The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-07-05


of Gods wrath alone-alone! The cross
that you and L ought to carry represents
only few days or a few years of trial.
The cross that Christ carried for us bad
compressed into it the agonies of ster-
nifty.
There has some one come here to day
whom YOU have not observed. He did not
come through the front door; He did not
come down any of these a1sles; yet l
know He is here. He is from the East,
the far East. He comes with blistered
foot, and with broken heart, and cheeks
red not with health but with blood frolr
the temples. take hold of His coat andN
say:
SIT does not seem to fit Thee.'
NO." He says, sit is not mine; it is bor-
rowed; it does not belong to me now. For
| my venture did they cast lots" And Isay
unto Him:
"Thine eyes are red as though from loss
of Sleep" He says:
eyes, the Son of man had not where to
| lay His head" And 1 touch the log on His
back and 1 say:
"Why earliest thou this?"
"Ahn He says, 'that is cross l carry
for thee and for the sins of the whole
world. That is cross. Fall into line,
march on with me in this procession,
take your smaller crosses and your lighter
burdens, and join me in this march to
| Heaven"
And we join that procession with our
| smaller crosses and our lighter burdens,
and Christ looks back and He sees some
are hating because they can not endure
the shame. or bear the burden, and with
| a voice which has in it majesty and om-
| ripntopoa He erieS until all the earth
| trembles:
Whosoever doth not bear his cross and come
| after me- can not be my disciple.
A Roman Emperor said to a Greek
| architect: "You build me coliseum, a
grand coliseum, and if it suits me l will
crown you in the presence of all the
people, and 1 will make q great day Of
festival on your account"
The Greek architect did his work, did it
magnifcentlv, planned the building,
looked after its construction. The build
ing was done. The day for opening ar
rived. In the coliseum were the Emperor
and the Greek architect. The Emperor
rose amid the plaudits of a vast assembly
and said:
ave have gathered here to-day to open
this coliseum and to honor the Greek
architect. 1t is great day for the Roman
Empire. Let this building beprosperous,
let honor be put upon the Greek architect
o, we must have festival to-day. Bring
out those Christians and let us have them
put to death at the mouth of the lions"
The Christians were put into the center
of the amphitheater. 1t was to be a great
celebration in their destruction. Then
the lions, hungry and three-fourths
starved were let out from their dens in
the side of the amphitheater, and they
came forth with mighty spring to destroy
=. and rend the Christians, and all the gall
leries shouted: ''Huzza! huzza! Long
live the Emperor" Then the Greek
architect arose in one of the galleries and
shouted until the vast assemblage all
heard him: 81 too, am Christian ~
And they seized him in their fury and
flung him to the wild beasts until his
body, bleeding and dead, was tumbled
over and over again in the dust of the
amphitheater.
Could you have done that for Christi
Could you, in a vast assemblage, all OF
whom hated Christ, have said: 81 am a
Christian" or 81 want to be Christiau?"
Would you have had the ten thousandth
part of the enthusiasm and the courage of
the Greek architect? Nay, l ask you
|
semblage where they are nearly all Chris
tians-ln an assemblage a vast multitude
of whom love Christ and are willing to
! live, and if need be, to die for Him-would
you dare to say: 81 am a Christian" or
81 want to be Christian?" Would you
say in the presence of the friends of
Christ as much as the Greek architect said
in the presence Of the enemies of Christi
OF are there not multitudes here this
morning who are ready to say:
"Let the world look on, let all the gall
, leries of earth and Heaven and hell look
on, I take Christ this day. Come ap-
plause or abuse, come sickness or health,
come life or death, Christ now, Christ for
: ever"
, o! Christian man, o! Christian woman
Have you any scars to show in this con-
, f1ict? When war is over the heroes have
! scars to show. One hero rolls back his
, sleeve and shows gunshot fracture, or
! he pulls down the collar and shows where
! he was woun ded in the neck. Another
man says:
II have never had the use of my limb
since was wounded at that great bat
tle."
When the last day comes, when all ouI
!, battles are over, will we have any wounds
for Christ? Some have wounds for sin
wounds for the devil, wounds gotten in
j fighting on the wrong side. Have we
!. wounds that we can show-wounds gotter
in the battle for Christ and for the TRUTH
On that resurrection day Christ will have
! plenty of scars to show. Christ will stand
!, there and show the scars on His brow, the
scars on His hands, and the scars on His
feet, and He will put aside the robe of His
. royalty and show the scar on His side
, , and all Heaven will break down with emo
ton and gratitude in one great sob. ant
, then in one great hosanna. Will you ant
/ have any scars to show?
= There will be Ignatius on that day show
!, ing the mark of the paw and teeth of tht
: lion that struck him down in the Coliseum
: There will he glorious John Huss showing
. . just where on his foot the flames began OF
y that day when his soul took wing of fam,
and scared up from Constance. Their,
, will be Hugh McKail ready to point to the
, mark on his neck where the axe strucl
! him. There will be Mcmillan ant
Campbell and Freeman, the Ameri