Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1916-05-05
a SERMON FOR TODAY.
New Paths tC Mower Worlds.

"ie have not passed this way hereto
rorr."-JoShua, ill.,, j.
Nothing is more impressive in the
story of the Exodus than the trouble
which the leaders of the host encoun-
tered i'll persuading their followers to
continue their march to the land whicn
had been promised them by God.
Whenever the journey became pcrilous
Moses was reminded Of the security
of Egypt and besought to return
thereto. Whenever chance cncamp-
mcnt like that at Mt. Sinai proved at
tractivc Moses WAS urged to press on
no further, but to accept this halting
place as the new abode. And even
when the promised land Was in sight
across the Jordan there were those
who were afraid to advance, because
they had mot passed this way here
toforc."
1t is doubtful if there is any more
serious obstacle to progress than the
innate reluctance TO tread unfamiliar
paths which is here Illustrated. Great
ures of habit by the very constitution
OF our physical organism, we feel mt
ease only when following II road which
we have "passcd" over many times
before, or which has been beaten
smooth by the feet of the multitudcs
that have preceded us. Adventurous
souls there are who welcome new
ideas and find that fact that they
have not passed this way heretofore
the best of reasons for passing this
way now. Such men are the cXplor-
crs, discovercrs, inventors, rcformcrs,
OF their time. But most of us cling to
tradition, worship dogma, and are con
tent to live in conformity to custom.
We regard age as sure evidence of
snnctity, familiarity II sound criterion
OF truth and precedent as identical
with righteousness. That our fathers
believed certain doctrine is sufficient
reason for our believing it! That Il
certain thing has been done from time
immemorial is proof positive that it
must contiue to he done! That Il GER
tain paht has been the rond for gen
erations of hurrying feet is evidence
that this path is "thc path which we
must travel, too"
That the new is necessarily the
true by no means follows from this
sad experience of the race. But it does
follow therefrom that progress in
the nature of things must be by ways
we have not passed heretofore. TO
shun these ways is to stand stock still
OF clSc 10 move IN vicious circle
which leads nowhere. 1t is to abide
on low levels and to keep within mar
row borders. If we are to gct ahead
it mus. be by breaking through the
Wilderness of the unknown which is
ringing around us. And that we must
to get ahead if we are to escape de
cav and death is IL law of life. Spnce
is endless, time eternal, God infinite!
The universe knows no horizons, the
mind no bounds, the desires of mans
heart no satisfactions! The very fact
that there is IL wilderness of the un-
known proves that there are new lands
yet to be discovered and explored and
new paths, therefore, to he blaZcd.
All of which means that we must have
ears that are open to new proclama-
tons of truth, eyes that rest gladly
on new revelations of the spirit. feet
that seek swiftly new paths to loflier
heights. Not age, nor wearincss, nor
long service, or great achievement can
absolvc us from the task, imposed
anew each day, of leaving behind fa
miliar spots and pressing on bv ways
mot pressed heretofore" to the Prom
iscd land. The cry of Ulysses to his
shipmatcs must be ever ours:-
"Tis not too late to seek IL newer
world
To strive, to seek, to find and not to
yield"
John Hayes Holmes.