The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1894-03-15

''The mountains shall depart and the
hill be removed, but my loving kind
ness shall not depart from you"
"Whom the Lord loveth He chastenth;"
They shall hunger no more, neither
thirst any more, neither shall the sun
light on them, nor any heat; for the
Lamb which is in the midst of the
throne shall lead them to the living
fountains of water, and God shall wipe
away the tears from all theiI- eyes"
'The most wholesome thing on earth
is trouble if met in Christian
spirit. To make Paul what he
was it took shipwreck, and whip
ping on the bare back, and peniten-
tiary, and pursuit of wild mobs, and
the sword of decapitation. TO make
David what he was it took all that
Ahithophel and Saul and Absalom and
Goliath and all the Philistlne hosts
could do against him. 1t took Robert
| Chambers malformation of feet to
make him the literary conqueror. 1t
was bereavement that brought Will
liam Haworth of Wesley's time from
wickedness to an evangelism that won
many thousands for Heaven. The
world would never have known what
heroic stuff Ridley was made of had
not the fires been kindled around his
feet, and, not liking their slow work,
he cried: ''I'can not burn; let the fire
come to me; can not burn" Thank
God that there are gems that unfold
their best glories under the lamp
light! Thank God for the ruby!
| More over, l am sure that Solomon
was right in saying that religion, or
wisdom, is better than rubies, from the
| fact that thing is worth what it will
| fetch. Religion will fetch solid hap
piness, and the ruby will not. In all
your observation did you ever find q
person thoroughly felicitated by an
encrustment of jewels? AS you know
more of yourself than anyone else, are
| you happier now with worldly adorn-
ments and successes than before you
won them? Does the picture that cost
| you hundreds or thousands of dollars
on your wall bring you as much salts
faction as the engraving that at the
expense of five dollars was hung
upon the wall when you first be-
gan to keep house? Do all the cut
| lery and rare plate that glitter on your
extension dining table surrounded by
fiattering guests contain more real
| bliss than the plain ware of the first
table, at which only two sat? Does a
wardrobe crowded with costly attire
| give you more satisfaction than your
| irSt LOT h. al
pegs? Did not the plain ring set on
the third finger of your left hand on
the day of your betrothal give more
| gladness than the ruby that is now en-
throned on the third finger of your
right hand? If in this journey of life
we have learned anything, we have
| learned that this world neither
with its emoluments nor gains
can satisfy the soul. Why, here
comes as many witnesses as /
wish to call to the stand to testify that
| before high Heaven and the world. in
companionship with Jesus Christ and a
good hope of Heaven, they feel JOY
| that all the resources of their voca bu-
larly fail to express. Sometimes it
| evidences itself in CALCULATIONS of ho-
sauna; sometimes in doxology; some
times in tears. A converted native of
| India in letter said: ''How | long
for my bed not that l may sleep; lie
awake often and long, but to hold
sweet communion with my God" If so
mighty is worldly JOY that Julius
| H., hearing his armies were triumph
ant, expired; and if Talva hearing
| that the Roman senate has decreed
| him an honor, expired; and if Diony-
| sius and Sophocles overcome of joy,
| expired, and if a shipwrecl1ed purser
| waiting on the coast Guinea in want
and starvation at the sight of vessel
bringing relief. fell dead from shock
| of delight; is it any surprise to you
| that the joys of pardon and Heaven
| rolling over the soul should sometimes
be almost too much for the Christian
to endure and live? An aged aunt said
to me: "De Witt, three times l have
tainted dead away under too great
Christian joy. 1t was in all three
cases at the Holy Communion" An
| eminent Christian man while in PRAYER
| said stop, Lord, l can not bear
any more Of this gladness; it is
too much for mortal withhold! With
hold!' We have heard of poor work
men or work women getting letter
suddenly telling them that fortune
had been left them, and how they were
almost besid. themselves with glee,
| taking the first ship to claim the es-
tate. But, CHI, what it is to wake up
out of the stupor of sinful life and
| pardoning grace find that all our earth
ly existence will be divinely managed
for our best welfare, and that then all
| Heaven viii roll in upon the soul.
| Compared with that spring morn
ing is stupid, and an August
sunset is insane, and an aurora has no
pillared splendor, and diamond has
no flash, and a pearl no light, and a
beryl no aquamarine, and ruby no
ruddiness My gracious Lord! NV
glorious Cod! My precious Christ!
Roll over on us few pillows of that
rapture. And now l ask you as fair.
minded men and women, accustomed
to make comparisons. is not such a JOY
as that worth more than anything one
can 'faVe in a ieweled caSlxet9 Was