The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-12-29

in his last moment said: ''Is this dy-
ing? Why, my bow abides in strength!
l am swallowed up in God!" "Herways
are ways of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace" Oh, you who have
been trying to satisfy yourselves with
the "south land" of this world, do you
not feel that you would this morn
ing like to have access to the neither
springs of spiritual comfort? Woald
you not like to have Jesus Christ bend
over your cradle and bless your table
and heal your wounds and strew flowers
of consolation all up and down the
graves of your dead?
IT'S religion that can give
Sweetest pleasures while We live.
'Tis religion can supply
Sweetest comfort when We die.
But have something better to tell
you, suggested by this text. 1t seems
that old Father Caleb on the wedding
day of his daughter wanted to make her
just as happy as possible. Though 9th
! MEL was taking her away and his heart
was almost broken because she was
going, yet he gives her "south land;'
not only that, but the neither springs:
not only that, but the upper springs.
o God, my Father, ! thank Thee that
| Thou hast given me "south land" in
this world and the neither springs of
spiritual comfort in this world; but,
more than all, I thank Thee for the
upper springs in Heaven!
It is very fortunate that we cannot
see Heaven until we get into it. 0
Christian man, if you could see what
place it is we would never get you
back again to the Office, or store, OF
shop, and the duties you ought to per-
form would go neglected! l am glad
shall not see that world until enter
it. Suppose we were allowed to go on
an excursion into that good land with
the idea of returning When we go,
there and heard the song and looked at
their raptured fades and mingled iE
the supernal society, we would cry out:
LET us stay! We are coming here any
how. Why take the trouble of going
back again to that old world? We are
here now. Let us stay!" And it would
take angelic violence to put us out of
that world if once we got there, but as
people who cannot afford to pay for an
entertainment sometimes come around
it and look through the door ajar, or
through the openings in the fence, so
we come and look through the crevices
into that good land which God has pre-
vided for us. We can just catch a
glimpse of it. We come near enough TO
hear the rumbling of the eternal or
chestra, though not near enough to
know who blows the cornet or who fin
gers the harp. My soul spreads ont
both wings and claps them in triumph
at the thought of those upper springs.
One of them breaks from beneath the
throne Another breaks forth from be-
meath the altar of the temple. Another
at the door of "the house of many man.
sions." Upper springs of gladness! Up
per springs of light! Upper springs O!
love! 1t is no fancy of mine. "Th,
Lamb which is in the midst of the
throne shall lead them to living foun-
tains of water"
o Saviour Divine, roll in upon our
souls one of those anticipated raptures!
Pour around the roots of the parched
tongue one drop of that liquid life!
Toss before our vision those fountains
of God. rainbowed with eternal victory
Hear it! They are never sick there;
not so much as a headache or twiug(
rheumatic or thrust neuralgia. The in
habitant never says: 81 am sick" They
are never tired there. Flight to farthes,
world is only the play OF holiday
They never sin there. 1t is as easy fol
them to be holy as it is for us to sin
They never die there. You might e.
through all the outskirts of the great
city and find not one place where tht
ground was broken for Il grave. Th;
eyesight of the redeemed is neve1
blurred with tears. There is health IL
every cheek. There is spring in every
foot. There is majesty on every brow
There is JOY in every heart. There il
hosanna on every lip. How they mus
, pity us as they look over and lool
down and see us and say: Poor thing
, away down in that world!" And whel
some Christian is hurled into fata
accident they cry: Good! He is com
| ing!" And when we stand around th
couch of some loved one whose strength
is going away and we shake our head
, forebodingly they cry: Pm glad h
, is worse. He has been down there ion!
: enough. There, he is dead! Com
home! Come home!" Oh, if we cou!
, only get our ideas about that futur
world untwisted, our thought of trans
, fer from here to there would be i
pleasant to us as it was to little chill
that was dying. She said: "Papa
when will go home?" And he said
.'To-day, Florence" To-day? So soon
l am so glad!'
, l wish I could stimulate you wit
: these thoughts, O Christian man, to tt
highest possible exhilaration! The da
of your delverance is coming-is com
: ing, rolling on with the shining whee!
e of the day. and the jet wheels of tn
night. Every thump of the heart
I only a hammer stroke striking off al
t other chain of clay. Better scour th
! deck and coil the rope, for harbor