The Bossier banner., 1894-06-14

termination than that. have seen men
| prepare themselves for such as wres-
tling. They laid hold of Gods help as
they went into combat. The giant
habit, regaled by the cup of many
temptations, came out strong and de-
tiant. They clenched. There were
the writings and distortions of a
| fearful struggle. But the old giant
| began to waver; and at last, in the
| midnight, alone, with none but God to
| witness, by the brook Jabbok, the old
giant fell; and the triumphant wres-
tier broke the darkness with the crv,
| ''Thanks be unto God, who giveth us
the victory, through our Lord Jesus
Christ" There is a widows heart,
that first was desolated by bereave-
ment, and since, by the anxieties and
| trials that came in the support of a
family. 1t Is sad thing to see
a man contending for livelihood
under disadvantages; but to see deli
cate woman, with helpless little ones
at her back, fighting the giants of pow
erty and sorrow is more affecting. It
was humble home, and passers-by
knew not that within those four walls
were displays of courage more ad-
mirable than that of Hannibal cross
ing the Alps, or the Pass of Their
mopalae, or Balaklava. where Into
the jaws of death rode the six hun
dred." These heroes had the whole
world to cheer them on, but there
were none to applaud the struggle in
the humble home. She fought for
bread, for clothing, for fire, for shell
ter, with aching head and weak side
and exhausted strength, through the
long night by the brook of Jab-
box. Could it be that none would
give her help? Had God forgotten to
be gracious? No! contending soul.
The midnight air is full of wings, com.
ing to the rescue. She hears it now,
in the sough of the night wind, in the
ripple of the brook Jabbol-the prom
ise made so long ago ringing down the
sky: ''Thy fatherless children, will
preserve them alive; and let the wild
ows trust in me!'' Some one said to
very poor woman: "How is it that in
such distress you keep cheerful?" She
said: II do it by what / call cross
prayers When 1 had my rent to
pay and nothing to pay it with, and
bread to buy and nothing to buy
it with, 1 used to sit down and cry.
But now 1 do not get discouraged. If
[ go along the street, when l come to
the corner of the street 1 say: The
Lord help me;' then go on until come
to another crossing of the street. and
again l say: The Lord help meI'' And
SO utter prayer at every crossing;
and since have got into the habit of
saying these cross prayers have been
able to keep up my courage"
Learn again from this subject that
people sometimes are surprised to find
out that what they have been
struggling with in the darkness is
really an ''angle of blessing" Jacob
found in the morning that this strange
parsonage was not an enemy, but a
God-dispatched messenger to promise
prosperity for him and his children.
And so many man, at the close of his
trial, has found out that he has been
trying to throw down his own blessing.
If you are Christian man, l will go
back in your history and find that the
grandest things that have ever hap
pened to you have been your trials.
Nothing short of scourging, imprison-
ment and shipwreclz could have made
Paul what he was. When David was
through the wilderness, pursued by
his own son. he was being prepared to
become the sweet singer of Israel. The
pit and the dungeon were the best
schools at Joseph ever graduated. The
hurricane that upset the tent and
killed Jobs children prepared the man
of Uz to write the magnificent poem
that has astonded the ages. There is
no way to get the wheat out
of the straw but to thresh it.
There is no way to purify the
gold but to burn it. Look at the peo-
pie who have always had it their own
way. They are proud. disc ontented,
useless and unhappy. # you want to
find cheerful folks, go among those
who have been purified by the fire
After Rossini had rendered "Will-
lam Tell the five hundredth
time company of musicians
came under his window in Paris
and serenaded him. They put upon
his brow golden crown of laurel
leaves: But, amid all the applause and
enthusiasm, Rossini turned to friend
and said: II would give all this bril-
liant scene for a few days of youth and
love" Contrast the melancholy feel
ing of Rossini, who had everything
tn at this world could give him, to the
joyful experience of Isaac Watts, whose
misfortunes were innumerable, when
he says:
The Hill OF Zion yields
thousand sacred sweets.
Before we reach the Heavenly fields,
Or walk the golden streets.
Then let our songs abound.
And every tear be dry,
We are marching through Immanuel's ground,
To fairer worlds on high.
It is prosperity that kills, and trou-
BILE that saves. While the Israelites
were on the march, amid great priva-
tion and hardships, they behaved WELL
After awhile they prayed for meat;
and the sky darkened with great
flock of quails, and these quails fell in