Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-02-18
"TnELIMIT OF ENDEAYOR"
A Brilliant Sunday Sermon By Rev. e.
D. Case. Phi. D.
flow Much Dare You Attempt for God9--he
Gives Grecc Both for Living and Dying.

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Gives Grsee Both for Living and Dying.
BROOKLYN, N. Y.--The Rev. {. D. Case
PHI. d., formerly of the First Baptis
Church, Montclar, N. j., preached on Sun
day his first sermon as pastor OF the Han
son Place Baptist Church. His subject was
1.-The Limit of Endeavor." DIR. Case sad;
In the fourth century of the Christian
era the Goths, numbering nearly one mil
ion people, men, women and children, came
down to the Danube, at that, time swollen
by many rains, to escape to the other sac
| A large feet of boats and canoes had been
provided, and for several days and nlghts
work went on necessarily. Yet notwlth
standing the most earnest care scores were
swept away in the Hood.
Centuries before this remarkable occur
renee another vast horde OF men, women
and children came down to another swollen
| stream By count there were over 6OO ,0u
warriors over twenty years OF age, ana the
entire host numbered about 2,0OO,0O0. The
valley into which they descended was OF
peculiar formation. The outer valley was
six miles and over in width but there wa.
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, had
been swollen by many rains and the melt
ing SHOWS farther NJ its course, and now
had overrun its usual banks and was rdsn'
ing along with rapidty.,
Strangely enough no boats had been pre-
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 thus,
the words that Isaiah uses IN the loriy-
third chapter and second verse, which may
be considered the text Of this scrmon:
when thou pnsseth through the waters
will be with thee. and through the rivers,
they shall not overflow thee
On the part of the lsractCs IA thelr
crossing Of the Jordan some special rr"nat-
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 abstaiDing from all that might distract
the mind. Similarly Moses had once con-
manded the people to 5anctlty themselves
! to-day and tomorrow, and to wash thcu
garments and be ready against th" third
day: for the third day jehovah Himself
| would come down in the sight OF al! the
people on Mount Sinai
1t was a critical moment for the hosts of
Israel. To fail now meant to fail forever.
10 succeed now meant promise Tor the
! future. Hereby We shall know" SAID
Joshua, "that the living God is among YOU
aud that He will without fail drive out
| from before you the inhabitants OF the
land What a nation or man achieves
/ through God given strength to-day Is an
assurance for victory for tomorrow. Sue
cess is a handmade OF assurance "Ec have
not passed this way before said Joshua;
n new leaf in national history had been
turned; new territory invaded,
! A new cndeavor with the lsraelitish
army as with us to-day needed special
guidance. The sacred ark was to precede
, the people, but far enough i'll advance TO
be seen by all that we may know" said
the leader, the way by which We must 20.
Reverence is needed for divine things, but
divine guidance more. The pillar OF fire
and the cloud Is now superseded h. the
ark. and it in turn superseded by the
Christ, who said t, all disciples. "FoIlow
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 'looltlng down
with expectancy. That one is Rahab Snc
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 rs the priests seen actually at
the very edge, but at last her hopes are
realized, as the rushing current is stayed
by some unseen force and rolls W in Il
mighty wall. while below the waters hurry
away until the last streamlets trick.e down
the Of and 10 "a land lp
sage OF the army.
What after all, is the limit OF endcavor:
Evidently not reason alone If at all. That
lsraelite who stays behind and watches
the foolish performance from the hill side
PAGES back and forth III his disgrst. Such
a foolish waste of lie! Such spectacular
display. Will Joshua never be lone with
such undertakings? Any one might know
that that motley herd could not he gotten
safely across that boiling stream. No
boats, no possibility of wadng, or even
watch. 1t is done. heard teacher IN II
certain normal school read in class tor the
correction of professor and student what
she would say to IA class OF boys and girls
about the crossing OF the Red Sea by the
lsraelites. A strong cast wind, she SAID,
blew the water down the sea until the
Israeites could wade across and then
when the Egyptians tame up the wlud haG
changed and drowned all OF the Egyptians
IN the passage. And what do you sup
pose" said the wou!d.he teacher, "tne peo-
pie thought thai God made the waters to
go back That's science for YOU. But, by
the way, such science Is a little out OF
date. Even Huxley declared that fiume's
argument against miracles was GnSclcntlhc
since he maintained as a premise that
nothing miraculous OF supernatural could
occur. As far as science Is concerned II Is
not necessary for liz to determine whether
a thing is miraculous or not. the question
Is, did the event occur. and II 80. can We
find a cause:
Nor is tn" extent Of one'' own power an
adequate limit to ones endeayor. Give
ye them to eat SAID Chris Impossible,
There are 5000 men beside women aud
children. 1t would take IN average mans
LIES savings to iced chem. We have, in
fact, enough to give a few men u Wise tn
sustain them. a paltly five lcaves and two
fishes. but what are they among 50 many.
Ability SAYS. We cannot iced them. Christ
says. Arrange them in groups make ready.
What then. are the limits OF endcavnr:
One limit l.. certainly Gods command.
The Lord commands aud the host proceeds
and The deed Is done. The B,bc teens
with commands Are they becoming use
less? Has The Bible vet become an ubsn.
letc text book! Does At need revision:
Some commands appear out-dated; some
foolish; some difficult IT, obey. Yet what
He commands He will give strength to per
form, and the word OF Cana is the word
to-day. Whatsoever He saith unto YOU,
do it.
But there is another limit, which is sill
farther to the horizon OF lie. the limit OF
Gods promises. Gods promises are ~
Him yea and amen. Some one has said that