The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-07-31
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save too, don't care to be stumbling over
these posts continually, and finally the
multiplicity of the things become monoto-
nous, and often. no doubt, they cause
whole-soul, energetic, go-S-head christians
to become disgusted, doubtful. wavering,
and to turn entirely off the track, and,
may be, waste their whole lives in seeking
some other road, and be branded backslid-
ers and infdels at last.
Take for example that dignifcd old dea-
con who has all his life been "a consistent
member of the church." Rain or shine,
cold or wet, he never fails to attend. His
church fees are paid regularly, his doors
are always open to his minister, and to his
bTetheren. Ills prayers are long, moist
and mellow. Strangers arc always i'm
pressed with the idea that he is good,
muchly. Yet while his members 81 his
faults and wink at them, outsiders "criticise
and condemn" They know that his Golfers
are filled with "ill-gotten gold;" that the
"widow'a mite" the orphans heritage goes
to swell and increase his fairness. That
while his table groans under its weight of
good things, the beggar comes empty and
hungry from his door. That while he
toasts his shins over roaring fires in winter,
his poor neIghbor's wife and children are
shivering with cold. That while his store
house and larders are full to OVERLOOKING
they have not even the necessities of Ifs.
And though he is indebted to him for a
whole winters work, and will not make a
settlement on the plea Of lfard times, hop
ing, no doubt, from the depths of his mar
row, crampt soul, that the poor fellow will
die after a while, and he can pay him OF
in a sccond-class funeral. Charity to him
is a word underlined and without sense or
meaning. Having no sympathy with the
woes or wants of his fellow men, he re-
ceives neither their confidence nor respect.
He is branded hypocrit, hiding his multi
tude Of sins under the cloak of religion and
he is an insurnlountable stumbling block to
sinners who would love to believe in pure,
undeflled religion.
There Is also a class of ministers who
come into their velvet-lined pulpit with all
the humility and meekness of the Lamb of
Abraham, and in language impassisned,
beautiful, poetical, and sublime he pictures
the eternal and unfading beauties and
pleasures of the Golden City. His white
hand points the way, while with tears in
his beautiful eyes he implores sin ners to
go with him to those realms OF celestial
bliss. Young unsophIsticated minds and
hearts are easily impressed. They delight
in being guided and lead by one SO pure and
perfect. But oh, how bitter the disappoint-
ment when they find him weighed in the
balance and found wanting. How dark,
how diretul the effect on their
christian faith when the knowledge and
the fact is forced upon them that he of the
"earth, earthly" that he only breaches for
those who pay the largest salary. That
tits only the aristocrat and stylish MEM
bers of his flock who enjoy the honor and
pleasure of his social society, while the
brother with the seedy hat and threadbare
coat dare not touch the hem of his gar
ment And the good sister who takes a
back pew and wears calico dress and sun
bonnet never ventures to offer her hard
sun-browned hand in "good fellowship"
or to invite him to share ''pot-luck' at her
homely board because he is so rein
Cd stylish. These ministers arr stumbling
blocks to all who come within the circle of
their influence.
And until there is reform worked up
among elders, dcacons and ministers, we
may expect members to back-slide and sim
ners to continue in the evil Of their way.
And SO long as religion is preached and
practiced as at this present age, there viii
be more guide-posts than travellers on the
road 70 heaven.