The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-12-20


sassination. Irreyerence in church during
p-ayer. mea asuring of song and sermon by
cod, artistic or literary criticism, and IN
O. lyer time neither OoWing the head not
bendiny the knee nor standiag "a one does
.n the presence OF earthly ruler, thus show
lnz more respect for a man than 10 the
King Of kirg- We ask not for genuAex
ions or circumhe1iOns or prOstratiOns out
when PRAYER is offered let us either bow
the head or bend the knee or let us n
some way prove that We are not. ind,fer.
cnt.
Ia how many places have presumption
and fJs.hariincss taken the place of rev.
esance' That thrce-quarters OF q mile be.
tween Lhe chest Ol acacia covered with
gold and m0lnted with Wings--a symbo'
OF the divine D-esence-and the marChin:
regiments of Joshua suggests a reverence
that j. wOcfJ'y lacking IN social life, il
legislative hall and religious assemb'age.
\ farmer went % the wheat field, taking
hi. son with him. The child said These
stalks that stand straight up must have
the best grain. Those stalks that bend
over cannot be worth anything" Thea
the father broke of two OF the tOps OF tha
stalks aud said. Child that one that
bends clear over has the grain" T. l.
the soul that bows IN deepest reverence
which Is the Dcs, soul,
As you have had no experience Of this
kind upon which - draw for wisdom and
as you cannot fully state all the crcum.
stances 10 any human ear, 60 10 God and
tell Him all about .t. He knows already
but 10 viii relieve Won and help YOU ID YOU
tell Him. That H. what He has been
doing ever since the wocid got into trouble
hy dl otcdien. behavior on the banks OF
the Euphra.cs
No one has come 10 midife who has not
pcen stuEg Of ingratItude. On the battle
field Of Alma IN 1884 a wounded Russian
was crying IN anguish OF thirst for water
Captain EddngtOn, of the English Army.
ran % him and gave him drink As the
captain was running by 70 Join his regi.
ment the wounded soldier shot him. Al.
most all languages have proverbs setting
forth this porversty. English proverb.
Bring up a raven and it vii, nick out
your eyes Arabic proyerb, Fat the
present and break the dish" Italian pro.
ve-b, THE ass, after having drunk, gives
a kick 20 the bucket An old proverb
as 10 carry US on His back to Rome. we
would not thank Him for His pains II lie
dld not also set us down in an easy chair" +"
You will never be happy in this world ii
YOU do not do all the good you can and
look for no responsive gratitu>. All the
damage ] did a man who is my enemy was
10 take him from a position where he re-.
where he has ever since received s25OO a
year. He never forgave me. but has pur.
sued me with pen vitriolic ever since
The worst enemy you ever had Is the man
YOU introduced and favored and helped
But be not disturbed or even irritated.
Nou are no better than your Lord
ii the world had had anv thankful ap-
probation of His coming II would have
filed that Bethlehem caravansary with
flowers which bloom there clear on into
the December month, and Herod. instead
of attempting His death. would have sent
a chariot TO fetch the infant 20 the palace,
and the over aud terminer of Pilates
courtroom would have pronounced Him
not guilty. and instead of cross and a
crown of thorns it would have been n coro.
nation. with all the mighty ones OF the
earth kneeiing at the foot of His throne.
We talk about the great discoveries OF
the age. the electric power, the steam
power. the telescope and microscopic
power, but do not say anything about the
discoveries we all make year by year and
day by day There are surprises all the
time. It is a new road we are travelling.
"Ye have not passed this way before"
But closely allied is the other fact which
we hinted at in the opennq-that we will
not pass this way again. This is our only
opportunity for doing certain things that
ought to be done. On all sides there are
griefs we ought 20 solace, hunger we ought
10 feed, cold that we ought to warm. kind
words that we ought TO speak, generous
deeds we ought 10 perform. All that you
and do toward making this world better
and happier we must do very soon or
never do at all. Joshua and his troops
never came back over the way they were
marching toward the crossing OF the Jor-
dan. The impress of the sandal or the
bare feet of each soldier showed in what
Il, lttN a N
impress of the sandal of any one Of them
show that he had returned. We are all
facing eternity to come There Is no re-
treat. Aertness and fidelity would not be
so important If we could truthfully say:
II will be back here again. The things /
neglect now | will do the next time / come.
| will be reincarnated, and | will resume
my earthly obligations. Having then more
knowledge than | have now, | will dis
charge my earthly duties better than |
can now discharge them. | do not give
solemn farewell 20 these obligations and
opportunities. but n smiling and CHEEKY
good-bye until | see them again No,
we cannot say that. There will be no new
and corrected edition of the volume of our
earthly life After we make exit from the
stage at the close OF the fifth act we can
not re-enter.
How many millions OF people have lived
and died | know not. but of all the human
race who have gone only seven persons
that | now think of have returned, the son
of the widow at Zarephath, the young man
of Main, the rulers daughter, Iabltho.
Eutychus. Lazarus and Christ. Among all
the ages 10 come | do not suppose there
will be one more who will return 10 this
life. having once lett it.
At this point | ask you TO notice tho
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 TIE
crossing. What YOU and | need most tC
care about Is the direction OF the road we
| are travelling. We need have no fear OF
| the crossing If we come to 1t IN the right
way. In other words. we need not care
| about death If our life has been what II
ought 70 be- We will die right II we i've
right.
What an absurdty 1t would have beer
! FOR Joshua and his men - have askoc
| each other questions ike these: How car
| we cross the Jordan If we get there; WI
! not the water bc too deep TO allow US &
| wade? VIII we not all be so slturateI
| that we may lose our lives by exposure
| How many of us can swim? Had we bet
| ter not wait until the annual freshet ha
| suhsidedg' No such folly did they com
! nit They were chiefly anxious about thi
| wav that they had mot passed before
! and were ignorant OF and 20 Keep thei
ewes on the golden covered acacia box
wing mounted. which was the ark oi IN
J covenant.
. hearer. stop botherns about your eXi
| from subunary scenes By the grace
! God get your heart right and then, 2
| ahead. III the Lord takes care OF you clea
I ON TO the hank on this side OF the river,