mm No. 61 HALTING ON THIS MflF JORDAN. OR, SHALL-YOUR BRETHREN GO TO WAR, AND SHALL YE SIT HERE? BV REV. B. MANLY, JR., D. D., GREENVILLE, 8, C. Whon the Israelites had conquered a part of the promised land, that part cm the Eastern side of the Jordan, they re- in a mod many months eneamped in the plains of Moab, whence they could look over to the richer and more populous region which was still to be subdued, and which constituted the choice find chief portion of their promised inheritance. While there, the children of Reuben and Gad applied to have their portions assigned them at once, in this part of the country. The land was well adapted for pasture. These tribes were specially rich in flocks and herds, aud they were, desirous to secure so suitable a settlement. . Moses considered that this was the suggestion of insolence, avarice, of 'cowardice, — or all three; and proceeded accord ingly to admonish them strictly. It was not sUange that such suspicions should rrse in his mind. There had been similar shrinking beiore from their cestiny, and their duty. Bis whole experience had evinced the stubbornness and perver- sity ot the people whom lie had been called to lead. He appeals to them by the memory of the sins and the punish- ments, of their fathers. Happy are we, if a stronger appeal can be made to us, by the memory of our fathers' righteous- ness and blessings. tSad is it, when the righteous depart, and a generation rises up worse than their fathers. It was to be remembered that the other tribes bad receiv- ed no lot, had not yet conquered their part ; and they might ©omplain, if one, aftar another of the tribes were Battled down, while they had still to fight for theirs, a land unseen and untrodden as yet by them* Moreover it was a. bad pre- cedent. The land, it had been understood, .was to be divided by lot; and if these might select and claim their share, so might others, so might, all. And, worse than all. it looked like disregard of the main central region, the true Land of Pro- j mise, like distrust of the power of God, to give them the whole land, like a breach of the compact implied in their setting out together to conquer the whole land. "And so Moses presses them with the inquiry—'* Shall vour brethren go to war, and -shall ye sit here?" and with the fearful warning—' 4 . Be sure sin shall find you out.-' They protested that They had no intention to commit the sin ne supposed. They did net wish to take.up their abode leaving the rest of the tribe with diminished forces, and dis- contented hearts to go on, in discouragement', to attempt the conquest of the remainder of theland. "They desired only to lo- cate their families, and leave their herds" with the younger people as sufficient garrison for the fortified towns; but the armed menwere ready to go over with their brethren to the war, and aid them in reconquering the land, in which their fathers had dwelt. The proposition in this form is accepted by Moses and their wish is gratified. It is doubtful whetherthis was their original purpose, or ■whether they were really guilty of the design which Moses ■charged upoir them. It is certain, however, that a similar sin is commHted now, and the analogous errors of our own time may admit of profitable consideration. . < A good deal hasbeen said, sometimes in the language of in- dignant denunciation, sometimes in the more caustic phrases of bitter ridicule, of those prudent "keepers at honie" in these times of general peril, who are ready to avail themselves of tlie flimsiest pretext for exemption, and to slink behind feign- ed diseases, or trades and professions long abandoned, to shield them from an honorable discharge of their duty to the country It is not my intention, nor is it necessary, that I address a word to this class. They are not in ther army — waere ti>is tract will find its- circulation. There is another war, however, in which we are engaged with a deadlier foe than the Yankees— a war which demands and deserves the concentration of every man^s powers, and which must be prosecuted with unanimous zeal, and with pa- tient endurance to the— not bitter, but— glorious end. And yet there are those who are ready, in this Spiritual warfare, to halt on this side of Jordan, to leave to others the toiR and the honors of these celestial victories, to sit still while their brethren go to war. I am afraid there are some of these mtne army. . , 1. There are some who " discourage the heart" of their breth- ren. Everything, in war, depends on keeping up the spirit of the army. Defeat by overwhelming forces is nothing. Good soldiers "can rally and try it again. But if the spirit is broken, whether by treacheries, by hardships and abuse, by multiplied desertions, by discouraging speeches from generals or com- rades, failure is almost inevitable. Now there are, among those who profess to be Christians, .some croakers, who never sing except to a mournful tune, some icebergs that -radiate noth- ing°except chilliness. Their influence, so far as they have any, is of a benumbing, deadning, freezing kind. Like followers who hang about the baggage trains of advancing regiments, always watching for a ride, they are always ready to be