The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-09-24
mile and Nebo."

mile and Nebo." IS
(stlcctcd for The Times Dlspa tch.) 3
f"And the Lord said unto him, THIS 1s
tho land which Il swarc unto Abrahnm..i
unto Isaac, and l5,into jacob saying
will give It unto thy seed have CAUSED
thee to SEQ It with thine eyes, but tho,l
Shalt not 20 over. (. So Moses;
tho servant Of tho Lord, died there IN the
land Of Moab, according to Il he wore g 81
tho Lord #R+ Moses wns nh hum;
dred and twenty years old when he dled:l
his eye wns not dim, nor his ia tllral force
.1-Deut. xxxiv. Al
From Noto Nebol It Is along way,
not only In geographical distance. but III
experience, in trial, In work, In suffer-;
ling-ln all that goes to make UP the sum,
total OF tho mystery Of human life.
q If Moses could have seen tho whole Of,
his, life ut once could he have livedB2
Would not his heart have, failed him?,
We arc ourselves i1lystcrles;4lif a con-,
tinunl wonder It is dealt out to us q
moment at n timc, for whichof US could
be entrusted with a whole week together?
But let each man think over his life
sobcrly for llinself--where lie began,
where he stands at this moment; let him
compare the Nile with Ncbo, and say
whose hand has guided him in all these
ways. Presently we shall hear voices III
tho temple, land own our life-sanctuary
to be the house OF God. 3GS9ll
Read again the words "rhus saith tho
Lord We may well pause therefor
none can put into words what God
speaks to his chosen ones, Moses was
now to sec that the promise made so long
ngo had been fulfilled, He was to be
ranked with Abraham and Isaac and
Jacob, and shall Tho go into SO little q
land, 50 mean a home? The children OF
Israel, who were scholars still, were to
be left In the school-housc longer.
Not 50 for Moses: after Sinai: after that
forty days communion on the mount;
after the shining face; after the years
OF close intercourse with God; after all
the experience that made him what lie
3wus-hls next movement must be to the
eternal Canaan, the better land, the Jeru-
salem which Is above. :F
Moses understood Moses did not re-
proach nor rebel against the providence
Of God Ills very acceptance Of 1t was
/, the noblcst human confirmation Of It's
benencence. Where Moses was content
we need not clafe. s
Ellis eye was not dim. nor his natural
force abatcd. Then. why did he die?
He was still Of use. and a power for good
among his people ~ :. He Il was not dis
missed for sinef1icicncy; Sho was still the
greatest living prophet in Israel. Then
why did he die? God knows. when men
ought 4tof dic,5sDo not&lntermeddles with
nor question God Sonnet times the work
is completed In Il few brief years In
those hours words are spoken which can
never be forgotten: or some deed done
which can never die. God keeps us in
patient uncertainty, whether we shall
perish upon tho Nile or be summoned to
pass away on Mount NebosF We cannot
open these doors Of mystery.sS}5Yet we
know that in the midst Of life we nre
in death.
No world Is so near us as the unseen
world. We speak Of making the most
Of the present. What Is tho present and
tho near? 1t Is the eternnl, TIN heav-
enly, the divine. II Is a great mistake
to suppose earth Is nearer than heaven.
Eternity crowds out time and fills all
space, which time can never. nll.s All our
days arc In Gods hand here or there.
Was there no mitigation In tho death
OF Moses Was 1t merely walk UP tho
mountain, and there falling dead? II We
read closely We will find many mercies
In his case.
Moses died In Gods company. "The
Lord Showed him all tho land; The
Lord said unto him. Then they were
visibly together at tho last. Is thore
no meaning In this? Who B shall say
what sweet communion passed between
the servant and his Lord2 Not q word
Is heard from Moses. There was but
one speaker and one auditor. Tho man
who had talked SO much, and with SO
noble a voice. with so positive and royal
an eloquente. was now SILENT Who can
say what was his measure Of reward?
To have Gods well done,' Gods smile,
Is not to dlo' it is but to "langulsh
into lifc,"
How God buried Moses We can never
know; but having buried him. God
knows where no lies. That grave was
under the call OF tho Almighty; that
tomb was rs tho chosen garden OF God.
| r. couforta tho aching heart to know
that God watches over every grave.
whether out on the traokess sea, amid
the sand Of the prairie or in the quiet
churohyard. lie knows every grave
the little child's few inches OF sod tho
| gnndfather's last resting-place. the
/ sweet mothers. the poo routcasts,
It Is enough, These REGIONS are not
! in our keeping: the key Is In heaven
| When those doors will open we know