The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-01-13
BENTON LOUISIANA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 49, $685.

giant apparel, and put on the miners
garb. All the land was full of the talk
about gold. Gold in the eyes, gold in
the ears, gold in the wake of ships,
gold in the streets-gold, gold, gold!
Word comes to us that the mountain
of Gods love is full of gold; that men
have been digging there, and have
brought up gold, and amethyst, and
carbuncle, and jasper, aud sardonyx,
and chrysoprasus, and all the precious
stones out of which the walls of heaven
were builded. Word comes of man
who, digging in that mine for one
hour, has brought up treasures worth
more than all the stars that keep vigil
over our sick and dying world.
Is it a bogus company that is
formed? Is 1T undeveloped territory?
Oh, no; the story is true. There are
hundreds and thousands of people who
would be willing to rise and testify
that they have discovered that gold
and have it in their possession. Not
withstanding all this what is the cir
cumstance? One would suppose that
the announcement would send people
in great element up and down our
streets; that at midnight men would
knock at your door. asking how they
may get those treasures. Instead of
that many of us put our hands behind
our back and walk up and down in
front of the mine of eternal riches,
and say: "Well, if am to be saved, l
will be saved; and if am to be lost, !
will be lost, and there is nothing to do
about it,"
Why. my brother, do you not do that
way in business matters? Why do you
not tomorrow go to your store and sit
down and fold your arms and say: If
these goods are to be sold, they will be
sold; and if they are not to be sold.
they will not be sold; there is nothing
for me to do about it?" No; you dis
patch your agents; you print your ad-
vertisements; you adorn your show
windows; you push those goods; you
use the instrumentality. Oh, that men
were as wise in the matter of the soul
as they are wise in the matter of dol
lars and cents!
This doctrine of Gods sovereignty,
how it is misquoted and spoken of as
though it were an iron chain which
bound us hand and foot for time and
for eternity, when, SO far from that, in
every fiber of your body, in every
faculty of your mind, in every passion
of your soul, you are a free mana
free man-and it will no more to-mor-
row be a matter of choice whether you
shall go to business through Pennsyl-
vania avenue or some other street; it
will be no more q matter of choice with
you tomorrow whether you shall go
to Philadelphia or New York, or stay
of free choice whether you will accept
Christ or reject him.
In all the army of banners there is
not one conscript. Men are not to be
dragooned into heaven. Among all the
tens of thousands of the Lords sol
diery there is not one man but will
tell you, Il chose Christ: l wanted
him; desire to be in his service; am
not q conscript--I am volunteer"
Oh, that men had the same common
sense in the matters of religion that
they have in the matters of the world
the same concentration, the same
push, the same enthusiasm! In the
one case, a secular enthusiasm; in the
other, a consecrated enthusiasm.
Again, l remark; We want more
common sense in the building up and
enlarging of our Christian character.
There are men who have for 40 years
been running the Christian race, and
they have not run quarter of mile!
No business man would be willing to
have his investments unaccumulative.
If you invest dollar you expect that
dollar to come home, bringing another
dollar on its back. What would
you think of a man who should
invest $4,000 in monetary in
stitution, then go off for five
years, make no inquiry in regard to
the investment. then came back, step
up to the cashier of the institution and
say: "Have you kept that $40, 900 safely
that l left with you?" but asking no
question about interest or dividend.
Why, you say: That is not common
sense" Neither is it; but that is the
| way we act in matters of the
soul. We make far more important
investment than $4,000. We invest
| our soul. Is it accumulative? Are we
growing in grace? Are we getting
better? Are we getting worse? God
declares many dividends, but we do not
collect them; we do not ask about
| them; we do not want them. Oh, that
in this matter of accumulation we
| were as wise in the matters of the
soul as we are in the matters of the
world!
How little common sense in the read
ing of the Scriptures! We get any
other book, and we open it, and we
say: "Now what does this book NEAR
to teach me? 1t is book on astron
omy; it will teach me astronomy. l
is book on political economy; it will
teach me political economy" Taking
up this Bible, do we ask ourselves
what it means to teach? 1t means t,
do just one thing-get the world con
| verted and get us all to HeaYe n