The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1902-05-29
HELP ONE ANOTHER.
1t Is Duty Incumbent Upon All
Christian People.
Sermon Of Rev. Frank Dewitt Tai.
mage on Bearing AnOther's Bur-
dens-Encourage the
Hopeless.
copyright, 1902, by Louis Klopsch.l

copyright, 1902, by Louis Klopseh.l
Chicago,
In this sermon DR.. Frank De Witt
Talmage shows that mutual helpful
ness is a duty of our common human
ity and especially duty incumbent
upon Christian people; text, Gala
tians 6:2, Bear ye one another's bur-
dens and so fulfill the law of Christ"
Paul was the noblest Christian
martyr who ever lived. He could we'll
quote himself as an example for all
his contemporaries. From the very
moment when his blinded eyes were
opened by the good Ananias on the
Damascus street called "Straight' he
never ceased to sacrifice himself for
his fellow men. But SO important is
the lesson of vicarious burden bear
ing Paul would not have his friends
look to any human guide. He seems
to come to the members OF the
Galatian church in the same way that
staff officer of the commander OF
great army delivers his orders to
captain, a major, a colonel or briga-
der general. and they are orders OF
beneticent import, as were those that
the representatives of Gen. Grant de-
liyered when they rode through the
federal lines telling Sheridan and
Meade and Humphreys and Ord and
Warren and Wright and Hartranft to
cease firing because the two national
leaders, Grant and Lee, were meet
ing under a flag of truce at Appo-
mattoX.
Paul seems to say: "The duty OF
bearing one another's burdens is not
my own command, nor is it given to
us by the command of Peter or John
or Apollos, but by the command of
the great Divine Chieftain himself
Read the words as they were written
to the rugged mountaineers who con-
stituted the Galatian church. Hear
ye the command as it is spoken for us
to hear: Bear We one another's bur-
dens and so fulfill the law of Christ"
The law of Christ is the law with
which every Christian should be in
harmony. 1t is the law which ought
to inspire US all. Like all Christ's
laws, it is reasonable and is devised
for the common good.
John B. Cough was able to picture
the misery of the inebriate in the
blacklist and the reddest colors be-
cause he himself had writhed in the
lowest depths of a living inferno. He
had drunk the cup of horrors to the
bitter dregs. He signed the pledge
and broke it again and again. One
day, weak and helpless with de-
lirium, he stood in the foundry work
ing upon piece of iron. Suddenly
that bar of iron began to twist and
move in his hand like writhing ser
pent. In horror the delirious man
dropped it, and as it lay there he
seemed to see it writhing and twist
ing upon the floor of the foundry.
John B. Coughs crazed brain knew it
wa- only bar of iron, and yet there
he saw it a living, hideous, kissing
srlke. His courage broke down. He
thought it was useless to struggle
longer. Just then Christian gentle
man who had the spirit of a true bur-
den bearer came in and said: Hello,
Cough! 1 saw you up at the tenn
perance meeting last week. I saw
you sign the pledge. We have missed
you for four days. thought would
come around and find out how you
are getting along. God bless you.
Keep up the struggle. Christ will
helm YOU through
Those few words saved John B.
Cough Tor time and eternity. He never
touched a drop of fatal intoxicant
after that. Those words were the
helping hand that drew him out of the
ruts and pushed him over the up
grade. Those few words made John B.
Cough a free man-free for time, free
for eternity.
To bear one another's burdens will
often inspire hopeless, helpless, pur-
poseless sinner to put forth his own
energies until after awhile he gathers
strength enough to help himself.
Have you ever seen team of horses
hitched to heavy laden wagon that
is stuck in the ruts? The horses strug-
gle and pull until they become abso-
lutely helpless and can pull no more.
Then have you ever seen couple OF
men come with some long, stout bars
They place those bars underneath the
hind axle and begin to heave. The
wagon moves. Then after the ruts
have been passed have you ever seen
the team of horses, which were help
less when the wheels were stuck in
the ruts, easily pull the wagon along
the broad highway? Have you ever
seen great engine, fastened to the
end of ling train, putting and blow.
ing, with it's wheels whirling around
and around and yet not moving one
inch ahead? That train is stalled upon
an up grade. Then have you ever seen
another engine, being fastened to that
first engine, by the addition of its pow
er draw the train up? Then after the
up grade has been passed have yor
seen that second engine uncoupled
because the first engine was then abls
to do all the work?
The great trouble OF this world i