The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1892-11-26

MISSIONARY III IiuhSS
Bible to an humble dwelling. A man
took it. tore out dozen pages and
with them began to light his pipe.
Some wears after the missionary hap |
pened in the same house. The family |
had lust lost their son in the Crimean
war and his Bible had been sent back
home. The missionary took it up. and
saw that it was the very same Bible
that he had left in the house and from
which the leaves had been torn. The
dying soldier had written on one OF the
leaves of the Bible: Rejected and
scoffed at, but finally believed in and
saved" The Bible may be used to light
the pipe of witticism by some, but for
us it is a staff in life, "a pillow in death
and our JOY for eternity.
Walk all up and down this Bible do
main; try every path. Plunge in at
the prophecies and come out at the
epistles. Go with the patriarchs until
you meet the evangelists. Rummage
and ransack as children who are not
satisfied when they come to new
house. until they know what is In
every room, and into what every door
opens Open every jewel casket' Elk
anime the skylights. Forever be ask
ing questions. Put to higher use
than was intended the Oriental prov
erb: Hold all the skirts of thy man.
tie extended when Heaven is raining
gold"
Passing from Bonn to Coblentz on
the Rhine, the scenery is comparatively
tame. But from Coblentz to Mayence
it Is enchanting. You sit on deck, and
feel as if the last fash of beauty must
exhaust the scene; but in moment
there is a turn of the river, which
covers up the former view with more
| defiant castles, and holder bluffs, vine
wreathed, and grapes SO ripe that II
the hills be touched they would bleed
their rich life away into the bowls OF
Bingen and Hockheimer. Here and
there. there are streams of water melt
| ing into the river like joys swallowed
| in the bosom of a great gladness. And
when night begins to throw its black
m antle over the shoulder of the hills,
and You are approaching disem-
barkation at Mayence, the lights along
the shore fairly bewitch the scene with
their beauty, giving one thrill that
he feels but once, yet that lasts him
| forever. So this river OF Gods word is
not straight stream, but winding
splendor-at every turn new wonders
to attract, still ripper vintage pressing
to the brink, and crowded with castles
of strength (Stolzenfels and Johannis
berger as nothing compared with ths
strong tower into which the righteous
run and are saved), and our disembark
alton at last, in the evening, amidst thu
lights that CLEAN from the shore o
Heaven. The trouble is that the vas
majority of Bible voyagers stop a
Coblentz. where the chief glofies begin
The sea of Gods word is not lix
Gem esaret, twelve miles by six, bu
boundless, and in any one direction
YOU can sail on forever. Why. then
confine yourself to d short psalm or
a few verses of an epistle? Tn
largest fish are not near the shore
Hoist all sail to the winds of Heaven
Take hold of both oars and pull away
Be like some of the whalcrs that wen
out from New Bedford or Portsmouth
to be gone for two or three years. fei
calculate on lifetime voyage. You d
not want to land until you land
!, Heaven. Sail away. oh We mariner
for eternity! Launch out into tn
. deep
The text is appropriate to all Chri
tians. of shallow experience. Doubt
and fears have III our day been almo
elected to the parliament of Christia
. praces. Some consider it bad sig
y not to have any doubts. Doubts an
:. fears are not signs of health, bl
- testers and carbuncles. You have
: valuable horse or farm. tits suggeste
: that the title is not good You emplo
counsel. You have the deeds examine
: You search the record for mortgage
! judgments and liens. You are n
. satisfied until you have certifica'
u signed by the great seal of the stat
assuring you that the title is goo
/" Yet how many leave their title
o Heaven an undecided matter! Why {
- YOU not go to the records aud find on
: Give yourself no rest, day nor nigh
a until you can read your title clear
70 mansions in the skies
n Christian character is to come up
~ l.ig.ier standards. We have now
n. hunt through our library to find o
9. Robert McCheyne, or one Edward Pa
r, son, or one Harlan Page. The til
" will come when we will find half
,e dozen of them sitting in the same Sc
,e with us. The grace of God can make
,e great deal better men than those ha
m mentioned Christians seem afraid tn
IS will get heterodox by going too Il
D. They do not believe in Christian p
n lection. There is no danger of 20
or being perfect for some time yet w
,e- keep watch and give you notice in til
en- if you get too near perfection for t
II: safety of your theology. One-haf
m you Christians are simply stuck in t
err mud. Why not cut loose from eve
On thing but God? Give not to h
ON that formal petition made up
he "O's"-eO Lordr' this, and
m Lordr' that. When people are col
ill and have nothing to say to God tt
lie strew their prayers with "O's?" a
he Forever and ever, amen" and thir
ne to fill up. Tell God what you wa
i'll with the feeling that He is ready
he give it, and believing that you will