The Bossier banner., 1894-06-14
NUMBER Is.
out that your midnight wrestle by the
brook Jabbok is with an angel of God,
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l
Learn again that, while our wrestling
| with trouble may be triumphant, we
must expect that it will leave its mark
upon us. Jacob prevailed, but the
| angel touched him and his thigh bone
| sprang from its socket, and the good
man went limping on his way. We
must carry through this world the
mark of the combat. What plowed
those premature wrinkles in your face?
What whitened your hair before it was
| time for frost? What silenced forever
SO much of the hilarity of your house,
hold? Ah! it is because the angel of
| trouble hath touched you that you go
limping on your way. You need not
be surprised that those who have passed
through the fire do not feel as gay as
once they did.
Do not be out of patience with those
who come not out of their despon-
dency. They may triumph over their
loss, and yet their gait shall tell you
that they have been trouble-touched.
Are we stoics, that we can, unmoved,
see our cradle rifled of the bright eyes
and sweet lips? Can we stand un-
moved and see our gardens of earth
ly delight uprooted? VIII Jesus.
who wept Himself, be angry with
us if we pour our tears into the
graves that open and swallow down
what we love best? Was Lazarus
more dear to Him than our beloved
dead to US? No. We have a right to
weep. Our tears must come. You
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heart. They fall into Gods bottle.
Afflicted ones have died because they
coud not weep. Thank God for the
sweet, the mysterious relief that
comes to us in tears! Under
this gentle rain the flowers of
corn put forth their bloom. God pity
that dry, withered, parched, all-con-
suming grief that wrings its hands,
and grinds its teeth, and bites it's nails
unto the quick, but can not weepl We
may have found the comfort of the
Cross, and yet ever after show that in
the dark night, and by the brook Jab-
box, we were trouble-touched.
Again, we may take the idea of the
text and announce the approach of the
day-dawn. No one was ever more glad
to see the morning than was Jacob
after that night of struggle. 1t is ap-
propriate for philanthropists and
Christians to cry out with this angel of
the text: THE day breaketh." The
worlds prospects are frightening. The
Church of Christ is rising up in its
strength to go forth flair as the moon,
clear as the sun and terrible as an
army with banners" Clap your hands,
all We people, the day breaketh. The
bigotries of the earth are perishing.
The time was when we were told that
if we wanted to get to Heaven we
must be immersed or sprinkled; or we
must believe in the perseverance of the
saints, or in falling away from grace,
or a liturgy or no liturgy; or they
must be Calvipists, or Arminians. in
order to reach Heaven. We have all
come to confess now that these are
non-essentials in religion.
During my vacation, one summer,
was in q Presbyteri audience, and it
was sacramental day, and with CRATE
full heart l received the holy com
munion. On the next Sabbath 1 was
in Methodist church. and sat at a
love feast. On the following Sabbath
| was in an Episcopal church, and
knelt at the altar and received the
consecrated bread. l do not know
which service enjoyed the most. "I
believe in the communion of saints
and in life everlasting" 'The day
breaketh."
n n 10
struggle and a wrestle We have
many friends that it will be hard to
leave. / care not how bright our
future hope is 1t is bitter thing to
look upon this fair world and know
that we shall never again see
it's blossoming spring. its fall
ing fruits, its sparkling streams,
and to say farewell to those
with whom we played in child
hood or counseled in manhood. In that
night, like Jacob. we may have to
wrestle, but God will not leave us un-
blessed. 1t shall not be told in Heaven
that>a dying soul cried unto God for
help but was not delivered. The lat
tice may be turned to keep out the sun,
or q book Set to dim the light of the
midnight taper; or the room may be
filled with the cries of orphanage and
widowhood; or the church of Christ
may mourn over our going; but if
Jesus calls, all is well. The strong
wre sting by the brook will cease; the
hour of deaths night will pass along;
one o'clock in the morning: two o'clock
in the morning; four o'clock in the
morning; the day breaketh.
So would have it when die. ] am
in no haste to be gone. I have no
grudge against this world. The only
fault have to find with the world ;e
that it treats me too well, but when
the time comes to go l trust to be
ready, my worldly affairs all settled II
l have wronged others l want, then.
to be sure of their forgiveness. In
that last wrestling, my arm enfeebled
with sickness, and my head faint,
want Jesus beside me. If there be
hands on this side of the food stretched
out to hold me back, want the Heav-
enly hands stretched out to draw
me forward. Then, o Jesus, help
me on and help me up. Unfearing, un-