The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-07-12

Hdi u III uoIAS "Hdt dppodIS W me 10 De
right, leaving the consequences to Provi-
dence," and who wrote this quaint epitaph
showing his hope of resurrection, an cpl
taph that l hundreds of times read while
living in Philadelphia.
1: The Body
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, PRINTER
Like the cover of an o d book,
Its contents torn out,
And stripped of it's lettering and gilding)
Lies here, food for worms
Yet the work itself shall not be lost
For 1t will (as he believed) appear once more
Inane
. And more beautiful edition. .
Corrected and amended
BY
The Author. !.
That Providence intends the profession
of reporters to have mighty share in the
worlds redemption is suggested by the
fact that Paul and Christ took reporter
along with them, and he reported their
addresses and reported their acts. Luke
was reporter, and he wrote not only the
Book of Luke, but the Acts of the
Apostles, and without that reporters
work we would have known nothing of the
Pentecost, and nothing of Stephens
martyrdom, and nothing of Tabitha's
resurrection, and nothing of the falling
and unjailing of Paul and Si1as, and moth
ing of the shipwreck at Melita. Strike
out the reporters work from the Bible
and you kill large part of the New
testament 1t makes me think that in
the future of the Kingdom of God the re-
porters are to bear mighty part.
About thirteen years ago a representa-
tive of an important newspaper took his
seat in this church one Sabbath night
about five pews from the front of this pull
pit. He took out pencil and reporters
pad resolved to caricature the whole
scene. When the music began he began.
and with his pencil he derided that, and
then derided the prayer, and then derlded
the reading of the Scriptures, and then
began to deride the sermon. But, he saws,
for some reason his hand began TO trem-
BILE, and he, rallying himself, sharpened
his pencil and started again, but broke
down again, and then put pencil and pa
per in his pocket, and his head down on
the front of the pew and began to prav.
At the close of the service he came up
and asked for the prayers of others and
gave his heart to God; and though still
A5"saS4 III AOWS paper "OTk he is an
evangelist, and hires a hall at his own ex-
pense, and every Sabbath afternoon
breaches Jesus Christ to the people, And
the men of that profession are going to
come in body throughout the country,
know hundreds of them, and a more
genial or highly educated class of men it
would be hard to find, and, though the
tendency OF their profession may be to-
wards skepticlsm, an organized, COM
nonsense, Gospel invitation would fetch
them to the front of all Christian en-
deavor.
Men of the pencil and pen, in all de-
partments, you need the help of the Chris
tlan religion. In the day when people
want to get their newspapers at three
cents, and are hoping for tAe time when
they can get any Of them at one cent, and.
as a consequence, the attaches of the
press are by the THOUSAND ground
under the cylinders, you want God to
take care of you and your families. Some
of your best work is as much unappreci-
ated as was Millions Paradise Lost" for
which the author received twenty. five
dollars; and the immortal poem, ''Hohen-
linden" of Thomas Campbell, when he
first offered it for publication, and in the
column called "Notices to Correspond
ents" appeared the words: ''To T. c.
The lines commencing, 'On Linden, when
the sun was low are not up to our stand
ard. Poetry is not 7. C.'s forte"
men of the pencil and pen, amid your
unappreciated work you need encourage
ment and you have it. Printers of all
editors, reporters, COM
positors. pressmen, publishers and read
ers OF that which is printed. resolve that
you will not write, set up, edit, issue or
read any thing that debases body, mind
or soul. In the name of God, by the Law
ing on of the hands of faith and PRAYER.
orda1n the printing press for righteous
ness and liberty and salvation. All of
us, with some influence that will help in
the right direction, let us put our hands
to the work imploring God to hasten the
consummation. A ship, with hundreds of
passengers. approaching the South Amer
lean coast. the man on the lookout
neglected his work, and in few minutes
the ship would have been dashed to ruin
on the rocks. But a cricket ON board the
vessel, that had made no sound all the
voyage, set up shrill call at the smell of
land, and the captain, knowing that habit
Of the insect, the vessel was stopped in
time to avoid an awful wreck. And so,
means now may do wonders.
and the scratch of pen may save the
shipwreck of soul.
Are you all ready for the signing of the
contract, the league, the solemn treaty
between journalism and
Ave, let it be a Christian
marriage of the pulpit and tine printing
press. The ordination of the former on
ny head, the pen of the latter in my hand,
t is appropriate that publish the banns
Of such marriage. Let them from this
lay be one in the magnificent work of ths
worlds redemption.
Let thrones and powers and kingdoms be
Obedient, mighty God to Thee:
And over land, and stream, and main.
Now wave the scepter of Thy reign.
Oh. let that glorious anthem swell.
Let host to host the triumph tell,
Till not one rebel heart remains,
But over all the Saviour reirns