The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1902-07-03

1or MN, ana at It's nead was written
the name of Jesus, and with that
name written on the feshy tables Of
| his heart, that man had an open
| sesame to Heaven and its glories. A
captive was delivered from the prison
house of sin and the power of Satan.
A palsied soul is a more awful and
deadly condition than a palsied body.
The sum of the years of this life are
soon passed, and the pclsied body is
left behind, but the palsied soul, insen-
safe from sin and selfishness, passes
on beyond the grave, into the presence
of the One who could have given life,
but where the potency Of the cross to
that soul is then lost forever, for 'he
that believeth not is condemned al
| ready, because he hath not believed in
the name Of the only begotten Son of
God"
You may not realize your condition.
Only God can show it to you. He will
| if you will but let His Spirit have en-
| trance to your heart, where hidden
sins lie, for "When He the Spirit is
come He will convince the world Of
| sin, and of righteousness and of judg-
ment." David, with his kingly robes
about him and the elegance and ease
OF his magnificent palace. with his vo-
taries about him to please and fatter
him, and lull his conscience to sleep,
almost forgot the awful sins that lay
hidden in the depths of his heart. But
when Nathan, the prophet, came, and
by his little parable resurrected all
| the awful record and exclaimed:
"Thou art the man." David began to
realize the exceeding sinfulness of sin.
But instead of trying to excuse him
self, or instead of becoming angry and
turning from Gods messenger, we find
the Lord with the consciousness of his
guilt. His cry is now: Against Thee.
Thee only, have 1 sinned and done this
evil in Thy sight" In the fifty-first
Psalm David has recorded his heart
searching experience before the Lord.
and has shown guilty sinners the way
to forgiveness and salvation.
And what more wonderful miracle
can you find anywhere recorded in
Gods word than here in the case of
David, who comes a murderer, an
adulterer, thief, and throwing him
self at the feet of his Savior as q
penitent, he is raised up. redeemed
soul cleansed whittier than snow.
Yes, when we get over on the other
side and mingle with the hosts Of
the redeemed and meet the paralytic
| and the lepers, and the multitudes
Of others who felt the healing touch
of the Savior's hands, we will not
marvel SO much at the healing of
the body as the saving of the soul.
And I do not believe we will hear
them going about telling Of their
| wonderful cures, but they will have
their whole thought centered in the
Christ, and will sing new song,
| saying: "Thou vast slain, and
hast redeemed us to God by Thy
blood out of every kindred, and
tongue. and people, and nation"
The greatest miracle, the greatest
| blessing that came to the paralytic
of our text was his cleansing from
sin. The secondary blessing was the
supplying of his bodily needs. This
is the way God always works. As
he left the presence of Jesus and
passed along the street with spring
ing step and joyful tongue, the sky
seemed bluer, the birds sang sweet
| er, the very air vibrated with the
| blessed presence of God. See him
ha i
founded wife and wondering children
gather about him and hear his won
derful story. While he is yet talk
ing a strange sadness fits over her
face and dread strikes into her
heart. Will he go back to his old
life of sin? viii the blessing be but
| fleeting? She recalls the successive
steps by which he had been reduced
to the helpless condition in which
Jesus found him. She realizes that
he has been restored to health by
the merciful hand of God, but will
it only be for season? And while
she is pondering these things in her
heart, he begins to tell her of the
greater blessing which has come to
him. AS he realizes the sinfulness
of his life, with the tears streaming
down his face, he tells her that the
Lord has forgiven him his sins and
will she, too, forgive him for the
grief he has caused her. Then the
joy of the new-found hope begins to
creep into her heart, her face begins
to tighten up and she knows that her
husband is a changed man inside and
| out, and that the old sinful life that
had filled his body with the deadly
palsy has no longer power over him.
Delivered! Delivered from the pow
er of Satan. oh, what Joy in that
home that day. Oh, what joy comes
into every home when Jesus gets
into the hearts of those who dwell
there. Everything runs smoother
work becomes a pleasure and weari.
ness makes the heart rejoice that II
belongs to the Saviour, who said:
"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and will give you
rest. Take My yoke upon you, and
learn of Me; for am meek and low,