The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-03-21
Jesus, the name that cLsns our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
IT'S music in the sinners ears;
'Tis life and health and peace.

Wlllc mucn OF the MODERN music
is = religious doggerel, q consecrated
nonsense, a sacred imbeciity, would
like to see some great musician of
our time lift the baton and marshal
"Luther's Judgment Hymn" "Yar-
mouth" Dundee" "Ariel," Battle
street." "Uxbridge," "Pleyers Hymn"
"Harwell," "Antioch," Mount Pis-
gah" and Coronation" with a few
regiments of mighty tunes made in
our own time, and storm Asia, AZ
rica and America for the kingdom of
God. But the first thing to do is to
drive out the dumb devil of the text
from all our churches.
Do not, however, let US lose our
selves in generalities. Not one of US
but has had our lives sometimes
touched by the evil spirit of
the text-this awful dumb devil.
We had just one opportunity of say
ing Christian word that might have
led man or woman into Christian
life. The opportunity was fairly put
before us. The word of invitation or
consolation or warning. came to the
inside gate of the mouth, but there
it halted. Some hindering power
locked the jaws together so that they
did not open. The tongue lay fat and
still in the bottom of the mouth as
though struck with paralysis. We
were mute. Though God had given
us the physiological apparatus for
speech and our lungs were filled with
air which by the command of our
will could have made the larnygeal
muscles move and the vocal organs
vibrate, we were wickedly and fatal.
ly silent. For all time and eternity
we missed our chance, or it was q
prayer meeting, and the service was
and there was dead halt--every-
thing silent as a graveyard at mid
night. Indeed, it was a graveyard
and midnight. An embarrassing pause
took place that put a wet blanket
on all the meeting. Men, bold enough
on business exchange or in worldly
circles, shut their eyes as though they
were praying in silence, but they
were not praying at all. They were
busy hoping somebody else would do
his duty. The women flushed under
the awful pause and made their fans
more rapidly futter. Some brother,
with no cold, coughed, by that sound
trying to fill up the time, and the
meeting was slain. But what killed
it? The dumb devil. This is the way
I account for the fact that the stu
pidest places on earth are some
prayer meetings. l do not see how
a man can keep any grace if he regu-
larly attends them. They are spirit
ual refrigerators. Religion kept on
ice. How many of us have lost occa-
sions of usefulness? In sculptor's
studio stood figure OF the god OPP
portunity. The sculptor had made
the hair fall dowa over the face OF
the statue so as to completely cover
it. and there were wings to the feet
When asked why he SO represented
Opportunity, the sculptor answered:
"The face of the statue is thus COW
cred because we do not recognize Op-
portunity when it comes, and the
wings to the feet show that Opportu.
Ahty Is SWl1tly gone.
Be out and out, up snd down for
righteousness. If your ship is afoat
on the Pacific ocean Of Gods mercy
hang out your colors from the mast.
head. Show your passport, if you
have one. Do not smuggle your soul
into the harbor of Heaven. Speak
out for God! Close up the chapter
of lost opportunities and open new
chapter. Before you get to the door
on your way out shake hands with
some one and ask him to join you on
the road to Heaven. Do not drive uI
to Heaven in two-wheeled "suIky'
with room only for one, and that
yourself, but get the biggest Gospel
wagon you can find and pile it full
of friends and neighbors and shout
till they hear you all up and dowr
the skies: 'Come with us, and we
will do you good, for the Lord hatl
promised good concerning Israel
The opportunity for good which yor
may consider Insignificant may bt
tremendous for results, as when OF
the sea Capt. Haldane swore at tht
ships crew with an oath that wished
them all in perdition, and a Scotch
sailor touched his cap and said
Captain, God hears prayer, and W,
would be badly off il your wish wer,
answered" Capt. Haldane was con
victed by the sailors remark and con
verted and became the means of tn,
salvation of his brother Robert, VIII,
had been an infidel, and then Rober
became minister of the Gospel, an,
under his ministry the goddess Fell,
Neff became the world-renowned mis-
! sionary of the cross, and the world,
| Merle d'Aubigne became the autho
of "The History of the Reformation
and will be the glory Of the churcl
for all ages. Perhaps you may d.
{ as much as the Scotch sailor who jus
) tipped his cap and used one broker
sentence by which the earth and tn
heavens are still resounding with po
, tent influences. Do something TO
God, and do it right away or you vii
never do it at all.
, Time flies away fast,
/, The while we never remember;