The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-03-15
CROSSING THE JORDAN.
DR. Talmage Draws a Lesson From
the Jordanic Passage.
Nearly All the Obstacles In Life Need Only
be Approached In Ordor to be Con-
quered-C Christians Need Have
No Fear Crossing the Jor-
dan of Death.

troit, Mich, recently on the crossing OF
the Jordan by the children Of Israel,
the text being from Joshua ILL.,, II:
"And the priests that bare the ark OF
tho covenant 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" Following is the
sermon: ttA
Washington crossed the Delaware
when crossing was pronounced impossi-
bic, 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 so much as the loss of a linchpin.
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.
1t was as If ell the water had been
drawn off, and then the dampness had
been soaked up with sponge, and then
by towel the road had been wiped
dry Yonder goes great army OF
Israelites, the hosts in uniform; follow
ing them the wives, the children, the
flocks, the herds. The people look up
at the crystalline 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, now; get them all upon the
banks, the armed warriors the wives
and children, focks and herds, and let
this wonderful Jordanic passage be COM
pleted forever.
Sitting on the shelved limestone,
look off upon that Jordan where Joshua
crossed under the triumphnl arch OF the
rainbow woven out Of the spray; the
river which afterward became the
baptistry whero Christ was sprinkled
or plunged; the river where the ak
the borrowed ax-miraculously swan
at the prophets order; the river illus
trious in the history of the world for
i heroic faith and omnipotent deliver
ance, and typical of scenes yet to tran
spire in your life and mine-scenes
enough TO make us, from the sole OF
III tho foot to the crown of the head, tim
gle with infinite gladness
Standing on the scene Of that alright
ed, fugitive river Jordan, learn for
myself and for you, first, that obstacles,
when they are touched, vanish The
text san 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 deep, or knee deep, or
ankle deep but as soon as their feet
touched the water 1t vanished. And It
makes me think that almost all the OBJ
stacles in life need only be approached in
order TO be conquered. Difficulties but
touched vanish. 1t is the trouble,
the difficulty, the obstacle far in the
distance that seems SO huge and tre'
mendous.
The Apostles Paul and John seemed
to dislike cross dogs, for the Apostle
Paul tells us in PHILIPPIANS: Beware oi
dogs" and John seems TO shut the gate
of,Heayen against all the canine species
when he says: "Without are dogs.
But have been told that when thost
animals are furious II they come at you
II you will keep your eye on them, anc
advance upon them, they will retreat
Whether that be so or not, / cannot tell
hut 1 do know that the vast majority
Of the misfortunes and trials and dis
asters Of your life that hound you
steps, II you can only get your eye OF
them, and advance upon them, and cry
'begone," they will stink and cover
There is n beautiful tradition among
the American Indians that Manitou wa
travelling in an invisible world, ant
one day he came to barrier of bramblei
and sharp thorns, and there was wilt
beast Rlaring at him from the thicket
but. as he determined 10 go on his way
he did not pursue II, and those bramble
were found to be only phantoms, ant
the beast was found to be only a pow
erless ghost and the impossible rive
that forbade him rushing TO embrac
the Yaratilda proved TO be only phan
tom river. Well, my friends, the fac
"a there are a great many things tha
look terrible across our pathway, which
when we advance upon them, are onl.
the phantoms, only the apparitions
only tho delusions OF life Difficultie
touched are conquered. Put your fee
into the brim OF the water and JordaI
retreats You sometimes see grea
duty TO perform Itis very disagree
able duty; you say, II can't go throug
II: haven't the courage, ! haven't tn
intelligence, to go through it" Ad
vance upon II; Jordan will vanish.
always sigh before Ibegin TO preac
at the greatness Of the undertaking, bu
as soon as / start 1t becomes TO me q
exhilaration. And any duty undertal
en- with confident spirit becomes
pleasure, and the higher the duty th
higher the pleasure Difficulties touche
are conquered. There are great man
people who are afraid Of death In th
future. Good John Livingston once, o
a sloop coming from EliEabethport
New York, was dreadfully frightened
because he thought he was going TO B
drowned as o sudden gust came NJ
People were surprised at him II an
man In all the world WIS ready 10 di'
It was good John Livingston So ther