The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-04-09


any idea that they are happy.
l could call upon the aged men in this
house to give testimony. There are
aged men here who tried the world, and
they tried religion, and they are willing
to testify on our side. 1t was not long
ago that an aged man arose in a praying
circles, and said: Brethren, | lost my
son just. as he graduated from college,
and 1t broke my heart; but / am glad
now he is gone. He is at rest, escaped
from all sorrow and from all trouble.
And then, in 1857, l lost all my property,
and you see l am getting old, and it is
rather hard upon me; but am sure God
will not let me suffer. He has not taken
care of me for seventy-five years now
to let me drop out of His hands" l
went into the room of an aged man-his
eye-sight nearly gone, his hearing near
~ gone-and what do you suppose he
was talking about? The goodness of
God and the joys of religion. He said
Il would like to go over and join my
wife on the other side of the flood, and
| am waiting until the Lord calls me.
l am now happy. ! shall be happy
there" What is it that gave the aged
man so much satisfaction and peace?
Physical exumberance? No; it has all
gone. Sunshine. He can see it. The
voices of friends. He can not hear them.
1t is the grace of God, that is brighter
than sunshine and that is sweeter than
music. If harpist takes harp and
finds that all the strings are broken but
one string, he does not try to play upon
it. Yet here l will show you an aged
man, the strings of whose joy are all
broken save one, and yet he thrumbs it
with such satisfaction, such melody,
that the angels of God stop the swift
stroke of their wings, and hover about
the place until the music ceases. 0, re-
hgion's ways are ways of pleasant
ness, and all her paths are peace. And
if you have not the satisfaction that is
to be found in Jesus Christ, | must tell
you, with all the concentrated en-
phasis of my soul: ''0ne thing thou
lackest'
remark again, that you lack the ele-
ment of usefulness. Where is your
business? You say it is No. 45 such a
street, or No. 260 such street, or No
300 such street. My friend immortal,
your business is wherever there is tear
to be wiped away or a soul to be saved.
You may. before coming to Christ, do a
great many noble things. You take a
loaf of bread to that starving man in
the alley; but he wants immortal bread.
f1lrn 1Nnrz,a1 Of anr1Iac 70 hot
dark shanty. They want the light that
springs from the throne of God, and you
can not take it because you have it not
in your own heart. You know that the
fight of an arrow depends very much
upon the strength of the bow, and l
have to tell you that the best bow that
was ever made was made out of the
cross of Christ; and when religion takes
soul and puts it on that, and pulls it
back and let's it fly, every time it brings
down Saul or Goliath. There
are people here Of high social
position, and large means, and cultured
minds, who, if they would come
into the kingdom of God, would set the
city on fire with religious awakening.
Oh, hear you not the more than million
voices of those in these two cities who
are unconverted? Voices of those who
in these two cities are dying in their
sins? They want light. They want
bread. They want Christ. They want
Heaven. Oh, that the Lord would make
you flaming evangel. As for myself
| have sworn before high Heaven that
[ will preach this Gospel as well as /
can, in all its fullness, until every fiber
of my body, and every faculty of my
mind. and every passion of my soul is
exhausted. But we all have work t.
| do. | can not do your work, nor car
you do my work. God points us out
| the place where we are to serve, anC
yet are there not people in this house
who are thirty, forty, fifty and sixty
years of age, and yet have not begun
the great work for which they were
created? With every worldly equip
ment, Zone thing thou lackest'
My hope in Christ is not so bright a.
many Christians, 1 know; but l would
not give it up for the whole universe
in one cash payment, if it were Offered
me. 1t has been so much comfort t.
me in time of trouble; it has been Sc
much strength to me when / hav,
been assailed; it has been s.
much rest to me when l hav,
been perplexed, and it is around m,
heart such an encaSement of satisfac
| ton and blessedness that can stanC
here before God and say: TAX,
away my health, take away my
life, lake every thing rather thar
rob me of this hope, this plain
simple hope which | have in Jesu
Christ. my Lord. must have this rob,
when the last chill strikes through me
l must have this light when all othe,
| lights go out in the blast that comes III
from the cold Jordan. must have this
sword with which to fight my wal
through all those foes on nv WAY
heavenward. When / was in Londol
I saw there the wonderful armor O
Henry VIII. and Edward III. And We
I have to tell you that there is nothins
in chain mail or brass plate, or gaunt
| let, or halberd, that makes a MAJ
so safe as the armor in which tn,
Lord God clothes His dear children. O
there is a safety in religion. You vii
ride down all vOur foes Taolr o,,f "a