Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-03-18

1
wisdom jumped out, illustrating the
truth that wisdom comes by hard
knocks There was u river OF difficulty
between Shakespeare, the boy holding
the horses at the door of the London
theater, and that Shakespeare, the
great dramatist, winning the applause
of all audiences by his tragedies. There
was u river between benjamin Frank
lin, with loaf of bread under his
arm walking the streets of Philadcl-
phia, and that same Benjamin Frank
lin. the philosopher, just outside Of
Boston flying n kite in thunderstorm.
Lord Mansfield, pursued by the press
and by the populace because of GER
tain line of duty, went on to discharge
the duty, and while the mob was
around him, demanding the taking OF
his life, he shook his fist in the face OF
the mob and said: ''Sirs, when ones
last end comes, il cannot come too soon
If he falls in defense of law and the
liberty Of his country" And so there
is, my friends, tug, tussle, trial, u
push, an anxiety, through which every
man must go before he comes to world
lv success and worldly achievement
You admit it. Now be wise enough to
apply it in religion. Eminent Christian
character is only gained by the Jor-
danic passage; no man just happens to
get good.
The Christian has passed the Red sea
of trouble, and yet he thinks there is a
Jordan of death between him and
Heaven. He comes down to that Jor-
dan of death and thinks how many
have been lost there. When Molyneux
was exploring the Jordan in Palestine,
he had his boats all knocked to PIECES
in the rapids of that river. And there
are n great many men who have gone
down in the river of death; the Allan!
tic aud Pacific have not swallowed SO
many.
The Christian comes down to this
raging torrent, and he knows he must
pass ont, and as he comes toward the
time his breath gets shorter, and his
last breath leaves him as he steps into
the stream, and no sooner does he touch
the stream than it is parted and he goes
through dry shod. while all the waters
wave their plumes, trying, "Oh, death,
where is thy sting? o, grave, where is
thy victory?' God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes and there shall be
no more weeping and there shall be nc
more death.
One word of comfort on this subject
for all the bereaved. You see, our de-
parted friends have not been submerged
have not been swamped in the waters;
they have only crossed over. These
Israelites were just as thoroughly alive
on the western banks of the Jordan as
they had been on the eastern banks OF
the Jordan; and our departed Christian
friends have only crossed over-not
sick, not dead, not exhausted, not eX-
tinguished, not blotted out, but with
neutrality-suspicious., and stouter pulses.
and keener eyesight, and better pros
poets: crossed over, their sins, their
physical and mental disquiet, all left
clear this side, an eternally flowing,
impossible obstacle between them and
all human and satanic pursuit Crossed
over. Oh. shake hands of congratu-
lation with all the bereaved in the con-
sideration that our departed Christian
friends are safe.
Why was there so much of joy in GER
tain circles in New York when people
heard from the friends who were on
board that belated steamer? 1t was
feared that vessel had gone to the bot
tom of the sea, and when the friends
on this side heard that the steamer had
arrived safely in Liverpool, had
we not right to congratulate the
people in New York that their
friends had got safely across? And
is it not right this morning that l con-
yratulate you that your departed friends
are safe on the shore of Heaven. Would
YOU have them back again? Would you
have those old parents back again?
Would you have your children back
again? Would you have them take the
risks of temptation which throng every
human pathway? Would You have
them cross the Jordan three times? In
addition to crossing it already, cross it
again to greet you now, and then cross
back afterward. For certainly you
would not want to keep them forever
out of Heaven.
L ask question, and there seems to
come back the answer in heavenly
echo. "What. will you never be sick
again?" "Never-sick-again. " What!
will you never be tired again. "Never
-tired-again." what! will you
never weep again?" "Never-weep-
again" 'What! will you never die
again." Acknowledgements" Oh, ye
army of departed kindred, we hail you
from bank to bank. Wait for us when
the Jordan of death shall part for us.
Come b vn and meet us half way be-
tween lj9 llowed banks of earth and
the pahv YES of Heaven. May our
great Hi est go ahead of us, and