The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-12-22

powered that should drop down as one
dead.
You have examined the family Bible
and explored the family records, and
you may have seen daguerreotypes Of
some Of the kindred of previous gener-
ations. you have had photographs taken
of what you were in boyhood or girl
hood. and what you were ten years
later, and it is very interesting to any
one to be able to look back upon pic
lures of what he was ten. or twenty, or
thirty years ago. but have you ever had
picture taken of what you may be
and what you will be if you seek after
God and feel the spirits regenerating
power? Where shall | plant the cam
era to take the picture? | plant it ON
this platform. | direct it toward yon.
Sit still or stand still while | take the
picture. It shall be an instantaneous
picture. There! | have it. 1t is done.
You can see the picture in its imper-
tect state and get some idea of what
it will be when thoroughly developed.
There is your rcsurrected body, so bril-
liant that the MONDAY sun is patch
of midnight compared with it. There
is your soul, so pure that all the forces
of diabolism could not spot it with an
imperfection. There is your being. SO
mighty and so swift tina: flight from
heaven to Mercury or Mars or Jupiter
and back again to heaven would not
weary YOU. and a world on each shoUl-
der would not crush you. An eye that
shall never shed tear. An energy
that shall never feel fatigue. A brow
that shall never throb with vain. You
are young again. though you died Of
dccrepitude. You are we'll again,
though YOU coughed or shivered your
self into the tomb. Your everyday as
sociates are the apostles and prophets
and martyrs and most exalted souls,
masculine and feminine. of all the CEN
turies The archangcl to you no en-
barrassment God Himself your pres
ent and everlasting JOY. That is an
instantaneous picture of what you may
be ard what | am sure some of you
will be.
If YOU realize that it is an imperfect
picture. my apology is what the apostle
John said: ut doth not yet appear wha;
we shall be-" '''ro this end was born.
r. did not think so, I would be ever
whel ned with melancholy. The world
does very well for little while, so or 100
or l5G years, and I think that human
longevity may yet he improved up to
that prolongation. for now there is so
little room between our cradle and our
grave we cannot accomplish much, but
who would want to dwell in this world
for all eternity? Some think this earth
will finally be turned into Heaven. Per
haps it may, but it would have to under
go radical repairs ard thorough elm.
nations and evolutions and revolu
tions and transformations infinite Il
make it lesira bic for eternal residence
come west winds. and all the winters
| changed to springtides and all tEs
volcanoes eNtingushed and all the
oceans chained to their beds, and the
epiGcnics forbidden entrance and te
world SO fixed up that think it woulc
| take more to repair this old world thar
! to make an entirely new one. But
must say do not care where HEAVIER
is, if we can only get there; whether
| a gardeniZed America or an empara
Gised Europe or world central to the
whole universe. TO this end was
! born" If each one of us could say thu
we would go with faces shining ant
! l. amid oorfb'c
misfortunes and trials.
In the seventeenth century all Eu
rope was threatened with wave o
Asiatic barbarism, and Vienna was es
pecially besieged. The king and hi
court had fed. and nothing could saw
the city from being overwhelmed IN
less the king of Poland. John Sobieski
to whom they had sent for help shoult
with his army come down for the re
lief, and from every roof and towe
the inhabitants of Vienna watched an,
waited and hoped. until on the morn
ing of September II the rising SUI
threw an unusual and unparallele
brilliancy. 1t was the reflection of tn
sun on the swords and shields and hel
NETS of John Sobieski and his arm
coming down over the hills to the res
cue, ID that day not only Vienna, bu
Europe. was saved And see you no
o ye souls. besieged with sin and sol
row. t:at light breaks in; the sword
and the shields and the helmets of d
vine rescue bathed in the rising su
of heavenly deliverance? Let every
thing else go rather than let IIeave
go.
What strange thing it must be
feel oneself born to an earthly crow
but you have been born for a thron
on which you may reign after the Ia:
rnonarch of all the earth shall hay
gone to dust. invite you to start no
sor your own coronation, to come
and take the title deeds 20 you: eve
lasting Inheritance. Through an in
passioned prayer take Heaven and q
of its raptures.
What poor farthing is all that tn
world can offer you compared with pa
, don here and life immortal beyond II
stars. unless this side of them thel
be Il place large enough and beautif
, enough and grand enough for all II
7