The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-02-27

they flame from the hedge, they ham
from the top of the grapevine in bios
SONS, they roll in the blue wave of tn,
Violets, they toss their white surf int
the spirea-enough for every child
hand flower, enough to make for every
brow chaplet, enough with beauty t.
cover up the ghastliness OF all tn,
graves. Does He go forth to create
water? He pours it out, not by the cup
full, but by river full, lake full, al
ocean full, pouring it out until all the
earth has enough to drink, and enough
with which to wash.
Does Jesus, our Lord, provide redemp
ton? 1t is not little salvation for this
one; little for that and little for the
other, but enough for -"Whosoeve1
will, let him come" Each man al
ocean full for himself. Promises fol
the young, promises for the old, prom
ises for the lowly, promises for the
blind, for the halt, for the outcast
for the abandoned. Pardon for all
comfort for all, mercy for all, Heaven
for all; not merely cupful of gospel sup
ply, but one hundred and thirty gallons.
Ay, the tears of godly repentance are all
gathered up into Gods bottle, and some
day, standing before the throne, we will
lift our cup of delight and ask that it
be filled with the wine of Heaven; and
Jesus, from that bottle of tears, will be-
gin to pour in the cup, and we will cry:
stop, Jesus, we do not want to drink
our own tearsp and Jesus will say:
know ye not that the tears of earth
are the wine of Heaven?" Sorrow may
endure, but joy cometh in the morning.
remark further, Jesus does not shad-
ow the joys of others with His own
griefs. He might have sat down in that
wedding and said: ST have so much
trouble, so much poverty, so much per-
secution, and the cross is coming: I
shall not rejoice, and the gloom of my
face and of my sorrows shall be cast
over all this group" So said not Jesus.
He said to Himself: ''Here are two per-
sons starting out in married life. Let
it be a joyful occasion. 1 will hide
my own griefs. l will kindle their
JOY" There are many not so wise as
that. l know household where there
are many little children, where for two
years the musical instrument has been
kept shut because there has been
trouble in the house. Alas for the fol-
~! Parents saying: "We will have no
Christmas tree this coming holiday be-
cause there has been trouble in the
house. Hush that laughing upstairs!
How can there be JOY when there has
been so much trouble?' And so thew
make every thing consistently dolefuI.
and send their sons and daughters to
ruin with the gloom they throw around
them.
Oh, my dear friends, do you not know
those children will have trouble enough
OF their own after awhile? Be glad
they can not appreciate all yours Keep
back the cup of bitterness from your
daughters lips. When your head is
down in the grass of the tomb, poverty
may come to her, betrayal to her, be-
reavement to her. Keep back the sor-
rows as long as you can. Do you not
know that son may, after awhile, have
his heart broken? Stand between him
and all harm. You may not fight his
battles long; fight them while YOU NAV.
Throw not the chill of your own de-
spondency over his soul; rather be like
Jesus, who came to the wedding hiding
His own grief and kindling the lows of
others. So | have seen the sun. on a
dark day, struggling amidst clouds,
black, ragged and portentious, but after
awhile the sun, with golden pry.
hoaved back the blackness; and the sun
laughed to the lake, and the lake
laughed to the sun, and from horizon to
horizon, under the saffron sky, the water
was all turned into wine.
l learn from this miracle that Christ
is not impatient with the luxuries of
life. 1t was not necessary that thew
should have this wine. Hundreds of
people have been married without anv
wine. We do not read that any of the |
other provisions fell short. When God
made the wine it was not necessity,
but positive luxury. do not believe
that He wants US to eat hard bread and |
sleep on hard mattresses unless we like |
Them the best. I think, if circum- |
stances will allow, we have a right to |
'he luxuries of dress, the luxuries of
tiet and the 1uxuries of residence. |
There is no more religion in an old coat /
han in new one. We can serve God
lrawn by golden-plated harness as GER
ainly as when we go afoot. Jesus
Christ will dwell with us under n
matched roof; and when you can get
vine made out of water, bring as much
# it as you can.
What is the difference between a
Chinese mud howell and an American
home? What is the difference between
he rough bear skins of the Russian
DOOR and the outfit of an American gen
leman? No difference, except that
which the Gospel of Christ directly or
Indirectly, has caused. When Christ
hall have vanquished all the world. I
uppose every house will be mansion,
md every garment robe, and every
lorse an arch-neeked courser, and every
arriage glittering vehicle, and everv
nan King, and every woman Queen,
nd the whole earth paradise: the
'lories of the natural world harmonic
ng with the glories of the material
7orld, until the very bells of the horses
hall jingle the praises of the Lord.
| learn further, from this miracle.
hat Christ has M inopatiouoa x-;+L