The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-05-27
Thoughts for the Thoughtful.
tRELra1ous sELEcTroxs.)

fRELIGIoUs SELECTIONs.)
Serve Him, love Him, live to Him,
and you will be bright, and full of
hope, and noble.
There is no disappointment in
Christ. Christ can be our souls SOW
ereign.. Christ can be our guide
Christ can absorb all the admiration
which our hearts long to give.
We do not seek God-God seeks
us. There is Spiritpervading time
and space who seeks the souls of men.
At last the seeking becomes recipro-
cal-the Divine Presence is felt afar,
and the soul begins to turn toward it.
Then when we begin to seek God, we
become conscious that God is seeking
us.
I believe that the great lesson for
us to learn--every day it seems more
true to me-is this: God and my own
sonl; there is nothing else in this
world I will trust to for the truth
To those alone we are amenable for
iudgment-to Him and to His voice
within us. From all else we must
appeal.
We are surrounded by mystery
Mind is more real than matter. Our
soule and God are real. Of the reality
of nothing else are we sure: it floats
before us, fantastic shadow-world.
Mind acts on mind. The Eternal
Spirit blends mind with mind, soul
with soul, and is moving over us all
with his mystic inspiration every hour.
The place of the rainbow depends
upon your standing-point: and I say
that the conviction of the being and
character of God depends upon your
moral standing-point. You must be
pure before you can believe in purity:
generous before you can believe in un-
selfshness. In all moral truth, what
you are, that is the condition OF your
belief. Only TO him in whom infinite
aspirations stir can an Infinite One be
proved.
Christian men, when sorrow comes
speculation will not do. It is like
casting the lead from mere curiosity
when you have sound, strong ship
in deep water. But when she is
grinding on the rocks-oh, we sound
for God when the soul is on the rocks
For God becomes living God, q
reality, a home, when we feel that we
are helpless and homeless in this
world without Him.
How to lead the life divine, sur.
rounded by temptations from within
and from without; how to breathe
freely the atmosphere of heaven
while the feet yet touch earth; how
to lead the life of Christ, who shranl
from no scene Of trying duty, anc
took the temptations of mans life al
they came, or how even to lead thu
ordinary sanity life. winning expert
ence from fall, and permant n strength
out of momentary weakness. ant
victory out of defeat-this is th
problem.
Let life be allie of faith. Do no
go timorously about inquiring wha
others think, what others believe, an,
what others say. 1t seems the easiest
it is the most difficult, thing in lif
to do this-believe in God. God j
J near you. Throw yourself fearlessl
upon Him. Trembling mortal, ther
is an unknown might within your sor
which will wake when you comman
} it. The day may come when all tha
is human, man and woman, will f.
) off from you, as they did from Hin
Let His strength be yours. Be II
] dependent of them all now. III
Z Father is with you. Look to Hin
and He will save you.
: Christianity does not scar the h
!. man heart; it softens it. They WI
forbid grief should, to be consisten
90 further and forbid affection, Il
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