The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-03-14
SUNDAY READINGS.

SOLNDE&L L56E1OANATSs
The DIVINE SOURCE OF ALL NEW BIRTHS
OF GooD.-It is a true saying, however
hard to stoic's self-reliance, that it is
beyond the power of man to lift him
self; he can only prevent himself from
1t is not we that set the lights
before us at which we aim they CLEAN
upon us from beyond us, if not by the
immediate gift of God; and our part is
complete if we keep our eye intent to
see them, and our foot resolute to climb
whittier they show us the way. The
beacon aloft is given the path to reach
it alone is found But there is another
saying, not less true, needful to COM
plete the story, whoever is faith
full to a first grace that opens on him
shall have a second in advance of it
and, if still he follows the messenger of
God, angels ever brighter shall go be-
fore his way. Every duty done leaves
the eye more clear and enables gentIer
whispers to reach the ear every brave
sacrifice incurred Eghtens the weight of
clinging self which holds us back every
storm of passion swept away leaves the
air of the mind transparent for more
distant visions; and thus, by happy
concord of spiritual attractions. the
helping graces Of heaven descend. and
meet the soul intent to rise. Though,
therefore, it is not ours to elevate our
selves, we shall assuredly be sent for,
if we will only go. But, then, this
growing scale, this more and ever more
of opportunity, must be referred to
God; and it gives us mark by which
we may track the lines of Providence in
hfe.-Jd3lIeS GI0rtjaeau.
BELIEF IN IMMORTALITY DIGNIFRs AND
ENLABGEs LIFE.-What sense of great
ness one receives as he gazes at the stars
through telescope, and reflects that
this myriad-orbed domain is his home /!
The tradition of a line of ancestors
reaching back into an unknown antiqui-
ty imparts a dignity to consciousness
which no reasonable estimate of ones
self can give. One stands on an ances-
tor as on the top of a deeply based
column, his foundation the accumulated
life of many souls A wealth of expe-
rience belongs to him which he alone
never could have acquired. In his
veins runs redder blood; on his shout
ders rests a graver responsibility those
shadowy hands bear him up to a higher
level of duty, and clothe him with gar
ments of peculiar honor. Similar is the
effect of a great look forward. If one
is persuaded that he shall enter on an
other sphere of existence when this is
ended, that his activities will go on with
increasing power till their possible
achievement is accomplished, that his
affections will find new objects, his
dreams new fulfillments, his lOngings
new developments, he surely viii rise
to greater moral dignity than he
would otherwise. The sense of limita-
ton of circumstance, of opportunity.
of faculty, the disabling consciousness
of mental and moral inability being in
anticipation removed, the discouraging
feeling that here at least you can do no
better being modified by great hope,
the natural result viii be patience, re-
signation. trust on the one hand. a
cheerful alacrity on the other.-O. B.
rockingham
TIE CULTURE OF THE ENIoTIvE NATURE.
To be complete men we want much
more power of emotion, much more
love, human and divine, than is allowed
in our schemes of education. But we
want it not as our master, but only our
helper. Reflective man must be the
lord of the instructive emotions. Feel
ing masters the savage child but the
well-grown man is administered, and
rules his feelings, not they him. The
feelings may be made the end of the
mans spiritual experience he may
stop with emotion and go no further.
! Such men remain children. If a man
cultivates his affectional feelings, and
does not put them TO their natural work,
then the feelings become sickly an6
morbid, and dwindle into mere senti
mentallsm. So the religious feelings
may suffer a similar estopped anC
dwindle into mysticism and mere quiet
ism. Men, Oftener women, may hav,
great warmth Of feeling-Iove of God
trust in God, reverence for God. de
, light in God, prayer to God, thought O
God,-which yet has no influence on tn
J life. It bends the knees, keeps Sunda,
idle, crowds the meeting houses, bu
5 never opens the purse toward the poor
{ nor turns the capitalists money t
building reasonable tenements for them
: When men seek religion rs a means c
pleasure to cultivate emotions of trus
. and love of God for their own selfish d.
light, 1t becomes as fatal to them q
| thesgaming house, the drinking shop c
Z the brothel The very inquistion wa
I built mp and sustained by men who ric
in mere voluptuOusness of religion
emotion and stop there. These are tn
dangers of a wrong cultivation of tn
feelings. Theodore Parker.
! PRIDE AND HUAuLITY-We hear
! deal said against pride. 1 wish Their
We're more pride-of one sort less c