CONQUEST. 57

ever confident we may be of succeeding in anything we
undertake, we ought never to neglect praying for the
success that we expect. The attack was followed out
in the way that had been agreed on. The king of Ai
and his army went out to battle; Joshua and his men of
war fled before them. The people of Ai easily fell into
the snare that had been laid for them; they all rushed
out to the pursuit, leaving their city unguarded. Then
the Lord told Joshua to stretch out his spear towards Ai.
Joshua obeyed. It might serve as a signal to those who
ware lying in ambush, for, immediately after, they rose
from their place of concealment, went to the city, took it,
and set it on fire. The smoke was the signal to Joshua
and his army; when they saw it, they turned upon their
pursuers. Those pursuers looked back to their city, but
looked only to see that it was in the hands of their
enemies. They had hitherto been confident, but now their
confidence failed ; the foes they had despised entirely sur-
rounded them. There was no way of escape, and they
were cut to pieces every one. The cattle and spoil the
people took to themselves, as the Lord had commanded.
Ai was burnt to ashes. Joshua continued steadily to
stretch out the hand in which he held the spear, and did
not draw it back nor rest it till the work of destruction
was complete.

Johnnie. What was the use of holding out the spear,
grandfather ?

Grandfather. It was done in obedience to a special
command of God; so it would be of use in directing the