helped, always expecting to be trfken care of and comforted, but never dreaming that they might help 01 take oare of any body else. They have to be left behind, sitting still, or even worse, holding back whenever their brethren go forth to war. Now such people are accountable, not only for the harm they have individually done, and for the good they ought to have done, wKich they omitted, but also for the evil influence ex- erted on the others, and the good in them which has been paralyzed. ; " Are you one of these? Do you at still when the trumpet sounds ? When you see any one trying to advance the cause of Jesus, do vou think he wcrtild be strengthened, or discouraged true ztii Je llhnZ * *$* dl8 f ouraging to those who with sumect enown by those who profess to be Christians Thp W S ttS ? h ' ala8 ' Wlth Painful S ^^-Are you 2. 7%ere are some who attend to their axon commences and r>er- offL fi 7 ° De else ' bufc wit] h entire forgetfulne?s of its SenitefanVSsdi^l 1 "^^ ** ^ ^ th^S times more anxiety S^&Sen^S MffE IsXfnot eo^e ti the - tn ?f- Pr ° greHS ° f the -S- o? Christ exotnl to hTl I Q " a Wl1 h " gnees t0 buiId U P at another Rd i™ £ ?f P ° ne P r0Di, sing enterprise lest the magni- Perhir,^ )? C ? 0< 8 ° m ? *** ^C be ^mini^ed! irf to. ff ' 2 u bln 8 oase - fl,ere was eomethingof pride in M. f <S~ ieve " of e hp f 8 V bnn T°^r el ; bllthad ^ ^ bLh-righ ^3 ■ hntol • ■ t S ' Judah and E P h ""-m especially, had risen ^ notexpectin an equitable division, fchebest lot: there/ore to sow the Hbernacle. Now religion has prior claims r, ,1! Z It demands in every, heart the first place, the best place; but S? en a J e «T* l ? *# ?*** »» other things, and then the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. NoV both classes ■^^^^^^i^^VVOBOwereverBe this usual orcier, and adopt the one which Jesus enjoins. Then we shall obtain the righteousness of God, and all other needful thin** shall be addad besides, The seiftsh, worldly oboice is aft«n, as in the ca3« of Beuben and Gad, shown to have b*«n least truly wise. First located indeed, they were but first displaced afterwards, first relapsing into idolatry, first carried into captivity, first passing into extinction. Severed gradually in interest and in sympathies, from those on the other side o( the river, attempting a miserable neutrality, when enemies assailed the common cause, and buying inglorious and fatal peace instead of daring and winning in honorable warfare, their history remains a warning of what awaits those who hang back when common duty demands general sacrifices. Now, that religion demands some sacrifices, some self denial, some energy, no one can deny. Its rewards cannot be obtained er^cept at such a price : nor is this strange. Nothing else that is valuable is attainable without effort. Alas, there are many who are too indolent to be saved, too inert to re- ceive a heavenly crown, who sit still when others are pressing on to the prize, who love^their ease so well as to iose their souls. 3. There are those w\o stop short in Christian progress, as if all the loork were accomplished. They have been just converted, perhaps, and conclude that now the important work is clone. It is a mistake. It is just begun. They have only enlisted. They have yet to learn the use of their weapons, to acquire, by patient exercise, skill, rigor, endurance; and then, this is only preliminary to actual engagements, and real triumphs. Or possibly, they are Christians who have lost the warmth of their first 'ovc, and who have now begun to feel well satis- lied with themselves just when there is greatest reason for self reproach and self condemnation. They are as good as they need to be, as good as they are expected to be, as good— yes as good as they now want to be. Sad case! Their brethren are warring with all their might against the sins that still- annoy, but Satan has lulled them into a delusive calm, a fatal slumber. They are sitting still, while their foundations are crumbling beneath them. Incessant vigilance is the price of success in human warfare, It is even more so in the spiritual, as our enemies are mors watchful, eager and powerful. There must b |.^^ff e gression on ttie army of Satan. Every birth adds one to the ranks of evil: the hosts of .God are losing by every death an- can only be replenished by conversions, by winning over our opponents. - . T . „„-«*£ tn he 4. There are some who are always leaving tteir own wo A too. done by others. It is so in wordly matters : it is so « spiritual matters. Every one has some work to do m this world. It JTot, he would not be left here, if he is a ready concerted and fit for heaven. He would be taken thither at once ^the Master has appointed him, his time, his place, and his worK t0 There is a curious feeling among many that th^fe a great deal to be done in the Redeemer's cause, very ^^^ °? done, in fact absolutely indispensable, and a very firm con yiction that somebody ought to do it, without ^ J™ once occurring to them that they have a share in the responsibility. This necessary labor is to be done by certain nameless per- st 1 :, Xhom 7 all they know is, ^^£*^*^ ber. Christians ought to do so and so It would be a shame for the church to do without this, or ^.