Connecticut western news., 1893-03-16
CROSSING JORDAN.
pR. TALMAGE's SUNDAY SERMON DE-
 LNEReD AT DETROIT.

He Compares the Children of Israel Cross ing the Jordan With Washington Cross- ins tho Delaware and Xerxes Crossing the HelIespont--I1essons of the Text.
 DETROIT. March l2.-Rev. Dr. Tal- mage. who is now visiting this city, preached today to a large and intensely interested audience in the Fort Street Presbyterian church. of which Rev. Dr. Radcliffe is pastor, on the crossing of tho Jordan by the children of Israel, the text being from Joshua iii, IT, And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant Of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all the Is- raelites passed over on dry ground, until all tho people were passed clean over Jor- dnn.~
 Washington crossed the Delaware whsn crossing was pronounced impos- dble, but he did it by boat. Xerxes crossed the Hellespont with 2,000, 900 men, but he did it by bridge. The Isra- elites crossed the Red sea, but the same orchestra that celebrated the deliverance of the ono army sounded the strangula- ton of the other This Jordanic passage differs from all There was no sacrifice of human life-not so much as the loss of . linchpin., The vanguard of the host, made up of priests, advanced until they put their foot Ut the brim of the river. when immediately the streets of Jerusa- lem were DO more dry than the bed of that river. 1t was as if all the water had been drawn of, and then the dampness had been soaked up with sponge, and then by towel the road had been wiped d Wonder zoe. i. rrs.. army of lsraelites the hosts in uniform. Following them tho wives, the children, the Aocks, the herds. The people look up at the crys- tallino wall of the Jordan as they pass and think what an awful disaster would come to them if before they got to the opposite bank of that Ajalon 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. nowl Get them all up on the banks-the armed waryiors, the wives and children, focks and herds. and let this wonderful Jor- danic passage be completed forever.
 Sitting on the shelved limestone, look of 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 sprinkled or plunged; the river where the ax-the borrowed ax -miraculously swam at the prophets order; the river fllustrious in the history of the world for heroic faith and o1nnip- otent deliverance and typical of scenes yet to transpire in your life and mine scenes enough to make us, from the sole of tho foot to the crown of the head, tin gle with infinite gladness.
 Standing on the scene of that alright cd, fugitive river Jordan. learn for my self and for you. first, that obstacles, when they are touched, vanish. The text sayD that when these priests came down and touched the water-the edge of the water with their feet-the water parted. They did not wade In chin deep or waist desp or knee deep or ankle deep, but as soon as their feet touched the water it vanished. And 1t makes me think that almost all the obstacles of life need only bs approached in order to be conquered. Difficulties but touched vanish. It is the trouble, the difficulty. the obstacle far in the distance, that seems so huge and tre- mendoua-
 The apostles Paul and John seemed to dislike cross dogs, for the apostle Paul t.lls us in Philippians, Beware of dogs, J and John seems to shut the gate of heav- en against all the canine species when he says, Without are dogs" But have been told that when those animals are furious, If they come at you, If you will keep your eye on them and advance up. on them they will retreat. Whether that be 90 or not cannot tell, but dc mow that the vast majority of the mis- fortunes and trials and disasters of you, life that hounds your steps, if you car only get your eye on them, and keeI your eye on them, and advance upon them. and cry. ''Begone." they will slinl and cover.
 BEAUTIFUL TRADITION.
 There is beautiful tradition among the American Indians that Manitou was travelling in the invisible world, and ons day he came to a barrier of brambles and sharp thorns, which forbade his going on, and there was wild beast glaring al him from the thicket, but as he deter mined to go on his way he did pursue it and those brambles were found to be only phantoms. and that beast was found te be Q powerless ghost, and the impassabl, river that forbade him rushing to em brace the Yaratilda proved to be only , phantom river.
 We'll. my friends, the fact is there ar, great many things that look terrible across our pathway. which, when we ad vance upon them, are only the phan toms, only the separations. only the le lusions of life. Difficulties touched ar conquered. Put your feet into the brin of the water. and Jordan retreats. To, sometimes sec great duty to perform It is very disagreeable duty. You say T can't go through 1t; haven't tn courage, haven't the intelligence, to g through it. Advance upon it. Jordan will vanish.
 always sigh before begin to preacl at the greatness of the undertaking, bu e soon as start 1t becomes to me a exhilaration. And any duty undertake WIb0 COuu0CuL bpuAt UCOohAco 0 PACcs xre, and the higher the duty the highe the pleasure. Difficulties touched ar conquered. There are great many pet pie who are afraid of death in the future Good John Livingston once, on sloo coming from Elizabethport to New Yorl was dreadfully frightened because b thought he was going to be drowned g q sudden gust came up. People wer surprised at him. If. any man in all th world was ready to die, 1t was good Joh Livingston.
 So there are now great many goo people who shudder in passing grav' yard, and they hardly dare think ( Canaan because of the Jordan that il tervenes. But once they are down on
 sick bed, then all their fears are gone the waters of death dashing on the beac are lSke the mellow voice of ocean shel they smell of the blossoms of the tre of life. The music of the heavenly choil comes stealing over the waters, and