The Bossier banner., 1892-04-28


four towers in the heavenly temple.
Here is man who is ban; he knows
he is bad, and every body else knows he
is bad, but he is not an outcast; far
from being an outcast. He moves in
respectable circles. But one day, by
the power of the Holy Ghost, he rouses
up to see his sinfulness, and he says:
30, Lord, have mercy; 1 am wander
er, and without Thee l perish. Have
mercy" God hears him, and immedi-
ately two of the towers Of Heaven
strike a silvery chime.
But here is an outcast. He was
picked up last night out of the gutter,
and carried to the police station. He
has been in the penitentiary three
times. He is covered and soaked with
loathsomeness and abomination.
Arousing from his debauch, he cries
out: SO God, have mercy on me. Thou
who didst pardon the penitent thief,
hear me cry for mercy" And the Lord
listens and pardons, and no sooner is
the poor wretch pardoned than three of
the great towers of Heaven strike up a
silvery chime.
But here is waif of the street. She
passes under the gaslight, and your
soul shudders with a great horror. No
pity for her. No commisseration for
her. AS she passes down the street,
she hears song in a midnight mis-
hears:
All may come. whoever will.
This Man receives poor sinners still.
She puts into that harbor, she lzneels
by the rough bench near the door, she
says: 80, Lord! Thou who didst have
mercy on Mary Magdalen, take my
blistered feet off the red hot pavement
of hell" God says: MY daughter.
thy sins are forgiven thee; go in peace. "
Now, all the four towers of Heaven
strike silvery chime, and they who
pass through the celestial streets say:
whats that? Why, the worst sinner
must have been saved. Hear all the
four towers ring, and ring, and ring"
"And there is JOY in Heaven among the
angels of God over one sinner that re-
penteth."
My subject impresses you, think,
with the thought that it is possible for
us to augment the happiness of Heaven.
People think that souls before the
throne are as happy as they can be. /
deny it. Look at that mother before
the throne of God. When she died she
left her son in this world vagabond.
That son repented his iniquities and
came to God. The report of that sal
vation has reached Heaven. Do you
tell me that mother before the throne
of God has not her JOY richly aug
mented? There is many man in this
house to-day VINO could go out with a
torch and kindle new bonfire of
victory on the hills of Heaven. If you
would this day repent and come to
God the news of your salvation would
reach Heaven, and then, hark! to the
shout of the ransomed.
Your little child went away from you
into the good land. While she was
here, you brought her all kinds of
beautiful presents. Sometimes you
came home at nightfall with your pocl1-
cts full of gifts for her, and no sooner
did you put your night-key into the
latch than she began at you, saying:
''Father what have you brought me?''
She is now before the throne of God.
Can you bring her gift to-day? You
may. Coming to Christ, and repenting
of sin, the tidings will go up to the
throne of God, and your child will hear
of it. o, what gift for her soul to-
day! She will skip with new gladness
on the everlasting hills when she hears
of it.
| was at Sharpsburg during the war,
and one day I saw sergeant Dash
past on lathered horse, the blood
dripping from the spurs. said: THAT
sergeant must be going on a very i'm
portant message; he must be carrying
a very important message Z or he
| wouldn't ride like that. Here are two
angels of God fitting through the
house, fitting toward the throne on
quick dispatch. What is the news?
Carrying up the story OF souls repent
ant and forgiven, carrying the news to
your kindred who are forever saved
o, "there is Joy in Heaven among the
angels of God over one sinner that re-
penteth."
And suppose this whole audience
should turn to the Lord? Heaven would
be filled with doxologles. O, Heaven
beat with all thy hammers, that the
rock may break. o, Heaven, strike with
all thy cleaning swords, that our soul:
may be free.
was reading of great king who
after gaining great victory, said t.
his army: "No, no shouting; let every
thing be in quiet; no shouting" Blu
if this hour your soul should come t.
God, nothing could stop the shouting o
the armies of God before the throne
for ''there is Joy in Heaven among tn
angels of God over one sinner that re
penteth."
In some families they keep a vacan
chair and n vacant plate for the depart
ed; but if in some of your household
you kept vacant chair and n vacan
plate for those who have gone ava
from you into the next world, the va
cant chairs and the vacant plates woul
outnumbcr those which are occupied.
once said to you there are no vacan
chairs in Heaven; but I recall that
: Right beside your loved one in tina