The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-10-31
peathstruck, I ceased the tide to stem.
DCdtIo u uUIA1 OOel5ONt VH4O V1S4o " y
When suddenly a star arose,
II uoS the star. of Retblahen


1t was the star of Bethlehem!
If there are any here who consider
themselves castaways, let me say God is
doing every thing to save you. Did you
ever hear of Lionel Luken? He was the
inventor of the Interchangeable life boat.
All honor is due to his memory by sea-
faring men, as well as by landsmen. How
many lives he saved by his invention. In
after days that invention was improved,
and one day there was a perfect life-boat,
the Northumberland, ready at Ramsgate.
The life boat being ready, to test it the
crew came out and leaped on the gum
vale on one side to see if the boat would
upset; it was impossible to upset it.
Then, amid the huzzas of excited
thousands, that boat was launched,
and it has gone and come, picking up
great many of the shipwrecked. But |
have to tell you now of grander launch
ing, and from the dry docks of Heaven.
Word came up that world was beating
on the rocks. In the presence of the
potentates of Heaven the life-boat of the
worlds redemption was launched. 1t
showed off the golden sands amid angelic
hosannas. The surges of darkness beat
against its bow, but it sailed on, and it
comes in sight of us this hour. 1t comes
for you, 1t comes from me. Soul soul!
get into it. Make one leap for Heaven.
Let that boat go past and your oppor-
tunity is gone.
am expecting that there will be whole
families here who will get into the life
boat. In 1888 the Isabella came ashore
off Hastings, England The air was filed
with sounds-the hoarse sea trumpet, the
crash of the axes and the believing of the
tornado. A boat from the shore came
under the stern of the disabled vessel.
There were women and children on board
that vessel. Some of the sailors jumped
into the small boat and said: "Now give
us the children" A father who stood on
deck took his first born and threw him to
the boat. The sailors caught him safely,
and the next, and the next, to the last.
Still the sea rocking, the storm bowling.
"Now," said the sailors, ''now the moth
err" and she leaped, and was saved. The
boat went to the shore; but before it got
to the shore the landsmen were so impa-
tent to help the suffering people that
they waded clear down into the surf with
blankets and garments, and promises of
help and succor.
So there are whole families here who
are going to be saved, and saved alto
gether. Give us that child for Christ,
that other, that other. Give US the
mother, give US the father, the whole
family. They must all come in. All
Heaven wades in to help you. claim
this whole audience for God. picl, not
out one man here nor one man there;
claim you all. There are some of you
who, thirty years ago, were consecrated
to Christ by your parents in baptism.
Certainly I am not stepping over the
right bound when l claim you for
Jesus. Then there are many
here who have been seeking God
for a good while, and am I
not right in claiming you for Jesus?
Then there are some here who have been
further away, and you drink, and you
swear, and you bring up your families
without any God to take care of them
when you are dead. And I claim you,
my brother. claim all of you. You will
have to pray sometime; why not begin
| now, while all the ripe aud purple clus-
ter or Divine promise bend over into
your cup, rather than postpone your
prayer until your chance is past, and the
night drops, and the sea washes you out,
and the appalling fact shall be an
nounced that notwithstanding all your
m agnifcent opportunities, you have be-
come castaWay.