The Bossier banner., 1886-07-29
Thoughts for the Thoughtful.


Men Of pleasure, whose hearts are
as capable of an eternal blessedness
as q Christians, that is the terrible
meaning and moral of your dissipa-
ton. God in Christ is your only
Eden, and out of Christ you can
have nothing but the restlessness of
Cain.
Now this is the universally of the
nature of Jesus Christ. There was
in Him no national popularity nor
individual popularity nor idiosyn-
Grassy. He was the Son of Man. Once
in the worlds history was born a
MAN. Once in the roll of ages, out
of innumerable failures, from the
stock of human nature, one bud de-
veloped itself into a faultless flower.
One there was in whom human
nature was exhibited in all it's ele-
ments symmetrically complete. One
in whom there met all that was man.
iest and all that was most womanly.
His endurance Of pain and grief was
that of the woman rather than the
man. A tender spirit dissolving into
tears, meeting the dark hour not with
the stern defiance of the man and
the stole, but with gentleness and
trust, and love, and shrinking, like a
woman. But when it came to the
question in Pilates judgment-hall, or
the mockeries of Herod's men of
war, or the discussion with the Phar-
isees, or the exposure OF the hollow
falsehoods by which social, domestic
and religious life were sapped, the
woman has disappeared, and the
hardy resolution of the man, with
more than manly daring, is found in
her stead.
There is vague way of speaking
of the Atonement, which does not
realize the tender, affectionate, per-
sonal love by which that daily, hourly
reconciliation is effected. The SYM
pathy of Christ was not merely love
of men in masses: He loved the masses,
but He loved them because made up
of individuals. He chad compassion
on the multitude;" but He had also
discriminating, special tenderness for
erring Peter and erring Thomas He
felt for the despised lonely Zaccheus
| in his sycamore-tree. He compass
sionated the discomfort of His disci-
pies. He mixed His tears with the
stifed sobs by the grave of Lazarus.
He called the abashed children to
His side. Among the numbers, as
He walked, He detected the individ-
ual touch of faith. ssMaster, the
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multitude throAg thee, and sayest
thou, Who touched me? Somebody
hath touched me-"
| Is it not true that the worlds out
casts may be led by their very sin to
Christ? 1t is no wonder to see sad
dened sinner seeking in the disap.
pointment and WEAKNESS of solitary
age that which he rejected in the
heat of youth. Why, even the world
is not astonished when it sees the
sinner become the saint. OF course
the world has its sarcastic account te
give. Dissipation leads to weariness
and WEAKNESS to safety, and safety
to devotion, and SO your great sinner
becomes a great saint, and serves Goo
when all his emotions are exhausted
Be it so. He who knew our nature
we'll, knew that marvellous revolutions
go on in the soul of man whom thu
world counts lost. In our wildes
wanderings there is sometimes love
strong as fathers, tender as moth
er's, watching over us, and bringing
back the erring child again. Know
you not the law of Nature Hav,
you never seen how out of chaos ane
ferment Nature brings order again
life out of death, beauty out of cor
ruption? Such, gainsay it who will
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