The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-10-04

nave euteEeQ INTO the uedTI Ol Mdu the
things which God hath prepared for
them that love Him!" AS these tides
of glory rise we have to retreat and
hold fast lest We be swept off and
drowned in the emotions of gladness
and thanksgiving and triumph.
What think you of the family prop
erty? 1t is considered an honor to
marry into a family where there is
great wealth. The Lord, the Bridegroom
of earth and Heaven, offers you His
heart and His hand, saying in the
words of the Canticles: Rise up, my
love, my fair one, and come away"
And once having put on thy hand the
signet ring of His love, you will be en-
dowed with all the wealth of earth and
all the honors of Heaven.
Almost every family looks back to
homestead-some country place
where you grew up. You sat ON the
doorsill. You heard the footsteps of
the rain on the garret roof. You
swung on the gate. You ransacked the
barn. You waded into the brook. You
thrashed the orchard for apples and
the neighboring woods for nuts, and
everything around the old home
stead is of interest to you. I
tell you of the old homestead of
eternity. ''In my Fathers house are
many mansions" When we talk of
mansions we think of Chatsworth and
its park nine miles in circumference
and its conservatory that astonishest the
| 4,,1l fc - ~ hot
tain the triumphs of Chantrey, Canova
and Thorwaldsen, of the kings and
queens who have walked its stately
halls, or, flying over the heather, have
| hunted the grouse. But all the dwell
| ing places of dukes and princes and
queens are as nothing to the family
mansion that is already awaiting our
arrival. The hand of the Lord Jesus
lifted the pillars and swung the doors
and planted the parks. Angels walk
there and the good of all ages. The
poorest man in that house is million
aire, and the lowest king, and the
tamest word he speaks is an anthem
and the shortest life an eternity.
A family mansion means reunion.
Some of your families are very much
scattered. The children married and
went off to St. Louis or Chicago or
Charleston. But perhaps once year
you come together at the old place.
How you wake up the old piano that
has been silent for years. Father and
mother do not play on it. How you
bring out the old relic and rummage
the garret and open old scrapbooks and
shout and laugh and cry and talk over
old times, and though you may be As
years of age, act as though you were
Is. Yet soon it is good-by at the car
window and good-by at the steamboat
| wharf. But how will we act at the re-
union in the old family mansion OF
Heaven? 1t is a good while since you
parted at the door of the grave. There
will be Grace and Mary and Martha
and Charlie and Lizzie and all the dar.
lings of your household, not pale and
sick and gasping for breath, as when
you saw them last, but their eyes
bright with the luster of Heaven and
their cheeks roseate with the flush o1
celestial summer.
4 What yclasping of hands! What EN-
bracings! What coming together Of
/ lip to lip! What tears of joy! Yol
; say: 81 thought there were no tear:
} in Heaven" There must be, for thu
J Bible says that "God shall wipe then
away" and if there were no tears there
how could He wipe them away? The.
, cannot be tears of grief or tears
: of disappointment. they must b.
/ tears of gladness. Christ will conn
and say: "What, child of Heaven
. is it too much for thee? Dos
, thou break down under the gladness o
J this reunion? Then will help thee
: And with His one arm around us ant
: the other arm around our loved one
F He shall hold US up in the eternal jubi
/ lee.
While I speak some of you witt
E broken hearts can hardly hold you
{ peace. You feel as if you would spea]
= out and say: "Oh, blessed day, speed on
= Toward thee I press with blistere'
E feet over the desert way. Ny eyes fai
for their weeping. faint from lis
: tening for feet that will not come an
5 the sound of voices that will not SPEAK
5 Speed ON, oh day of reunion! And theI
t Lord Jesus, be not angry with me
: after I have kissed thy blessed fee
( I turn around to gather up the Ion
: -Ilost treasures of my heart. Oh, b
4 not angry with me. One look at the
! were Heaven. But all these reunion
$ are Heaven encircling Heaven, Heave
e overlapping Heaven, Heaven commina
t ling with Heaven"
e 1 was at Mount Vernon and wen
!, Iiato the dining-room in which our frs
2 president entertained the promineu
e men of this and other lands. 1t wa
: a very interesting spot. But, oh, tn
r banquet hall of the family mansion {
:. which speak! Spread the table. sprea
d it wide, for great multitude are
E sit at it. From the tree by the rive
v gather the 12 manner of fruits fe
). that table. Take the clusters fro1
: the heavenly vineyards and press the1
k into the golden tankards for that Il
+ BILE. On baskets carry in the brea
e of which if man eat he shall never hui