The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-11-18

OF my text, 1t is only husking time. 1t
is the tearing off of the rough sheath
OF the body that the bright and the
beautiful soul may go free. Coming in
like a shock of corn cometh in in his
season." Christ broke up funeral
procession at the gate Of Main by MAX
ing resurrection day for young man
and his mother. And l would that |
could break up your sadness and halt
the long funeral procession of the
worlds grief by some cheering and
cheerful view of the last transition.
We all know that husking time was
time OF frost. Frost on the fence.
Frost on the stubble. Frost on the
ground. Frost on the bare branches of
the trees. Frost in the air. Frosts on
the hands of the huskers. You remem-
Der we used to hide behind the corn
stacks so as to keep off the wind, but
still you remember how shivering was
the body and how painful was the
cheek, and how benumbed were the
hands. But after awhile the sun was
high up and all the frosts went out of
the air, and hilarities awakened the
echoes and JOY from one corn shock
went up. AHA, ahaw and was an
swered by joy from another corn
shock. "Aha, ahar'
So we all realize that the death OF
our friends is the nipping of many ex-
pectations, the freezing, the chilling,
the frosting Of many of our hopes. 1t
is far from being south wind. 1t
comes from the frigid north, and when
they go away from us we stand be-
numbed in body and benumbed in mind
among our dead peighbors, our dead
families, and we say: "Will we ever
get over it?' Yes, we will get over it
amid the shoutings Of heavenly re-
union, and we will look back to all
these distresses of bereavement only
as the temporary distresses of husking
time. "Weeping may endure for a
night, but joy cometh in the morning."
Light, and but for moment" said
the apostle as he clapped his hands,
light, and but for Il moment" The
chill of the frosts followed by the
gladness that cometh in ''like as a
shock of corn cometh in in his season."
OF course, the husking time made
rough work with the ear of corn. The
husking peg had to be thrust in and
the hard thumb of the husker had to
come down on the swathing of the ear.
and then there was pull and a ruth
less tearing and then complete snap
ping off before the corn was free, and
if the husk could have spoken it would
have said: why do you lacerate me?
Why do you wrench me? All! my
friends, that is the way God has ar
ranged that the ear and the husk shall
part. and that is the way He has ar
ranged that the body and soul shall
separate. You can afford to have your
physical distresses when you know
that they are only forwarding the
SOULS liberation. Every rheumatic
pain is only plunge of the husking
peg. Every neuralgia twinge is only q
twist by the husker. There is gold in
you that must come out. Some way
the shackle must -be broken. Some
way the ship must be launched for
heavenly voyage. You must let the
heavenly husbandman husk off the
mortality from the immortality.
There ought to be great consolation
in this for all who have chronic all
ments, since the Lord is gradually and
more mildly taking away from you
that which hinders your souls liberia.
ton, doing gradually for you what for
many of us in robust health, perhaps,
He will do in one fell blow at the last.
At the close of every illness, at the
close of every paroxysm you ought to
say: "Thank God, that is all past now;
thank God, l will never have to suffer
that again; thank God, l am SO much
nearer the hour of liberation" You
will never suffer the same pain twice.
You may have a new pain in an old
place. but never the same pain twice.
The pain does it's work and then it
dies. Just so many plunges OF the
crowbar to free the quarry stone for
the building. Just so many strokes of
the chisel to complete the statue. Just
SO many pangs to separate the soul
from the body. You who have chronic
ailments and disorders are only paying
in installments that which some us
will have to pay in one payment when
we pay the debt Of nature. Thank
God, therefore, ye who have chronic
disorders, that you have SO much less
suffering at the last. Thank God that
you will have SO much less to feel in
the way of pain at the hands of the
heavenly husbandman when 'the
shock of corn cometh in in his season. u
Perhaps now this may be an answer
to question which l asked one Sab
bath morning, but did not answer
Why is it that so many really good
people have so dreadfully to suffer-
You often find good man with enough
pains and aches and distresses, you
would think, to discipline a whole
colony, while you will find man who
is perfectly useless going around with
easy digestion and steady nerves and
shining health, his exit from the
world is comparatively painless. How
do you explain that? Well, noticed
in the husking time that the huskine
peg was thrust into the corn and ther
there must be a stout pull before tn,
! swathlng was taken off the ear, ont