The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1889-01-25

gone out into dissipation and VIII be lost.
A man said to me: ''I have perfect dis
gust for the Sabbath. never saw my
father smile on Sunday. 1t was such
dreadful day to me when I was a boy,
never got over it, and never will" Those
parents did not ''cal the Sabbath de-
lights" they made it a gloom. But there
are houses represented here this morning
where the children say through the week:
81 wonder when Sunday will comeW
They are anxious to have it come. hear
their hosanns in the house; hear their
hosanna III the school. God intended the
Sabbath to be especially a day for the
father. The mother is home all the week.
Sabbath day comes, and God says to the
father, who has been busy from Monday
morning to Saturday night at the store or
away from home: This is your day. See
what you can do in this little flock in pre-
pairing them for Heaven. This day set
apart for you"
You know very we'll that there are many
parents who are mere suttlers of the
households; they provide the food and
raiment. Once in awhile, perhaps, they
hear the child read line or two in the
new primer; or, if there be a case of es-
pecial discipline, and the mother can not
manage it, the child is brought up in the
eourt-martial of the fathers discipline
and punished. That is all there is of it.
terests; no realization of the fact that the
child will soon go out in a world where
there are gigantic and overwhelming
temptations that have swamped millions.
But in some households it is not that way;
the home, beautiful on ordinary days, is
more beautiful now that the Sabbath has
rdawned. There is more JOY in the 'Fgood
mornings" there is more tenderness in
the morning prayer. The father looks at
the child, and the child looks at the father.
The little one dares now to ask questions
without any fear of being answered:
"Don't bother mel must be off to the
store" Now the father looks at the
child, and he sees not merely the blue
eyes, the arched brow, the long lashes,
the sweet lip. He see in that child long
line of earthly destinies; he sees in that
child an immeasurable eternity. AS he
touches that child, he says: Il wonder
what will be the destiny of this little
one?" And while this Christian father is
thinking and praying, the sweet promise
flows through his soul: ''Of such IS the
kingdom of Heaven" And he feels a joy,
not like that which sounds in the dance,
or is waited from the froth of the wine
cup, or that which is like the cracking
| of thorns under pot," but the joy Of
| domestic reunion and conservation.
Have 1 been picturing something that is
/ merely fanciful, or is it possible for you
and for me to have such home as that?
/ 1 believe it is possible.
| have a statistic that I would like to
! give you. A great many people, you know,
say there is nothing in the Christian dis
! cipline of a household. In New Hamp-
shire there were two neighborhoods-th he
| one of six families, the other of five fam =
| lilies. The six families disregarded the
| Sabbath. In time five of these families
were broken UP by the separation of hus-
| bands and wives; the other by the father
! becoming a thief. Eight or nine Of the
parents became drunkards, one commit
| ted suicide, and all came to penury. OF
some forty or fifty descendants, about
| twenty are known to be drunkards and
! gamblers, and dissolute. Four or five
have been in State prison. One fell in a
| duel Some are in the alms-hOuse. Only
| one became Christian, and he after first
/ having been Outrageously d1sslpated. The
| other five families that regarded the Sab
| bath were all prosperous. Eight or ten
| of the children are consistent members Of
! the church. Some Of them became officers
| in the church-one is q minister of the
| Gospel, one is a missionary to China. No
poverty among any of them. The home
| stead is uow in the hands of the third gen.
| GRAFTON. Those who have died have died
in the peace of the Gospel, oh, is there
nothing in a household that ren1emb
1
those who disregard this holy command
| ment can be prospered for this life or
have any good hope Of the life that is to
| come?
Again, we ought to have in the Sabbath
the JOY Of Christian assemblage. Where
| are ali Eh6se people going on the Sabbath?
You see them moving mp and down the
| streets. Is it a festal day? people might
| ask Has there been some public edict
l.. Al. 10 -, fnVeff fp
| Nos they are only worshipers of God who
are going to their places of religious serv-
ice. In what delicate scale shall / weigh
| the JOY of Christian conyOcatiOn! 1t gives
| brightness to the eye, and q flush to the
| cheek, and pf6scBre to the hand, and a
| thrill to the heart. You see the aged man
| tottering along on his staff rough the
| aisle. You see the little child lie by the
hand of its mother. You look around
| and reioice that this is the Lords day,
and this the communion of saints. "One
| Lord, one faith, one baptism" Some IA :
| miliar tune sets all the soul a-quivcr and
| a-quake with rapture. We plunge into
| some old hymn aud all our cares and anXi =
sites are bsthed off. The glorious Gospel
| transports us, the Spirit desce nds, Jesus
appears, and we feel tic bounding, spread
ing, electric JOY of Christian conVocatlon n.
look upon the Church Of God as one
vest bosanna. Joy dripping from the
baptisfflal font, joy glowing in the sacra-
| mental cup, Joy warbling in the anthem,
iov beating against the gate Of Heaven
with a hallel1iah like the voice of mighty
thunderings. Beautiful for situation
The iov ef the whole earth in Mount Zion.
It is the day and the place where Chris
reviews His troops, bringing them out in
comuanfes and regiments and b0ttaliOns
riding along the line, examining the bat
tle-worn flags If past combat, and cheer
ing them on to future victories. On the
Joy of Christian assemblage!
Iremark also, we are to have in this
day the joy Of eternal Sabbatism. do not
believe Il possible for any Christian e
| speud the Lords day here without think
ing of Heaven. There Is something IL
the gathering of people in church OF
earth to make one think Of the rapt as
sembIaae in the skies. There is some
fltinp in the song of the Christian churcl
TO make one think Of the song Of the ED
ers before the throne, the harpist and tn
, trumpeters Of God accompanying the har
, mony. The light Of better Sabbati
: glide the top Of this, and earth an
Heaven come within speaking distance o
T each other, the song of triumph wavin
! | backward and forward, now tossed up b
T the church of earth, now sent back by tn
! | church Of Heaven.
Day OF ali the week the best,
. Emblem of eternal rest.
4 The Christian man stands radiant in i
4 light. His bereft heart rejoices at th
d thought of q country where there is neitht
{ a coffin nor grave; this weary body GLOW
n at the idea Of a land where there are 7
e burdens to carry, and no exhaustive 1ou
i neys 10 take. He eats the grapes Of Esl
a col. He stands upon the mountain 4
N | and looks off upon the promised land.
is hears the call Of the eternal towers, al
-e the tramp Of the numberless multtui
x with sins forgiven. Let US rejoice and
~ glad in it. oh, ye who have been huntil
Tor Sunday pleasures in the street. ana