them. They never
cut such sorry figure as when they
were on the retreat. You who 20 out
In the battles OF God with only half a
force. instead OF your taking the men
or al the men OF Al Will take you. Look
nt the church OF God on the retreat.
The Bornesian caunibals ate ND AIun-
son. the missionary. Fall back" said
n great many Christian people. Fall
back, . church or Godl Borneo will
never be taken. Do you not see the
Bornesian cannibals have eaten I'D
Munson, the Missionary TyndaIl de-
hvers his lecture at the University OF
Glasgow. and great many good peo-
pie say: Fall back, o church of God,
DO you not see that Christian phIloso.
ply is going 10 be overcome by world
iy philosophy Fall backw
No backward Movement.
Geology plunges It's crowbar into the
mountains, and there are great many
people who say scientific investigation
Is going TO overthrow the Mosaic nc
count or the creation. Fall backr But
friends OF God never have had any
right to fall back. Joshua falls ON his
face In chagrin. 1t is the only time YOU
ever sec the back of his head. He falls
on his face and begins to whine, and
he says: 30 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 and dwelt ON
the other side of Jordan, for the Ca
naanites and all the inhabitants OF the
land shall hear OF IL and shall environ
us round and cut of our name from the
earth!' | am very glad Joshua said
that Before IL seemed as IL he were a
supernatural being and therefore could
not be an example to us, but find he
is man, he is only n man, just as
sometimes yon find n man under severe
opposition or In bad State OF physical
health or worn out with overwork, ly-
ing down and signing about being de-
feated. / am encouraged when l hear
this cry OF Joshua as lie lies In the dust
God comes and rouses him. How does
he rouse him-by complimentary apos-
trophe? No; he says: "Get thee up!
Wherefore liest 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 IL, he |
would have gone on to victory. He |
gathers his troops around him and |
says: Now let us go up and capture !
the city of Al. Let us go up right |
away" They march on. He puts the /
majority of the troops behind a ledge |
of rocks in the night, and then he sends |
small regiments up in |
'front.' of the city. The men of Al come
out with a shout. The small regiments |
of lsraelites In stratagem fall back and
Tall back. and when all the men of Al
have left the city and are in pursuit of |
,hese scattered or seemingly scattered