The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-09-27

stance depended what mighty results
Practical differences: There are no in
signifcances in our lives. The minutest
thing is part of la magnitude. Infinity is
made up of infinitesimals. Great things,
an aggregation of small things. Bethle-
hem manager pulling on star in the East
ern sky. One book in a drenched sailors
mouth the eyangelization of multitude
One boat OF papyrts on the Nile freighted
with events for all ages. The fate of
Christendom in a basket let down from a
window on the wall. What you do, do
well. II you make rope, make it strong
and true, for you know not how much may
depend on your workmanship. If you
fashion boat, let it be water-proof, for
you know not who may sail in it. If you
put Bible in the trunk OF your boy as he
goes from home, let it be heard in your
prayers, for it may have mission as far
reaching as the book which the sailor
carried in his teeth to the Pitcairn beach,
The plainest mans life is an island be.
tween two enthusiastically past rip
ping against his shoulders, eternity to
come touching his brow. The casual, the
accidental, that which merely happens so,
are parts of great plan. and the rope
that lets the fugitive apostle from tie
Damascus wall Is the cable that holds TO
its mooring the ship of the Church in the
northeast storm of the centuries.
Again, notice unrecognized and un-
recorded services. Who spun the rope?
Who tied it to the basket? Who steadied
the illustrious preacher as he stepped
into it, Who relaxed not muscle of
the arm or dismissed an anxious look
10 or he h,c -1& 1,11
the ground and discharged it's magnificent
cargo? Not one of their names has come
to us, but there was no work done that
day in Damascus or in all the earth COM
pared with the Importance Of their work.
What If they had in the agitation tied a
knot that could slip? What if the sound
OF a mob at the door had led them to say:
paul must take care Of himself. and we
will take care Of ourselves" No, no!
They held the rope, and in doing so did
more for the Christian Church than any
thousand of us will ever accomplish. But
God knows and has made eternal record
OF their undertaking. And they know.
How exultant they must have felt when
they read his letters to the Rom ans, to
the Corinthians, to the Galatians, TO the
Ephesians, to the Philippians, to
the Colossians, to the Thessalonians,
to Timothy, to Titus, to Philemon to the
Hebrews, and when they heard how he
walked out of prison with the earthq uake
unlocking the door for him and took COM
mand of the Alexandrian corn ship when
the sailors were nearly scared to death,
and preached sermon that nearly shook
Felix off his judgment seat, I hear the
men and women who helped him down
through the window aud over the wall
talking in private over the matter, and
saying:
''How glad / am that we effected that
rescue! In coming times others may get
the glory Of Pauls work, but no one
should rob US of the satisfaction of know
ing that we held the rope"
There are said to be about sixty mine
thousand ministers of religion in this
country. About fifty thousand warrant
came from early homes which had to
struggle for the necessaries of life.
The sons of rich bankers and merchants
generally become bankers and merchants.
The most of those who become ministers
are the sons of those who had a terrific
struggle to get their everyday bread.
The collegiate and theological education
of that son took every luxury from the
parental table for eight years. The other
children were more scantily appareled.
The son at college every little while got
bundle from home. In it were the socks
that mother had knit sitting up late at
night, her sight not so good as once it
was.
And there also were some delicacies
from the sisters hand for the voracious
appetite of hungry student. The father
swung the heavy cradle through the
wheat, the sweat rolling from his chin,
believing every step of the way, and then
sitting down under the cherry tree at
noon thinking to himself:
II am fearfully tired, but it will pay If
can once see that boy through college,
and if can know that he will be preach
ing the Gospel after am dead"
The younger children want to know
why they can't have this and that as
others do; and the mother says
"Be patient, my children, until your
brother graduates, and then you shall
have more luxuries, but we must see that
boy through"
The years go by, aud the son has been
ordained, and is preaching the glorious
Gospel, and a great revival comes, and
souls by scores and hundreds accent the
Gospel from the lips of that young
preacher, and father and mother, quite
old now, are visiting the son at the vii
iage parsonage. and at the close of
Sabbath of mighty blessing, father and
mother retire to their room, the son
lighting the way and asking them if he
could do any thing to make them more
comfortable, saying if they want any
thing in the night just to knock on the |
wall. And then all alone father and
mother talk over the gracious influences
Of the day, and say:
"Well, it was worth all we went through
to educate that boy. 1t was hard pull. |
but we held on till the work was done. |
The world may not know it, but, mother. |
we held the rope, didn't we?"
And the voice, tremulous with joyful |
responded:
"Yes, father, W held the rope: feel |
my work is done. Now Lord, lettest /
Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for
mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.v
"Pshaww says tn, father, 81 never felt |
80 much like living in my life as now. I |
want to see what that fellow is going on |
20 do, he has begun so WE'LL"
Something occurs to me quite personal.
was the youngest of a large family of |
children. My parents were neither rich /
n n f<.a4r IS l.