The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-12-24

rus more dear to Him THAI our be-
loved dead to US? No. We have a
right to weep. Our tears must come
You shall not drive them back
to scald the heart. They fall
into Gods bottle. Afflicted ones have
died because they could not weep
Thank God for the sweet, the mysteri-
GUS relief that comes to us in tears!
Under this gentle rain the flowers of
hope put forth their bloom. God pity
that dry, withered, parched, all-con-
suming grief that wrings it's hands,
and grinds its teeth, and bites its
nails into the quick, but can not weep!
We may have found the comfort OF til g
cross, and yet after show that in the
dark night, and by the Brook Jabbok,
we were trouble-touched
Again, we my take the idea of the
text, and announce the approach CT
the day dawn. Nc one was ever mora
glad to see the morning than was Js.
cob after that night of struggle. 1t Is
appropriate for philanthropists and
Christians to cry out with this angel
of the text: The day breaketh" The
worlds prospects are Frightening. ST.
perstition has had its strongest props
knocked out. The tyrants of earth
are falling fiat in the,dust. The Church
OF Christ is rising up in its strength to
go forth, fair as the morn, clear as
the sun, and terrible as an army with
banners" Clap your hands, all We peo.
pie, "the day brealSeth.
AS l look around about me l sea
many who have passed through waves
OF trouble that came up higher than
their girdie. In Gods name | pro-
claim cessation of hostilities. You
shall not always 60 saddened and
heart-broken. God will lift your bur-
den. God will bring your dead to life.
God will stanch the hearts bleeding
| know He will. Like as father pit
tieth his children, SO the Lord pities
you. The pains of earth will end The
tomb will burst. The dead will rise.
The morning star trembles on a
Frightening sky. The gates of the
east begin to swing open. The day
breaketh."
Luther and Melancthon were talk
ing together gloomily about the pros
poets of the church. They could see
no hope of deliverance After awhile
Luther got up and said to Melanc-
thon: Come, Philip. let us sing the
forty sixth psalm: God is our refuge
and strength in every time of trou-
BILE"
Death to many, nay, to all, is a
struggle and a wrestle. We have many
friends whom it would 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 its blossoming
spring, its autumnal fruits, it's
sparkling streams, and to say
farewell to those with whom
we played in childhood or coun-
seled in manhood. In that night,
like Jacob, we may have to wrestle,
but God will not leave us unblessed.
1t shall not be told in Heaven that a
dying sou! cried unto God for help,
but was not delivered. The lattice
may be turned to keep out the sun, or
a book set to dim the light of the mid
night taper, or the room may be
filled with the cries of orphanage or
widowhood; Or the Church of Christ
may mourn over our going; but if
Christ calls all is we'll. The strong
wrestling by the brook will cease; the
hours of deaths night will pass along:
one o'clock in the morning two o'clock
in the morning, four o'clock in the
morning, five o'clock in the morning;
"the day breaketh.
So would have it when l die. lam
in no haste to be gone. l would like
to stand here 20years and preach this
Gospel. | have no grudge against this
world. The only fault l have to find
with this world is that it treats me
too well. But when the time comes
to 60 | trust to DC ready, my world
ly affairs all settled. If 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, l want
Jesus beside me. If there be hands on
this side of the flood stretched out
to hold me back, | want the heav-
emily hands stretched out to draw me
forward. Then, 0 Jesus, help me on,
and help me up. Unfcaring, undouht-
ing, may l step right out into the
light, and be able to look back to my
kindred and friends, who would dc.
tain me here, exclaiming: Let me 60
let me go! The day breaketh.