Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-12-14


From the other shore
Blessed be God. there is boat com.
Ing from the other side! Trausporta-
ton 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 faithful saying and
worthy OF all acceptation that Christ
Jesus came into the world TO save sin
ners.' and from foreign shore l see
the ferryboat coming. and 1t rolls with
the surges of n Saviour's suffering. but
as II strikes the earth the mountains
rock and the dead adjust their apparel
so that they may be tit TO come out
That boat touches the earth. and glori-
Gus Thomas Walsh gets into II in his
expiring moment. saying: "He has
come! He has comet Ny beloved is
mine. and am his" Good Sarah Yves.
ley got into that boat. and as she shov.
ell 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 vii; come from the same dircc.
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 I'm the Jordan, and
then j 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.
DeIusion DispeIIcd.
Now. want to break up a 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 60
alone. and parents hold on to the hands
OF their children who are dying and
bold on TO something of the impression
10 hnx LOT 81.
one will he i'm the darkness and In the
boat all alone. "Oh." the parents say.
IF ! could only go with my child.
would be willing to die half a dozen
times. | am afraid she will be lost in
the woods or in the darkness. am
afraid she will be very much brighten
cd i'm the boat all alone" break up
the deiusion. When n soul GOES TO
heaven. II 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.
Il am now ready to be offered. and the
time of my departure is at hand" Was
John Wesley alone I'm the last cxtrem.
ity? No. Hear him say, BEST OF all.
God is With us" Was Sir William
Forbes alone In the last extremity? No
Hear him say 20 bis friends. Tell all
the people who are coming down to the
bed of death from my experience Il has
no terrors." oh" say n great many
people. that does very well for distin.
guished Christians. but for me. com
mon man. for me, a common woman.
we can't expect that guidance and
help" III should give you n passage
or Scripture that would promise 10 you
positively when you are crossing the
river to the next world the King would
be In the boat. would you believe the
promisef ''Oh. yes" you say. Il
would" Here Is the promise: when
thou passest through the waters. | will
he with thee and through the rivers
they shall not overflow thee" Christ
ut 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 mp the beach BE CON.
forted about your departed friends. Be
comforted about your own demise
when the time shall come. Tell II to all
the people under the sun that no Chris
tan ever dies alone; the King is In the
boat
Narrow Stream.
Again, my text suggests that leaving
this world for heaven is only crossing n
Terry. DIR. Shaw estimates the average
width or the Jordan TO be about 80
yards. What, so narrow! Yes. There |
went over a ferryboat to carry over the |
kings household" Yes; going to heav-
Ell is only a short trip-only ferry 1t |
may be so miles-that is. so years-be- |
fore we get TO the wet bank on the 9th |
er side, but the crossing Is short. will |
tell you the whole secret. 1t is not five |
across nor three nor two nor |
one minute. 1t Is an instantaneous |
People talk as though |
leaving this life the Christian went |
piunging and fioundering and swim |
ming, TO crawl up exhausted on the /
)ther shore and to be pulled out OF the
pelting surf as by Ramsgate lifeboat.
No such thing. 1t Is only ferry. 1t is
20 narrow that we can hail each other
from bank to bank. 1t Is only four
irms' length across. The arm OF earth
Y farewell put out from this side, the
irn OF heavenly welcome put out from
he other side, while the dying Chris
ian, standing midstream, stretches out
his two arms, the one to take the fare
we'll of earth and the other to take the
greeting of heaven. That makes four
irms' length across the river.
Blessed be God that when we leave
his world we are not to have a great
md perilous enterprise of getting into
heaven; not dangerous Franklin ex-
'edition to find the northwest passage
imonG icebergs; only ferry. That
accounts for something you have never
'een able to understand. You never
that very nervous and timid
christian people could be so uuexcited
nd placid In the last hour. The fact Is
hey were clear down on the bank, and
hey saw there was nothing to be
frightened about; such a short distance
only ferry. With one ear they
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