The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-09-19


glory of God. There is nothing for you
to do that you ought to do but for the
glory of God.
Usefulness is typifed by the palm tree.
All, we don't want in the church any more
people that are merely weeping willows,
signing into the water, standing and ad.
miring their long lashes in the CLASSY
spring. No wild cherry dropping bitter
fruit. We want palm trees, holding some
thing for God, something for angels,
something for man. 1 am tired and sick
of this fat, tame, insipid, satin slippered,
namby- PANTY, highly Tightly religionl 1t
is worth nothing for this world, and it is
destruction for eternity.
Give me five hundred men and women
fully consecrated to Christ, and we will
take any city for God in three years. Give
me ten thousand men and women fully
up to the Christian standard, in ten years
ten thousand of them would take the
whole earth for God. But when are we
going to begin?
Ledyard, the great traveller, was
brought before the Geographical Society
of Great Britain, and they wanted
him to make some explorations in At
RIGA, and they showed him all the perils,
and all the hard work, and all the expos
ure. and after they had told him what
to do in Africa, they said to him:
Now, Ledyard, when are you ready to
start?"
He said:
Tomorrow morning."
The learned men were astonished; they
thought he would take weeks or months
to get ready. Well, now, you tell me you
want to be earnest for Christ; you want
to be useful in Christian service. When
are you going to begin? Oh, that you have
the decision to say: '"To day, nowp Go
now into the mount and gather the palm
branches.
But the palm branch also meant victory.
In all ages, in all lands, the palm branch
means victory. We are by nature the
servants of Satan. He stole US; he has
his eye on us; he wants to keep US. The
word comes from our Father that if we
will try to break loose from this doing of
wrong our Father will help us; and some
day we rouse up, and we look the black
tyrant in the face, and we fly at him, and
we wrestle him down, and we put our heel
on his neck, and we grind him in the
dust, and We say: Victory, victory,
through our Lord Jesus ChristW Oh,
what grand thing it is to have sin under
foot and wasted life behind our backs.
Blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven, and whose sin is covered"
"But," says the man, II feel so sick and
worn out with the ailments of life."
You are going to be more than con-
queror.
But" says the man." am so Tempt
ed so pursued in life -
You are going to be more than con-
queror.
81, who have SO many ailments and
heartaches, going to be more than con-
queror?"
Yes, unless you are so self conceited
that you want to manage all the affairs Of
your life yourself, instead of letting God
manage them. Do you want TO drive and
have God take back seat? Oh, no, you
say; 1 want God to be my leader. Well,
then, you will be more than conqueror.
Your last sickness will come, and the
physicians in the next room will be talk
ing about what they will do for you.
What difference will it make what they
do for you? You are going to be we'll,
everlastingly well. And when the spirit
has fed the body your friends will be
SS'AAAAAA5 GO W 041CLO AAC4 Sudll Jury YOU
What difference does it make to you
where they bury you? The angel of the
resurr ection can pick you out of the dust
anywhere, and all the cemeteries of the
earth are in Gods care.
Oh, you are going to be more than con-
queror. Don't you think we had better
begin now to celebrate the coming vic
tory2 In the old meeting house at Sum-
merville my father used to lead the sing
ing, and he had the.old fashioned tuning
fork, and he would strike il upon his
knee. and then put the tuning-fork to his
ear TO catch the right pitch and start the
hymn. But friend, don't you think we
had better be catching the pitch of the
everlas ting song, the song of victory
when we shall be more than conquerors?
Had we not better begin the rehearsal on
earth? 'They shall hunger no more,
neither thirst any more; neither shall the
sun light on them, nor any heat. For the
lamb which is in the midst of the throne
shall feed them, and shall lead them to
living fountains of water; and God shall
wipe all tears from their eyes"
City of Eternity, to thy bridal halls
From this prison would fee;
All, glory that's for you and me.
Ny text brings up one step further. 1t
says GO forth into the mount and fetch
olive branches, and pine branches, aud
myrtle branches, and branches of thick
trees. Now, you know very well that
booth or arbor made of slight branches
would not stand. The first blast of the
tempest would PROSTATE it. So, then, the
booth or arbor must have four stout poles
to hold up the arbor or booth; and hence
for the building of the arbor or booth of
this world we must have stout branches
of thick trees.
And so it is in the Gospel arbor.
Blessed be God that we have brawny
Christianity, not one easily upset. The
storms of life will come upon us, and we
went strong doctrine; not only love, but
Justice; not only invitation, but warming;
1t is mighty Gospel; it is an omnipotent
Gospel. There are the stout branches of
thick trees.
remember what Mr.. Finney said in a
school-house in this State. The village
was so bad it was called Sodom, and it
was said to have only one good man in
all the village, and he was Lot; and Mr..
Finney, preaching, described the destruc-
ton of Sodom, and the preacher declared
that God would rain destruction upon his
hearers unless they, too, repented. And
the people in the school-house sat
and ground their teeth in anger and