they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy
house, and thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures."
I felt filled with that sweet peace that flows as a river, and enters
in and fills the soul with glory and with God. As the boatman came not
for me yet, I thought I would look around again and see if any new
friends had gathered along the brink; and, while I was looking, I saw
one coming with slow, reluctant step, as if he would rather stay on
this side of Jordan than to cross over; but his guide kept urging him
on with the Father's message: "Come unto me all ye that are weary and
heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "Well," said he, "I am weary
and heavy laden; I have had a tiresome journey through this howling
wilderness, and fain would find rest; but I have become so dirty and
bedabbled through the swamps and quagmires, that I have not a garment
fit to appear before Him in." The guide answered: "All that _will_
come, may come and partake of the waters of life freely." Then said
he: "I will arise and go to my Father." He brightened up and quickened
his pace; as soon as the guide saw that he was willing to go, he sent
to the servants to bring hither the best robe and put it on him; and,
so neatly clad, and in his right mind, I saw him approach the "bank,"
and seeing he would have to wait some time for the boatman, I entered
into conversation, by asking at what time the Father sent for him; he
said: "Just about noon, just as I had finished up my morning's work,
and thought the hardest of the day was done, and I could in the
afternoon finish those little jobs that I had planned in the morning;
but in the hour, I thought not, the Son of man came." "But what," I
asked, "made you so reluctant to come?" "Oh," said he, "I thought the
Father was angry with me; for it is written: 'God is angry with the
wicked every day;' but I heard another say: 'He that cometh with a
broken and a contrite heart, he will in no wise cast out.' I thought
I would go, for I could only perish anyway, and if I tr