The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-12-15

AHH NV NAN NV NNa Tin MNIA -
ing, and they crying out; "oh, we are
going to be lost. We are going downi~
Not so. The King was on board the
boat. and those women and children
and all the household OF the king
knew that every care wal taken 10
have the king-the head Of the EN-
pire-pass In safety.
Now, ! want TO break up a delusion
IN your mind. and that is this; When
u friends go out Of this world. we
feel sorry for them. because they have
20 go alone; and parents hold on TO
the hands Of their children who are
dying. and held on to something OF
the impression that the moment they
let go the little one win be in the
darkness and in the boat all alone.
oh the parent says. III l could only
go with my child, I 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 viii be
very much frightened In the boat all
alone" | break up the delusion.
When q soul goes TO Heaven, 1t 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 10 be offered, and the
time of my departure is at hand"
Was John Wesley alone in the last
extremity? No. Hear him say,
"Best Of all. God is with u.s." Was Sir
William Forbes alone in the last ex-
tremity2 No, Hear him say to his
friends; "Tell all the people who are
coming down to the bed Of death from
my experience it has no terrors."
"oh," say a great many people, that
does very well for distinguished Chris
tians, but for me. a common man. for
me. a common woman. we can't ex-
pect that guidance and help II /
should give you a passage Of 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 prom
ise9 "oh, yes" you say, III 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
comforted 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 Christian ever dies alone; the
King il in the boat.
Again, my text suggests that leay-
ing this world for Heaven Is only
crossing a ferry. DR.. Shaw estimates
the average width Of the Jordan to
be- about 30 yards. What, so marrow?
Yes. There went over a ferryboat 10
carry the kings household" Yes, go
Ing 10 Heaven is only a short trip
only a ferry, II may be 50 miles
that is. so years-before we get to the
wet bank on the other side, but the
crossing is short. | will tell you the
whole secret. Ii is not ave minutes
across, nor three, nor two, nor one
minute. 1t is instantaneous trans
p~ortation. People talk as though
leaving this life, the Christian went
plunging and ioundering and swim.
ming. TO crawl up exhausted on the
other shore. and 10 be pulled out Of
the pelting surf as by a Ramsgate
lifeboat. No such thing. 1t is only
a ferry. II is 50 narrow that we can
hail each other from bank to bank.
II is only four arms lengths across.
The arm Of earthly farewell put out
from this side, the arm Of Heavenly
welcome put out from the other side,
while the dying Christian, standing
midstream. stretches out ais arms,
the one to take the farewell Of Garth,
and the other to take the greeting Of
Heaven. That makes four arms
lengths across the river.
Blessed be God, that when we leave
this world we are not TO have a great
and perilous enterprise Of getting into
Heaven. Not a dangerous Franklin ex.
pedition 10 iud the northwest passage
among icebergs. Only a ferry. That
accounts for something you have never
seen able TO understand. You never
supposed that very nervous and timid
christian people could be so unexcited
and placid in the last hour. The fact
Is, they were clear down on the bank,
and they saw there was nothing 10 be
frightened about. Such a short dis
tance-only a ferry. With one ear they
heard the funeral psalm in their mem
ory, and with the other ear they heard
the song Of Heavenly ~salutatiop. The
willows on this side the Jordan and
the Lebanon eedars on the other almost
interlocked their branches. Only a
ferry.
Ny subject also suggests the fact thai
when we cross over at the last we shall
End a solid landing. The ferryboat as
spoken Of In my text means a place 4
start from and a place to land. DsnC
and his people did not find the eastern
shore Of the Jordan any more solid than
the western shore where he landed, and
yet TO a great many Heaven is not
real place. To you Heaven Is a fol
bank in the distance. Now, my Heavei
Is a solid Heaven. After the resurrec
lion has come you will have a rssur
rected foot and something 10 tread OIL
and a resurrected eye and colors Il
see with II and a resurrected ear an,
music 10 reeaie n. Smart men In TIL
day are making a great deal Of ful
about st. Johns maierialistie descrip
tions Of Heaven. Well, now, my friends
IL you viii tell m ewhat will be the US
Of a resurreeted body In Heaven wit
nothing to tread on and nothing 4
hear and nothing to handle and moth
ing TO taste then | will laugh. TOO. Ar
you going to float about In ether foi
ever. swinging about your hands an
feet through the air indiscrlminstely
one moment swsltering In the center O
the sun and the next moment shiverin
: in the mountains Of the moon? That
: not my Heaven. Dissatisfied wit
Johns materlalistic Heaven, theoloi
= ical thinkers are trying to patch up
Heaven that will do for them at las
e 7 never heard Of a Heaven want I
5 90 TO except ST, Johns Heaven. b.
n lieve ! shall hear Mr.. Toplady sing y,
and Isaac Watts reeite hymns and NJ
r Fart play. "oh," You say "wbers woul
. Won get the organY The lord wi
provide the organ Don't you bottle
about the organ. ] believe ! shall "
i see David with a harp. and will as
= him to sing one Of the songs OF Zion.
Q believe after the resurrection ] sha
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