New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-13
consumma ton 10 great and glorious as the estab
lahment Of the greatest city under the SUM-.
:: CONQUEST OF DIFFICULTIES.
r4IE OLD STORY OF THE PROMISED LAND
REPEATING ITSELF TO-DAY-A SERMON

REPEATING ITSELF IO-OAl-A oIR"O->
BY THE REV. s. GIFFARD NELSON.
In the Bedford Avenue Baptist Church, yester-
day morning, the Rev DR.. S. Giffard Nelson
preached from Numbers KILL IS. He said In part:
Soon after leaving Mount Sinai. the children OF
Israel under the leadership Of Noses came
20 the borders Of the promised land 'neS
night have entered then. known the melan-
rholy experience OF forty years OF deser'
wandering But they lacked faith. and the
courage faith. inspires The spies crossed over ana
returning reported the land to be all that the most
sanguine fancy pictured it, but. said ten OF their
number. the people be very strong ana the cities
are walled and very great, and. moreover. we saw
the children Of Anak there So, Notwithstanding
the coveted possession was in sight the host OF
Israel recoiled affrightcd. Two brave men, Ca'eo
and Joshua, counseed courage and action out inc
multitude regarded them foolhardy enthusiasts
How exactly the old drama repeats itseli IN inc i'e
quent human experience of to-day very soon
after the disciple enters on the Christian lie ne Is
confronted by difficulties II he be intelligent. he
meets with difficulties that speculative. We
are all eager TO with certainty beyond this ife
The language Of the impatient heart Is, show US
the Father We seek At least some faint photo
graph of the headands Of immortality We forget
that knowledge here must be relative; that man IN
his thinking cannot rise above his race. Our temper,
condition and pursuits preclude positive knowledge
of the world OF spirits
yet. rational investigation insists, II there be
God and a better word. that the Divine should have
traced upon the armament map OF the viewless
realms Shutting their ears to the deiverances of
the soul, and unable receive those OF the spirit.
men turn to nature for answer to the spiritual
problem-seek TO fathom the ocean by dahbng IN
one is TO believe that nothing can happen but In
conformity to law. as man understands It. So
forget that laws. though universal, are constantly
being modified TO special uses. Even. our own
which sound traves-that these laws are available
for our special ends and yet are never broken by our
adaptations-are nets to whose significance we APP
pear to be blind.
it has created as TO be ensaved by it, 70 know God
men must turn r within rather than yith0H The
is the tribunal Of spiritual judgment Enter within
yourself and do your thinking for Yourself Dives'
but little and the not at ALL with
doctrine and dogma These are the husks so Of
S HIM Mnc and Az with yo
He win teach YOU those things that lie deeper than
Again. there difficulties growing out of eex
BY yhss s s oo wa Tes Hs
lent; the good cause overborne the evil for the time
'sa and S Gs fne'e
ness Of faith Is not to sove the universal problem
IN all things and every s'f, 7".'
DIR. BANKS ON ATHLETIC CHRISTIANITY"
The Rev. d.. Louis A. Banks, of the Hanson
Place Methodist Episcopal Church. preached yester-
day morning Athletic Christianity" His text
was i Cor TX. A-27; ii Tim IL. 4: Hebrews xii,
12: Phil. iii. 1914 He first referred TO the interest
with which the whole civilized world read the daily
accounts of the international athletic games which
are now being carried on In the classic city of
Athens. in historic Greece. He said the revival OF
these Olympian games is OF slight interest to
us as Christians recalling 1t does many OF the
illustrations which used In the New Testament.
Paul was an alert traveller and nothing escaped
bis notice that was Of human interest. and he
seized upon whatever was in the public mind 10
Illustrate TO mis- hearers the higher spiritual life
ard which ne leading them. II this wise for
Paul. It certainly is not unwise for us to take ad-
vantage Of the aroused public interest in these
feats Of physca. agility. skill and endurance. the
snrs NE 2, ne e1 nooer
mortal glory. 80
the first thing noted was the preparation required.
Not every one was allowed to compete. but only
SeSns Of Has saWar M IKE ,ha
There must be definite entering the lists OF the
Christian course .,..,,
be freeporn GTsek and K he belonged 10 State
which had b-Sksn the oympic truce his State had
This recalls the Significant fact that none of US
would have any chance Of winning the crown OF
IFS precious blood
In noticing some Of the conditions Of success
earnestness snd sei-denai come hrst Tn T COP;
not permit themselves to indulge. in anything that
might weaken them in the final struggle There
drawn from these contests: we do not have to
pathetic eyes and we have the inspiration OF their
fellowship. Another source OF inspiration is that
Who strive earnestly may win the prize"an ncor-
yuptibie crown.