The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-05-06
CROSSING THE JORDAN.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Talks on Over
coming Obstacles.
MANY of tho Seeming Obstacles in the Path
Of the Christian Vanish when
Met with Faith In d.
vine Assistance.


The following discourse was deliv- |
cred by Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage in the
Fort Street Presby church at De- |
troit, Mich, during recent visit to /
that city. 1t was based on the text:
nant OF the Lord stood firm on dry ground In
the midst of the Jordan and all the Israelites
passed over on dry ground, until all the people
were passed clean over Jordan.-Joshua ILL, IL.
Washington crossed the Delaware
when crossing was pronounced impos-
sible, but he did it by boat Xerxes
crossed the Hellespont with two mil
lions of men, but he did it by bridge.
The Israelites crossed the Red sea; but
the same orchestra that celebrated the
deliverance of the one army sounded
the strangulation of the other. This
Jordanic passage differs from all.
There was no sacrifice of human life
not 80 much as the loss of q linch-pin.
The vanguard OF the host, made up OF
priests, advanced until they put their
foot at the brim of the river, when inn
mediately the streets of Jerusalem
were no more dry than the bed OF that
river It was as IL all the water had
been drawn off, and then the damp
ness had been soaked up with sponge,
and then by n towel the road had been
wiped dry. Yonder goes great army
of Israelites, the hosts in uniform; fol-
lowing them the wives. the children,
the fiocks, the herds. The people look
MP at the crystalline wall of the Jor-
dan as they pass, and think what an
awful disaster would come to them ii,
before they got to the opposite bank OF
that Aialon wall, that wall should fall
on them; and the thought makes the
mothers hug their children close to their
hearts as they swiften their pace.
Quick, now; get them all up on the
banks. the armed warriors, the wives
mud children, floclSs and herds. and let
this wonderful Jordanic passage be
completed forever.
Sitting on the shelved limestone. ]
look off upon that Jordan where Joshua
crossed under the triumphal arch OF
. the rainbow woven out of the spray;
the river which afterward became the
baptistry where Christ was splinkled OF
plunged; the river where the ax-the
borrowed ax-miraculously swan al
the prophets order; the river illustri
ouspin the history OF the world for he
roic faith and Omnipotent deliverance
aud typical scenes yet tn trcz5iz:e a.
your life and mine--scenes enough Il
make us, from the sole of the foot u
the crown of the head, Jingle with in
finite gladness.
Standing on the scene of that at
frighted, fugitive River Jordan. learr
for myself aud you, first, that obsta
cles, when they are touched, vanish
The text says that when these priest
came down and touched the water
the edge of the water with their feet
the water parted They did not wad
in chin deep, or waist deep, or kne
deep, or ankle deep, but as soon
their feet touched the water ut var
ished. And it makes me think that a
most all the obstacles of life need onl
be approached in order to be con
ouered. Difficulties but touched var
ish. It is the trouble, the difficulty
the obstacle far in the distance tina
seems SO huge and tremendous.
always sigh before begin to preac
at the greatness OF the undertaking
but as soon as i start it becomes to m
mn exhilaration. Aud any duty under
taken with confident spirit become
q pleasure, and the higher tn
duty the higher the pleasure. Diff
culties touched are conquere'
There are great many Peep
who are afraid of death in the futur
Good John Livingston once, on boar
n sloop coming from Elizabethpo
to New York, was dreadfully frightent
because he thoughthe was going to
drowned as sudden gust came up. re
ME were surprised at him. If any ma
Ia all the world was ready to die 1T WI
rood John Livingston. So there are no
great many good people who snu
der in passing n graveyard, ana the
hardly dare think of Canaan becau
Of the Jordan that intervenes; but on
thev are down on sick bed, then
their fears are gone; the waters OF dea
dashino on-the beach are like the mt
3o,v voice of ocean shells--they smt
81 the blossoms Of the tree OF life; T.
music of the heavenly choirs com
stealing over the waters, and to ere
now is only pleasant sail. How lo'
the boat is coming! Come, Lord jest
come quickly. Christ the priest
vances ahead. and the dying Christl
goes over dry-shod on coral beds al
flowers of Heaven, and paths OF pea
On. could we make our doubts remove-
THOSE gloomy doubts that rise,
And view the Canaan that VIC love
With unbeclouded eyes.
Could we hut climb where Moses stood,
And view the landscape Ger,
Not Jordan g stream, nor deaths cola hoo'
Could fright us from the shore.
Again. this Jordanic passage teacl
me the completeness of everything u
odd does. When God put an invisi
dam across Jordan, and it was halt
81 would have been natural, you wo'
have supposed, for the water to nj
overAowed the region all about,
that great devastation would ~
taken place. But when God put
dam in front of the river He put q q
On the other side Of the river, SO IN
according to the text. the water nal
and reared and stood there ana
overfowing the surrounding coun'