The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-03-09
A: SERMON FOR SUNDAY
BEAUTIFUL DISCOURSE BY THE REV..
c. D. CASE. PHI. D.

c. D. CASE, PHI. D.
Subject: "rhe Limit of Endeavor''-How
Much Dare You Attempt For God p
He Gives Grace Both For Living and
Dying-Activities For True Christians.
BRooKLYN, N. Y.-The Rev. {. D. Case,
Ph. D., formerly of the First Baptist
Church, Montclair, N. j., preached on Sun
day his first sermonras pastor OF the Han
son Place Baptist Church. His subject was
1.-The Limit of Endeavor." DR.. Case said:
In the fourth century of the Christian
era the Goths, numbering nearly one mill
down to the Danube, at that time swollen
by many rains, to escape to the other side.
A large feet of boats and canoes had been
provided, and for several days and nights
work. went on necessarily. Yet notwith-
standing the most earnest care scores were
swept away in the food.
Centuries before this remarkable occur
renee another vast horde of men, women
and children came down to another swollen
etream. By count there were over COG, ,00O
warriors over twenty years of age, and the
entire host numbered about zoos, 900. The
valley into which they descended was of
peculiar formation The outer valley was
six miles and over in width, but there was
an inner valley or ravine half mile and
over in width, and still within this was the
river itself varying from twenty to sixty
yards in width. But this river, too, mad
been swollen by rdany rains and the melt
ing SHOWS farthertup its course, and now
had overrun its usual banks and was rush:
ing along with rapidity:
hNa 3c hn o.
pared for the crossing of this host, and yet,
as events proved, not one of the host was
lost in the crossing. Evidently there was
some vast distinction to be made between
these two great hosts Of antiquity. What
was that distinction? May it not be this,
the words that Isaiah uses in the forty
third chapter and second verse, which may
be considered the text of this sermon:
"When thou passeth through the waters
I will be with thee, and through the rivers,
they shall not overflow thee"
On the part of the Israelites in their
crossing Of the Jordan some special prepar-
alton was needed, but not in the procuring
of boats. The commander of the army had
sent messengers throughout the host, and
commanded all to sanctify themselves,
which meant the washing OF garments and
the abstaining from all that might distract
the mind. Similarly Moses had once COM
manded the people to. isanetify themselves
to-day and tomorrow" and to wash their
garments and be ready against the third
day; for the third day Jehovah Himself
would come down in the sight OF all the
people on Mount Sinai. =,
1t was a critical moment for the hosts OF
Israel. To fail now meant to fail forever.
70 succeed now meant premise Tor the
future. Hereby ye shall know" said
Joshua, "that the living God is among you
and that He will without fail drive out
from before you" the inhabitants OF the
land. What nation or q man achieves
through God-given strength to-day ID an
assurance for victory for tomorrow. Sue
cess is handmaid of assurance. '4e have
not passed this way BEFORE" said Joshua;
a new leaf in national history had been
turned; new territory invaded.
A new eendeavor with the Israelitlsh
army as with US to-day ded2specIa'
guidance. The sacred ark was teSpreeede
the people,. but far enough in advance to
be seen by all that "ye may know" said
the leader, "the way by which ye hust 60"
Reverence is needed for divine things, but
divine guidance more. The pillar of fire
and the cloud is now superseded by the
ark, and it in turn superseded by the
Christ, who said to all disciples, Follow
Me-" In each case the command is not to
make the Guide follow you, but you the
Guide.
Five miles over the river is walled city.
Thousands are watching from the walls the
foolhardy attempt of the disordered hosts.
One person, however, alone upon the wall,
unnoticed by the many, is looking down
with expectancy. That one is Rahab. She
watches eagerly as the priests bearing the
ark by the poles step with measured tread
down to the river, wonders as nothing hap
pens, starts as the priests seen actually at
the very edge, but at last her hopes are
realized, as:the rushing current rs stayed
by some unseen force and rolls up i'll
mighty wall, while below the waters hurry
away until the last streamlets trickle down
over the stones and leave land for the pas.
sage of the army -
What, after all, is the limit of endeavor?
Evidently not reason alone if at all. That
Israelite who stays behind and watches
the foolish performance from the hill side
PAGES back and forth in his disgust. Such
a foolish waste of life! Such a spectacu lar
display Will Joshua never be done with
such undertakings? Any one might know
that that motley herd could not be gotten
safely across that boiling stream No
boats, no possibility Of wading. or even
swimmng-it simply can't be done. But
watch. 1t is done. ! heard teacher IN
certain normal school read in class for the
correction of professor and studept%What
she would Say to class of boys and girls
about the crossing of the Red Sea by the
Israelites. A strong east wind, she said,
blew the water down the sea until the
Israelitss could wade across, and then
when Inc Egyptians came up the wind had
changed and drowned all of the Egyptians
in the passage. "And what do you sup
pose," said the would-be teacher. "the peo-
Die thought that God made the waters to
20 back" That's science for you. But, by
the way, such science ls little out OF
date. Even Huxley declared that Humes
argument against miracles was unscientitic
since he maintained as premise that
nothing miraculous or supernatural could
occur. As far as science is concerned it ls
not necessary for US to determine whether
q thing is miraculous or not, the question
is, did the event occur, and if 80, can we
6ndta cause? So,
Nor is the extent of ones own power an
adequate limit to ones endeavor. Give
We them to eat," said Christ. Impossible:
There are 5000 men beside women and
children. 1t would take an average mans
life's savings to feed them. We have, in
fact, enough to give few men little to
sustain them. paltry five loaVes and two
fishes; but what are they among SO many.
Ability says, We cannot feed them. Christ
says, Arrange them in groups; make ready.
What, then, are the limits of endeavor?
One limit 10 certainly Gods command.