The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-04-18
J0SHUA'S PLAN.
Of Anbascads Cited as a Sue
eeesFul Method Of
FIGHTING siNFUlNEsS.
Or. Ialmase Says IN Christian
Warfare There is Much Ae-
cenp|ished by Waiting for
Opportunities.

Opportunities.
From an old time battle scene Dr..
Talnsge in this discourse makes some
startling suggestions as to the best
styles Of Christian work and points out
the reason Of SO many pious failures;
text, Joshua viii, I, Then shall yo
rise up from she au-buSh and seize upon
the eity."
One Sabbath evening, with NY FAM
" around re, we we're tstkl1g over sne
seeRe Of the text. Ia the wlde ope9
eyes and the quick inver1og&tlons ana
tbe blancbe8 cheeks | resGzed what
thrilling drama it was. There Is the
old city, shorter by naHe than any
other city in the sges, spelled with two
letters A, I, Al. Joshua 2Rd ais men
wsat to taxa 1t. How 70 90 1t Is the
question. On fo-ner occasion, in
straightforward, face to face Sight, they
had been defeated, but low they are
going to take it BY sabuseade. Cen
ersl Joshus has two divisions in his
army. The one division the battle
Eern commander will lead himself, the
ether division he sends OF to saeacp
in sn ambush OF the west side Of the
eity Of Al. No torches, 10 lanterns,
no sound Of heavy oattalions, bat 3d.
600 sWarthy warriors moving in silence
speaking only in = whisper; ne clicking
Of swords against shields lest the watch
man Of Al discover it and the straits
gen be failure. If the roiste1lng
soldier in the Israehte army forgets
himself, al along she line the WorS IS
"Hush!'
Joshua takes the other Division, she
one with which ne is to march, and
puts 1t on the north side of the city Of
Al and then spends the night in recon
noiterirg in the valley, There he is,
thinking over the fortunes Of the CON-
ing day with something Of the feelings
Of Wellington the night before Water
loe or Of Msade and Lee sthe night be-
fore Gettysburg. There he stands in
the night and says TO himself: Yen
der is the division in ambush on the
west side Of Al. Here is the division !
have under ny especial command on
the north side Of Al. There is the old
city slumbering in its sin. Tomorrow
will be the battle" Look! The morn
ing already begins to tip the hills. The
military officers of Al look out in the
morning very early, and, while they do
not see the division in ambush, they
behold the other divisions of Joshua,
and the cry ITO arms! To srnS!"
ring through al the streets Of the cid
soWn and every sword, whether hacked
and bent or newly welded, is brought
eat, and sll the inhabitants Of the city
of Al pour through the gates, an infuri-
ased forrest, and their cry is, Come,
we'll make quick work With Joshua ana
his trooas!"
No soe1er had these people Of Al
como out sgaiest the troops Of Joshua
than Joshua gave such command as
he seldom gave such command SIS he
seldom gaTe-''Fall backl" Way, they
could not believe their own ears! Is
Joshua's courage falling him? The re-
treat is beaten, snd the Isrselites are
flying, throwing blsnksts and eanteeRs
on every side under this worse than
Bull Run dsaeat. And yea ought to
hear the soldiers Of Al cheer and cheer
and cheer. But they huZZa too soca.
The Rea lying IN ambush are strslDlng
their vision to get some signal from
Joshua that they uay kaoW what tlne
to Srcp upoR tie city. Joshua takes
his FURNISHED spear glittaring IN the
sun like shaft Of doom sud points it
toward the city, and when the men ap
yondcr in tRe ambush see 1t With haw-
like swoop they drop upon Al and with
snt stroke Of sWerd or stab Or spear
tske the city and put it TO the torch.
So much for the division that was IN
AMBUSH. Eow about the division IN
der Jeshas's eonnand7 No sooner
6ees Joshua step in tbs 8ighs than al
his men step With Kim, and as he wheels
they wheel, tor in a voice Of thunder
he cried Halt ele strong arm driv-
ing Back . torrent Of fying troops.
And then, as he points his spear
through the golden Nsa, ,owa-d tkst
Rated city, his troops kaox that they
are to start for it. What sceue H.
was when the division in ambush which
had taken the city marched down
against tie men Of Al on the one side,
and the troops under Joshua doubled
up their enemies frcR the other side,
aad the men Of Al were caught between
these TIVE hurricanes Of lsraelitish
courage, thrust before and behind, stab
bed in breast ana back, ground between
the upper sad the neither nillatenes Of
Gcd's indignation! Woe to the city Of
Al! Cheey for Israeli
Lesson the arss: There IS such
thing as victorious retrest. JoshEa's
falling back was the first chapter in his
successful beseigenens. And there are
times in your life when the best thing
yeu can do is to run. You were once
the victim Of strong drink. The deni
john and the deeanter were your fierce
toes. They came down upon yo1 with
greater fury than the men Of Al upon
she men Of Joshua. Your only safety
is to get away fran them. Your disai-
patirg companions will come around
for yorr overthrow. Run Cor your life!
Fall bask! Fail back from the drink
Ing saloon! Fall back from the wine
party! Your fight is your advance;
your retreat is yeur victory. Jhsre is
q saloon down on the next street that
has almost been the ruin Of your soul.
Then Why DO you 60 along that street?
Why DO you not pass through some
ether street rather than by the place Of
your calamity? A spoonful of brandy
taken for medicinal purposes by man
whe 20 yesrs before had been reformed
from drunkenness hurled into inebriety
and the grave one Of the best friends
I ever had. Retreat is victory!
Q. .1.o 1Lo-, ;a vinkorinue -atrnat -