The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-05-02

fiber of the body and gnawed on the
stomach with teeth of death. The
of a morsel of bread or meat
must have thrilled the body with some
thing like ferocity Turn out pack of
men hungry as Christ was a-hungered,
and if they, had strength with one
yell they would devour you as kid.
It was in that pang of hunger that
Jesus was accosted, and satan said:
"Now, change these stones, which look
like bread, into an actual supply of |
bread" Had the temptation come to |
you and me under those circumstances |
we would have cried: "Bread it shall |
be-" and been almost impatient at the |
time taken for mastication, but Christ |
with one hand beat back the hunger
and with the other hand beat back the
of darkness. 0 ye tempted
ones! Christ was tempted. We are
told that Napoleon ordered coat-ot-
mail made, but he was not quite GER
tain that it was impenetrable, so he
said to the manufacturer of the coat
of-mail: Put it on now yourself and
let US try it," And with shot after
shot fired from his own pistol the en-
peror found that it was just what it
pretended to be, a good coat-of-mali.
Then the man received a large reward.
l bless God that the same coat-of-
mail that struck back the weapons OF
temptation from the head of Christ
we may now all wear, for Jesus comes
and says: 81 have been tempted, and
know what it is to be tempted. Take
this robe that defended me and wear
it for yourselves. l shall see you
through all trials, and 1 shall see you
through all temptation"
The third installment paid for our
redemption was the agonizing prayer
in Gethsemane. As / sat in that gar
den at the foot of an old gnarled and
twisted olive tree the historic scene
came upon me overwhelmingly. These
old olive trees are the lineal descend
ants of those under which Christ stood
and wept and knelt. Have the leaves
of whole botanical generations told
the the story of our Lords agony to
their successors? Next to Calvary the
solemnest place in Palestine is Geth-
semane. While sitting there it seemed
as if l could hear our Lords prayer,
laden with sobs and groans. Can this
be the Jesus who gathered fragrance
from the frankincense brought to His
cradle and from the lilies that flung
their sweetness into His sermons and
from the box of alabaster that broke
at his feet? Is this Jesus the COM
forter of Bethany, the resurrector at
| Main, the oculist at Bethsaida? Is
| this the Christ whose frown is the
| storm, whose smile is the sunlight, the
/ spring morning His breath, the thun-
der His voice, the ocean drop on the
tip of His finger, Heaven sparkle on
the bosom of His love, the universe the
dust of His chariot wheel? Is this the
| Christ who is able to heal a heart
break or hush tempest or drown q
world or food immensity with His
glory? Behold Him in prayer, the
globules of blood by sorrow pressed
through the skin of His forehead!
What an installment in part payment
of the greatest price that was ever
paid!
The fourth installment paid for ou1
redemption was the Saviour's shan
trial. l call it sham trial-there ha.
never been anything so indecent o.
unfair in any criminal court as wa:
witnessed at the trial of Christ. Why
thev hustled him into the courtroom
at two o'clock in the morning. The,
gave Him no time for counsel. The.
gave him no opportunity for subpoe
, naing witnesses. The ruffians wht
were wandering around through th'
midnight, of course they saw the ar
rest and went into the courtroom. Blu
Jesus friends were sober men, wer
, respectable men, and at that hour, tw'
o'clock in the morning, of course the
were at home asleep. Consequent
Christ entered the courtroom with tn
, ruffians.
Oh, look at Him! No one to speak
i word for Him. | lift the lantern ur
: til I can look into His face, and as m
| heart beats in sympathy for this. tn
r best friend the world ever had, Hin
: self now utterly friendless, an office
! | of the courtroom comes up and smite
! | Him in the mouth, and 1 see the bloc
: stealing from gum and lip. Oh, it wa
$ a farce of a trial, lasting only perhaI
n an hour, and then the judge rises fc
| sentence! Stop! 1t is against th
F.! law to give sentence unless there ha
n been an adjournment of the court b.
e tween condemnation and sentence, ba
Il what cares the judge for the law? '"Tl
r man has no friends. Let Him die
y says the judge. And the rufians on
r side the rail cry: 'Aha, aha, that
what we want! Pass Him out here
r us! Away with Him! Away wit
: HIM"
4 Oh, bless God that amid all the i
8 Justice that may have been infiict'
t upon us in this world we have divil
b sympathizer. The world cannot
e about you nor abuse you as much
'. they did Christ, and Jesus stands
# day in every courtroom, in eve
n house, in every store, and says: "Cou
y age! By all my hours of maltreatme
and abuse 1 will pr rotect those who a