Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1900-12-15

proposed to him at a public dinner;
Zeuxls, the philosopher. died Of mirth,
laughing at caricature OF an aged
woman, a caricature made by his own
/ hand; while another Of their company
and of their kind died saying. Must l
leave all these beautiful pictures" and
7 then asked that he might be bolstered
up in the bed in his last moments and
be shaved and painted and rouged. or
all the unbellevers Of all ages not one
died well. Some of them sneaked out
of life, some wept themselves away in
darkness. some blasphemed and rayed
and tore their bed covers to tatters.
This is the way worldly philosophy
helps man to die.
A guide at Niagara falls said to me,
''Do you see that rock down In the rap
ids?" said, "Yes." We'll" he said,
''some years ago a man got into the
rapids and floated- down until he came
to that rock. and he clutchcd that and
held on. We sent five llfeboats at diff
ferent times out to him, and they were
all broken to splinters. After awhile
we got him some food. but he could not
eat 1t. He seemed to have no appetite.
He wanted to get ashore. and the poor
fellow held on and held on. and. with
shrek louder than the thunder OF the
cataract, he went over" When man
puts out from the shore Of this world
on the river of death In a boat cf bis
own construction, he has worse d!sas
ter than that-shipwreck. eternal ship
wreck.
From the other Shore.
Blessed be God, there Is boat COM
Ing from the other side! Transporta.
tion at last for our souls from the other
shore; everything about this gospel
from the other shore; pardon from the
other shore; mercy from the other
shore; pity from the other shore; minis
try Of angels from the other shore;
power to work miracles from the other
shore; Jesus Christ from the other
shore. "This Is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sim
ners," and from foreign shore | see
the ferryboat coming, and 1t rolls with
the surges Of a Saviour's suffering. but
as II strikes the earth the mountains
rock and the dead adjust their apparel
so that they may be fit to come out.
That boat touches the earth, and glori-
Gus Thomas Walsh gets into 1t In his
expiring moment, saying: "He has
comet He has come! My beloved Is
mine, and am his" Good Sarah Wes-
ley got into that boat. and as she shov-
ed off from the shore she cried: open
the gates Open the gates" | bless
God that as the boat came from the
other shore to take David and his men
across so when we are about to die the
boat will come from the same direc-
ton. God forbid that | should ever
trust to anything that starts from this
side.
Again, my subject suggests that
when we cross over at the last the
King will be on board the boat. Ship
carpentry in Bible times was In its In
fancy. The boats were not skillfully
made, and | can very easily Imagine
that the women and the children OF the
kings household might have been nerv-
Gus about going on that boat. afraid
that the oarsman or the helmsman
might give out and that the boat might
be dashed on the rocks, as sometimes
boats were dashed In the Jordan, and
then | could have imagined the boat
starting and rocking and they crying
out "Oh. we are going to be lost; we
are going DOWN. Not so. The king
was on board the boat. and those wo-
men and children and all the household
of the king knew that every care was
taken to have the king, the head OF the
empire, pass In safety.
A DeIusion Dispe1led.
Now, | want to break up delusion In
your mind, and that Is this: When our
friends go out from this world, we feel
sorry for them because they have to go
alone, and parents hold on to the hands
of their children who are dying and
hold on to something Of the impression
that the moment they let go the little
one will be In the darkness and In the
boat all alone. "Oh." the parents say,
'1f could only go with my child. |
would be willing to die half dozen
times. | am afraid she will be lost In
the woods or in the darkness. | am
afraid she will be very much frighten
ed In the boat all alone" ! break up
the delusion. When a soul goes to
heaven, it does not go alone; the King Is
on board the boat Was Paul alone In
the last extremity? Hear the shout Of
the sacred missionary as he cries out,
81 am now ready to be offered, and the
time of my departure is at hand" Was
John Wesley alone In the last extrem
ity? No. Hear him say. BEST Of all.
God is with u.s." Was Sir William
Forbes alone In the last extremity No.
Hear him say to his friends, "Tell all
the people who are coming down to the
bed Of death from my experience 1t has
no terrors." "Oh," say great many
people, that does very well for distln-
guisbed Christians. but for me, COM
mon man, for me. common woman,
we can't expect that guidance and
help" II should give you passage
Of Scripture that would promise to you
positively when you are crossing the
river to the, next world the King would
be In the boat. would you believe the
promse7 "Oh, yes" you say. u
would" Here is the promise; when
thou passest through the waters. Will
be with thee. and through the rivers
they shall not overflow thee" Christ
at the sick pillow to take the soul out
of the body. Christ to help the soul
down the bank into the boat. Christ
midstream, Christ on the other side to
help the soul up the beach. Be COM
rorted about your departed friends. Be
comforted about your own demise
when the time shall come. Tell 1t to all
the people under the sun that no Chris