Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-12-18
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downright. Louis K,opsch, 1870


Go HIS discourse is most unusual
presentation of things that take
- place in many lives, and Or. Tai
mage pleads for merciful Interpretation
OF human behavior. The text is Joshua
III, 4, "Ye have not passed this way here
tofore.n
In December. 1889, l waded the river
Jordan, and. although the current was
strong, | was able TO bear up against 1t,
but in the time of spring freshet, when
the SHOWS on Mount Lebanon melt, moth
ing but miracle would enable any one to
cross this river. 1t was at the danger
Gus springtime that Joshua and the ofi-
GERS of his army uttered the words Of
my text to the people who We're in a few
hours to cross the Jordan. About that
crossing We say but little, because on a
previous occasion we discoursed concern
ing that ping 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, overlaid 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 We're
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 a 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 a sanctity in that
divine symbol that they must observe by
keeping three-quarters of a 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 gnided. For that
reason Joshua utters the words of my
text, "Ye have not passed this way here
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
Us. We are maxi g our first and last
journey through this world. 1t is posi-
bic, as some Of my good friends believe,
that this world will be corrected and inn
proved and purified and floralized and
emparadised 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
fol- sanity and angelic residence. Having
once gone ont of the world, l 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 a new minute, every hour u
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 so
many lose their way. They meet some
one OIL the road of life and ask for direc-
ton, and wrong direction is given. We
after asking the way TO some place we
wished to visit. Some one said to us,
Take the first road TO the Fight and,
having gone mile on that road, take the
first road to the left, and you will soon
reach your destinatit H." We took the adj
vice, but orr informer forgot Il 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 | blame no one for making
lifetime mistakes. l pity them instead of
blaming them. There are so many wrong
roads, but only one right one. You can
not in midlfe draw upon your youthful
experiences for wisdom, for midlife is so
entirely different from youth. You cam
not in old age draw upon midlifc 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 man timid and
shrinking An achiet lment chat would be
easy for you M sht be impossible for me-
Human advice 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 ,slr cir
eumstances are different. our tempera-
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 be said to every nation,
Eye have not passed this way before"
Our own republic is going through novel
experiences. Could wisest statesmen
twenty years ago have prophesied pres
ent conditions? Every president. every
congress, has new crises to meet and new
questions to 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
men when he declared on yonde4. Capitol
hill that it was unwise to think Of civiii-
Eation or prosperity the 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 forbidding regions.
The Worlds Advance.
Many prophecies in regard to our ma
tion fail, ] and mans prophecies concern
ing It's future will fail because it is trav-
cling new road. Every step it takes On
that road IS a novelty. The opinion Of a
or Jefferson in the far past is
not Of as mach value as the opinion Of
our wisest men now. How could men
know in 1893 what it would be best for
this nation to do in 1901: Ii Is belittiing
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