The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-08-27
NO. 40.

die in that midnight darkness, can youg
If you do not believe in anything else
you believe in Iove-a fathers love, a
mothers love, a wife's love, child's love.
Then let me tell you that God loves you
more than them all. Oh you must come
in. You viii come in. The great heart
of Christ aches to have you csme in, and
Jesus this very moment-whether you
sit or stand-looks into your eyes and
says:
Other sheep 1 have, which are not OF this
fold.
Again / remark, that the Heavenly
Shepherd is going to find great many
sheep among those who have been flung Of
evil habit. 1t makes me mad to see
Christian people give uD a prodigal as
lost. There are those who talk as though
the grace of God were a chain of forty or
fifty links, and after they run out there
was nothing to touch a very bad case. II
they were hunting and got Off the track of
the deer, they would look longer among
the banks and bushes for the lost game
than they have been looking for that lost
soul. People tell US that if a man has de-
lirlum tremens twice that he can not be
reclaimed; that after woman has fallen
from her integrity she can not be re-
stored. The Bible has distinctly intimated
that the Lord Almighty is ready to par
don four hundred and ninety times; that
is, seventy times seven. There are men
before the throne of God who have wal
lowed in every kind of sin, but, saved by
the grace of Jesus, and washed in his
blood, they stand there radiantnow. There
are those who plunged in the very lowest
hell of abomination, who for the tenth
time have been lifted up, and finally, by
the grace of God, they stand in Heaven
gloriously rescued by the grace promised
TO the chief of sinners. want to tell you
that God loves to take hold of a very bad
case. A man said to me;
"Unless God helps me l can not be de-
livered / have tried every thing, sir;
but now I have got into the habit OF
prayer, and when come to a drinking sa-
| loon pray that God will take me safely
past, and pray until am past. He does
help me-"
For every man given to strong drink
there are scores of traps set, and no one
but the every where present God can see
that man through. Oil they talk about
the catacombs of Naples, and the cata-
combs of Rome, and the catacombs of
| Egypt--the burial places under the city
where the dust of a great multitude lie;
but tell you, New York has its cata-
combs, Nashville has it's catacombs, and
New Orleans its catacombs, and Boston its
! catacombs, and Philadelphia its cata-
combs, and every town and city neighbOr-
| hood it's catacombs. They are the UNDER
! ground restaurants, full of dead mems
bones and all uncleanness. Young man,
| you know it. God help you'll There is no
need of going into the art gallery to see IN
! skillfuI sculpture that wonderful repre-
/ sentation of a man and his sons wound
around with serpents. There are families
represented in this audience that are
wrapped in the martyrdom of fang and
scale and venom-a living LAGOON Of
ghastliness and horror. What are you to
do? Do you not put your trust in bromide
of potassium, or in Jamaica ginger, or
anything else that apothecaries can mix.
Put your trust only in the Eternal God,
and he will see you through. Some of
you do not have temptation every day.
1t is periodic temptation, that comes
every six weeks, or every three months
when it seems as if the powers Of darkness
kindle around about your tongue
| the fires of the pit. It is well enough at
such a time, as some of you do, to seek
medical counsel; but your first and most
importunate cry must be to God. If the
friends will drag you to the slaughter
| make them do it on your knees. Oh, God,
now that the paroxysm ofthirst is coming
| again upon that man, help him. Fling
back into the pit of hell the fiend that as =
! saults his soul this moment. Oh my heart
aches to see men go on In this fearful
| struggle without Christ. There are here
those whose hands SO tremble from dissi-
patton that they can hardly hold book:
and yet 1 have to tell you that they will
yet preach the gospel, and on communion
t I arrnYh fha faH hrnan
acceptable to everybody, because Of their
holy life and their consecrated behavior.
The Lord is going to save you. Y our home
has got TO be rebuilt. Your physical
health has got to be restored. Your
worldly business has got to be recon
structed. The Church of God Is going to
rejoice over your discipleship.
other sheep have, which arc not of this
fold.
While 1 have hope for all prodigals
there are some people for whom / am not
so hopeful mean those who have been
| church goers all their life, who have
maintained outward morality, but who,
notwithstanding twenty, thirty, forty
wears of Christian advantages, have never
Welded their heart to Christ They are
gospel hardened. A sermon has no more
effect upon them than the shining Of the
moon on the city pavement. AS Christ
says: "The publicans and harlots will 60
into the kingdom of God before them. 4"
They have resisted all the importunites
of divine mercy, and have gone, during
these thirty years, through Hfsst powerful
earthquakes of religious feeling, and they
are further from God then ever. After
awhile they will lie down sick, and some
dav it will be told they are dead. No
Z
hope that thrills through my body and
soul.
other sheep have, which are not OF this
fold.
You are not gospel hardened. You have
not heard many sermons during the last
few years. As you came into a religious
meeting to-day every thing was novel,
and all the services are suggestive Of your
early days. How sweet the opening
hymn sounded IN your ears, and how
blessed it is In this placel Every thing
suggestive of Heaven. You do not weep,
but the shower is not far Off. You sigh,
and you have noticed that there is AWAY
a sigh in the wind before the rain falls.
/ There are those here who would give any
thing IL they could find relief in tears.
They say:
"Oh, my wasted Hfei Oh, tho bitter
pasti Oh, the graves over which 1 have
stumbled2 Whittier shall ! hyg Alas for
the future! Every thing Is dark-so dark,
so dark? God help mel God pity meW
Thank the Lord for that last utterance
You have begun to pray, and when mar
begins to petition that sets all Heaven fly
ing this way, and God steps in and beats
back the hounds of temptation into the
[ kennel, and around about the poor, wound
ed soul puts the covert of bis pardoning
mercy. Hark! / hear something fall
What was thatY It Is the bars Of the fence
! around the sheepfold. Th ahepherd Lot.