The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-07
TWO RIVERS-=WHICH?
MINISTER PUTS QUESTION
TO HIS PEOPLE.
Rev. W. 7. S. Lumbar Illustrates Right
and Wrong Paths in Attaining
to Salvation.

1.-THE Two Rivers was the theme taken
yesterday by the Rev. w. T. S. Lumbar,
pastor of the Mount Pleasant Baptist
Church. and in a sermon the pastor likened
the two rivers to the right and wrong
taths.
Following is his sermon in part:
Rivers have ever played an important
part IN the history of nations. | do not
recall a single great city or country
that is not located on some body of water,
most of them on a river. The ideal spot
is ? river, because 1t possesses all the
poetry of life.
A the children of Israel passed through
the red waters, cleft in twain, of the Jor-
don, SO must you pass through the red
waters of the river of life. He shed Hls
blood for US. There is no salvation except
through the blood of Jesus, the Christ. AS
1t means safety and peace 10 them, so the
blood of Jesus means salvation and right
cousness to you. The unsleeping Jehovah
VIII guide His people, but they must trust
Him.
I'm crossing n great river on a dark night
the farther you get from the shore the DIM
mer the lights and darker the outlines, but
us you pass along the lights from the other
shore flash out over the dark wave and
welcome you home. To the Christian the
lights grow brighter and brighter unto the
perfect div.
'How different il your course lies along
that other river, not of life, but of death.
A. the familiar shore line of the old place
vanishes there is no welcoming light to
greet you, but ever blacker grow the
shadows and ever darker and denser the
gloom. Giant shadows wave before your
eyes and gloomy spectres go floating by.
The %ancients called 1t the river of Lethe,
Dante placed it in purgatory. 1t is the
sad way those must pass, and the sun
less waters those must cross who have
not found the waters of the river of life.
Remorse and Anguish, Terror and Fear
dwell on its banks. Neither is there any
hope there, for the God of hope exists
not In the land of death, there the king
of terrors holds sway.
Israel passed into the promised land,
between the waters of the river. Which
river are you crossing, my friend? Have
you chosen the highest, the best, the
Christ, or have you chosen the lower,
the worse, the Christless?
"A long train is gliding out of the New
York Central station. The passengers have
the choice of going to San Francisco or
Portland. The miles speed away. and the
brakeman puts his head in the car door and
calls out. Next station. Granger; passen-
gers change for Portland Some have
not yet decided. The train leaves Granger,
and the conductor passing through. calls
out. The next station is Ogden; all pas
sengers for Portland will change cars;
the Inst change for Portland Again the
conductor comes through. He takes your
ticket and asks where you are going and
you say, Portland He says, You
should have changed at the last station;
you are too late for Portland
MY friend. where are you going? You
say to heaven: then change at the next
station, and that is at Gods next call to
Won else it be said to you as 1t was to the
passenger, You should have changed at
the last station. "