Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-11-23

was afterward captured by Pompey
and once by Herod the Great and
once again by the Mohammedans, but
this campaign the Lord plans. There
shall be no swords, no shields, no bat
tering ram. There shall be only one
weapon of war, and that a rams
horn. The horn of the slain ram was
sometimes taken, and holes were pune
tured in it, and then the musician
would put the instrument to his lips,
and he would run his fingers over this
rude musical instrument and make a
great deal of sweet harmony 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 instru-
ments seven times, and then at the
close of the seventh blowing of the
rams horns on the seventh day the
peroration of the whole scene was to
be shout, at which those great walls
should tumble from capstone to base.
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
plaster broke loose from the wall, not
so much as loosened rock. not SO
much as a piece of mortar lost from
its place. 'There," say the unbeliev-
ing Israelites, 'did not tell you so?
Why, those ministers are fools. The
idea of going around the city with
those musical instruments and ex-
pecting in that way to destroy it.
Joshua has been spoiled. He thinks
because he has overthrow and con-
quered the spring freshet he can over
throw 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? It is not
philosophic." And L suppose there
were many wiseacres who stood with
their brows knitted and with the fore
finger of the right hand to the fore
finger of the left hand arguing it all
out and showing that it was not pos
sible that such a cause could produce
such an effect. And I suppose that
night in the encampment there was
plenty of caricature, and if Joshua
had been nominated for any high mil
itary position he would not have re-
ceived many votes. Joshua's stock
was down. The second day the priests
blowing the musical instruments go
around the city and again failure.
The third day and a failure, fourth
day and a failure, fifth day and a
failure, sixth day and a failure. The
seventh day comes, the cimacteric
day. Joshua is up early in the morn
ing 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 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 a
great shout. I see the Israelitish
army Strengthening themselves up,
filing their lungs for vociferation
never heard after. Joshua feels that
the hour has come. and he cries out
to his host: SHOUT, for the Lord
hath given you the city" All to-
gether the troops shout: "Down,
Jericho! Down, Jericho!" And the
long line of solid masonry begins to
culver and to move and to rock. Stand
from under! She falls! Crash go
the walls and temples, the towers,
the palaces. the air blackened with
the dust. The huzza of the victorious
Israeites. and the groan of the con-
quered Canaanites commingle, and
Joshua, standing there in the debris
of the walls. hears voice saying:
There shall not any man be able to
stand before thee all the days of thy
life.''
Only one house spared. Who lives
there? Some great king? No. Some
woman distinguished for great kindly
deeds? No. She had been conspicu-
Gus for her crimes. It 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.
But Joshua's troops may not halt
here The command is: forward,
march," There is the city of All. 1t
must be taken. How shall it be taken ?
A scouting party comes back and says:
Joshua, we can do that without you.
It is going to be very easy job. You
must stand here while we go and cap
ture it." They march with a small
regiment in front of that city. The
men of Al look at them and give one
veil, and the Israe1ites run like rein
deer. The northern troops at Bull
Run did not make such rapid time as
these Israelites with the Canaanites
after them. They never cut such a
sorry figure as when they were on the
retreat. Youwhogo out in the battles
of God with only half force instead