The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-03-07
in. I like you so well want to spend
ctr 49,

in. I like you so well want to spend
eternity with you!
Some of your children have already
gone. Some time ago l buried one OF
them, and though people passing along
the street and seeing white Grape on the
door-ben may have said: sit is only
child" yet when the broker. hearted
father came to solicit my service he said;
"Come around and comfort us, tor though
she was only fifteen months old, we loved
her so much" All! it does rot take long
for child to get its arms around the par
ents' whole nature.
What Christmas morning it will make
when those with whom you used to keep
the holidays are all around you in Heaven!
Silver haired old father young again, and
mother, who had SO many aches and pains
and decrepitudes, well again, and all
your brothers and sisters and the little
ones. How glad they will be to see you
They have been waiting. The last time
they saw your face, it was covered with
tears and distress, and pallid from long
watching and one of them, can imagine
to-day, with one hand holding fast the
shining gate, and the other hand swung
toward you, saying:
Steer this way, father, steer straight for me;
Here safe in Heaven am waiting for thee.
Oh, those Bethlehem angels, when they
went back after the concert that night
over the hills, forgot to shut the door.
All the secret is out. No more use of try
ing to hide from US the glories to come.
1t is too late to shut the gate. 1t is block
AIDED wide open with hosannas marching
this way, and hallelujahs marching that
way.
What almost humans me is the thought
that it is provided for such sinners as you
and have been. If it had been provided
only for those who had always thought
right, and spoken right, and acted right,
you and would have had no interest in
it, had no share in it; you and would
have stuck to the raft mid-ocean, and let
the ship sail by, carrying perfect passen-
gers from perfect life on earth to a per-
feet life in Heaven.
Oh! have heard the commander of that
ship is the same great, and glorious, and
sympathetic One who hushed the tempest
around the boat on Galilee, and have
heard that all the passengers on the ship
are sinners saved by grace. And so we
hail the ship, and it bears down this way,
and we come to the side of it and ask the
Captain two questions: ''Who art thou!
and whence?" and He says: 81 am Cap
tain of Salvation, and I am from the
manger." Oh! bright Christmas morning
of my SOUPS delight. Chime all the bells.
| Wreathe all the garlands. Rouse all the
anthems. Shake hands in all the con-
| gratulations.
Merry Christmasl Merry with the
thought of sins forgiven, merry with the
! idea of sorrows comforted, merry with
! Che raptures to come. Oh! lift that Chris t
from the manger and lay Him down in our
hearts. We may not bring to Him as
costly present as the magi brought, but
we bring to His feet and to the manager to-
day the frankincense of our joy, the pearls
of our tears, the kiss of our love, the pros
tration of our worship.
Down at His feet, all churches, all ages,
all earth, all Heaven. Down at His feet
| the four and-twenty elders on their faces.
Down the "great multitude that no man
can number" Down Michael, the archan-
| gel! Down all worlds at His feet and wor-
ship "Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace, good will to mem"