The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-09-16

of Christ aches to have you come In, and
Jesus this very Observation-Disclosures you
sit or stand-looks into your eyes and
says:
Other sheep / have, which are not of this
fold.
Again I remark, that the Heavenly
Shepherd is going to find great many
sheep among those who have been flung OF
evil habit. 1t makes me mad to see
Christian people give up prodigal as
lost. There are those who talk as though
the grace of God were a chain of forty or
fifty links, and after they run out there
was nothing to touch very bad case. IT
they were hunting and got off the track OF
the deer, they would look longer among
the banks and bushes for the lost game
than they have been looking for that lost
soul. People tell us that if man has de-
lirium tremens twice that he can not be
reclaimed; that after a woman has fallen
from her integrity she can not be re-
stored. The Bible has distinctly intimated
that the Lord Almighty is ready to par
don four hundred and ninety times; that
is, seventy times seven. There are men
before the throne of God who have wall
lowed in every kind of sin, Lut, saved by
the grace of Jesus, and washed in his
blood, they stand there radiant now. There
are those who plunged in the very lowest
hell of abomination, who for the tenth
time have been lifted up, and finally, by
the grace of God, they stand in Heaven
eloriously rescued by the grace promised
to the chief of sinners. Iwant to tell you
that God loves to take hold of very bad
case. A man said to me:
"Unless God helps me 1 can not be de-
livered. / have tried every thing, sir;
but now I have got into the habit of
prayer, and when l come to drinking sa-
loon pray that God will take me safely
past, and pray until am past. He does
help me-"
| For every man given to strong drink
| there are scores of traps set, and no one
but the everywhere represent God can see
that man through. Oh! they talk about
| the catacombs of Naples, and the cata-
| combs of Rome, and the catacombs of
| Egypt-the burial places under the city
where the dust of great multitude lie;
| but, l tell you, New York has it's cata-
| combs, Nashville has its catacombs, and
| New Orleans its catacombs, and Boston its
| cataconnbs, and Philadelphia its cata-
combs, and every town and city neighbour
hood its catacombs. They are the UNDER
ground restaura It's, full of dead mems
bones and all uncleanness. Young man,
need of going into the art gallery to see In
skillful sculpture chat wonderful repre-
| sentation of a man and his sons wound
around with serpents. There are families
represented in this audience that are
wrapped in the martyrdorn of fang and
| scale and venom-a living LAGOON of
ghastliness and horror. What aTe you to
do? Do you not put your trust in bromide
| of potassium, or in Jamaica ginger, on
anything else that apothecaries can mix.
| Put your trust only in the Eternal God.
and he will see you through Some Of
you do not have temptation every day
1t is periodic temptation, that comes
every six weeks, or every three months.
when it seems as II the powers of darkness
kindle around about your tongue
the fires of the pit. It is well enough at
UGH time, as sorne of you do, to seek
medical counsel; but your first and most
importunate cry must be TO- God Il She
friends will drag you to tie Slaughter,
make them do it on your knees. oh, God,
now that the paroxysm of thirst is coming
again upon that man, help him. Fling
back into the pit of hell the fiend that IS.
saults his soul this moment Oh! my heart
aches to see men go on in this fearful
struggle without Christ. There are here
those whose hands so tremble from dissi-
patton that they can hardly hold book
and yet have to tell you that they will
yet preach the gospel, and on communion
days carry around the consecrated bread.
acceptable to every body, because of their
holy life and their consecrated behavior.
The Lord IS going to save you. Your home
has got 30 be rebuilt. Your physical
health has got to be restored. Your
worldly business has got to be recon-
structed. The Church of God is going to
rejoice over yonr discipleship.
Other sheep have, which are not OF this
fold.
While have hope for all prodigals,
there are some people for whom am not
SO hopeful mean those who have been
church gocrs all their life, who have
maintaiRed outward morality, but who
Notwithstanding twenty, thirty, forty
years ofsChristian advantages, haveneve
yielded sheir heart to Christ. They are
gospel hardened. A sermon has no more
effect unon them than the shining of tine
moon OF the city pavement. AS Christ
says: s1he publicans and harlots will &c
into the Kingdom of God before them.'
They hsve resisted all the opportunities
of divilte mercy, and have gone, during
these tsirty years, through most powerful
earthqSa kes of religious feeling, and they
are fursher from God then ever. After
awhilesthey will lie down sick, and some
day it swill be told they are dead. Nc
, hope! But / turn to outsiders with 9
hope tsat thrills through my body and
soul.
, Otheg sheep have, which arc not of thi
, fold.
Yousare not gospel hardened. You hav
, not heard many sermons during the las
) few Ears. AS you came into a religion
, meetlsg to-day every thing was novel
I and all the services are suggestive of you
> early days. How sweet the opening
, hymn sounded in your ears, and hoy
| 4 - = A. IL IL