The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-05-07
SERMONS TN STONES.
Dr. Talmage's Discourse on the Opening
Of the New Brooklyn Taber-
nacle.
Historic Stones That are Connected
With the Sacred History Of
the World.


his text was: "What mean We by
these stones?" Joshua 4, 6.
The Jordan, like the Mississippi,
has bluffs on the one side and flats on
the other. Here and there syca-
more shadows it. Here and there a
willow dips into it. 1t was only lit
tie over waist-deep in December as l
waded it, but in the months OF April
and May the SHOWS on Mount Leban-
on thaw and flow down into the val
ley, and then the Jordan overfows it's
banks. Then it is wide, deep, raging,
and impetuous. At this season of
the year I hear the tramp Of 10000
armed men coming down to cross the
river. You say, why do they not 60
up nearer the rise of the river at the
old camel ford? All! my friends, it is
because it is not safe to 60 around
when the Lord tells US to 60 ahead.
The Israelites had been going around
for 40 years, and they had enough Of
it. I do not know how it is with you,
my brethren, but I have always got
unto trouble when went around, but
always got into safety when went
ahead.
There spreads out the Jordan, a
raging torrent, much of it snow-water
just come down from the mountain
top; and see some of the Isralites
shivering at the idea Of plunging in,
and one soldier says to his comrade,
"Joseph, can you swim?" And an
other says: eff you can get across
this stream we will get there with wet
clothes and with damaged armor, and
the Canaanites will
SLASH US TO PIECES
with their swords before we get up the
other bank" But it is no time to
halt. The great host marches on
The priests carrying the ark to go
ahead, the people follow. hear the
tramp of the great multitude. The
priests have now come within stones
throw of the water. Yet still there is
no abatement of the flood. Now they
have come within four or five feet Of
the stream; but there is no abatement
| of the flood. Bad prospect! It
seems as if these Israelites that crossed
the desert are now goingt to be drowned
in sight OF Canaan. But "For-
ward!'' is the cry. The command
rings all along the line of the host.
"Forward!" Now the priests have
| come within one step of the river.
This time they lift their feet from the
solid ground and put them down into
the raging stream. No sooner are
their feet there than Jordon flies. On
the right hand God piles a. great
mountain of floods; on the left, the
water flows off toward the sea. The
great river, for hours, halts and rears.
! The back waters, not being able to
flow over the passing Israelites, pile
! wave on wave, until perhaps a sea-
bird would find some difficulty in
scaling the water cliff. Now the
priests and all the people have gone
on dry land. The water on the left
hand side by this time has reached
the sea-; and now that the miraculous
| passage has been made, stand back
and see this stupendous pile of waters
leap. God takes his hand from that
wall of floods, and like a hundred
cataracts they plunge and roar in
thunderous triumph to the sea.
How are they to celebrate this pas
sage? Shall it be with music? I sup
pose the trumpets and cymbals were
all worn out before this. Shall it be
with banners waving? Oh! no; they
are all faded and torn. Joshua cries
out: II will tell you how to celebrate
this: build a monument here to COM
memorate the event." and every priest
puts heavy stone on his shoulder,
and marches out and
DROPS THAT STONE
in the divinely appointed place. see
the pile growing in height, in breadth,
in significance; and, in after years,
men went by that spot and saw this
monument and cried out one to an
other, in fulflment of the prophecy of
the text: "What mean We by these
stones?"
Blessed be God, he did not leave our
church in the wilderness! We have
been wandering about for year and
a half worshipping in the Academy of
Music, Brooklyn, and Academy of
Music, New York. And some thought
we would never reach the promised
land.
BY permission of the neople of my
beloved charge recently visisted the
Holy Lands, and having in mind by
day and by night curing my absence
this rising house of prayer. [ be-
thought myself. "What can I do to
make that place significant and glori-
ous?' On the morning OF Dec. 3 we
We're at the foot of the most sacred
mountain of all the earth, Mount Cal
vary. There is no more doubt Of the
locality than of Mount Washington
or Mount Blame. On the bluff Of this
mountain which is the exact shape Of
81 THE, HUMAN SKULL,
and SO called in the Bible ssthe place
OF a skull" there is room for three
crosses. There l saw a stone so sug-
gestive rolled it down the hill, and
transported it. It is at the top OF
this wall, white stone, with crimson
veins running through it, the white
typical Of purity, the crimson sugges-
tive Of the blood that paid the price
OF our redemption. We place it at the
top OF the memorial wall, for above
all in this church for all time, in