The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-07-07

twenty years ago. now lducu 10
is, and now out of date! She
sits and listens as well as she can. Her
eyes are so dim she can not see half
way across the church. Her ear is SO
imperfect that she can only catch occa-
sionally note of the psalm Or a word
of the preacher. Someone sitting next
to her gives her book and finds the
place for her. She says: THANK you.
miss, thank you'll" She holds the book
close up to her eyes, and, with q voice
all full of tremors, sings:
Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom ny,
While the pillows near me roll,
While the tempest still is high;
Hide me, O. my Saviour hide,
Till the storm OF life is past
Safe into the haven guide
Obi receive my soul at last
And Jesus says to her: Mother. arc
you weary?" and she says: Eyes,
Jesus, / am very tired" Jesus says:
"Mother, are you poorI' And she says:
Eyes, am very poor. l can not sew
any more. l can not knit any more.
am very poor" Jesus says to her:
Mother, would you like to rest?" She
says: Eyes, Lord, that is what want
rest. Courage, mother" says Jesus,
II will see thee through" She goes
home The next morning, in the tene-
ment house, some one dwelling on
another floor comes to her room and
knocks No answer. The door is
opened. She is deadl The night be-
fore the chariots of God halted at that
pillow of straw. and Jesus kept His
promise. He said that He would give
her rest, and He has given her rest.
Glory be to God for the height, the
depth, the length. and the breadth
of such Christian comfort! Obi
that we might have such joy
as that which inspired the men at
the battle of Leuthen. They were
singing Christian song as they went
into battle. A general said to the
king: s.Shall stop those people sing
ing?" mo" said the king; ''men that
can sing like that can fight" would
that we had singing church, joyful
church, jubilant church, comfort
| ing church. for then we would have q
| triumphant church.
| Did l say that the church ought to
be abreast of the times? take that
back. The church of God ought to be
ahead of the times-as far in advance
as the cross of Christ is ahead of all
human invention. Paul was thou
sand years ahead of the day in which
he lived. The swift-footed years that
have passed since Luther died have not
yet come up to Luther's grave. Give
iniquity four thousand years the start,
and the feet of Christianity are SO
nimble that if you will but give it full
swing. it will catch up and pass it in
two bounds. The church of God ought
to be ahead of the times.
1 remark, further. that we have
here tried to build a church abreast OF
the times. 1t is all folly for us to try
to do things the way they did fifty OF
hundred years ago. We might al
we'll be blowing with Elijah's crooked
stick, or go into battle with Saul's
armor, or prefer a canal boat tt
an express train, as to be cling
ing to old things. What we mos'
need now issa wide-awake church
| IcODI6 WHO dIC OuO Al WV
world all the week, jostled against thi,
lightning-footed century, come into thu
church on the Sabbath. and go right *
sleep, unless they have a spirited serv
ice. Men engaged in literary calling'
all the week, reading pungent, sharl
writings. can not be expected tt
come and hear our ecclesiastical hum
drum. If man stays at hom'
on Sundays and reads the news
papers, it is because the newspaper
are more interesting. We need, m.
brethren, to rouse up. and stop hunt
ing with blank cartridges. Thu
church of God ought to be the leader
the interpreter, the inspirer OF tn
age. 1t is all folly for us to be dis
cussing old issues-arraigning Nero
hanging Absalom, striking the Philis
tines with Shamgar's ox-goad -whel
all around about us are iniquities to b
! slain.
: remark, further, that we have trie'
here, In the love and fear of God, +
build church that would be charac
terized by conversions. have hear
of very good people who could preac
on for fifteen or twenty years. and Sc
, no conversions, but yet have faith.
, takes a very good man to do that.
, do not know how a man can keep hi
faith up if souls are not brought t
the Lord Jesus Christ That churc
/ that does not bring men and wome
! to the feet of the Saviour is a failure
: care not how fine the building Q
D how sweet the music, or how eloquer
e the preaching, or how elegant the SUI
0 roundings-it is failure. The churc
E of God was made for just one thing
D to get men out of the world into tn
: kingdom of Heaven. The tendency
s churches is to spend their time in gil
r ing fine touches to Christians alread
Q polished. We keep our religion t.
/! much indoors, and under shelter, when
e ought to be climbing the rocks of hev
E ing In the forests Then it would be
e stalwart religion. robust religion,
e religion able to digest the strong met
d of the Word, instead of being kept 9
the pap and Cruel of spiritual invali
: ism. 1t is high time that we threw Q
:. the Sunday clothes Of sickly sentime
!. tally and put on the work-day dress
? an earnest. active Christianity.
r thank You for all your kindnel
IS fos all your sympathy. for al yo'
a prayers for me as pastor. 1t Is = &c
:. .row to me that / am to be abser
4 u = L -