The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-12-26

are small vlais Of medicines, and another
bundle in which are biscuits? How dare she
risk herself among those 'sroughs," and
where ia she going? She is one of the queens
OF heaven hunting up the sick and hungry;
and before night she will have read Christ's
'Let not your heart be troubled" In eight or
ten places, and counted out from those walls
the right number of drops to ease pain, and
given food to q family that would otherwise
have had nothing to eat to-day, and taken
the measure Of q dead child that she may
prepare for 1t a shroud-her every act OF
kindness for the body accompanied with a
benediction for the soul. You ses nothing
but the filthy street along which she walks
and the rickety stairs up which she climbs,
but she IL accompanied by an unseen cohort
OF angels with drawn swords to defend her,
and with garlands twisted for her victories
all up and down the tenement house dis
tricts. / tell you there was not so much
excitement when Anne Boleyn, on her
way to her coronation, found the Thames
stirred by fifty gilded barges, with bril-
liant flags, in which hung small bells
rung by each motion OF the wind, noble
men standing In scarlet, and wharf spread
with cloth OF gold, and all the gateways
surmounted by huzzaing admirers, and the
streets hung with crimson velvet, and trum-
pets and cannon sounding the jubilee, and
Anne, dressed in surcoat Of silver tissue, and
brow cleaning with circlet OF rubies, and
amid fountains that poured Rhenish wine
passed on to Westminster Hall and rode Ia
on caparisoned paifry, its boots Gathering
on the classic floor, and, dismounting,
passed into Westminster Abbey, and between
the choir and high altar was Gro yned queen
amid organs aud choirs chanting the "Te
Deum"-I say there wcs not much In all
that glory which dazzles the eyes OF history
when 1t is compared with the heavenly re-
ception which that ministering spirit OF the
back alley shall receive when she goes up to
coronation. When she goes in. what well
come on the river Of life, its banks Of pearl
lined with splendors seraphic and in temples
OF eternal worship, whose music Is COM
manded by swing Of archangelic scepter and
before thrones where sit those who have
reigned thousand years but have just
begun their dominion. Poor Anne Boleyn,
In two years after that pageant, lost life and
throne by one stroke of headsman, but those
who on earth have divine passion for souls
shall never lose their thrones. "They shall
reign forever and ever"
But. after all, the best way 20 cultivate
that divine passion for souls is to work for
their salvation. Under God save one, and
you will want right away to save two. Save
two, and you will want to save ten. Save
ten, and you will want to save twenty. Save
twenty, aud you viii want to save hundred.
Save hundred, and you will want to save
everybc dy. And what is the use Of talking
about 1t when the place to begin is here and
the time Is now? And while you pray will
in one minute tell all there Is Of it. Full
pardon for the worst man on earth IL he will
believe in Christ, whose blood can instantly
wash away the foulest crimes. Full comfort
for the most narrowing distress that ever
crushed human being. At your first
moment OF belief, process by which the
whole universe of God will turn clear
around for your eternal advantage. For the
mere asking, II the asking be in earnest, and
you throw everything into that asking. COM
plete so.ace and helpfulness for the few
years of this life, and then a wide open
heaven which you can reach in less time
than it takes me to pronounce that imperial
word, flashing with all the Joy that an IN.
finite God knows how 10 bestow-heaven.
In this world God never does His best. He
can hang on the horizon grander mornings
than have ever yet been kndled, and rain
bow the sky with richer colors than have
ever been arched, and attune the oceans to
been attained; but as near as can tell, and
speak it reverently, heaven is the place
where God has done His best. He can build
no greater joys, lift no mightier splendors,
roll no loftier anthems, march no more i'm
posing professions, build no greater palaces,
and spread out and interjoin and wave no
more transporting magnifcence. l think
and 1t is all yours for the serious asking
How do you like the offsr2 Do you really
think it Is worth accepting2 II so, pray for
it. Get not up from that pew where YOU are
sitting. hor move one inch from where you
are standing, before you get full title for
1t, written in the blood OF the Son of God,
who would have oil men come to life present
and life everlasting.
II you have been IN military life, you know
what soldiers call the "long roll.' ALI the
drums beat 1t because the enemy is approach
ing. and all the troops must Immediately
get into line. What scurryIng around the
camp and putting Of the arms through the
straps OF the knapsack, and saying good-by
to comrades you may never meet again!
Some OF you Germans or Frenchmen may
have heard that long roll just before Sedan.
Some OF you Italians may hive heard that
long roll just before Bergamo. Some of you
Northern and Southern men may have heard
1t just before the battle of the Wilderness.
You know its stirring and solemn mean
ing, and so sound the long I'll to-day.
beat this old gospel drum that has for cen-
turtles been calling thousands to take
their places In line for this battle, on one
side of which are all the forces beatific and
on the other side all the forces demoniac.
Here the long roll call, "Who IS on the
Lords side?" ''Quit yourselves like men,"
In solemn column march for God and happi-
ness and heaven. So glad an I that do
not have to "wish myself accursed" and
throw away my heaven that you may win
your heaven. but that we may have whole
convention OF hesvens-heaven added to
heaven, heaven built on heaven. And while
dwell upon the theme begin to expert
ence in my own poor self that which take
to be something like passion for souls. And
now unto God, the only wise the only good,
the only great, be glory forever. Auen!