The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-10-28

services ana victories puDllSheQ. BE-
fore mel went out to the last war, the
orators told them that they would all
be remembered by their country, and
their names be cOmmemorated in poe.
try and in song; but go to the grave.
yard in Richmond, and you will find
there 5000 graves, over each of which
is the inscription Unknown" The
world does not remember it's heroes:
but there will be no unrecognized
Christian worker in Heaven. Each one
known by all; grandly known; known
by acclamation; all the past work for
God cleaning in cheek and brow and
foot and palm. They shall shine with
distinct light as the stars, forever and
ever.
Again: Christian workers shall shine
like the stars in clusters. In looking
up, you find the worlds in family cir
cles. Brothers and sisters-they take
hold of each others hands and dance
in groups. Orion in a group. The
Pleiades in a group. The solar system
is only a company of children, with
bright faces, gathered around one
great fireplace. The worlds do not
straggle off. They go IN squadrons
and fleets, sailing through immensely.
So Christian workers in Heaven will
dwell in neigh borhoods and clusters.
am sure that some people 1 will
like in Heaven great deal better than
others. Yonder is a constellation of
stately Christians. They lived OIL earth
by rigid rule. They never laughed.
They walked every hour anxious lest
they should lose their dignity. But
they loved God, and yonder they shine
in brilliant constellation. Yet l shall
not long to get in that particular
group. Ionder is a constellation of
small-hearted hristians-asteroids in
the eternal astronomy. While some
souls go up from Christian battle, and
blaze like Mars, these asteroids dart a
feeble ray like Vesta. Yonder is con-
stellation of martyrs, of apostles, of
patriarchs. Our souls, as they go up
to Heaven, will seek out the most con-
genial society.
Yonder is a constellation almost
merry with the play light. On earth
they were full Of sympathies and songs
and tears and raptures and congratula-
tons. When they prayed their words
took fire; when they sang, the tune
could not hold them; when they wept
over worlds woes, they sobbed as if
heart-brollen; when they worked for
Christ they famed with enthusiasm.
londer they are circle of light. con-
stellation of joy. galaxy of fire! Oh,
| n | NV hot ;,l,
can transform the worst in to the best,
might at last sail in the wake of that
| glorious group, as the stars forever and
| ever.
Again: Christian workers will shine
like the stars in swiftness of motion.
| The worlds do not stop to shine. There
are no fixed stars save as to relative
position. The star apparently most
thoroughly fixed flies thousands of
miles a minute. The astronomer, u.s.
ing his telescope for an alpenstock,
leaps from world-crag to world-crag,
and finds no star standing still. The
chamois hunter has to fly to catch his
prey, but not SO swift is his game as
that which the scientist tries to shoot
through the tower of observatory.
like petrels mid-Atlantic, that seem to
come from no shore, and be bound
to no landing place-hying, flying
so these great hocks of worlds rest not
as they go-wlng aud wing-age after
age-forever and ever. The eagle
hastes to its prey, but we shall in
speed beat the eagles. You have no.
ticed the velocity of the swift horse,
under whose feet the miles slip like a
smooth ribbon, and, as he passes the
four hoofs strike the earth in such
quick beat, your pulses take the same
vibration. But all these things are
not swift in comparison with the mo-
ton of which l speak. The moon
moves $4,000 miles in day. Yonder,
Neptune flashes on 1000 miles an
hour. Yonder, Mercury goes 100, 900
, miles in an hour. SO like the stars the
Christian shall shine in swiftness of
motion.
You hear now of father or mother or
child sick 1000 miles away, and it
takes you two days to get to them.
You hear of some case Of suffering that
demands your immediate attention,
but it takes you an hour to get there.
Oh, the joy when you shall, in fulfil
ment OF the text take starry speed and
be equal to 100, 900 miles an hour. Hay.
ing on earth got used to Christian
work, you will not quit when death
strikes you. You will only take on
more velocity. There is dying
child in London, and it's spirit
must be taken up to God; YOU are
there in an instant to do it. There is
a young man in New York to be ar
rested from going into that gate of sin:
you are there in an instant to arrest
him. Whether with spring of foot, or
stroke of wing, or by the force of some
new law that shall hurl you to the
spot where you would go, l know not;
but my text suggest velocity. All space
open before you, with nothing to him
der you in mission of light and love and
joy, you shall shine in swiftness of mo-
ton as the stars forever and ever.
To the ancients the stars were svm.
bols OF eternity. But here the figure