Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-03-13

II our da>d s.sfszAs dawn wstn es "a
n. ten.he.or.s. .nsl while We plant ros<s
th1ss L. psantls.sI euE>al~iisa IA car
A<,.,-t. every skAf1s< = s1s1k. every verse
= SIAN. every xorlL ro@e. A eoas1<ts
s..s..oar. q ccsapbtts bible. . complete
uuiy~rse. complete JordAnjc passase.
Ever, thug thai God du~s i complete
OBSTACLES ~ ovEAoo2K-
Again. learn froz4 this Jortzn;c pas
ss-.s that between - and every Canaan
Of si,ccess and prosSerisy there Is river
l1-Af xaasf ~ psesea- "oh. ko~f1 wor'1
Ike some Of those grapes ca the Other
slae- sd socas oS the Isrselites to
joshua Well says Josao. If you
want the grapes. why don't you cross
over and get them There Is river Il
dificnlsy between ns and everything that
y worth having. That which costs moth
inx Is worth nothing.
God didn't intend this world for an
easy psxlDr. through which We are TO 10
drawn in rocking chair. bur we are 10
work CUR Passage. climb masss. fight
battles. scale mountains and ford rivers.
God makes everything valuable difficult
the gold down IN the mine and the pearl
clear down IN the sea--so make Us dig
and dive fer them. We acknowledge
TINS principle in worldly things; Oh, that
We were only wise enough 20 acknowl-
edge 10 in religious thingss
You have scores Of illustrations under
yorr own observation where men have
hsd the hardest LOT and been trcdden
under foot. ard yet after awhile had is
easy. Now their homes blossom and
bloom with pictures. and carpets that
maie foreign looms laugh now embrace
their feet; the summer winds lift the
tapestry about The window gorgeous
enough for a Turkish sultan; impatient
stesds paw and neigh ~ the door. their
carriages moving through the sea OF
New York life very wave Of splendor.
Who Is IL. Why. II Is 10y who came
70 New York with dollar In his pocket
and all his estate slung over his shoulder
in n cotton handkerchief. All that silver
on the dancing span is petrifed sweat
drops; that beautiful dress IL the faded
calico over which God put his hand Of
perfection. turning IL to Turkish satin or
Italian silk: thtse diamonds are the tears
which suffering froze - they fell. Oh.
there Is river Of difficulty between Ms
AMI every earthly achievement. You
know that. YOU admit that
You know this Is 70 with regard to tho
acquisition Of knowledge. The sncients
used 70 say TINT Vulcan struck Jupiter
On the head, ard the goddess Of wisdom
jumped out. Illustrating the truth that
wisdom comex by hard knocks. There
was river Of difficulty between Shake
spears, the boy. holding the horses at the
door Of the London theater, and that
Shakespeare, the great dramatist, wln-
ming the applause Of oil audiences by his
tragedies. There was river between
Benjamin Franklin. with loaf Of bread
under his arm, walking the streets OF
Philadelphia, snd that same Benjamin
Franklin. the philosopher. Just outside
Of Boston flying . kite in the thunder
storm
An idlcr was cured Of his bad habit by
looking through the window, night after
night. at q man who seemed sitting at
his desk turning of one sheet Of writing
after another until almost the dawn OF
the morning. The man sitting there
writing until morning was industrious
Walter Scott: the man who looked at
him through the window was Lockhart.
his illustrious biographer afterward.
Lord Mansfield. pursued by the press and
by the populacs. because Of certain hne
of duty. went on TO discharge the duty,
and while the mob were around him do
handing the taking Of his life he shook
his fist in the face Of the mob and said,
"Sirs, when ones last end comes. il can
not come too son IL be falls in defense
of law and the liberty Of his country"
And 40 there Is. my friends. tug O
tussie. trial. push, an anxiety.
through which every man must go be-
fore he comes to worldly success and
worldly achievement. You admit IL.
Now be wise enough to apply il in rel-
gion. Eminent Christian character Is
only gained by tho Jordanic passage; no
man just happened 70 get good.
Why does that man know so much
about the Scriptures He was studying
the Bible while you were reading
novel He was on fire with the subfrni.
ties Of the Bsblc while you were sound
asleep; by tug, tussle, pushing and run
ming in the Christian life that man got
90 strong for God: in hundred Softer
inos he learned how to eight; Ia a hun.
dred shipwrecks he learned how b exfn.
Tears over Gin. tears over lions desola-
ton, tears over the impeniteut. tears
over the graves u.ade. are the Jordan
which that man had passed. Sorrow
pales the CHECK. and fades the eye. anil
wrinkles the brow. and withersthe hands.
There are mourning garments in tho
wardrobe. and there are deaths In every
family record. al around are the relics
OF the dead
THE JORDAN ov DEATH.
The Christian has passed the Rcd SEA
Of trouble. and yet he thinks there u -
Jordan II death between him and heav-
en- lie COMES down 10 that Jordan az
death and thanks how many have been
Ioxt there. When Molynsur was explor-
ing TIA Jtniaa in Palestine, he had his
boats all Knocked 90 pipccs Ia the rapid,
Of that river And thevs are a great
many men who have gone down IN thu
river Of death: the Atlantic and paciin
have not swallowed 10 many. II u al
awful thing ~ make ssltpwrecks ON tho