The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-09-19

| think Of the anguish OF telling your frienos
you are not worth dollar. You know not
how yon will ever bnng your children nome
from school. You wonder how you will
stand the selling Of your library or the NOV
ing into palmer house. The rnisiortunes
of life have accumulated. You wonder what
makes the sky SO dark. 1t is toward even
Ing.
Trouble IS an apothecary that mixes
great many drafts bitter and sour and
nauseous, and you must drink some one OF
them. Trouble puts up great many PACKS,
and you must carry some one OF them.
There Is no sandal SO thick and we'll ad-
! justed but some thorn will strike through 1t.
There is no sound so sweet but the under
takers screwdriver CRATES through It. In this
swift shuttle of the human heart some OF the
threads must break. The journey from
Jerusalem to Emmaus will soon be ended.
Our Bible, our common sense, our observa-
ton, reiterate in tones that we cannot mis-
take and ought not to disregard. 1t Is to-
ward evening.
Oh. then. for Jesus to abide with us! He
sweetens the cup. He extracts the thorn. he
wipes the tear. He bushes the tempest. He
soothes the soul that files to Him for shelter.
Let the night swoop and the enrociydon
cross the sea- Let the thunder roar. Soon
| all Will be well. Christ In the ship to soothe
| His friends. Christ on the sea to stop Its
|
darkness. Christ in the heavens to lead the
way. Blessed all such. His arms Will en-
close them. His grace comfort them, His
| light cheer them, His sacrifice free them, His
| glory enchant them. II earthly estate takes
wings. He will be An incorruptible treasure.
II friends die. He will be- their resurrection.
Standing with US in the morning Of our Joy
and in the MONDAY of our prosperity, He
will not forsake us when the luster has faded
and 1t is toward evening.
Listen to Paul's battle shout with misfor-
tune. Bark TO mounting Latimer'S fire song.
Look at the glory that has reft the dungeon
and filed the earth and heavens with the
crash Of the falling manacles of despotism.
And then look at those who have tried to
cure themselves by human prescriptions. at
tempting to heal gangrene with patch OF
court plaster and to stop the plague of dying
empires with the quackery OF earthly wis
| dom. Nothing can speak peace to the soul,
nothing can unstrap our crushing burdens,
| nothing can overcome our spiritual Toes,
nothing can open our eyes to see the sur
rounding horses and charlots of salvation
that fill all the mountains. but the voice and
command of Him who stopped one night at
Emmaus.
The words Of the text are pertinent to us
all, from the fact that we are nearing the
evening of death. / have heard it said that
we ought TO live as though each moment
theory. As far as preparation is concerned,
we ought always to be ready; but we cannot
always be thinking of death, for we have
duties in Iii that demand our attention.
When a man is selling goods. 1t is his bust
ness to think of the bargain he is making.
When a man is pleading in the courts, it is
his duty to think of the interests OF his
clients. When a clerk Is adding up his &C.
counts, 1t Is his duty to keep his mind upon
the column of figures. He who fills up his
life with thoughts of death is far from being
the highest style OF Christian. I knew a
man who used to often say at night, 81 wish
might die before morning!' Hebecame an
infldel
But there are times when we can and ought
to give ourselves to the contemplation Of
that solemn moment when to the soul time
ends and eternity begins. We must go
through that one pass. There is no round
about way, no bypath, no circuitous route.
Die we must; and 1t will be TO US shameful
occurrence or a time of admirable behavior.
Our friends may stretch out their hands TO
keep US back, but no imploration on their
part can hinder us. They might offer large
retainers, but death would not take the fee.
The breath will fail, and the eyes will close,
and the heart will stop. You may hang the
couch with gorgeous tapestry. bnt what does
death care for beautiful curtains? You may
hang the room with the finest works of art,
may fill the house with the waillngs OF
widowhood and orphanage; does death mind
weepingy
This ought not to be depressing theme
Who wants to live here forever The world
has always treated me we'll, and every day
feel less and less like scolding and complain
ing. But yet would not want to make this
my eternal residence. 1 love to watch the
clouds and battle my soul in the blue sea of
heaven, but expect when the armament is
rolled away as a scroll to see q new heaven,
grander, higher and more glorious. You
ought to be willing to exchange your body
that has headaches and sideaohes and weak
ness innunerable, that hmps with the stone
bruise or testers with the thorn or flames
on the funeral pyre of fevers for an incor-
ruptible body and an eye that blinks not be-
fore the jasper gates and the great white
throne But between that,and this there Is an
hour about which no man should be reckless
or foolhardy. doubt not your courage, but
I tell you that you will want something bet
trusty sword when you come to your last
battle. You will need better robe than any
you have in your wardrobe to keep you
warm IN that place.
circumstances do not make so much diff
ference. 1t may be bright day when you
push OF the planet, or it may be a dark
night and while the owl is hooting from the
iOAoots ~ may 70 SphhuS, ou0 yOuA ooui may
go out among the blossoms, apple orchards
swinging their cansers in the way. It may
be winter and the earth in a snow shroud.
1t may be autumn and the forests set on fire
by the retreating year-dead nature laid out
in state. 1t may be with your wife's hand in
your hand, or you may be in a strange hotel
with a servant faithful to the last. It may be
In the rail train, shot oft the switch and
tumbling in long reverberation down
the embankment-crash, crash! I know
not the time, l know not the mode but
The days Of our life ara being subtracred
away and we shall come down to the
time when We have but ten days left,
then nine days, then eight days, then
seven days, six days, five days, four days,
three days, two days, one day. Then hours
only minutes left-f1ve minutes, four min
utes, three minutes,tw minutes, one minute.
Then only seconds left-four seconds. three
seconds, two seconds, one second. Gone.
The chapter OF life ended. The book closed.
The pulses at rest. The feet through with
the journey. The hands closed from all
WORK. No word on the lips. No breath in
the nostrils. Hair combed back to lie I'M
,disheveled by any human hands. The mus
cles still. The nerves stiGl. The lungs still.
The tongue still. All still. You might put
the stethoscope to the breast and hear no
sound. You might put q speaking trumpet
TO the ear, but you could not wake the deaf
ness. No motion, no throb, no life. Still,
sill!
SO death comes to the disciplel What il
the sun of life is about TO set2 Jesus is the