The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-06-16

and Strengthening crooked backs with'
out any pang of surgery; and standing
whole choirs of music along the silent
galleries of deaf ear: and giving
nervous system to cataleptics!i
He did not give them
stoical advice. or philosophers about
the science of grief. He sat down and I
cried with them.
1t is spoken of as the shortest verse
in the Bible, but to me 1t is about the
longest and grandest-"Jesus wept
All! many of us know the meaning OF
that. When we were in great trouble,
some one came in with voluble conso-
lation and quoted the Scripture in q |
sort of heartless way, and did not help
us at all. But after awhile some one
else came in, and without saving . |
word sat down and burst into hood
of tears at the sight of our woe, and
somehow i helped us right away.
"Jesus weptn You see, it was :
deeply-attached household, that OF
Mary, and Martha, and Lazarus. The
father and mother were dead, and the
girls depended on their brother. Laz-
arus had said to them: Nov Mary,
now Martha. stop your worrying.
will take care of you. will be TO you
both father and mother. My arm is
strong. Girls, you can depend on me!''
But now Lazarus was sick; yea,
Lazarus was dead. All broken up, the
sisters disconsolate. and there is
knock at the door. Come In" says
Martha. "Come in" says Mary. Christ
entered, and He just broke down. 1t
was too much for Him. He had been
SO often and so kindly entertained IN
that home, before sickness and death
devastated it, that He choked up and
sobbed aloud, and the tears trickled
down the sad face of the sympathetic
Christ. 'Jesus wept" Why do you
not try that mode Of helping? You
say: 81 am man of few words. or
81 am woman of few words" Why,
you dear soul, words are not necessary.
Initiate your Lord, and go to those at
fiicted homes and cry with them.
Do you wonder that the story OF His
self-sacrifice has led hundreds of thou
sands to die for Him? In one series Of
prosecutions over two hundred thou
sand were put to death for Christ's
sake. For Him Blandina was tied to q
post and wild beasts were let out upon
her, and when life continued after the
attack of tooth and paw, she was put
in a net. and that net containing
her was thrown to a wild bull.
that tossed her with its horns
till life was extinct All for Christi
Huguenots dying for Christ! Al
bigenses dying for Christ! The vau.
dois dying for Christ! Smith6eld fires
endured for Christi The bones of mar.
tyrs, if disturbed, would make q path
of moldering life all around the earth.
The loneliness of the Saviour's sac-ifice
has inspired all the heroisms, and al
the martyrdoms of subsequent cen
turtles. Christ has had more men AND
women die for Him than all the othe1
inhabitants of all the ages have hat
die for them.
Furthermore, He was lovely in Hi
, sermons. He knew when to begin
when to stop, and just what to say
| The longest sermon He ever preached
, SO far as the Bible reports Him, name
lly, the Sermon on the Mount, wa
about sixteen minutes in delivery q
: the ordinary rate of speech. Hi
longest prayer reported, commcni.
. called 1.-THE Lords Prayer" was abou
half a minute. Time them by you
: own watch and you will find my esti
. mate accurate. BY which do not meal
r TO say that sermons ought to be onl.
3 sixteen minutes long and prayers onl
E half a minute long. Christ had sue
: infinite power of compression that II
) put enough into His sixteen-minute Gel
q mon and His half-minute prayer to kee
e all the following ages busy in though
o and action. No one but . Christ coul
{ afford to pray or preach as short Z
L that, but He meant to teach us CON
u preston.
It oh, that we might all have somt
# thing of the great German reformer
It love for this Christ, which led him
{, say: .If anyone knocks at the door {
e nv breast and says, Who lives there
It my reply is, Jesus Christ lives her
e not Martin Luther" VIII it M
II be grand if when eve get through tn
% short and rugged road OF life we ca
it. go right up into His presence and LIN
k with Him world without end? Ar
% if, entering the gate of that heavenl
10 city we should be so overwhelms
.e with our unworthiness on the one sic
h and the supernal spendor on the 9TH
re side, we get a little bewildered al
Id should for a few moments be lost {
st the streets of gold and among Il
II FURNISHED temples, and the sa
as phire thrones, there would
r. plenty to show us the way, 81
of take us out of our joyful
wilderment; and perhaps the womi
4. of Main would say: Come, let me tai
is YOU to the Christ that raised my on
bt boy to life." And Martha would ga
M |s.Come, let me take you to the Chr
Id who brought up my brother Ii
or arus from the tomb" And o
40 of the disciples would say: ''Con
Id let me take you to the Chr
v. who saved our sinking ship
rs the hurricane on Gcnnesaret." A
de Paul would say: Come, and let j
at lead you to the Christ for whom di
NJ on the road to Ostia." And VIII,
he groups of martyrs would say: icon
,e- let us show you the Christ for whom
ratified the chains. and waded the moo
he and dared the fires" And our o.
he elorified kindred would flock arou
81