St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-01-12
CROSSING THE FERRY

Il .
Dr.. Talmaee Tells Of David's Pas
sage Over the Jordan.
He Draws Z Lesson u Comfort and
Hepefalhess ts All Gods Chill
aren-The Ferry to
Heaven.
tCopyright. 1900. by Louis Klopsch.1 =
From an unnoticed incident Of olden
time DIR. Talmage, in this discourse
draws some comforting and rapturous
lessons. The text is Samuel 1918:
"And there went over a ferryboat to
carry over the kings household"
| Which of the crowd is the king?
That short man, sunburnt and in IA
tigue dress. 1t is David, the exiled
king. He has defeated his enemies and
is now going home to resume his pal.
ace. Good! Ialways 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 so years, Barzillai by name. who
owned fine country seat at Roge-
linn. Besides that, David has his fam
lily with him. But how shall they get
across the river? While they are stand.
ing there see ferryboat coming from
the other side, and as ii 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 Rarzillai, 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
David's worst enemies now shout until
they are hoarse at his return. No
sooner 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 Barxillai from
Rogelim step ashore. King David asks
his old friend to 60 with him and live
at the palace. but Barzillai apollo
gizes and intimates that he is infirm
with age and too deaf to appreciate
the music, and has a delicate appetite
that would soon be cloyed with lux
hrious living. and SO he begs that David
would let him go back to his country
seat.
I once heard the father of a presi-
dent 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 ofwhat Daniel Webster said
to him. but he declared: II was glad
to get home. There was too much go
ing on there for me-" Ny father, an
aged man, made his last visit at my
house in Philadelphia, and after the
church service was over, and we went
home, some one in the house asked the
aged man how he enjoyed the service.
"Well." he replied, II enjoyed the serv-
Ice. but there were too many people
there for me. 1t troubled my head
very much" The fact is that old peo-
pie do not like excitement. If King
David had asked Barzillai 30 years be-
fore to 60 to the palace, the probability
Is that Barzillai would have gone, but
not now. They kiss each other good
by, 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 ferryboat. parted forever.
This river Jordan, in all ages and
among all languages, has been the SYM
boil Of the boundary line between earth
and Heaven. Yet when on former oc-
casion l 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
q way over Jordan as well as through
It. My text says: "And there went
over ferryboat to carry over the
kings household"
All our cities are familiar with the
ferryboat. 1t goes from San Francisco
to Oakland and from Liverpool to
Birkenhead, and twice every secular
day Of the week multitudes are on the
ferryboats of our great cities, so that
you will need to hunt up classical die
tionary to find out what mean while
am speaking to you about the passage
of David and his family across the river
Jordan.
Ny subject, in the first place, i'm
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. Istand
on the eastern side Of the river Jor-
dan. and I find no shipping at all. but
while i am standing there see boat
blowing through the river, and as I
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
! 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 opposite shore.
Every day find people trying to ex-
temporize a way from earth to Heaven.
They gather up their good works and
some sentimental theories. and they
make raft. showing it from this shore.
and poor, deuded souls get on board
that raft, and they 60 down. The fact
IL that skepticism and infidelity never
yet helped one man to die. Invite all
the ship carpenters Of worldly philos-
ophy to come and build one boat that