Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1907-02-14


his dreams. He thought Moses stood
by his side and was pointing towards
the people gathered before the taber-
nacle. and saying:
How soon they will forget How
soon they will forgeti As In former
time SO will they again turn from the
Lord"
And Is he turned to protest, Moses
vanished from his sight and he awoke
with a start.
The dream troubled him and for
days he studied over II. until II seemed
that Il must have been a vision and
not a dream. and that Moses had
really spoken to him. Would the peo-
pie turn from the Lord after he had
gone? Would they forget his mereies
and blessings and go after the gods
OF the people about them7 he asked
himself. over and over again
Before l go | must warn them. My
last message shall be an appeal to
them to be faithful to the God who
has been so faithful TO them
And so Joshua sent his essenge
through all the land whittier tho
children Of Israel had settled. asking
that they all come to Shechem Now
Shechen was the place where sol
emn e~ouvocaficu had been held vhen
they bad arst cone into the land
years before. and the blessings and
the cursizgs o. Cod bad seea Rad in
their ear By the Levi - And u vas
here that Joshua gathered the people
together with their elders and their
officers and Judges. and said unto
them:
Thus saith the Lord God % Israel:
Your fathers dwelt on the other side
Of the food in old time. even Terah.
the father OF Abraham. and the father
Of Nachor; and they served other
gods. And I took your father Abra-
ham from the other side of the food.
and led him throughout all the land
OF Canaan. and multiplied his seed
and gave him Isaac. And i gave INTO
Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave
unto Esau Mount SER. to possess Il:
but Jacob and his children went down
into Egypt"
Joshua paused in his hasty review
OF the early history OF the nation. and
II there had been any i~nattention at
the beginning. at the mention Of
Egypt all eyes and ears were turned
towards him. He then went on to
rapidly Owe Gods wonderful deal
ings with them in Egypt. of his lead
ing them out under the hand of
NaCnc. ~ hfo rrt-nAt,., lft-----.
and care all through the wilderness
journey. and OF his bringing them at
last into the promised land and Civ
ing them the victory over all their
enemies.
Now. therefore," he concluded.
fear the Lord and serve him in sim
certify and truth; and put away the
gods which your fathers served on the
other side Of the food and in Egypt,
and serve ye the Lord. And II Il seem
evil unto you to serve the Lord,
choose you this day whom We will
serve; whether the gods which your
fathers served that were on the other
side Of the food. or the gods OF the
Amorites. In whose land ye dwell:
but as for me and my house we viii
serve the Lord"
Tho voice OF the aged Joshua was
almost a sob as he concluded his ap-
peal. and with difficulty he controlled
his feelings. for. Is he was speaking.
there was but one vision before him,
that Of Moses standing at his side
pointing at the people and saying:
AS in former time so will they
again turn from the Lord"
But all this faded before the shout
which went mp from the people as
they answered and said:
God forbid that we should forsake
the Lord. to serve other gods: for the
Lord our God, he it is that brought US
up and u fathers out of the land Of
Egypt. from the house OF bondage.
and which did those great signs in
our sight, and preserved us in all the
way wherein We went, and among all
the people through whom we passed.
And the Lord drove out from before
us all the people. even the Amorites
which dwelt in the land; therefore
will we serve the Lord; for he is our
God"
And Joshua said unto the people:
"Ye are witnesses against your
selves that We have chosen the Lord,
to serve him"
And they said:
We are witnesses"
SO Joshua, the aged leader. made a
with the people that day,
and set them a statute and an ordi-
nance in Shechem. And he wrote
these words Of the people in the book
OF the law of God, and took a great
stone n set 1t up there under an
oak. that was by the altar that had
been reared to the Lord In that place.
And Joshua said unto all the people:
Behold. this stone shall be a wit.
ness unto US; for il hath heard all the
words OF the Lord which he spake
unto US: 1t shall be therefore a wit.
ness unto you lest ye deny your
God"
Prey Of the Sparrow Hawk.