The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-11-15
BENTON, LOUISIANA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER Is, 1900

into the dust. The gloom thickened.
The first indications of the night were
seen. In all the trembling of your soul,
in all the internal suggestions of Satan,
in all the surging up of tumultuous
passions and excitements. you felt with
awful emphasis that it was toward
evening. In the tempted hour you need
to ask Jesus to abide with you. You
can beat back the monster that would
devour. You can unhorse the sin that
would ride you down. You can sharpen
the battleax with which you split the
head of helmeted abomination. Who
helped Paul shake the brazen gated
heart of Felix? Who acted like good
sailor when all the crew howled in the
Mediterranean shipwreck? Who helped
the martyrs to be firm when one word
of recantation would have unfastened
the withes of the stake and put out the
kindling fire?
When the night of the soul came ON
and all the denizens Of darkness came
riding upon the winds of perdition, who
gave strength to the soul? Who gave
calmness to the heart? Who broke the
spell of internal enchantment? He Who
heard the request of the villagers:
"Abide with us, for it is toward even
ing" One of the forts of France was
attacked and the outworks were taken
before night. The besieging army lay
down, thinking that there was but little
to do in the morning, and that the sol
diery in the fort could be easily made
to surrender. But during the night,
through back stairs, they escaped into
the country. In the morning the be-
sieging army sprang upon the battle
ments, but found that their prey was
gone. So when we are assaulted by
temptation, there is always some se-
cret stair by which we might get off.
God will not allow us to be tempted
above what we are able. but with every
temptation will bring way of escape
that we may be able to bear it.
The prayer Of the text is appropri-
ate for all who are anticipating sor-
row. The greatest folly that ever
grew on this planet is the tendency
to borrow trouble But there are
times when approaching sorrow is SO
evident that we need to be making
especial preparations for it's coming.
One of your children has lately be-
come a favorite. The cry of that
child strikes deeper into the heart
than the cry of all the others. You
think more about it. You give it
more attention, not because it is any
more of a treasure than the others,
but because it is becoming frail
There is something in the cheek, in
the eye and in the walk that makes
you quite sure that the leaves Of the
flower are going to We scattered. The
utmost nursing and medical attend
ance are Intellectual. The pulse be
comes feeble, the complexion lighter
the step weaker, the laugh fainter
No more romping for that one through
hall and parlor. The nursery is dark
ened by an approaching calamity
The heart feels with mournful antici
patton that the sun is going down
Night speeds on. It is toward evening
Trouble is an apothecary that mike!
a great many drafts, bitter and SOU
and nauseous, and you must drinl
some one Of them. Trouble puts VI
a great many packs, and you mus
carry some one Of them. There is n,
sandal SO thick and well adjusted bu
some thorn will strike through it
There is no sound so sweet but tn
undertaker's screwdriver CRATE
through it. In this swift shuttle o
the heart some Of the threads mus
break. The journey from Jerusalem
to Emmaus will soon be ended. Gu
Bible, our common sense, our observ
alton, reiterate in tones that we can
not mistake and ought not to disre
gard. it is toward evening.
Oh, then, for Jesus to abide with us
. He sweetens the cup. He extracts tn
. thorn. He wipes the tear. He hushe
the tempest. He soothes the soul tha
flies to him for shelter. Let the nigh
swoop and the Euroclydon toss tn
sea. Let the thunders roll. Soon al
. will be well. Christ in the ship t
| soothe His friends.
: The words OF the text are pertinen
! to us all from the fact that we ar
| nearing the evening Of death. hav
| heard it said that we ought to liv
: as though each moment were to b
: our last. / do not believe that tn,
ory. As far as preparation is COZ
: cerned, we ought always to be read.
E But we cannot always be thinkin
I OF death, for we have duties in lii
E that demand our attention. When
+ man is selling goods, it is his bus
' ness to think Of the bargain he
i making. When a man is pleading
: the courts, it Is his duty to think (
! the interests of his clients. When
e clerk is adding up accounts. it is b
t duty. to keep his mind upon the co
t umn Of figures. He VINO fills up b
$ life with thoughts ct death is +;
e from being the highest style of Chri
tian. l knew man who used oftt
J. to say at Light: II wish l might d
O before mcrniag!" He is now an j
4 hdel. But there are times when
r can and ought to give ourselves