The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-03-26


last day; my heart is not right with
God" Come, then. and have it made
right. Through the Christ who died to
save you, come! What is the use of
waiting? The longer you wait the
farther off you are and the deeper you
are down. Strike out for Heaven! You
remember that few years ago a
steamer called the Princess Alice with
a crowd Of exeuIsionists aboard sank in
the Thames, and there was an awful
sacrifice of life. A boatman from the
shore put out for the rescue, and he had
big boat, and he got it so full that it
would not hold another person, and as
he laid hold of the oars to pull for the
shore, leaving hundreds helpless and
drowning, he cried out: ''0h, that I
had a bigger boat" Thank God am
not thus limited, and that can promise
room for all in this gospel boat Get in;
get I'M And yet there is room. Room
in the heart of pardoning God. Room
in Heaven.
1 also apply the word of my text to
those who would like practical comfort.
If any ever escape the struggle of life.
have not found them. They are not
certainly among the prosperous classes.
In most cases it was a struggle all the
way up till they reached the prosperity,
and since they have reached these
heights there have been perplexities,
anxieties and crises which were almost
enough to shatter the nerves and turn
the brain. It would be hard to tell
which have the biggest fight in this
world-the properties or the adj
yersities, the conspicuities of the
obscurities. Just as soon as
you have enough success to
attract the attention of others, the en-
vies and jealousies are let loose from
their kennel. The greatest crime that
you can commit in the estimation of
others is to get on better than they do.
They think your addition is their sub
traction. Five hundred persons start
for a certain goal of success; one reaches
it and the other four hundred and nine
ty-nine are mad. 1t would take vol
umes to hold the story of the wrongs
outrages and defamations that have
come upon you as a result of your sue
cess. The warm sun of prosperity brings
into life swampfu1 of annoying in
sects. On the other hand, the
unfortunate classes have their
struggles for maintenance. To
achieve livelihood by one who
had nothing to start with, and after
awhile for family as well, and carry
this on until children are reared AMI
educated and fairly started in the world,
| and to do this amid all the rivalries of
business, and the uncertainty of crops,
and the iclleness of tariff legislation,
with an occasional labor strike and
here and there financial panic thrown
in, is mighty thing to do, and there
are hundreds and thousands such he
roes and heroines who live unsung and
die unhonored. What we all need.
whether up or down in life or halfway
between, is the infinite solGce of the
Christian religion. And SO we employ
the word-"Come!'' It will take all
eternity to find out the number of bust
ness men who have been strengthened
by the promises of God, and the people
who have been fed by the ravens when
/
and women who, going into this battle
armed only with needle or saw, or axe,
or yardstick, or pen, or type, or shovel,
or shoe-last, have gained victory that
made the heavens resound. With
all the resources of God promised for
every exigency, no one need to be left
in the lurch.
] like the faith displayed years ago in
Drury Lane, London, in an humble
home where every particle of food had
given out. and kindly soul entered
with tea and other table supplies, and
found a kettle on the fire ready for the
tea. The benevolent lady said: "HoN
is that you have the kettle ready for the
tea when you had no tea in the house?'
And the daughter in the house said
Mother would have me put the ket
tie on the fire, and when I sale
what is the use of doing so, wher
we have nothing in the house?
she said my child, God vii
provide; thirty years He has already
provided for me through all my pair
and helplessless, and He will not leave
me TO starve at last. He will send u.
help though we did not yet see how.
We have been waiting all the day for
something to come, but until we saw
you we knew not how it was to come.
Such things the world may call coinci.
dence, but call them almighty deliver
ances and, though you do not hear Oh
them, they are occurring every hour Of
every day in all parts of Christendom.
But the word Come applied to
those who need solace will amount to
nothing unless it be uttered by some
one who has experienced that solace.
That spreads the responsibility OF Civ
ing His gospel call among a great
many. Those who have lost property
and been eonsoled by religion in that
trial are the ones to invite those
who have failed in business Those
who have lost their health and
been consoled by religion are
the ones to invite those who are
in poor health. Those who have had
bereavements and been consoled in
those bereavements are the ones to sym.
pathize with those who have lost father.
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