The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-11-01


OF Christ, Genes along, puts his hand
OF sympathy on the sore spot-the
torn ligaments are healed and the dis
rbed bones are rejoined. Oh, for this
gentleness of Christ.
The dew of our summer night will ac-
complish more than so Caribbean
whirlwinds. How important it is that
in going forth to serve Christ we have
something of His gentleness! Is that
the way we bear ourselves when we are
assaulted? The rule is an eye for an
eye, tooth for a tooth, retort for re-
tort, sarcasm for sarcasm. Give him as
much as he sends! After awhile you
look up into the face of Christ and you
see His gentleness, and you say: "Well,
now, 1 must do differently" Then
your proud heart says: "Now you
have your enemy in a corner. You will
never get him in corner again. Chas-
tise him and then let him CO." So we
postpone the gentleness of Christ. Did
you ever know any difficulty to be
healed by acerbity and hypercriticism?
About 45 years ago the Presbyterian
church was split into the new school
and the old school. The chasm got
wider and wider. The most outrageous
personalities were INDUCED in. Good
men on one side mathematical good
men on the other side. Wider and
wider the chasm got, until after awhile
some good people tried another tack,
and they began to explain away the diff
ficulties, and soon all the differences
were healed, and at Pittsburgh they
shook hands and are one now to be
one forever.
You say to man with whom
you had falling out: 81 Idespise you"
He says: II can't bear the sight of
you." You say to him: II never want
you to come to my house again." He
says: "If you come to my house again,
I'll kick you out" You say: ''I'll put
you down." "Oh, no." he says; "I'll put
you down." But some day the spirit
of Christ comes into you, and you go
over and say: "My brother, give me
your hand. Time is short and eternity
is near, and we can't afford to quarrel.
Now. let bygones be bygones, and let
us act like Christians" 1t is all set
tied. How? By the gentleness of
Christ.
Christ's disposition was also one of
self-sacrifice. No young man ever
started out with so bright prospect
as Christ started out with if he had
been willing to follow worldly ambi-
tion. In the time that He gave to the
sick He might have gathered the vast
est fortune Of His time. With His
power to popularize Himself and mag.
netize the people He could have gained
official position. No orator ever won
such plaudits as He might have won
from sanhedrin and synagogue and
vast audiences by the seaside. No
physician ever got such reputation
for healing power as He might have at
tanned if He had performed His Won
derful cures before the Roman aristoc-
racy. I say these things to let you
know what Paul meant when he said /:
'He pleased not Himself" and to show
something of the wonders of His self
sacrifice. All human power together
could not have thrown Christ into the
manger if he had not chosen to 60
there. All Satanic strength could not
have lifted Christ upon the cross if He
had not elected himself to the torture
To save our race from sin and death
and hell he faced all the sorrows OF
this world and the sorrows of eternity
How much Of that self-sacrifce have
we?
What is self-sacrifice? It is my walk.
ing long journey to save you from
fatigue. 1t is my lifting great mum
Der of pounds to save you from the
awful strain. It is subtraction from
my comfort and prosperity so thai
there may be an addition to your com
fort and prosperity. How much Of
that have we? Might not rather say
"How little have we." Two children
brother and sister-were passing dowr
the road. They were both very desti
tute. The lad had hardly any gar
ments at all. His sister had coat tina,
she had outgrown. It was very colo
day. She said: Johnny, come unde,
this coat" "Oh, no." he said; "th,
coat isn't large enoagh!" "Oh," sh.
said, ut will stretch!" He comes unde,
the coat, but the coat would MOI
stretch. So she took of the coat anl
| put it on him. Self-sacrifce pure ant
simple. Christ taking of his robe t.
clothe our nakedness. Self-sacrifice
have not any Of 1t, nor have you com
pared with that. The sacrifice of tn,
Son of God.
Christ walked to Emmaus. Chris
walked from Capernaum to Bethany
Christ walked from Jerusalem to Col
gotha. How far have you and walked
for Christ? His head ached, His hear
ached, His back ached. How mucl
have we ached for Christ?
The disposition of Jesus was ais
. disposition of humility. The Lor,
of earth and Heaven in the garb o
. rustic. He who poured all tn
waters Of the earth out of his righ
hand-the Amazon and the Euphrate
and the Oregon and the Ohio and tn
Mississippi-bendi..g over q well I
ask a Samaritan woman for drink