The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-12-17

elSe'S husband. IAey 90 nOb ike
our Christian organization of society, and
1 wish they would all elope, the wretches
of one sex taking the wretches of the other,
and start tomorrow morning for the great
Sahara Desert, until the simeon shall
sweep seven feet of sand all over them, and
not one passing caravan for the next 800
years bring back one miserable bone of
their carcasses. Free 1oveism! 1t is the
double distilled extract of nux vomica,
ratsbane and adderis tongue. Never until
society goes back to the old Bible and hears
its eulogy of purity and its anathema of
uncleanness, never until then will this evil
be extirpated.
Behold also in the giant of the text that
great physical power must crumble and ex-
pire. The Samson of the text long ago
went away. He fought the lion. He fought
the Philistines. He could fight anything.
But Death was too much for him. He may
have required a longer and a broader
grave, hut the tomb, nevertheless, was his
terminus. All, if the giant of the text
could not finally succeed in the. contest
against death, we of lesser fiber and lesser
strength, think, will have to surrender!
What! Do you tell me that the muscle of
the arm must be shrunken, thatthe tongue
must be palsied, that the foot must halt in
its march, and halt forever? Yes, if
the giant of the text surrendered,
we shall surrender. By prudence,
by good habits, by the enthrone
ment of moral principle, we may postpone
the hour, but come it must, and come it
will. If, then, we are to be compelled to
go out of this world, where are we to go to?
This body and soul must soon part. What
shall be the destiny of the former? know.
Dust to dust. But what shall be the destiny
of the latter? Shall it rise into the COM
partnership of the white-robed, whose sins
Christ has slain, or shall it be down among
the unbelieving who tried to gain the
world and save their souls, but were swim
died out of both? Blessed be God, we have
a champion. He is SO styled in the Bible, a
champion who has conquered death and
health and is ready to fight all our battles
from the first to the last. "Who is this
that cometh from Edom, with dyed gar
ments from Borrah, mighty to saver" If
we fall in the wake of that champion,
death has no power and the grave no vic
tory. The worst man trusting in him shall
have his dying pangs alleviated and his
future illumined.
In the light of this subject, I'want to call
your attention to fact which may not
have been rightly considered by five men
in this house, and that is that we must be
brought into Judgment for the en-
ployment of our physical organism.
Shoulder, brain, hand, foot, we
must answer in judgment for the
use we have made of them. Have they
been used for the elevation of society or its
depression? In proportion as our arm is
strong and our step elastic will our ae-
count at last be intensified. Thousands of
sermons are preached to invalids;
preach this sermon to stout men and
healthful women. We must give to God
an account for the right use of this physi
cal organism. These inyalids have COM
paratively little to account for. Perhaps
they could not lift twenty pounds. They
could not walk half a mile without sitting
! down to rest. In preparation of this sub
ject have said to myself: "How shall
account to God in judgment for the use OF
a body which never knew one moment Of
real sickness, rising up in Judgment,
standing beside the men and women who
had only little physical energy, and yet
| consumed that energy in confagration
of religious enthusiasm" How viii we
feel abashed! Oh men of the strong arm
and stout heart, what use are you making
Of your physical forces? Will you be able
to stand the test of that day when we
must answer for the use of every talent,
re
men or spiritual power?
Hark, it tl1unders! That day advances,
and [ see some one who in this world was
an invalid, and as she stands be-
! fore the throne of God to an-
swer, she says; II was sick all
my days; l had but very little strength; but
l did as well as / could in being kind to
those who were more sick and more suffer
ing.' And Christ will say: "Wen done,
faithful servant" And then there will
| come up one who will say; 81 went on
crutches all my days. 1t was very hard
for me to get along, and l tried to be pa
tent under all my in1rmities, and though
have not many stars in my crown, re-
joice that have been able to do something
for Jesus:'' "Well done, faithful servant
| says eSuS, wei DONE" AND then little
child will stand up before the throne, and
she will say: ION earth had q curvature
Of the spine, and ] was very weak
and was very sick, but used
to go out and gather flowers out of the
wild wood and bring them to my sich
mother, and she was comforted when she
saw the sweet flowers out of the wild wood
i did not do much, but i did something
And Christ shall say, as he takes her up in
his armssand kisses her. 'tWell done, wei
done, faithful servant; enter thou into the
| joy of thy Lord" What then will be SAID
of us, to whom the Lord gave physical
| strength and continuous health?
! Hark! It thunders again. The judg.
/ ment! The Judgment! I said to an ole
Scotch minister, who was one of the best
friends ever had: doctor, did you evel
know Robert Pollok, the Scotch poet, who
wrote the "Course of Timer" sob, yes,
he replied; 81 knew him well. / was hi:
classmate." And then the Doctor went OF
to tell me bow the writing of the 'sCours,
of TimeH exhausted the health of Rober
Pollok, and he expired. The fact was tina
no man could have such glimpse of tn
4 day for which all other days were made a!