The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-03-28

There they are, those who sat at your own
table, the chair Eow vacant There they
are, those whom you rocked in infancy in
the cradle, or hushed to sleep in your
arms. There they are, those in whose life
your life was bound up. There they are,
their brow more radiant than ever before
you saw it, their lips waiting for the kiss
of heavenly greeting, their cheek roseate
with the health Of eternal summer, their
hands reckoning you up the steep, their
feet bounding with the mirth of Heaven.
The pallor of their last sickness gone
out of their face, never more to be sick,
never more to cough, never more to limp,
never more to be old, never more to weep.
They are watching from those heights TO
see if through Christ you can take the
fort, and whether you will rush in upon
them-victors. They know that upon this
battle depends whether you will ever join
their society. Upl strike harder Charge
more bravely! Remember that every inch
you gain puts you so much farther on to-
ward that heavenly reunion.
If this morning while [ speak YOU could
hear the cannonade of foreign navy,
coming through the ''Narrows, (which was
to despol our city, and if they really
should succeed in carrying our families
away from us, how long would we take
before we resolved to go after them?
Every weapon, whether fresh from
Springfield or old and rusty in the garnet,
would be brought out; and we would
urge on, and, coming in front of the foe,
we would look at them, and then look at
our families, and the cry would be:
Victory or Deathw and when the
ammunition was gone we would
take the eaptors on the point of
the bayonet or under the breech
OF the gun. If you would make such a
struggle for the getting back of your
earthly friends, will you not make as
much struggle for the gaining of the
eternal companionship of your Heavenly
friends? Oh, yes! we must Ioin them.
We must sit in their holy society. We
must sing with them the song We must
celebrate with them the triumph. Let it
never be told on earth or in Heaven that
David and his men pushed out with drawer
hearts for the getting back of their earth
ly friends for few years on earth than
we to get our departed!
You say that all this implies that our
departed Christian friends are alive.
Why, have you any idea they were dead?
They have only moved. If you should 90
on the I'd of May to the house where one
of your friends lived, and found him
gone, you would not think that he was
dead. You would inquire mkt door
where he had moved to. Our departed
Christian friends have only takel another
house. The secret is that they are richer
now than they once were, and IAN afford
a better residence. They once drank out
OF earthenware; they now drink from the
Kings chalice. ''Joseph is yet alive"
and Jacob will go up and see him. Living?
Are they? Why, if man live in this
damp, dark dungeon of earthly captivity,
can he not live where he breathes the
bracing atmosphere of the mountains of
Heaven? Oh, yes; they are living.
Do you think that Paul is so near dead
now as he was when he was living in In
Roman dungeon? Do you thint that Fred
erick Robertson, of Brighton, is as near
dead now as he was when, yeas after year,
he slept seated on the chair, because he
could lind ease in no other position? Do
you think that Robert Hall is as near dead
now as when, on his couch he tossed in
physical fortunes? No. Death gave them
the few black drops that cured them. That
is all death does to a Christian-cured
him. | know that what have said i'm
plies that they are living. There is no
question about that. The only question
this morning is whether you will ever Join
them.
But must not forget those two hundred
men who tainted by the brook of Besor.
They could not take step farther. Their
feet were sore: their heads ached; their
entire nature was exhausted. Besides
that they We're broken-hearted because
their homes were gone. Ziklag in ashes
And yet David, when he comes up to them,
divides the spoils among them. He SAYS
they shall have some of the Jewels, some
OF the robes, some of the treasures. 1 look
over this audience this morning, and I
lind at least two hundred who have tainted
by the brook Besor-the brook of tears.
You feel as if you could not take another
step farther, as though you could never
look up again.
But am going to initiate David, and
divide among you some glorious trophies
Here is robe: "All things work together
for good, to those who love God" Wrap
yourself IN that glorious. promise. Here
Is Tor your neck strings of pearls, made
out Of crystalized tears: FtWeeping NAV
NAAN IA = vi q night, Uul Joy COIQ6Bn IN the
morning" Here is q coronet: "Be thou
faithful unto death, and will give thee q
crown of life" o, We fainting ones by the
brook Besor, dip your blistered feet in
the running stream of Gods mercy.
Battle your brow at the wells of salvation.
Soothe your wounds with the balsam that
exudes from trees of life. God will not
utterly cast you off, o broken-h hearted
man, 0 broken hearted woman, fainting
by the brook Besor.
A shepherd finds that his musical pine
is bruised. He says: 81 can't get any
more music out of this instrument. so
will just break it and will throw this
reed away. Then will get another reed.
and will play music on that" But God
says He will not cast you off because all
the music has gone out of your soul.
1.-THE bruised reed He will not break"
As far as can tell the diagnosis of your
disease you want Divine nursing, and it is
promised you: "As one whom his moth
er comforteth so will l comfort you.D
God will see you all the way through. o
troubled soul, and when you come down
to the Jordan of death you will find it to
be as thin brook as Besor, for DIR. Rob
lnson says that in April Besor dries up
and there is no brook at all. And
IN your last moment you will be as placid
as the Kentucky minister who went