Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1900-12-08

Dr.. Taimage Draws q Lesson from
Joshua's Victories.
RneearsRing Words for Those Tn.
gsgea Tn the Battles OF Life
Ged's Sofdters Never Turn
backward.

and speaks encouraging words 10 all
who arc engaged in ths battles OF this
life; text, Joshua. las: There shall
not any man be able 20 stand before
thee al the days Of thy life"
Moses was dead. a beautiful tradi-
ten saws the Lord kissed him and in
shat act drew forth the soul OF the
dying lswrivsE. He had been buried.
only one person at the funeral. the
same che who kissed him. But GoG
never takes a man sway from any
place o. usefulness until he has some
one ready TO replace him. The Lord
does not go locking around amid
great variety OF candidates 10 find
some one especially fitted for the va
Gated position He makes a man for
that place. Noses has passed OF the
stage. snd Joshua. The hero. puts his
foot On the platform OF history 50
solidly that AL the ages echo with the
tread. He was q magnificent hghter.
b-t ~ always fought on the right
side. and ne never fought unless God
told him 70 sight. He got his military
equipment from God. who gave him
the promise az the start There
shall not any man be able 70 stand be
H.Tt NasrE ga inc JAYS ga ~ tANNr
God fuifued this promise. although
soshua's first Battle was with the
spring treshst. the next with stone
Wal. The next leading on regiment
q whipped towards znG the next bat
fling against darkness. wheeling the
sun and the moon into his battalion.
and fh- last arsins; the king OF ter
rors. death-fve great victories.
A. rule when the general Of an
sru,y starts out IA a war he would
like 20 have a small battle IA order
that BE may Get his own courage uP
and rally his troops and get them
drilled for greater conflicts. but the
first undertaking Of Joshus was
greater than the levehng % Fort
Pulaski. CT the assault % Gibraltar.
or the overthrow - The Bastiile. IL
vas the crossing % The Jordan at the
zine OF the spring freshet. The SHOWS
q Mount Lebanon had just been
melting. sud they poured down into
the valley. and The whole valley was
= raging torrsat. So lie CaasAziteE
stsEc - cse baak. sad thsy look
across and see JoshuA aud the Isrsei-
ties. and they laugh and ray: Aha.
they cannot disturb us until the
frsshefs falli i; il impossible for
them 20 reach US Bu- after awhile
they look scross the water. and they
zee = movement IN the army Of Joshua.
They sAv: Whist l. the matter now ?
WHY there must he q penio among
those troops and shsy are going 20
~. CT perhaps they are going 70 Try
20 march across the river Jordan
chiettain. looks AZ His army and cries.
Forward. march" and they start for
the bank Of the Jordan One mile
Ghezd 20 two priests carry ing a gilt
tering box four feet long and two feet
wide IL IL the ark Of the covenant.
And they come down. and 10 sooner
GO they touch The rim % the water
with their feet than, BY az Almighty
fat Jordan parts. The army Of
JoEhua marches right on without get
ting their feet wet. over the bottom
q the river. path Of chalk and
broken shells and pebbles. until rhsy
| get % the other bank Then they lay
hold Of the oieandcrs and sanaTisk-
and willows and pull themselves up 4
bank - or 80 feet high: and having
| gained the other bank. they clap their
shields and fheir cymbzls and sing
the prsises Of the God Of Joshua But
| 10 sooner have they reached the bark
| than the waters begin 60 dash and
| roar. and with . terrific rush they
| break loose from their strange an
ehorsge-
As the hand Of The Lord God Il
taken away from the thus upiif;ec
waters--~aterk perhaps uplif;ed hall
= msle-they rash down. and some oI
the unbeiieving Isrseiis@s say; Alas
alas. what a miefortunei WHY couic
aot those waters have stsid parted
BECAUSE perhaps we may Nsnt 20 =
hack. . Lord. We are engaged in
risky business. Those Csnaanifes ma,
eat Us mp How 20 We ssnt 70 20 back
Would q not have been = more com
p.ese miracle II the Lord had partes
she waters 20 let va come through sns
Kept fhen parted 20 ist US 20 back 6
re are de.eated?" Ny friends. Coz
makes TO prov sion for . Christian -
treat He clears the path al the wa,
90 CanaaR. To 20 back is 20 die. tn,
same gatekeepers that swung Dscl
the amethyxfine ard crystalline gat.
o. the Jordan 20 let Israel pas
q rough nov swing shut the anne
shysfiHe and crystasiins gate % tn
Jordan o. keep the Isrselites from 20
ing back. Victory ahead. bat water 3
feet deep behind. snrging 70 death an,
darkness and woe. But you say
why did not these Cansanitss. whei
they had sscA . splencic chares
standing Oh the top % tae bank 50 o
80 Feet high. completely c~molis
those pn~r 4srzeiifes down IN tn