The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-08-09

I remark again, that Christ comet
to us in the hour of our extremity
He knew the wine was giving out be.
fore there was any embarrassment or
modification. Why did He not per-
form the miracle sooner? Why wait un-
til it was all gone, and no help could
come from any source, and then come
in and perform the miracle? This il
Christ's way, and when He did come in,
at the hour of extremity, he made first
rate wine, so that they cried out: Thou
hast kept the good wire until now"
Jesus in the hour of extremity! He
seems to prefer that hour. In u Chris
tian home in Poland great poverty had
come, and on the week day the man
was obliged to move out of the house
with his whole family. That night
he knelt with his family and prayed
to God. While they were kneeling in
prayer there was tap on the window
pane. They opened the window, and
there was raven that the family had
fed and trained, and it had in its bill
ring all set with precious stones,
which was found to be ring belong
ing to the royal family. 1t was taken
up to the kings residence, and for the
honesty of the man in bringing il back
he had a house given to him and Q
garden and farm. Who was it that
sent the raven tapping on the Window
The same God that sent the raven to
feed Elijah by the brook Cherith. Christ
in the hour of extremity!
Ycu mourned over your sins. Yon
could not find the way out. You sat
down and said: God will not be merci-
full. He has cast me Off" But in that.
the darkest hour of your history, light
broke from the throne, and Jesus said:
"Oh, wanderer, come home; have seen
all thy sorrows. In this, the hour OF
thy extremity, offer thee pardon and
everlasting life!"
Trouble came. You were almost
torn to pieces by that trouble. You
braced yourself up against it. You
said: II will be stole and will not
care" But before you got through
making the resolution it broke down.
under you. You felt that all your re-
sources were gone. And then Jesus
came. "In the fourth watch Of the
night" the Bible says, "Jesus came
walking on the sea-" Why did he not
come in the first watch or in the sec
ond watch or in the third watch?
do not know. He came in the fourth
and gave deliverance to His disciples,
Jesus in the last extremity!
I wonder If it will be so in our very
last extremity. We shall fall suddenly
sick, and doctors will come, but in
vain. We will try the anodynes and the
stumulants and the bathings, but I'll
in vain. Something will say: "You
must CO." No one to hold us back. but
the hands of eternity stretched out
to pull us on. What then? Jesus will
come to u.s. and as we say: Lord,
Jesus, am afraid of that water;
cannot wade through to the other
side" He will say: "Take hold of my
arm" And we will take hold of His
arm. and then He will put His font
in the surf of the wave, taking us on
down, deeper, deeper, deeper, and our
souls will cry: "All Thy waves and bill
lows have gone over me-" They cover
the feet, come to the knee, and pass the
girdle and come to the head, and our
soul cries out: Lord, Jesus Christ.
cannot hold Thine arm any longer"
Then Jesus will turn around, throw
both His arms about us and set us
on the beach far beyond the tossing Of
the billows. Jesus in the last extrem-
ity!
The wedding scene is gone now. Tho
wedding ring has been lost, the tank
ards have been broken, the house 10
down, but Jesus invites US to a grandee
wedding. You know that.the Bible says
| that the church is the Lambs wife,
and the Lord will after awhile come
to fetch her home. There will be
| cleaning of torches in the sky. and the
trumpets of God will ravish the air
with their music, and Jesus will stretch
out His hand, and the church, robed
| in white, will put aside her veil and
| look up into the face of her Lord, the.
King. and the Bridegroom will say to
| the bride: "Thou hast been faithful
through all these years: The mapsion
is ready! Come home! Thou art fair,
my Lowell" And then He will put upon
her brow the crown of dminion, and
the table will be spread, and 1t will
reach across the skies, and the mighty
ones Of Heaven will come in, garlanded
with beauty and striking their cyn-
balls, and the Bridegroom and bride
will stand at the head of the table.
and the banqueters, looking up, will
wonder and admire, and say: That IL
Jesus, the Bridegroom! But the scar
on His brow is covered with the coro-
net, and the stab in His side Is covered
with robe!" And THAT is the bride!
The WEAKNESS Of her earthly woe lost
in the flush of this wedding trt-
umph!"
\ There will be wine enough at that
wedding; not coming up from the pol.
soned vats of earth, but the vineyards
of God will press their ripest clusters
and the cups and the tankards will
blush to the brim with their heaven
| " vintage, and then all the banqueter'
will drink standing. Esther, havinf