Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-12-21


u place in many lives. and DR.. Tai
of human behavior. The text is Joshua
ill.,, 4, "Ye have not passed this way here
tofore."
In December, 1889 l waded the river
Jordan, and. although the current was
strong, | was able TO bear up against IT,
but in the time of spring freshet. when
the SHOWS on Mount Lebanon melt, moth
ing but miracle would ens bic any one to
cross this river. 1t was at the danger
Gus springtime that Joshua and the Off
GERS of his army uttered the words of
my text to the people who were in few
hours to cross the Jordan. About that
crossing we say but little, because on
previous occasion we discoursed concern
ing that piling up of the waters into crys-
tai barricade. We only speak of the
march TO the brink OF the river. No
stranger thing has ever occurred in all
history.
The ark OF the covenant was brilliant
chest of acacia wood, oyerlaid with gold,
on the top of which were two winged fig
ures 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. This
splendid box was to be carried three
quarters OF q mile head of the hosts of
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 q sanctity in that
divine symbol that they must observe by
keeping three-quarters of q 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 ''Ie have not passed this way mere
tofore," and the subordinate officers at
the head of the regiment repeated it, "Ye
have not passed this way heretofore"
What was truthfully said of the an
cient Israelites may be truthfully said of
lis. We are making our first and last
journey through this world. II is posi-
bic, as some OF my good friends believe.
that this world will be corrected and inn
proved and purified and foralized and
emparadised as to climate and soil and
character until il shall become a heaven
for the REASONED, but l do not think it.
have an idea that heaven is already
built somewhere. Our departed friends
could n5T wait until this world is fixed ND
for sanity and angelic residence. Having
once gone out Of the world, / do not
think we will come back, except as min
istering spirits TO help those who remain
in the earthly struggle or perhaps to look
at the wondrous spectacle of burning
planet.
Our First Trip.
But, leaving that theory aside. we are
very sure that we are for the first time
walking the earthly pilgrimage. "Ye
have not passed this way before Every
minute is new minute, every hour
new hour. every century a new century.
Other folks have gone over the same road
we are travelling, but it is our first trip.
New appearances, new temptations, new
sorrows, new joys. That is the reason 50
many lose their way. They meet some
one on the road Of life and ask for direc-
ton, and wrong direction is given. We
have all been pcrploxed by instruction
after asking the way to some place we
wished to visit. Some one said 10 us,
Take the first road to the right and,
having gone a mile on that road, take the
first road TO the left, and you Will soon
reach your destination" We took the adj
vice, but our informcr forgot a turn in
the road or forgot one Of the roads lead
ing 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 l blame no one for making
lifetime mistakes. | pity them instead of
blaming them. There are so many wrong
roads, but only one right one. Iou can
not in midiifc draw upon your youthful
experiences for wisdom, for mldlife is so
entirely different from youth You can
not in old age draw upon midlife expert
ences, for the two stages Of existence are
so diverse. What is wisdom for one man
to do would be folly for another to under
take. A man Of nerve and pluck is not
qualified to advise a man timid and
shrinking. An achievement that would be
easy for you might be impossible for me.
Human advice is ordinarily OF little
value. People review their own successes
or failures and then tell rs what is best
for us TO do, not realizing that our cir
cumstances are different our tcmpera-
ment is different, our physical and mental
and. moral capacities different. Most OF
the great mistakes that have been made
have been made under human advise
ment.
SO, also, it may he said to every nation,
'Ye have not passed this way before"
Our own republic is going through novel
experiences. Could wiscst statesmen
twenty years ago have prophesied pres
ent conditions? Every president, every
congress, has new crises 70 meet and new
questions 10 settle. So prophecies made
about conditions in this country fifty
years from now may turn out as far I'M
true as the prophecies made fifty years
ago by the greatest Of American states
ren when be declared on yonder Capitol
hill that it was unwise to think OF ciyili-
cation or prosperity thl other side Of the
Rocky Mountains and according to his
belief the Pacific coast would be the per-
petual abode OF barbarians and mountain
lions. and we must not thing OF anneXing
those forbiddiug regions.
The worflss Adyauc.