The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-17

sand, and the direction Of our influence,
however slight, viii leave a mark that
win last forever.
Crossfn@ the 0rdan
At this point / ask you to notice the
fact that my text does not call attention
to the crossing of the Jordan, but to the
way leading thereto. We all think much
of our crossing of the Jordan when the
march OF our life is ended, but put too lit
tie emphasis on the way that leads to the
crossing. What you and l need most to
care about is the direction Of the road we
are travelling. We need have no fear of
the crossing IL we come to il in the right
way. In other words, we need not care
about death il cur life has been what il
ought to be. We will die right il we live
right. That was a glorious thing that
Montmorency. constable OF France. said
when dying from his wounds in battle.
Some one standing by advised him TO
show the same courage in dying that he
had shown during his lifetime. To this
he replied. Gentlemen inc fellow sol
diers, / thank you all very kindly for
your anxious care and concern about me,
but the man who has been enabled to en-
deavor to live well for fourscore years
past can never need to seek now how TO
die well for a quarter OF an hour"
What an absurdity it would have beer
for Joshua and his men TO nave asked
each other questions like these: How
can we cross the Jordan if we get there?
Will not the water be too deep to allow
US to wade? Will we not all be so satu-
rated that we may lose our lives by expo
sure? How many of Us can swim? Had
we better. not wait until the annual fresh
of hoe cuhcfIal ~ No S,nh fcIlr Ala thar
commit. They were chiefly anxious about
the way that they had mot passed be-
fore" and were ignorant of and to keep
their eyes On he golden covered acacia
box, wing mounted, which was the ark of
the covenant.
o nearer, stop bothering about your
exit from sublunary scenes! BY the
grace of God get you heart right and
then go ahead. If the Lord takes care Of
you clear on to the bank on this sid of
the river, | think you can trust him to
take you from bank to bank, from the
willows on this side the stream to the
palms on the other side, from the last
kiss of sorrowing ones on this side to the
welcome, sanity, cherubic, seraphic, de-
lfc, on the other side. Keep your eye on
the ark, and. whatever betides. you will
go through all right. .
One Easter morning Massena, the mar
shall of France. appeared with 1900
armed men on the heights above the
town of Feldkirch. There were no arms
to defend the town. and the inhabitants
were wild with terror. Then the old dean
Of the church cried OFT: My brothers.
this is Easter day. We have been de-
pending on our own strength. and that
fails. Let us turn to Cod. Ring the bells
and have service as usual" Then tie
bells rang out sweetiy and nightly from
the church towers of Feidkirch. and the
people thronced to the houses of prayer
for worship. The sound If the bells made
the enemy think that the Austrian arnu
had come in to save gtr place. and Mas
sena and his $4,000 soldiers retreated.
By the time the bells ha1 stopped ringing
there was not one soldier in sight. So pat
your trust in God. ard when hosts OF
troubles and temptations march for your
overthrow ring all the hpils Of hope and
faith and Christian triumph. and the
threatening perils of .your life will fail
back, and your deliverance will be cele-
brated all UP and dowD the skies. The
God who led you through the way you
never passed before will be with you ct
all the crossings.
copyright. 1901, Louis Klopsch, N. ~