The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-02-07
NO. so.

the drawing power Of that word, 50
small and yet SC tremendous, "Come!"
1t is short word, but its influence is
as long as eternity. Not a sesqui-
pedalian word, spreading its energy
over many syllables, but monosylla-
bic. Whether calling in wrong direc-
ton or right direction, many havo
found it irresistible: That one word
has filled all the places of dissipation
and dissoluteness. 1t is responsible
for the denominations that curse the
earth. Inquire at the door of prisons
what brought the offender there, and
at the door of almshouses what
brought the pauper there, and at the
door of the lost world what was the
cause OF the incarceration, and il the
inmates speak the truth they will
say: "The word Comet brought us
here" Come and drink. Come and
gamble. Come and sin. Come and
die. Pronounce that word with one
kind of infection and you can hear in
it the tolling of all the bells of con-
fagration and woe.
But, oh, the power Of that word
"Come" when Alright uttered! We do
well when we send young men into
schools and colleges and theological
seminaries and by nine years of in
struction and drill hope to prepare
them to sound Alright that sweet and
enrapturing and Heaven descended
word Come. The Gospel we be-
lieve in is a Gospel of Come"
That word speak all the church
es. That word is now building
thrones for conquerors and bur-
nished coronets for kings and queens
That word is to sound so clearly and
impressively and divinely that the day
is advancing when all nations shall re-
spond: "We comet" 1--WE comet"
And while the upper sleeps toward
God and Heaven will be thronged with
redeemed souls ascending there will
not be one solitary traveller on the
road of sin and death.
In the Kremlin at Moscow, Russia,
is what is called the "king of BELLS"
but it is ruined bell, and it has rung
no sound for near 200 years. 1t is 81
feet in circumference, and in height
it is more than ten times the height OF
the average man, and it took score
of men to swing its brazen tongue. It
weighs 200 tons. On the 10th of June,
1706, in great fire it fell and broke.
1t broke at the part which was weak
ened by the jewels which the ladies
of Moscow threw into the liquid metal
at the casting. The voices of that
bell are forever hushed. It will never
ring again, either at wedding or OBJ
sequy or coronation. What majestic
and overpowering silence! Enthroned
and everlasting quietude! One walks
around it full of wonder and histor-
ical reminiscence and solemnity. On
it are figures in relief representing
czar and empress and Christ and Mary
and the evangelists. But as / stood
before it last summer l bethought my
self of a greater bell and one still
ringing. It is the Gospel bell, ages
ago hung on the beam Of the cross.
1t has vaster circumference and with
mightier tongue sounds across seas
and continents and awakens echoes
amid Alpine and Himalayan and Sier-
ra Nevadan ranges. The Jewels of af-
fection thrown into it at it's casting
by ransomed souls of earth and
Heaven have not weakened it, but
made it stronger and more glorious.
Evangelists and apostles ring it, and
martyrs lifted their hands through
the flames to give it another sound
ing. 1t will ring on until all nations
hear it and accept its invitation:
"Come! Come!" 1t will not fall, as
lid that of Moscow. No storm can
stop it. No earthquake can rock it
down. When the fires of the last day
blaze into the heavens, amid the crash
of mountains and the groan of dying
seas, it's clear, resounding voice will
be heard calling to the last inhabit-
ant of the burning planet: "Come!
Comet"
But it requires now no great
strength to ring the bell. With this
weak hand, yesterday formed and to-
morrow turned to dust, lay hold
that Gospel bell in invitation to all
to whom these words shall come, on
whatever land or whatever sea, in
high places or low. / ring out the
word: Come, GOMEZ" Come and
have your sorrows solaced. Come and
have your wounds healed. Come and
have your blindness illumined Come
and have your fatigues rested. Come
and have your soul saved. Do you not
hear the very last proclamation from
the heavens which the seer of Patmos
was commissioned to make: "The
Spirit and the bride say come, and let
him that heareth say come, and let
him that is athirst come. And who
soever will, let him take the water of
life freely?" Aye, hear you not the
chime of many Gospel bells in the in
vitation this moment sounding from
the heavens: "Come out from among
them and be ye separate" saith the
Lord. "And touch not the unclean
thing, and / will receive you and will
be a Father unto you, and ye shall be
my sons and daughters" saith the
Lord Almighty. Come and sit down