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


of Lazarus and breaking the chain
Of the grave against the mar
BILE of the tomb and then walk
ing out with Mary and Martha with
out any more pretension than q plain
citizen going out in the suburban vii
lage to spend the evening. Jostled as
though He we1a NOBODY. Pur-
sued as though He were an outlaw.
Nicknamed. Seated with publicans
and with sinners. King of Heaven
and Earth trailing His robes in the
dust.
How much of that humility have
we? If we get a few more dollars
than other people or gain little high
er position, oh, how we strut! We
go around wanting everybody to know
their place and say: ''Is not this
great Babylon that I have built for
the honor of my kingdom and by the
might Of my strength?" Who has
anything of the humility of Christ?
The disposition Of Christ was also
the spirit of prayer. Prayer on the
mountains, prayer on the sea, prayer
among the sick, prayer everywhere.
Prayer for little children: Father,
I thank Thee that Thou hast hidden
these things from the wise and pr<l-
dent and revealed them unto babes"
Prayer for His friends: Father, I
will that they be with Me where
am" Prayer for His enemies: "Fa-
ther, forgive them; they know not
what they do" Prayer for all ma
tions: ''Thy kingdom come" How
little of that spirit you and I have.
How soon our knees get tired. Where
is the vial full of oiors which are
the prayers of all the saints? Which
of us can keep our mind ten min
utes on a prayer without wandering?
Not you, not I. Oh, that we might
have the spirit of prayer which was
the spirit of Christ. We want more
prayer in the family, more prayer in
the church, more prayer in the legis-
lative hall, more prayer among the
sick, more prayer among the aged,
more prayer among the young. The
great advancement of the church is
to be in that direction yet.
Cold mountains and the midnight air
Witnessed the fervor of his prayer.
The spirit of Christ, remark lastly,
was spirit of hard work. Not one lazy
moment in all His life. Whether He
was talking to the fishermen on the
beach or preaching to the sailors ON
the dock or administering to the rus
tics amid the mountains or spending
an evening in Bethany, always busy
for others. With hands, heart, head
busy for others. Hewing in the Naza-
reth carpenter shop, teaching the lame
how to walk without crutches, curing
the child's fits, providing rations for
the hungry host. Busy, busy, busy!
The hardy men who pulled the net out
of the sea filed with foundering treas
ures, the shepherds who hunted up
grassy plots for their f1ocks to nibble
at, the shipwrights pounding away in
the drydocks, the winemakers of En-
gedi dipping the juices from the vat
and pouring them into the goatskins,
were not more busy than Christ. Busy,
busy for others. From the moment
He went out of the caravansary Of
Bethlehem to the moment when the
cross plunged into the socket on the
bloody mount, busy for others. Does
that remind you of yourself? It does
not remind me of myself. If we lift a
burden, it must be light. If we do
work, it must be popular. If we sit
| in the pew, it must be soft. If We
move in sphere of usefulness, it must
be brilliant. If we have to take hold
of load, give us the light end of the
log. In this way to Heaven fan -,
rock us, sing us to sleep. Lift us up
toward Heaven on the tips of your
| fingers under silken sunshade. Stand
out Of the way, all you martyrs who
breasted the fire! Stand out of the
way and let this colony of tender-foot-
| get their crowns!
What has your Bord done to you,
o Christian, that you should betray
Him? Who gave you SO much riches
that you can afford to despise the
awards of the faithful? At this mo-
ment, when all the armies of Heaven
and earth and hell are plunging into
the conflict, how can you desert the
standard? Oh, backslidden Christian
] is it not time for you to start anew
for Heaven?
Now, have shown you that the dis.
position of Christ was spirit of gen.
tleness, spirit of self-sacrifice, q
spirit Of humility, a spirit Of prayer
a spirit of hard work-five points. Will
you remember them? Are you ready
/ now for the tremendous announce.
ment of the text2 eff any man have
not the spirit of Christ, he is none o1
His" Are you ready for that state.
ment? Can you stand up and say:
Eyes, we have the spirit of Christ p
Not one of us can make that answe,
to the full question, yet I am to de-
clare to you there is no discourage
ment in this subject for Christian peo
pie. You have the seeds of this char
acter planted in your soul. 1T doth
not yet appear what we shall be-" Yor
might as we'll blame an acorn for not
being an oak of thousand years a.
1 y