The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-01-18

II pardOned? Your ueatn, Is III proViuco
for? Your Heaven, is it secured?
mightier earthquake than that which
the Phillippian peniten-
tiary will rumble about your ears.
The foundations Of the earth will give
way. The earth by one tremor will
fling all the American cities into the
dust Cathedrals and palaces and pris-
sons which have stood for thousands
of years will topple like child's
block house. The surges of the sea
will submerge the land and the Attain
tic and Pacific oceans above the Alps
and the Andes clasp their hands What
then will become OF me? What then
will become of you? do not wonder
at the anxiety of this man of my text,
for he was not only anxious about the
falling of prison, but the falling OF a
world.
Again, / remark, 1 characterize this
question of the agitated Jail keeper as
one of incompatible importance. Men
are alike, and suppose he had scores
of questions on his mind, but all ques-
lions for this world are hushed up, for
gotten, annihilated in this one ques-
ton of the text. What must do to be
saved?" And have you, my
brother, any question of Importance
compared with that question? Is it q
question of business? Your common
sense tells. you that you will soon
cease worldly business. You know
very we'll that you will soon pass out
Of that partnership You know that
beyond a certain point of all the
millions of dollars worth of goods
sold you will not handle yard of
cloth, or a pound of sugar, or PEN
ny's worth. After that, if a conflagra-
ton should sweep all Washington into
ashes it would not touch you and
would not damage you. If every CASH
Ter should abscond, and every bank
suspend payment, and every insurance
company fail. it would not affect you.
Oh. how insignificant is business this
side the grave with business on the
other side the grave! HAYS you
made any purchases for eter-
nifty? Have you any securities
that will last forever? Are you job
bling for time when you might be
wholesaling for eternity? Is there
any question SO broad at the base, SO
altitudlnous, SO overshadowing as the
question, "What must / do to be
saved?" Or is it domestic question?
Is it something about father or moth
er or husband or wife or son or daugh-
ter that is the more important ques'
ton? You know by universal and in
exorable law the relation will soon be
broken up. Father will be gone, moth
err will be gone, children will be gone
you will be gone, but after that the
question of the text will begin to har
vest it's chief gains, or deplore its worst
losses, or roll up its mightiest ma2ni
tudes, or sweep its vaster circles.
Oh, what a question-what an i'm
portant question! Is there any ques
ton that compares with it in import
ance? What is it now to Napoleon II
whether he triumphed or surrenderes
at Sedan, whether he died at the Tuil
cries or Chiselhurst, whether he wa
emperor or exile? Because he was lait
out in the coffin in the dress of fell
marshal, did that give him any bette
chance for the future than if he ha'
been laid out in plain shroud? VIVA
difference will it soon make to you o
| to me whether in this world we wakes
or rode, whether we were bowed to o
maltreated, whether we were applaud
ed or Kissed at, welcomed in or kicke
oht? While laying hold OF every me
ment of the future and burning il
every splendor or every grief and over
arching or undergirding all time an
all eternity will be the plain, startling
| infinite, stupendous question OF tn
text, "What must do to be saved?'
Again, 1 characterize this question
of the agitated Jail keeper as on
crushed out by his misfortunes, presse
out by his misfortunes. The falling Q
the penitentiary, his occupation wa
gone. Besides that the fight of
prisoner was ordinarily the death Q
| the tailor. He was held responsible
If all had gone well; if the prison wall
had not been shaken of the earth
quake; if the prisoners had all stat
quiet in the stocks; if the morning sur
light had calmly dropped on the jai
er's pillow, do you think he woul
have hurled this red-hot questio
from his soul into the ear of his apo.
tolic prisoners? All, no! You kno'
as well as do it was the earthquake
that reused him up. And it is troubl
that starts a great many people to asi
ing the same question. 1t has been s
with a multitude of you. Your al
parel is not as bright as it once wa
Why have you changed the garb? Z
you not like solferino and crimson an
purple as we'll as once? Yes, but 20
say: while was prosperous and hal
py those colors were accordant wit
my feelings. Now they would be di
cord to my soul" And SO you hay
plated up the shadows into your a
parel. The world is very differel
place from what it was once for yo
Once you said: "Oh, if could on
have it quiet a little while!" 1t is Il
quiet.
/ Some people say that they would n
bring back their departed friends fro
Heaven even if they had the opportu
ity, but if you had the opportunity "
would bring back your loved ones, al
soon their feet would be sounding
the hall, and soon their voices wou
be heard in the family, and the o
times would come back just as the Il
, tai days of Christmas and Thanksgi
ing-days gone forever. Oh, it is t
earthquake that startled you to as
ing this questionable earthquake
| domestic misfortune. Death is