The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-06-24
NO.. II.

than when covered over with the pus-
tules of elephantiasis as he sat in the
ashes scratching the scahs off with
broken piece of pottery; or that Alex
ander Cruden, the concordiSt, was
better man when he compiled the
book that has helped ten thou
| sand students of the Bible, than when
under the power of physical disorder
he was handcuffed and strait-waist-
coated in Bethnal Green insane asy-
| lum. ''Oh, says some Christian man,
no one ought to allow physical disor-
der to depress his soul. He ought to
! live 50 near God as to be always in the
sunshine" Yes, that is good advice;
| but | warrant that you, the man who
| gives the advice, has a sound liver.
| Thank God for heathful hepatic con-
dition, for, as certainly as you lose it,
you will sometimes, like David, and
| like Jeremiah, and like Cowper, and
| like Alexander CruGen. and like 10, 900
other invalids, be playing dead march
on the same organ with which now you
! play a StaccatO.
My object at this point is not only to
emolliate the criticisms of those in
good health against those in poor
health, but to show Christian people
who are atra bilious what is the matter
with them. Do not charge against the
| heart the crimes of another portion of
your organism. DO not conclude that
because the path to Heaven is not
arbored with as fine foliage, or the
banks beautifully showed with ex-
| l.
therefore, you are on the wrong road.
The road will bring you out at the same
gate whether you walk with the stride
| of an athlete or come up on crutcheS.
| Thousands of Christians, morbid about
| their experiences, and morbid about
the present, and morbid about the fu-
ture, need the sermon am now preach
ing.
Another practical use of this subject
is for the young. The theory is abroad
| that they must first SOW their wild
oats, and afterward Michigan wheat.
Let me break the delusion. Wild oats
are generally sown in the liver and
they can never be pulled up. They so
prcoccupy that organ that there is no
room for the implantation of right
eous crop. You see aged men about us
at so, erect, agile, splendid, grand old
men. How much wild oats did they
SOW between Is years and 30'
None, absolutely none. God does
not often honor with old age
those who have in early life sac
riiccd swine on the altar of the bodily
temple. Remember, young man,
that while in after-life, and after years
of dissipation, you may perhaps have
your heart changed, religion does not
change the liver. Trembling and stag
| gcring along these streets to-day are
men, all bent, and decayed and pre-
maturely old for the reason that they
are paving for leins they put upon
their physical estate before they were
so. by early dissipation they put
on their body a first mortgage,
and second mortgage, and a
third mortgage to the devil; and
these mortgages are now being fore
closed. and all that remains of their
earthly estate the undertaken will soon
put out of sight. Many years ago, in
fultillmcnt of my text, a dart struck
through their liver, and is there yet
!
law never, never, never. That has
Sinai. but no Calvary. Solomon, in my
text, knew what he was talking about,
and he rises up on his throne of world
" splendOr to shrek out warning to
all the centuries.
If we must get sick and worn out,
{ let it oe in Gods service, and in the eff
fort to make the world good. Not in
the service of sin. No. No. One of the
most pathetic scenes that | ever wit
ness, and often see it, is that of men or
women converted in the tifties or six
ties or seventies wanting to be useful,
but they so served the world and
Satan in the earlier part of their life
f that they have no physical energy left
for the service of God. They sacrificed
: nerves, muscles lungs heart and liver
| on the wrong altar They fought on
: the wrong side, and now when their
S sword is all hacked up and their am
. muaitiOn all gone, they enlist for EN-
c manuel. When the high-mettled cav
4 airy horse, which that man spurred
/ into many cavalry charge with
' chaEping bit and flaming eye and
t neck clothed with thunder is worn out
e and spawned and ring-boned and
t spring-halt, he rides up to the great
= Captain of our salvation on the white
n horse and offers his services. When
e such persons might have been, through
the good habits of a lifetime, crashing
: their battle ak through the helm
d eted iniquities, they are spending
Il their days and nights in discussing the
Il best way of curing their indigestion
J. and quieting their jangling nerves, anc
= rousing their laggard appetite, and try
q ing to extract the dart from their out
q ragged liver. Better converted late thar
% never. Oh, yes; for they will get t.
X Heaven. But they will go afoot whel
II they might have wheeled up the steel
$ hills of the sky in Elijah's chariot
ID There is an old hymn that we used t
is sing in the country meeting hous
es when was boy, and remem Der hoy
ir the old folks voices trembled with emo
4. ton while they sang it. lhave forgo,