^^^If, yet, if all christians did exactly as much, in proporti on to their ifeiiity, to promote these desirable .ends, as they do, there - would be nothing done. volio-mn No man can possibly do another man's work in ieh| on. I do not mean merely that no man can do another s thinking, praying, believing for him; that no man can repent tor another's sins, or exercise love and reverence "^?* ° £; place. But even those external acts, m which it seems mort reasonable that the 'extra energy of one may SupPjT^de. ficiences occasioned by another's indolence, even those muse be done by each one for himself. *\ / .. h ;«i™niiTit Let us see bow this is. Suppose there is a eertai«%mount ■of visiting the sick, of personal effort with the «^°nyerted of other christian labors, which devolves on a particmai church, or on a number of christians casually thrown together, - as in an army. ttod knows how much it is, and he has por- tioned it out, so as to require of each one just as much as hi| J lie—- no more—no less. ^gad he has told us how much? this is, . He requires of each of us, to serve and love him with all the heart, soul, mind, strength. No one can do more than this. Now, one man flinches from his duty, neglects it, over- looks it, and thinks to shift it on another's shoulders. That is impossible. Your neighbor cannot possibly undertake one jot or tittle of your work,, because his hands are full — or ought to be — of his own. If you neglect it, itgoes undone, necessari- ly undone — undone forever. Every moment wasted, every opportunity lost of doing good, every favorable opening neglected, not only returns not to you, but offers itself to no other, II is gone. Other's may come to be in like manner neglected, and in like manner to pass away ; but.these come no more to you, or to any- Good men do, indeed, sometimes by neglecting their own proper work, attempt to supply the place left vacant by the folly or negligence of others, but they leave their own place vacant, in part and for a time at least, in so doing. It is a painful and lamentable thing to see faithful and true men almost overwhelmed with the cast oil and neglected burdens of other men, which they are trying to bear, because they find their own efforts to do good hampered by the omissions and deficiences of their associates, and their way clogged up by the undone duties others,have left behind them. There is a great work to be done for the salvation of the men in these Southern armies, a work which for many of them must be done soon, or not at all, a -work which will bear on all the interests of our widely extended country, into which ere long these picked men of every district will be returning to season all circles with their influence, and to bless every community with the example of their virtues, or curse the laud with the contagion of their vices. It has been often said, and truly, that there never, was an army like ours. No sweepings of our streets, no floating froth, nor sunken dregs of our population made it up ; but our best, our noblest, well nigh our all, are there. And, if this be true, never was such a field for usefulness opened before mortal man. , To this work of evangelizing the army, every christian in it id 8 specially invited. Chaplains, eolportuers, missionaries, all may do their utmost, and yet there is room. Some are faith fully trying to do their duty. What are you doing ? Are you— can you be sitting still ? They owe the Lord no more than you. They owe the souls of men no more than you. Why should they engage in the work of the Lord, and you not ? Tf it is regarded as toilsome and onerous, should they bear it all ? ] fit pays back rich spiritual profit, and real happiness, ought they lo enjoy it exclusively? If the land to be won is rich, fertile, glorious, will ye sit idly here, while they go and gain it! What has been said so far, applies mainly to such as pro- fess religion. Have the unconverted no interest here too ? It is for your soul that many are striving and praying. Shall others be concerned for you, and you unconcerned for your- self? Shall they enter into the combat for your deliverance, while you stand coolly by, neutral, indiff&renl? Will you be satisfied to take the land tfeis side of Jonlai*. the fair but deceitful pleasures of this world, for your portion, and give up a hope a;-d a home' beyond the grave? Alas! How soon shall you be compelled to leave them ! Be sure your sin will find you out If not before, you will lament vpur wretched choice when you arc called lo pass over Jordan, with no kind hand to divide the waves. Ere you are settled in your boasted possessions, ere your houses have become warmed by your presence, you may be summoned away to another house, that appointed for all living. Or you may see your- mistake earlier. You may choose, as Lot ; the fair and fertile plains of Sodom, and live to see it desolate and blackened with the curse of' God. No possessions are secure enough, no wealth ample enough to give true happiness without the favor of God. And with that, one can have peace passing all understanding, no matter "what his earthly lot. "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto vou."