The Bossier banner., 1894-01-04


filling their mission.
Mild doses of medicine will do for
mild sickness, but violent pains need
strong doses, and so l stand over you
and count out some drops that will al
levlate your worst troubles if you will
only take the medicine, and here it is:
I'm the world We shall have tribula-
tlon. but be of good cheer; have over
come the world" Weeping may en-
dure for a night, but joy cometh in
the morning" Thank God for frosts.
What helped make Milton the great
est of poets? The frost of blindness.
| What helped make Washington the
| greatest of generals? The frosts of
| Valley Forge. What made it appro-
| pirate for one passing John Bunyan's
| grave to exclaim: ''Sleep on, thou
| prince of dreamers?" The frosts of i'm
! prisonment. The greatest college from
which we can graduate is the College
of Frosts. Especial trial fits for espe-
cial work. Just now watch, and you
will see that trouble is preparative and
educational. This is the grindstone on
which battle-aXes are sharpened. l
have always noticed in my own case
that when the Lord had some sepecial
work for me to, it was preceded by es-
pecial attack upon me. This is so pro-
verbal in my house that if for some
thing | say or do get poured upon me
a volley of censure and anathema, my
wife always asks: 81 wonder what
new opportunity of usefulness is about
to open? Something good and grand
is surely coming!"
What is true in my case, is true on a
larger or smaller scale in the history of
every man and woman who wants to
serve the Lord. Without complaint
take the hard knocks. You will see
after awhile, though you may not ap-
preciate it now, that by the breath OF
a good and loving God frost is given.
Let the corners of your mouth, SO long
drawn down in complaint, be drawn
up in smiles of content.
For many years poets and essayists
have celebrated the grace and swift
ness of the Ara bian horses. The most
wonderful exhibition of horsemanship
that l ever witnessed was just outside
the city of Jerusalem-an Arab steed
mounted by an Arab. Do you know
where these Arab horses got their
tleetness and poetry of motion?
Long centuries ago Mohammed, with
thirty thousand cavalry on the
march, could find for them not
a drop of water for three days Com
ing to the top of hill river was in
sight. With wild dash the thirty
thousand horses started for the stream.
A minute after an armed host was seen
advancing, and at Mohammed's COM
mand one hundred bugles blew for the
horses to fall in line, but all the thirty
thousand continued the wild gallop to
the river, except five, and they al
most dead with thirst, wheeled
into line of battle. Nothing
in human bravery and self-sacri-
flee excels that bravery and self-sacri-
fee of those five Ara abian war horses.
Those five splendid steeds Mohammed
chose for his own use, and from those
five came that race of Arabian horses
for ages the glory of The equestrian
world. And let me say that, in this
great war of truth against error, of
|
against hell, the best war horses
are descended from those who, under
pang and self-denial and trouble,
answered the Gospel trumpet and
wheeled into line. Out of great tribu-
lation, out of great fires, out of great
frosts, they came. And let me say it
will not take long for God to make up
to you in the next world for all you
have suffered in this. AS you enter
Heaven He may say: "Give this man
one of those lowered and colonnaded
palaces on that ridge of gold overlook
ing the Sea of Glass. Give this woman
a home among those amaranthine
blooms and between those fountains
tossing in the everlasting sunlight
Give her a couch canopied with rain
bows to pay her for all the fatigues of
wifehood, and motherhood, and house
keeping, from which she had no rest
for forty years. Cup-bearers of
Heaven, give these newly-arrived
souls from earth the costliest
beverages and roll to their door
the grandest chariots, and hang
on their walls the sweetest harps that
ever thrummed to fingers seraphic
Give to them rapture on rapture, cele-
bration on celebration, jubilee on iu ubi-
lee, Heaven on Heaven. They had a
hard time on earth earning liveli-
hood, or nursing sick children, or wait
ing on querulous old age, or battling
falsehoods that were told about
them, or were compelled to work
after they got short-breathed and
rheumatic and dim-sighted. Chamber
lains of Heaven! Keepers of the Kings
robes Banqueters of eternal ROYALTY!
Make up to them hundred-fold, a
thousand-fold, million-fold, for all
they suffered from swaddling clothes
to shroud, and let all those who, wheth.
er on the hills, or in the temples.
or on the thrones, or on jasper wall,
were helped and sanctifed and pre-
pared for this heavenly realm by the
Mission of the Frosts stand up and
wave their scepters!" And looked, and
behold, nine-tenths of the ransomed
rose to their feet, and nine-tenths of the
scepters swayed to and fro in the light of
the sun that never sets and tba,, -,