Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-03-13
CROSSIN6 JORDAN.
DR.. Images SUNDAY SERMON DE-
LIvERED AT DETROIT.

,,p the Delaware and Xerxes Crossing
the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the Text.
DETROIT, March 12.-Rev. DIR. Tai
mage. who is now visiting this city,
preached today to large and intensely
interested audience in the Fort Street
PRESBYTERIAN church. of which Rev. DR..
Radcliffe is pastor, on the crossing or
the Jordan by the children of Israel, the
text being from Joshua iii, II, And the
priests; that bare the ark of the covenant
of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in
the midst O? the Jordan, and all the Is
raelites passed over on dry ground, until
all the people were passed clean over Jor-
dan
Washington crossed the Delaware
when crossing was pronounced 1mpos-
sible. but he did it by boat Xerxes
crossed the Hellespont with 2,O0O,O 900
men. but he did it by bridge. The lsra-
elites crossed the Red sea, but the same
orchestra that celebrated the deliverance
of the one army sounded the strangula-
ton of the other. This ,Jordanlc 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 ND of priests, advanced until they
nut their foot at the -brim of the river,
when Immediately the streets of Jerusa-
lem were no more dry than the bed OF
that river 1t was as if all the water had
been drawn off, and then the dampness
had been soaked up with a sponge, ana
then by towel the road had been wiped
dry.
Yonder goes a great army of lsraelltes
the hosts in uniform. Followin. them
the wives, the children. The hOcks, the
herds The people look up at the crys-
taliine 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 up on the banks-the armed
warriors, the wives and children, f1ocks
and herds. and let this wonderful Jor-
danic passage be completed forever
Sitting Gn 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 sprinkled or plunged:
the river where theaX-the borrowed sX
-miraculously swan at the prophet S
order: the river illustriOus in the history
of the world for heroic faith and omnip-
otent deliverance and typical of scenes
yet to transpire in your life and mine
scenes enough to make US, from the sole
of the foot to the crown of the head. tin
gle with infinite gladness.
Standing on the scene of that alright
ed, fugitive river Jordan, learn for my
self and for you, first, that obstacles,
when they are touched, vanish. The text
says 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
ieep or. knee deep or ankle deep, but as
soon rs their feet touched the water it
vanished. And it makes me think that
almost all the obstacles of life need only
be approached in order to be conquered.
Difficulties but touched vanish. 1t IS Tie
trouble. the difficulty, the obstacle far III
the distance. that seems so huge and tire
mendouS.
The apostles Paul and John seemed to
dislike cross dogs, for the apostle Paul
tells us in Philippians, Beware of dogs.
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 SO or not cannot tell, but dc
know that the vast majority of the mis-
fortunes and trials and disasters of your
life that hounds your steps. if you car
only get your eye on them, and keel
your eye on them, and advance upor
them, and cry. "Begone," they will slinE
and cover.
\ BEAUTIFUL TRADITION.
There is beautiful tradition among
the American Indians that Manitou wa
travelling in the invisible world, and on'
day he came to barrier of brambles ant
sharp thorns. which forbade his goins
ON. and there was a wild beast glaring q
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 tx
be a powerless ghost, and the impassabl
river that forbade him rushing to EN-
brace the Yaratilda proved to be only
phantom river
Well. my friends, the fact is there ar
great many things that look terribl
across our pathway, which, when we ad
vance upon them. are only the pha1;
toms. only the apparitions. only the lie
lusions of life. Difficulties touched ar
conquered. Put your feet into the brin
of the water, and Jordan retreats. Yo1
sometimes sec great duty to perform
It is very disagreeable duty. You say
II can't go through it; | haven't til
courage. | haven't the intelligence, to g
through it Advance upon it, Jorda,
will vanish.