The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-04-13

Every mile that it goes away from that
direction is by some human OF Internal
fraud practiced against it. There are
those who put it on some other track,
who misplace it in some wrong convey
ance, who send it off or send it back by
some diabolical miscarriage. The value
of that bundle is so well known all up
and down the universe that there are
million dishonest hands which are
trying to detain or divert it. or to for
ever stop its progress in the right di-
rection. There are SO many influences
abroad to ruin your body. mind and
soul that my wonder is not that so many
are destroyed for this world and the
next, but that there are not more who
go down irremediably.
Every human being is assailed at the
start. Within an hour of the time when
this bundle of life is made up the as
sault begins. First of all, there are the
infantile disorders that threaten the
body just launched upon earthly exist
ence. Scarlet fevers and pneumonias,
and diphtherias and infuenzas, and the
whole pack of epidemics surround the
cradle and threaten its occupant, and
infant Moses in the ark of bulrushes
was not more imperiled by the mon
sters of the Nile than every cradle is
imperiled by ailments all devouring.
In after years there are foes within and
foes without. Evil appetite joined by
outside allurements. Temptations that
have utterly destroyed more people
than now inhabit the earth. Gambling
saloons and rummeries. and places
where dissoluteness reigns supreme.
enough in number to go round and
round the earth. Discouragements,
jealousies, revenges, malevolences, dis
appointments, swindles, arsons, confia-
grations and cruelties which make con-
tinued existence of the human race
wonderment. Was any valuable bum
die ever so imperiled as this bundle of
life? Oh, look at the address and get
that bundle going in the right way!
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and soul. and mind, ard
strength" Heaven with its 12 gates
standing wide open with invitation. All
the forces Of the Godhead pledged for
our heavenly arrival if we will do the
right thing. All angeldom ready for
our advance and guidance. All the
lightnings of Heaven SO many drawn
swords for our protection. What a
pity, what an even fasting pity, if this
bundle of life, so we'll bound and so
plainly directed, does not come out at
the right station, out becomes lost
the universe!
Know also that this bundle of life will
be gladly received when it comes to the
door of the mansion for which it was
bound and plainly directed. With what
alacrity and glee we await some pack
age that has been foretold by letter;
some holiday presentation; something
that will enrich and ornament our
home; some testimony of admiration
and affection! With what glow of ex
pectation we unite the knot and take off
the cord that holds it together in safe
ty, and with what glad exclamation we
unroll the covering and see the gift or
purchase in all its beauty of color and
peportion. Well, what day it will
be when your precious bundle of life
shall be opened in the house of many
mansions" amid sanity and angelic
and Divine inspection! The bundle may
be spotted with the marks of much ex
posure. 1t may bear inscription after
inscription to tell through what ordeal
it has passed. Perhaps splashed of wave
and scorched of flame, but all it has
within undamaged of the journey. And
with what shouts Of JOY the bundle OF
life will be greeted by all the voices of
the heavenly home circle!
In our anxiety at last to reach Heaven
we are apt to lose sight of the glee or
welcome that awaits us if we get in at
all. We all have friends up there. They
will somehow hear that we are coming
Such close and swift and constant COM
munication is there between those up
lands and these lowlands that we will
not surprise them by sudden arrival.
II loved ones on earth expect our COM
ing visit and are at the depot with car
riage to meet us. surely we will be met
at the shining gate by old friends now
sainted and kindred now glorified. If
there were no angel of God to meet us
and show us the palaces and guide US to
our everlasting residence, these kim
dred would show us the way and point
out the splendors and guide us to our
celestial home, powered and fountained
and arched and illumined by sun that
never sets. Will it not be glorious, the
going in ana the settling down after
all the moving about and upsettings of
earthly experience? We will soon know
all our neighbors, kingly, queenly,
prophetic, apostolS, seraphic, archan-
gelic. The precious bundle of life
opened amid palaces and grand marches
and acclamations. They will all be so
glad we have got safely through. They
saw us down here in the struggle. They
saw us when we lost our way. They
knew when we got off the right course.
None of the 80 ships that were overdue
at New York harbor in the storm of
week before last was greeted SO Eeart-