The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-07-19


care about future existence.
Every man wants to know what is to be-
come of him. If you get on board mail
train you want to know at what depot it is
going to stop; if you get on board ship
YOU want to know into what harbor it is
going to run, and if you should tell me
you have no interest in what is to be your
future destiny, would, in as polite way
as know how, tell you I did not believe
YOU Before l had this matter settled
with reference to my future existence, the
question almost worried me into ruined
health. The anxieties men have upon this
subject put together would make mar
tyrdom. This is a state OF awful I'M
There are people who fret
themselves to death for fear of dying.
want to take the strain off your nerves
and the depr ession off your soul, and l
make two or three experiments.
Experiment first: When you go out OF
this world it does not make any difference
whether you have been good or bad, or
whether you believed truth or error, you
will 20 straight to glory.
impossible" you would say; my
common sense as we'll as my religion
teaches me that the bad and the good can
not live together forever. You give me
no comfort in that experiment"
Experiment the second: When you
leave this world you will go into an inter-
mediate state where you can get convert
ed and prepared for Heaven.
impossible" you say; ''as the tree
falleth so it must lie, and I can not post
pone to an intermediate state reformation
which ought to have been effected in this
state"
Experiment the third: There is no
future world; when man dies that is the
last of him. Do not worry about what
you are to do in another state of being;
you will not do any thing.
Impossible" you say; "there is some
thing that tells me that death is not the
appendix, but the preface; there is some
thing that tells me that on this side of the
grave only get started, and that | shall
go on forever; my power to think says
'forever;' my affections say forever
my capacity to enjoy or suffer, for
ever
Well, you defeat me in my three ex-
periments. l have only one more to
make, and if yeu defeat me in that l am
exhausted: A mighty One on a knoll
back of Jerusalem one day, the skies
filled with forked lightnings and the earth
filled with volcanic disturbances, turned
His pale and agonized face toward the
heavens, and said: 81 take the sins and
sorrows of the ages into my own heart.
am the expiation. Witness earth and
Heaven and hell, am the expiation."
And the hammer struck Him, and the
spears putictured Him, and Heaven
Hundreds 1.-THE wages of sin is DEATH ~
1.-THE soul that sinneth it shall die!" II
will by no means clear the gt1iltyW Then
there was silence for half an hour, and
the lightnings were drawn back into the
scabbard of the sky, and the earth ceased
to culver, and all the colors of the sky
began to shift themselves into a rainbow
woven out of the falling tears of Jesus,
| and there was red as of the blood-shed-
ding, and there was blue as of the bruis-
| ing, and there was green as of the
Heavenly foliage, and there was orange
| as of the day-dawn. And along the line
of the blue saw the words:
| Twas bruised for their iniquities.
! And along the line Of the red saw the
words:
The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all
| sin.
| And along the line of green saw the
| words:
The leaves of the tree of life for the healing
| of the nations.
And along the line Of the orange I saw
| the words:
| The day spring from on high hath visited us
And then saw the storm was over and
the rainbow rose higher and higher unit
| 1t seemed retreating to another heaven
and planting one column of its colors or
one side the eternal hill, and planting the
other column of it's colors on the Other
side the eternal hill, it rose upward ant
upward, land behold there was rainbow
about the throne"
Accept this sacrifice and quit worrying
Take this tonic, the inspiration, tn,
longevity of this truth. Religion is sun
shine. that is healthy. Religion Is fresl
air and pure water, they are healthy
Religion is warmth, that is healthy. Asl
all the doctors and they will tell you tina
quiet conscience and pleasant anticipa
lions are hygienic I offer you perfec
peace now and hereafter.
What do you want in the future world
Tell me and you shall have it. Orchards
There are the trees with twelve manner o
fruits, yielding fruit every month. Waite
scenery? There is the River of Life, iron
under the throne of God, clear as crystal
and the sea of glass mingled with fire
Do you want music? There is the orator.
of the Creation led on by Adam, and tn
oratorio of the Red Sea led on by Moses
and the oratorio of the Messiah led on b
st. Paul, while the archangel with swing
ing baton controls the one hundred an
forty four thousand who make up tn
orchestra.
Do you want reunion? There are you
dead children waiting to kiss you, waitin
to embrace you, waiting to twist garland
in your hair. You have been accustome
to open the door on this side the scpulchel
I open the door on the other side the SEP
ulcher. You have been accustomed
walk in the wet grass on the top of th
grave. show you the under side of tn
grave; the bottom has fallen out, an
the long ropes with which the pail bearer
let down your dead, let them clear throug
into Heaven.
Glory be to God for this robust, health
religion. 1t will have tendency to max
you live long in this world, and in til
world to come you will have eternal life.
With long life will satisfy him.