The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-03-23
CROSSIN G EEL B JORDAN.
TAlMAGE BREACHES AN ELp-
81 essoUENT SERMONlN DETROIT.

obstacles, When They are Touched,
e ways Vanish-Th Complete
ness Of Everything That God
Does The River OF
! Gs$ Death. s
Detroit, Mich, Special: Rev. Dr.
Ialmage, who has been visiting this city.
preached in the Fourth Street Presbyteri-
an church, Of which Rev. DIR. Radcliffe.
us pastor, to a large and intensely inter
aested audio nee, on the Crossing of the
Jordan by the Children Of Israeli the
text being from Joshua ILL.,. II: and
the priests that bare the ark of the Gov
,enant OF the Lord stood firm on dry
ground in the midst of the Jordan, and
all the lsraelites passed over on dry
ground, until all the people were passed
clean oyer Jordan 2. I1s a... IA. -.1ls@ '7
Washington crossed the Delaware when
crossing was pronounced impossible, but
he did it by boat Xerxes crossed the
Hellespont with two millions of men, but
ne did it by bridge. The Israelites crossed
me Red sea; but the same orchestra that
celebrated the deliyerance Of the one
army sounded the strangulation of the
other. This Jordanic passage differs
from an. There was no sacrifice of hui
man Hfe-not so much as the loss of a
lLilnch-pin. The vanguard of the host,
made up OF priests, advanced until they
put their foot at the brim ,of the river.
when Immediately the streets of Jerusa-
lem We're no more dry than the bed of
that river. 1t was as if all the wafer
mad been drawn off, and then the damp
ness had been soaked up with a sponge.
and then by a towel the road had been
wiped dry. Yonder goes a great army of
l,sraelites, the hosts in uniform; following
them the wives, the children, the f1ocks,
the herds. The people look up at the
crystalline wall of the Jordan as thew
pass; and think what an awful disaster
would come. to them if, before they got
TO TO the opposite bank Of that Ajalon wall,
thought makes the mothers hug their
chl!dren close to their hearts as they
swiften their pace Quick, now: get them
al up. on the banks, the armed warriors.
the wives and children, flocks and herds.
ana Jet TINS wonderful Jordanic 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 bap-
ustry where Christ was sprinkled or
paungeo; the - river where the ax-the Dor
prophets order: the river illustrious in
the history Of the world for heroic faith
and omnlpotent delverance. and tyDicaI
scenes vet to transpire in your life and
10 I1nlne.scenes enough to make us. from
ihe sole OF the foot to the crown of the
heaa, 4ngle with infinite gladness.
fugitive River Jordan, 1 learn for myself
and TOR you. first, that obstacle when
they are touched, vanish. The text saws
that, when these priests came down and
touched the water--the edge of the water
G Iiin ~ tnelr Leetlthe water parted. They
knee deep, or ankle deep, but as soon az
t 1 feet touched the water it vanished.
AND 1t makes me think that almost Mi
the obstacles of life need only be an
preached in order to be conquered. DIFF.
nculties but touched vanish. 1t is the
5 rs the dlfhculty. the obstacle far in
the distance that seems so huge and tra-
mendous. - '-e
The apostles Paul and John seemed to
u I;ae cross dogs, for the Apostle Paul
tells us in Philippians, Beware of dogs;
ana John seems to shut the gate of
he says Without are dogs, p1 But / h have
eeen toid that when those animals are
furious furious II they come at you, if YOU will
keep your eye on them and advance mon
them, they will retreat. Whether that
% 1e 50 or not l cannot tell; but do know
e enaI me vast majority Of the misfortunes
una trlals and disasters of your life that
mound your steps, if you can only get
y xout eye on them, and keep your eye on
t Inen, ana advance upon them, and cry.
p2egone, they. will stink and cover.
!, lhere is beautiful tradition among
ne tme american Indians that Manitou was
travelling in the invisible world. and one
DAY ne came to a barrier of brambles and
snarp thorns, which forbade his going on
ana there was O wild beast glaring at
MN from the thicket; but, as he de-
= and a. 10 go on his way, he did pursue
n ~. anu III anose brambles We're found to be
eniy pnantoms, and that beast was
iound TO be powerless ghost, and the
impassable river that forbade him rush
ing to embrace the Yaratilda proved to
9 e only a phantom river. We'll nv
I !-s,, the fact is there are a great
Iu nthy tmngs that look terrible across our
PARKWAY which, when we advance upon
mem, are only the phantoms, only the
appantlons, only the delusions Of l;fa
Dlhcu!tles touched are conquered. Pit
your feet into the brim of the wafer
ana Jordan retreats. You sometimes See
d g great real dnty to perform. It is very
through it,. haven't the courage.
haven't the intelligence to go through # .
Advance upon it, Jordan will vanish
!, always sigh before l begin ito preach
at me greatness Of the undertaking. but
ex.hilaration And my duty undertak o.
with O confident spirit become a pleas
ure, and the higher the duty the hiehar
the pleasure. Difficulties touched arc
conquered. There are a great many neo-
pie who Ire afraid of death in the fnt-
,ure. Good John Livingston once. on
Doard OF sloop coming from Eliza-
oetnport to New York, was dreadfuliy
because he thought he was
gong to be drowned as sudden p,,st
came up. People were surprised at hin,
y any man in all the world was ready
TO die 1T was good John Livingston. 81
there are now great many good people
VINO shudder in passing a graveyard. and
they hardly dare think Of Canaan he
cause OF the Jordan that interyenes: hit
once they are down on sick bed then
all their fears are gone; the waters If
death dashing on the beach are like the
mellow voice of ocean shells-they smell
OF the blossoms of the tree Of life: the
music Of the heavenly choir comes steal
ing over the waters, and to cross now is
only pleasant sail. How long the boat
is coming! Come, Lord Jesus, come
quickly Christ, the priest. advances
ahead. and the dying Christian goes over
dry-shod on coral beds, and flowers of
heaven, and paths of pearl. 3 s,
Oh, could we make our doubts remoye-
8 Those gloomy doubts that rise,
And view the Canaan that we love
. With unbeclouded eyes!
Gould we but climb where Moses stood.
And view the landscape O er.
Not ,JOrdansS Stream nor dnoth,e GOLD /