The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-05-01

II Is because he will not go there. no
difference the color, no difference tns
history, no difference the nntecedents,
10 difference The SURROUNDINGS. no di1-
ference the IN. When the white horses
of Christ's victory are brought out to
celebrate the eternal triumph you may |
ride one of them, and as God Is greater than
all. His joy is greater, and when soul |
comes back there is in His heart the
surging OF an Infinite ocean OF glai.
ness. and to express that gladness II
lakes all the rivers OF pleasure, all
he thrones of pomp and all the ages or
eternity. It's a JOY deeper than all depth |
and higher than all height and wider than
all width aud vaster than all i'm
one. she arose and stood In front Oh IN
clock and stood there watching the ciocA
when the nurse returned. The nurse SAID
"Do you see anything peculiar about ina
clock?" She made no answer, but sooi
died. There is a clock scene In every his
tory. If some of you would rise from iue
bed of lelhargy and come out from your de
lirium OF sin and look on the clock OF your
destiny this moment, you would see ane
hear something you have not seen or heart
before. and every tick OF the minute, an<
every stroke of the hour and every swing O.
the pendulum would say, Now, now, now
nowr" Oh. come home to your Father,
house! Come home, o prodigal, from th'
wilderness Come home, come home!
But I notice that when the prodigal came,
there was the fathers JOY. He did not greet
him with any formal "How do you do!" he
aid not come out and say: "You are unit te
enter. Go anl wash in the trough by the
we'll, and then you can come in. we nave
hal enough trouble with YOU" Alb, no.
When the proprietor of that estate pro-
claimed festival, it WAS an outburst OF
fathers love and fathers joy. God is your
father l have not much sympathy with
the description of God L sometimes hear. as
though He were Turkish sultan, hard
and unsympatheiic, and listening not
to the cry of His subjects. A man
told me he saw in ono OF ms
eastern lands king riding along,
and two men were in alteration and one
charged the other with having eaten his rice
| and the king said, "Then STAY the man, and
| by post norton examination lind waetnef
| he has eaten the rice" Aud he was slain.
| Alb. the cruelty of seSne like that! ON
| God is not q sultan, not despot, bur a
Father-kind. loving, forg'ving--and lie
nensity. 1t oyertops. it uudergirds,
| IL outweighs al the united spendor
and 10Y OF the universe and who can
ell what Gods Joy isY You remember reac.
| irg the story Of king who on some great
| lay of festivity scattered silver and gold
among the people. who sent valuable presents
/
comes back, God is so glad that to express
| his 10Y He filings out lew worlds Into space
and kindles up new sums and rolls among
he white robed anthems OF the redeemed a
Sreater halleluiab, while with voice that
| Invertebrates among the mountains oil frank
incense and is echoed back from the ever
lasting gates he cries, "This, my son, vas
lead, and he is alive again.
At the opening OF the exposition in New
| r Ia Hnri nd ha,
PLAYED the solo, and then alterward the eight
Of ten bands of music, accompanied oy the
great organ, came in. but the sound OF that
)ne flute as compared with all the orchestras
vas greater than all the combined Joy OF the
universe when compared with the Iesound-
ing heat of Almighty God. For ten years a
'ather went three times day to the depot.
His son went oS in aggravating clrcum'
| stances, but the fathes eaid, she will come
sack" The strain was too much and his
mind parted, and three times day the father
vent. In the early morning 40 watched
he train, its arrival, the stepping oui
Of the passengers and then the departure
Of the train At noon he was there again
watching the advance OF the train, watching
the departure. At night he was there again
watchdog the coming, watching the going
,or ten years He was sure his son would
come back. God has been watching anC
waiting for some of YOU. my brothers, tel
years, twenty years, thirty years, forty years
perhaps fifty years, waiting, waiting
watching, watching and ii now the prodtga
should come home, what a scene OF gladnes:
and festivity, and how the great Fathers
heart would rejoice at your coming home
You will cone, some OF you, will YOU not:
You will, you will.
notice also that when a prodigal come
home there is the Joy OF the ministers OF re
ligion. Oh, 1t is grand thing to preach thi
gospel! know there has been great dea
said about the trials ana the hardships o
The Christian ministry. l wish somebod
would write u good rousing hook about tn
ioys of the Christian ministry. Since l en-
Tered the profession have seen more of tn
goodness OF God than 1 will be able to cels
6rate in ell eternity. l know some boas
about their equilibrium, and they do nc
rise into enthusiasm, and they do not brea
down with emotion, but confess to 20
| plainly that when see man coming to Go
and giving up his sin l feel in body, Lin
and soul a transport. When l see ma
bound hand and foot in evil habit emanc
, pated. I rejoice over it as though it were m
, own emancipation.
len the prodigal comes bsc
:. all earnest Christians rejoice. If you stoo
on Montauk point and there was hurrican
at sea, aud it was blowing TOWARD the shore
| and n vessel crashed into the rocks, and Vol
saw peopie get ashore in the iifeboais, an
the very last man got on the rocks in safety
/, ! you ceufd not control your Joy. And it is
! gIad1ipe Yhen the church of Col sees me
| who ara tossed on the ocean OF the
| sins plant their fcets On the roc
3 Christ Jesus. Oh. when frrodigals con
| nome, Just hear the Christians sing. Ju
: hear the Christians pray. 1t Is not stere
; | typed supplication We have heard over ar
) I over again FOR twenty years. but putting
! the case in tha hands Of God With an impo
D I tunate pleading. No long prayers. NJ
1 i never pray at great length uifIess they ha'
8 / nothing to say and their hearts arc hard al
: cold Altthe prayers in the Bible that we
l answered We're short prayers. God !
i lhnereiiul TO me a.sinner." ssLorJ, that N;
; receive my sight" krorA YSe me, q
q Once more / roaaiR III when the pro
8 igai gets back the inhabitarts ofSAeay'
!. keen festal. Lam very certain OF Il. ~ q
81 havH never seem telegraph chart yoet "a
|. no idea how many-dties arc connectedt
and how IDady lands. Nearly ALT
~ Ge9ghbcrioods OF the earth seem reticulate
ana .aews iiess ram CITY to city and fro
sr5 pptinent q SoIakineiit. But more rapid
he fossy id b ftq1 earth to heaven, 4
a9 now pres ssdrns i Is announces :. &
az wopl,i.bs SOM God: And q these sol
10 say: sThat's Ans sk1nz aoH Us
mother, That s1py No. = g
- used 10 pray sforf y > {6 81, !
whom ] wept soshaany fears, ~ ana :
= would gay 2 Hosannar and snofheS
| would say .tEahefutnhin