Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-12-20
FOLLOW DIVINE LEADING
Rev. DR.. Talmage's Discourse on the
Merciful Interpretation of Human
Behavior.
We VIII No. Pass This Way Again, So DO
Your Good Now.

a most unusual presentation of things
that take place in many lives, and DR..
Talmage pleads for merciful Interpretation
of human behavior. The text is Joshua
iii, 4, eye have not passed this way hereto
FORE"
In December, 1889, 1 waded the River
Jordan, and, although the current was
strong, I was able to bear up against it,
but in the time of spring freshet, when
ing but miracle would enable any one to
cross this river. 1t was at the dangerous
springtime that Joshua and the officers Of
his army uttered the words of my text to
the people who were in a few hours to
cross the Jordan. About that crossing we
say but little, because on previous occa-
sion we discoursed concerning that piling
up of the waters into crystal barricade.
We only speak of the march to the brink
of tho river. No stranger thing has ever
occurred in all history.
The ark of the covenant was brilliant
chest of acacia wood, overlaid with gold,
on the top Of which were two winged
figures facing each other. 1t was five feet
long and three feet wide. Poles were
thrust through the rings at the side, and
by these poles the ark was lifted. Ihls
splendid box was to be carried three.
Israel on the way to the crossing. That
distance between the box and the advanc:
ing thousands must be kept because OF
reverence. There was a sanctity III that
divine symbol that they must observe by
keeping three-quarters of mile away:
They must watch that glittering box and
follow; otherwise they would lose their
way and not arrive at the right place for
crossing. They had never been there be.
fore, and they must be guided. For that
reason Joshua utters the words. OF my text.
aye have not passed this way heretofore"
And the subordinate officers at the head
of the. regiments repeated it, Eye have not
passed this way heretofore"
What was truthfully said of the ancient
Israelites may be truthfully said of us.
We are making our first and last journey
through this world. 1t is possible, as some
of my good friends believe, that this world
will be corrected and improved and puri-
fed and foralized and emparadsed as to
climate and soil and character until it
shall become a heaven for the ransomed,
but do not think it. have an idea that
heaven is already built somewhere. Our
departed friends could not wait until this
world is fixed up for staintly and angelic
residence. Having once gone out OF the
world, I do not think we will come back,
except as ministering spirits to help those
who remain in the earthly struggle or per.
haps to look at the wondrous spectacle OF
a burning planet.
But, leaving that theory aside, we are
very sure that we are for the first time
walking the earthly pilgrimage. eye have
not passed this way before" Every min
ute is a new minute, every hour a new
hour, every century new century. Other
folks have gone over the same road we are
travelling, but it is our first trip. New APP
pearances, new temptations, new sorrows,
new joys. That is the reason so many lose
their way. They meet some one on the
road of life and ask for direction, and
wrong direction is given. We have all
been .perplexed by instruction after ask
ing the way to some place we wished to
visit. Some one said to us, "Take the first
road to the right and, having gone mile
on that road, take the first road on the
left, and you will soon reach your destlna-
ton" We took the advice, but our iinfor-
mer forgot turn in the road or forgot
one of the roads leading to the left, and we
took the wrong road and were lost In the
woods, and night came on, and we were
put to great irritation and trouble
The fact is, I blame no one for making
lifetime mistakes. I pity them instead OF
blaming them. There are so many wrong
roads, but only one right one. You can
not in midlife draw upon your youthful ex-
periences for wisdom, for midlife is so en-
tirelv different from youth. You cannot
in old age draw upon midlife experiences,
for the two stages Of existence are so di-
verse. What is wisdom for one man to
do would be folly for another to undertake:
A man of nerve and pluck is not qualified
to advise man timid and shrinking. An
achievement that would be easy for you
might be impossible for me. Human ad-
vice is ordinarily of little value: People
review their own successes or failures and
then tell US what is best for us to do, not
realizing that our circumstances are differ
ent, our temperament is different, our
physical and mental and moral capacities
different. Most of the great mistakes
that have been made have been made TN
der human Amusement.
So, also, it may be said to every nation.
aye have not passed this way before,
Our own republic is going through novel
experiences. Could wisest statesman
twenty years ago have prophesied present
conditions? Every President, every Con-
Cress. has new crises to meet and new
questions to settle. SO prophecies made
about conditions in this country fifty
years from now may turn ont as lar untrue
as the prophecies made fifty years ago, by
he declared on wonder Capitol hill that 1t
was unwise to think Of civilization or pros
perity the other side of the Rocky Mount
aims and according to his belief the. Pa.
cifc coast would be the perpetual abode OF
barbarians and mountain lions, and we
must not think of annexing those forbid
ding regions.
Many prophecies in regard to our nation
failed and many prophecies concerning its
future will fail, because it is travelling
new road. Every step it takes on that
road is a novelty. The opinion OF Mon.
roe or Jefferson in the far past is not OF
as much value as the opinion of our wisest
men now. How could men know in 1873
what it would be best for this nation to do
in 1901? 1t is belittlinS as well as unwlse
for our statesmen, who are quite equal to
the statesmen Of the past and VINO have,
in addition to the natural talents or their
predecessors. attainments in knowledge
that we're impossible in any decade but
our own, to depend on advice Of men who
have been dead three-quarters Of CEN
tury. In all other things the world has
advanced. Can. it be that in statesman
ship it has gone back and that this open,
ing of the twentieth century must consult
the opening of the nineteenth century?
aye have not passed this way before"
Yea, our entire world is on new path,
way. 1t may be swinging in the same old
orbit as when by the hand of the AZ
mighty imnensity was sprinkied with
worlds. bnt it has been rocked with earth
eual,cs and scorched with volcanic fires
and whelmed with tidal waves and
wrought upon by climatic changes-citieS
sunk, and islands lifted, and mountains
avalanched into valleys.
So it is another world than that which
was first started in the solar system. Yet
it is all the time changing and will keep
/ changing until the hour of its demolition.
Of this beautiful world. this lustrous
Il;c ,1or;o,,c ,,-or1d n hp said