The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1900-11-23
CHRISTIAN WARFARE
DR.. Talmage Draws a Lesson from
Ioshua's Victories.
Encouraging words for Those En-
EnEcd In the BATTLES of Life
Gods soldiers Never Tarn
backward.


IN this discourse DR.. Talmage fol-
lows Joshua on his triumphal march
and speaks encouraging words TO all
who are engaged In the battles Of this
life; text. Joshua, i:s, There shall
not any man be able to stand before
thee all the days of thy life"
Moses was dead. A beautiful tradi-
tion says the Lord kissed him and In
that act drew forth the soul OF the
dying lawgiver. He had been buried,
only one person az the funeral. the
same one who kissed him. But Go"
never takes . man away from aLy
place Of usefulness until he has some
one ready TO replace him. The Lord
does not go looking around amid
great variety of candidates 90 find
some one especially fitted for the va
Gated position. lie makes man for
that place. Moses has passed OF the
stage, and Joshua. the hero. puts his
foot on the platform OF history 40
soiidiy that all the ages echo with the
tread. lie was magnificent fighter.
but he always fought on the right
aide. ael he never fought unless God
told him TO fight. He got his military
equipment from God. who gave him
the promise AZ the start: There
shall nos any man be able 20 stand be-
fore thee ali the DAYS Of Thy life"
God fulfilled this promise. although
Joshua's first battle wns with the
spring freshet, the next with a stone
wall. the next leading on regiment
% whipped towards and the next bat
ting against darkness. wheeling the
sun and the moon into his battalion.
and the last against the king OF ter
rors death FIVE great victories.
A. rule when the general OF an
army starts out in a war he would
Hike 10 have small battle ia order
that be may get his own courage up
and rally his troops and 81 them
drilled for greater conflicts. bat the
first undertaking 81 Joshua was
greater Than the leveling Of Fort
Pulaski. or the assault Of Gibraltar
or the oserthrow Of the Bastilie. II
was the crossing OF the Jordan al the
time Of the spring freshet Tho SHOWS
OF Mount Lebanon had Just been
melting. and they poured down into
the valley. and the whole valley was
a raging torrent. So the Canaanites
stand on one bank. and they look
across and see Joshua and the Israel
ties. and they laugh and say: "Aha.
they cannot disturb as until the
freshets faili n l. impossible for
them 20 reach "a" Hut after awhile
they look across the water. and they
see n movement In the army Of Joshua.
They say; "What u the matter now {?
WIN there must be a panic among
these troops. and they are going TO
hy or perhaps they are going 10 try
90 march across the river Jordan.
Joshua l. a lunatic." But Joshua. the
chieftaln. looks nj his army and cries;
FORWARD. march!" and they start for
the bank OF the Jordan. One mile
ahead 60 two priests carrying a gilt
fering box four feet long and two feet
wide II Il the ark OF the covenant.
And they come down. and no sooner
do they touch the rim 81 the water
with their feet than. by an Almighty
fat. Jordan parts The army OF
Joshua marches right ON without get
ting their feet wet over the bottom
OF the river. a path of chalk and
broken shells and pebbles. until they
get 20 the other bank. Then they lay
hold Of the oleanders and tamarisks
and willows and pull themselves up a
bank 80 or 40 feet high; and. having
gained the other bank. they clap their
shields aud their cymbals and sing
the praises Of the God OF Joshua. But
no sooner have they reached the bank
than the waters begin 20 dash and
roar. aud with a terrific rush they
break loose from their strange an
chorage.
A. the hand OF the Lord God Is
taken away from the thus uplifted
waters waters perhaps uplifted half
q milesihey rush down, and some OF
the unbe,icving Israelites say: "Alas.
alas. what n misfortune! Why could
aot those waters have stald parted?
Because perhaps we may want TO go
back. O Lord, we are engaged In
risky business. Those Canaanites may
cat US mp. How II we want TO go back?
Would II not have been a more com
plete miracle II the Lord had parted
the waters 10 let us come through and
kept them parted 20 let ms go back II
we are defeated?" My friends. God
makes no provision for Christian re-
treat. lie clears the path al the way
10 Canaan. To 20 back Is 20 die. The
same gatekeepers mat swung back
the amethystine and crystalline gate
OF the Jordan 20 let Israel pass
through now swing shut the ame-
thystine and crystalline gate of the
Jordan 20 keep the lsraelites from go
ing back. Victory ahead. but water 30
feet deep behind. surging TO death and
darkness and woe, But you say;
"Why did not these Canaanites. when
they had such a splendid chmee,
standing on the top OF the bank 30 or
40 feet high. completely demolish
those poor lsraelites down In the
riverg' will tell you why. God had
made q promise and He was going TO
keep Il. ''raere shall not any man
he able 10 Grand before thee ell the
days of thy life
But this is no place for the host to
stop Joshua gives the command:
FORWARD, march," In the distance
there il long grove of trees, and at
the end of the grove is city. 1t is a
oi., x,i,a arbors, a city with walls