The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-07-19

at the beginning of great enterprises.
He has been with them in the past; |
no trouble can overthrow them; the
storms might come down from the
top of Mount Hermon and lash Cen
nesaret into foam and into agony,
but it could not hurt them. But here |
is another man who starts out in
worldly enterprise, and he depends
upon the uncertainties of this life. |
He has no God to help him. After
awhile the storm comes, tosses off the
masts of the ship; he puts out his life
boat and the long boat; the sheriff
and the auctioneer try to help him
off; they can't help him off; he must
go down; no Christ in the ship. Your
life will be made up of sunshine and
| shadows. There may be in it arctic
blasts or tropical tornadoes; know
not what is before you, but know if
you have Christ with you all shall be
well. You may seem to get along
without the religion of Christ while
everything goes smoothly, but after
| awhile, when sorrow hovers over the
soul, when the waves of trial dash.
clear over the hurricane deck and the
decks are crowded with piratical dis
asters--oh, what would you do then
without Christ in the ship? Take
God for your portion, God for your
guide, God for your help; then all is
well; all is well for time; all shall
be well forever. Blessed is that man
who puts in the Lord his trust. He
shall never be confounded.
But my subject also impresses me
with the fact that when people start
to follow Christ they must not expect
smooth sailing. These disciples got
into the small boats, and have no
doubt they said: "What beautiful
J day this is! How delightful is sailing
in this boat! And as for the waves
. under the keel of the boat, why, they
! only make the motion of our little
boat the more delightful" But when
the winds swept down and the sea
was tossed into wrath, then they
, found that following Christ was not
smooth sailing. So you have found
! it: so I have found it.
A young man in store trying tt
e serve God, while his employer SCOTS
I at Christianity; the young men In thu
I same store, antagonistic to the Chris
tian religion, teasing him, tormentini
t him about his religion, trying to ge
him mad. They succeed in getting
: him mad and say: you're prett.
: Christian!" Does that young mai
Q find it smooth sailing when he trie
to follow Christ? Or you remembe
: Christian girl. Her father despise
a the Christian religion; her mothe
despises the Christian religion; he
It brothers and sisters scoff at the Chris
r, tian religion; she can hardly find
l. quiet place in which to say he
t prayers. Did she find it smooth sailin
'e when she tried to follow Jesus Christ
d Oh, no! All who would live the lif
n of the Christian religion must suffe
persecution. # you do not find it i
p one way, you will get it in anothe
'r way. But be not disheartened! TAX
y courage. You are in q glorious con
a, panionship. God will see you throug
[e all trials. and He will deliver you.
d My subject also impresses me wit
" " the fact that good people sometime
n get frightened. In the tones of thaf
Is disciples as they rushed into the bac
d part of the boat find they are frigh
p ened almost to death. They say
'e Master, carest Thou not that we pc
ish?" They had no reason to I
a. frightened, for Christ was in the boa
e suppose If we had been there v
e would have been just as much a
~ frighted. Perhaps more. In all ag'
, very good people get very much a
10 frighted. It is often 30 in our da
and men say: "Why, look at the bs
ke lectures. Look at the various erro
Oh going over the church of God. We .
es going to founder. The church is &
NC ing to perish. She is going down
Oh, how many good people are q
40 frighted by iniquity in our day Al
! think the church Of Jesus Christ
sc, going to be overthrown and are ju
AA as much afrighted az were the d
Is, ciples Of my text! Don't IVORY, dor
II fret, as though iniquity were going
Dy triumph over righteousness. A Iii
ne goes into . cavern to sleep. He Ii
ay down with his shaggy name coveril
ne the paws. Meanwhile the spiders sp
ne a web across the mouth Of the cave
.s' and say: I'VE have captured him
ne Gossamer thread after gossam
lat thread until the whole front Of t
eS- cavern is covered with the spide
es. web, and the spiders say: "The Ii
ISL is done; the lion is fast" After awb
OF the lion has got through sleepir
IRE He rouses himself, he shakes
icy name, he walks out into the sunligl
lge He does not even know the spide
ow web is spun, and with his roar
ato shakes the mountain. So men CO.
Inn spinning their sophistries and skeI
cry cism about Jesus Christ. He seems
als' be sleeping. They say: I'VE hi
'ey captured the Lord. He will ne
come forth again upon the natl
Inn Christ is overcome forever. His
10 liRion will never make any conqu
the among men," But after awhile
- T,~ln