Connecticut western news., 1900-12-13
IA WAY OVER JORDAN.
OR. TALMA0E SAYS THE LORD WILL SEND A BOAT.

OR. TALMA0E SAYS THE LORD WILL i, SEND A BOAT.
 From the Other shore Will Come R l Bark to Transport the Faithful to
 Eternal Life-He Bids Us Have No
 Fear, For the King VIII He on Board.
 WARRINGTON, Dec. 9.-From an unno- ticed incident of olden time Dr. Tal- mage in this discourse draws some comforting and rapturous lessons. The text is II Samuel xix, IS, And there went over ferryboat to carry over the kings household"
 Which of the crowd is the king? That short man, sunburnt and in fa- tigue dress. It Is David, the exiled king. He has defeated his enemies and is now going home to resume his pal ace. Good! I always like to see David come out ahead. But between him and his home there Is the celebrated river Jordan, which has to be passed. The king is accompanied to the bank of the river by an aristocratic old gentleman of 30 years, Barzillai by name, who owned a fine country seat at Rogelim. Besides that, David has his family with him. But how shall they get across the river? While they are stand ing there see a ferryboat coming from the other side, and as 1t cuts through the water see the faces of David and his household brighten up at the thought of so soon getting home. No sooner has the ferryboat struck the shore than David and his family and his old friend Barzlllai, from Rogelim, get on board the boat. Either with splashing oars at the side or with one oar sculling at the stern of the boat they leave the eastern bank of the Jor dan and start for the western bank.
 That western bank Is black with crowds of people, who are waving and shouting at the approach of the king and his family. The military are all out. Some of those who have been Da vids worst enemies now shout until they are hoarse at his return. No soon- CT has the boat struck the shore on the western side than the earth quakes, and the heavens ring with cheers of welcome and congratulation. David and his family and Barzillai from Ro- gelim step ashore. King David asks his old friend to go with him and live at the palace, but Barzillai apologies and intimates that he Is infirm with age and too deaf to appreciate the mu- sic and has a delicate appetite that would soon be cloyed with luxurious living. and so he begs that David would let him go back to his country seat.
 The Lord Makes a Way.
 I once heard the father of a president of the United States say that he had just been to Washington to see his son in the White House, and he told me of the wonderful things that occurred there and of what Daniel Webster said to him, but he declared: "I was glad to get home There was too much going on there for me-" My father, an aged man, made his last visit at my house in Philadelphia, and after the church serv- ice was over and we went home some one in the house asked the aged man how he enjoyed the service. Well" he replied, "I enjoyed the service, but there were too many people there for me. 1t troubled my head very much" The fact is that old people do not like excitement. If King David had asked Barzillai 30 years before to go to the palace, the probability is that Barzillai would have gone, but not now. They kiss each other goodby, custom among men oriental, but in vogue yet where two brothers part or an aged father and son go away from each other never to meet again. No wonder that their lips met as King David and old Barzillai. at the prov of the ferry boat, parted forever.
 This river Jordan, in all ages and among all languages. has been the sym bol of the boundary line between earth and heaven, yet when, on former oc- casion, 1 preached to you about the Jordanic passage have no doubt that some of you despondingly said. ''The Lord might have divided Jordan for Joshua, but not for poor me-" Cheer up! I want to show you that there Is way over Jordan as well as through 1t. My text says, And there went over ferryboat to carry over the kings household"
 All our cities are familiar with the fcrryboat. It goes from San Francisco to Oakland and from Liverpool to Birk- enhead, and twice every secular day of the week multitudes are on the fer ryboats of our great cities, so that you will not need to hunt up classical dic- tionary to find out what I mean while I am speaking to you about the pas sage of David and his family across the river Jordan.
 My subject, in the first place, inn presses me with the fact that when we cross over from this world to the next the boat will have to come from the other side. The tribe of Judah, we are informed, sent this ferryboat across to get David and his household. l stand on the eastern side of the river Jordan, and find no shipping at all. but while I am standing there see boat plow- ing through the river, and as hear the swirl of the waters, and the boat comes to the eastern side of the Jordan. and David and his family and his old friend step on board that boat, l am nightly impressed with the fact that when we cross over from this world to the next the boat will have to come from the op- posite shore.
 Sad Deaths of Unbelievers. Every day find people trying to ex- temporize way from earth to heaven. They gather up their good works and some sentimental theories, and they make a raft. showing 1t from this shore, and poor. deluded souls get on board that raft. and they go down. The fact is that skepticism and infdelity never yet helped one man to die. invite all the ship carpenters of worldly philoso- phy to come and build one boat that can safely cross this river. I invite them all to unite their skill. and Bol- ingbroke shall lift the stanchions, and Tyndall shall shape the bowsprit, and Epinoza shall make the maintopgallant braces, and Renan shall go to tacking and wearing and boxing the shiD All