The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1902-04-18

IT et.l.. '.H. rH -
This discourse Is a moss u.usua
presentation Of things that ,.he r.lc,
IL many lives, and Dr. 1a.mage peadi
for mefc.lul Interpretation o. human
behavior. The te1t ls J0shlaa.4. ~,
have not passed this way heretofore
lu December, 1859, Wal,L lAe l,l,el
Jordan, and, although tAe curreut wai
strong, was able 10 bear UP a-4llst lt
but in ihe time OF spring ire.Let, Wlea
the SHOWS on Mount Lebanon melt
nothing but miracle would enable
snyone TO cross the river. 10 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 few hours to cross The Jor-
dan. About that crossing We say but
little, because on previous occasion
We ciscOurssd concerning That pi.ing
up Of the waters into crystal barricaoe.
We only speak Of the march 10 the
brink Of the river. No stranger thing
has ever occurred in all history.
The ark Of the covenant was bril-
liant chest Of acacia wood, oyoraid
with gold, on the top Of which were
two winged figures facing each other.
1t was five feet long ana three feet
vide. Poles were thrust through the
rings at the side, and by these poles the
ark was lifted. This splendid box was
10 Sc carried three-quarters Of mile
ahead Of the hosts Of Israel on the way
TO the crossing. That distance between
the box and the advancing thousands
must be kept because OF reverence.
There was a sauctity in that divine
symbol that they must observe by
keeping three-quarters Of a mile away.
They must watch that giiitering box
and follow, otherwise they would lose
their way and not arrive at the right
place for crossing. They had never
been there before, and they must be
guided. For that reason Joshua uiters
the words Of my text: aye have not
passed this way heretofore" aud the
subordinate officers at the head ~ the
regiment repeated It: "Ye have not
passed this way heretofore
What Was truthfuly said of the an
cient lsraelites may be trufhfu..y said
OF us. We are making our first and last
Journey through this word. it is pos
sible, as some Of my good friends be-
lieve, that this world viii be corrected
and improved and purified and horal-
lied and emparadised as TO climate and
soil and character until ii shall become
a heaven for the rantomed, but do not
think It. ! have an idea that Heaven
Is already built somewhere. Our de-
parted friends could not wait until this
world is fixed up for sanity and
angelic residence. Having once gone
out Of the world, 90 not think we viii
come back, except as ministering spir-
its TO help those who remain 10 the
earthly struggle or perhaps to look a,
the woudrous spectacle Of a burning
planet.
But, leaving that theory side, 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 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 appearances, new
new Eorrows, new joys.
That Is the reason so many lose their
way. They meet some one on the road
OF lie and ask for direction, and wrong
direction n giv.n. We have al been
perpiexed by misdirsction after asking
the way 10 some place we wished to
visit. Some one said TO Us: "Iake the +
first road 10 the right and, having gone .
a mile on that road, take the first road .
to the left, and you will soon reach F.
your destination" We took the advice,
but our informer forgot a turn in the T.
road or forgot one Of the roads leading f.
10 the left, and we took the wrong road /
and were lost in the woods and night /.
,ame on, and We were put to great .
and trouble.
The fact is blame no one for making .
lifetime mistakes. pity them instead .
u blaming them. There are so many
wrong roads, but only one right one.
You cannot in midlife draw upon your
youthful experiences for wisdom. for
nidiife is so entirely different from
-outh. You cannot IN old age draw
ipon midlife experiences, for the two
tages Of existence are so diverse.
What is wisdom for one man to do
would be folly for another TO under
axe. A man Of nerve and pluck is not
qualified TO advise a man timid and
An achievement that would
'e easy for you might be impossible
or me. Human advice is ordinarily of
title value. People review their own
uccesses or failures and then tell US
yhat is best for US to do, not rea. .izing
hat our circumstances are different.
ur temperament Is different, our
Ihysical and mental and moral capac-
ties different. Most Of the great mis-
axes that have been made have been
made under human adyisement.
So, also. II may be said to every ma
ion: "Ye have not passed this way be-
ore" Our own republic is going
through novel experiences. Could wis
st statesmen 20 years ago have
present conditions? Every
resident, every congress, has new
rises to meet and new questions TO
ettle. SO prophecies made about con-
itions in this country 30 years from
ow may turn out as far untrue as the
rophecies made 80 years ago by the