The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-02-08
NO. SO.

life, but there is no private life. The
story of our life, however insignificant
it may seem to be, will win the applause
Or hiss of great multitude that mo
man can number. As sstale that IL
told" among admirers or antagonists,
celestial or pandemoniacs, the universe
is full of listening ears as well u of
cleaning eyes. If we say or DO the
right thing, that is known. Isuppose
the population of the intelligences IN
the air is more numerous than the pop
ulation of intelligences on the earth.
Oh, that the story of our life might be
fit for such an audience in such an aus
ditorium! God grant that wisdom and
fidelity and earnestness and truth may
characterize the tale that is told. !"
Aye, all the world will yet listen to
and be redeemed by a stale that is told.
We are all telling it, each in his own
way-some by voice, some by pen, some
by artists pencil, some by harp and
some by song; mother telling It to
child, teacher telling it to Sabbath
class, reformer telling it to outcast,
preacher telling it to assemblagc. The
story of the Loveliest of Heaven coming
down to this SCARED and blasted island
of a world. He was ordered back from
its shores and struck through with
lances of human hate as soon as he
landed. Shepherds dog baying on the
hills that Christmas night was better
treated than this rescuer Of . race, ret
keeping right on, brambles on brow.
feet on spikes, hagellated with whips
that had Jumps Of lead fastened %
them, through midnight without lan-
terms, through storms without shell
ter, through years that got blacker mn
til they ended in MONDAY with the
sun blotted out. Mightiest tale ever
told, and keep on telling it until the
last sorrow is assuaged and the last
animosity is quenched and the last des-
ert is white with the lily and golden
with the cowslip and blue with the
gentian and crimson with the rose.
My text, in referring to the years,
minds me that In IL hours this year viii
forever have gone away. Ninety-nine
out Of the hundred years Of this century
will have disappeared. We hare only
one year Of the century left. There
ought to be something especially suG
gestive in the last year Of q century.
1t ought to be year Of unparalleled in-
dustries, of unheard of conseeration.
Not a person in any of our audiences
this day can remember the first year
of this century. Not person in any of
our audiences to-day will ever again $50
the last year OF century.
Through medical science the world's
longevity may be greatly improved III
the future, as it has been in the past.
but it would not be well for people to
live too long. Some Of them would
through their skill at cquisitiyenesa.
gather too much, and some multi-
millionaires would become billionaireS
and trillionaires, and some one would
after awhile pocket hemisphere. No.
Death is useful in its financial limitn.
tions, and then all have enough sorrows
and annoyances and sufIerings BY the
time they become nonagenarians or
lcentenarians to make it desirable To-
quit. Besides that, it would not he fairS
SO long to keep SO many good old peo-
lple out Of Heaven. So it is well A.
ranged that those who stand ~ the
deathbed Of the nineteenth century
will not be called to stand BY the death-
bed of the twentieth century. e
| Oh, crowd this last year with prayerss
with hosannas, with kind words, With
helpfulness. Make the peroration of
the century the climax of Christike
deeds. Close up the ranks Of God and
during this remaining ~ months
charge nightly against the host Al
Abaddon. Have no reserve corps ~
swiftest gospel cavalry gallop. and
heaviest moral artillery roll and
mightiest evangelistic batteries thun-
der on the scene. Let ministers Of the
Gospel quit all controversy with each
other, and in solid phalanx march out
for the worlds disinthrallment. Eet
printing presses, secular and religious,
make combined movement to instruct
and emancipate the world. On III the
hills let there be Elijah, praying for -
great rain,' and on every CONTESTED
field Joshuas to see that final yictory =
gained before the sun goes dawn, and
every mountain become transdGura'
tion and every Galilee walking plaee
for the worlds disenthra1lment. Iet
lus be jealous Of every month, of every
week, Of every day that passes withou!
. lsomething significant and gloriOql
wrought for God and this sin cufset
world. Let our churches Be fhroueel
with devout assemblages. Iet "a
Ichorals be more like grand Darche'
than requiems. Let this coming yeAl
! see the last wound Of Transvsa1 A.
Philippine conflict, and the earth quak
.. with the grounding arms a the ~
regiment ever to be marshaled, and n
furnaces of the foundries blaze with "a
fires that shall turn the last swords Int
plowshares.
And may all those whose lives shal
. go out in this last year Of centuryss
: many will, meet in the Heavenly worl
those who In the morning and noOnde
& LOT this 100 years toiled and suAere
Ifnr the worlds salvation. to tell thel