The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-12-27
,IAllLliMAl0E's i = eERMON.
= This big lL.ife Our Fsrut and Last Journey
Through thia World.

q als A41lAe Nnt Sfet ana 8LaSt y Quincy
Through this World,
,Ei>khiu aissodrse is most unusual pro,
>sentation Of thipge that place il
many lives, and DR.. Talmsge pleads FOX
merciful interpretations Of humsn hog
hayior. Tho text is Joshua iii, 4, "Ye
Shayo not passed. this wsy heretofore y
In December, 1889, I Raded tho
river j ordan and, although tho current
was strong, Iwss able TO besr u p against
lit, but iM the time OF spring freshet,
whom tho SHOWS on Mount Lsbanon
melt, nothing but q miracle would en-
& able any one to ssoss this river. It
( was at the dangerous springtimo that
Joshua and tho offlooru Of bin army
uttered the words ot my sext to tho
7 people who uoro in @ few hours to oross
tho jordan. Ahtut that orosaing 40
say but littlo, heosueo on e previous
1 occasion We dia9ourgcd concerning th3t
3piling up Of the waters into oyyetal
I barriesdo. We only hpeak Of tho maroh
to tho brink Of che river. No etsanger
thing has ever occurred in all history.
s5 The ark Of tho ooverant Taa g bril-
liant chest Of acacia wood, ovorlsid
with gold, on tho top OF Which were
/ two winged figures facing eauh cthor. L.
B WAS five feet lobg and threc io1t wide
Poles wera thrust through tho Kings al
tho side. and by sho folks tito ark Was
lifted. This splendid box waa 60 ho
carried three quarters OF q milo ahead
Of tho hosts Of Israel on the way TO the
orossipg. That distaace between tho
box and the advancing thousands must
pc kopt because Of reyerosce. Th orc
was a eanotity in that divine sym Dol
that they must observe by koeping
throc quarters Of q milo away. Tboy
nust watch that glittering box and fol.
low, otherwise they would lose sh oir
way and not arrive at the right plnos
for crosaing. They had nsvor Boon
there before, and they must bo guided.
For that reason, Joshua uslers the
words Of my text, Ya have NOS pasnad
this way heretofore" and she oubordi.
nate offloor1 at the head Of tho rsgimens
repeated it. "Yo hsye not pssaed this
way heretofore"
What WAC truthYully aaid Of tho an
oiont Iaraolites may be truthsully raid
OF us. We are making our first ayd
last Journey through thia world, it is
possible, ag somc Of my good griondy ba-
liove, that this world will be corrected
and improved and pusiiiad and Aora,is.
cd and emparadissd as to olilaate and
Roil and chsrecter until it ehall bo
como heaven for tho ranaomed, bus
do not think it, I Ihsva en- idea shat
heavon is a)rsady buils somewhere.
Our departed friends GOULD not wait ua-
til thiD world is fixed up for sanity ar.d
angelic residenoe. Having once goso
out Of tho world, lido not think we
Will como 5eok, except rs minisiering
spirits to help thoeo who remain in tho
earthly struggle or perhaps 10 look rs
tho wondrous spectacle Of q burning
planet
But, leaving that theory aside, vo
arc very sure that We aro for tho frst
time walking tho earthly pilgrimage.
"Ye htye not passed this way bsfore
Nvery minute ia new minute, cyory
hour new hour, every century now
consury. Osheys folks hSye golo ov or tbs
pamo road Wo ara travelling, but is il
our tlrst trip. Nov appsaionoes, nc ~
temptations, new sorrows, now joys
.Ihat 10 the rcason 70 many ioso theif
Way. They n,eet soino one OH the road
Of life sud ask for Gi'ection, aud wrong
direclion ia eiven. Wo have all been
rorp!ex5d 5y Diisdirsotion afaor asking
the way 80 scmo plGoo we wibhsd to
visit. Some one said to us. ''Take
the first road 30 tho right and, having
gone . MI on that road, take the frat
Che foil}ssn snd Mo yoa .sal will e" soon rssoh
bat cV Aotsier forget turn in the
road or ono Of the roads leading
to tho Left; aad we took the wrong roa d
and wero lost IN tho woods, ard night
caino on, and wo wcro put TO great
irritationland trouble.
The faob is I blamo no ono for max
Ing Lifetime mistase I pity them in
stead Of blaming silcul. Thsra ayo 90
msny wrong roads, bus only ons right
ono. You cannot in raidlife draw upon
your youthful experiences for wiadom
fag midliio is 40 entjrely different
n youth. You cannot in old ana
Ia tlohNpon midlife sxpeyioncoy, for
day eV stages Of oxistonoo arc So
. R Whist ID wisdom ios
ing Of IL do would bo folly for
rlestono oil undortske. A man Of
ChaffinEs aok is NOT qusliGod to sd
NJ. for 8 ;inid end shsinking. An
~ ofc ~ thst would bo easy Cor
!, - :, 49, =. y. impossible for nae. Hu-
! plolll9gh az; ordinarily Of iitt!e val.
eaAs '.rt WelllA lsA; Wow their own sucoesses
ney knOW5a thon tell us what IL bout
ey see it. so OF realizing that cur cir
--==-=. M. different, our tompern
rrn,,,rr ge,nt, ans- phyaiSah end
lIHVlLLE,81l capaoisioa diffoyont.
------t gre at mistakes that have
Is | hayse have beon mado under hu-
his .'adviaomonta !,
Z So, also, it ,nsy, be said to evsry No.
tio1 as,nr. s ,anns}; paGsSd this b .o;y way
through novel .eAperionooa. Gould
wiaeat atatesmer tWsIlty years ago have
propheied prsdent conditions? Every
president ivory ooDgrsDa, has now orisos
to mce. and nav questions to sottle. SO
pror~0oien mado about conditions in
tist5 country Atty years from now may
turn out 90 far untruo as tho prophecies
made fifty yoars ago by tho grentsss Of
American stateBmen whom ho declared
on yondcr Capitol hill that 1t wss un.
wise to think OF civilization OF pros.
psrity tho 0ther eide Of tho Rooky
mountains, and sooordi1g to his beliaf
En 1 ! 4 I. =