The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1889-05-17

I
| your life became the subject of mutual
consultation and advisement You were
so happy you felt you never could be any
| happier. One day a dark cloud lowered
| over your dwelling, and it got darker and
| darker, but out of that cloud the shining
messenger of God descended to incarnate
an immortal spirit Two little feet start
ed on an eternal journey, and you were to
lead them-a gem to flash in Heavens
co-onet, and you to polish it; eternal ages
of tight and darkness watching the start
ing out of a newly created creature. You
rejOiced and you trembled at the respon-
sibility that in your possession an I'M
mortal treasure was placed. You prayed
and rejOiced, and wept and wondered;
you we're earnest in duplication that you
might lead it through life into the King
dom of God.
There was a tremor IN our earnest
ness. There was a double interest abo ut
that home. There was an additional in
terest why you should stay there and be
faithful, and when in a few months your
house was filed with the music Of the
child's laughter, you were struck through
with the fact that you had a stupendOus
mission. Have you kept that vow? Have
you neglected any of these duties? Is
your home as much to you as it used to
be? Have those anticipations been graft
} ,
"reminiscences, and let His mercy fall upon
your soul if your kindness has been ILL
requited. God have mercy on the parent
on the wrinkles OF whose face is written
the story of a child's sin. God have
mercy on the mother who, in addition to
her other pangs, has the pangs of chiId's
iniquitY. Oh, there are many, many sad
sounds in this sad world, but the saddest
sound that is ever heard is the break
Tv0cr Of
here who remember that in that home
they were unfaithful? Are there those
who wandered off from that early home,
and left the mother to die with broken
heart? Oh, stir that "Reminiscences to-
day.
aud another point in your life history.
You found one day you were in the wrong
road; you couldn't sleep at night; there
was just one word that seemed to sob
through your banking house or through
your office, or through your shop, or your
| bedroom, and that word was Eternity"
You said: 81 am not ready for it. o, God,
have mercy" The Lord heard. Peace
| came to your heart. In the breath of the
hill and the waterfalls dash you heard
the voice of Gods love; the clouds and
the trees hailed you with gladness; you
came into the house of God.
You remember how your hand trembled
as you took up the cup of the communion.
! You remember the old minister who con-
| secrated it. and you remember the church
officials who carried it through the aisle;
| you remember the old people who at the
| close Of the service took your and in
theirs in congratulating sympathy, as
much as to say: 'Welcome home, you
| lost prodiga1;" and though those hands
are all withered away, that communion
| Sabbath is resurrected this morning; it is
resurrected with all it's prayers, and
songs, and tears, and sermons, and trans
fgurations. Have you kept those VOWS?
Have you been q backslider? God help
you. This day kneel at the foot of mercy
and start again for Heaven. Start to-day
as you started then. 1 rouse your soul
by that reminiscence. But l must not
spend any more of my time in going over
the advantages Of your life. | just put
them all in one great sheaf, and / wrap
them up in your memory with one loud
harvest song, such as the reapers sing.
Praise the Lord, ye blood bought immor-
tails of earthl Praise the Lord, we
crowned spirits of Hsavenl
But some Of you have not always had
smooth life. Some Of you are now in the
| shadow. Others had their troubles years
ago; you are mere wreck of what you
once were. 1 must gather up the sorrows
of your past life; but how shall do it?
You say that is impossible, as you have
had so many troubles and Universities.
Then wiz just take two, the first trouble
and the last trouble. As when you are
walking along the street and there has
been music in the distance, you uncon-
sciOusly find yourselves keeping step to
the music, so when you started life your
very life was a musical time beat. The
air was full Of Joy and hilarity; with the
bright, clear oar you made the boat skip;
you went on, and life grew brighter until
after awhile suddenly a voice from
Heaven said: HALT" aud quick as the
sunshine you halted; you grew pale, you
confronted your first sorrow. You had no
idea that the flush on your child's cheek
was an unhealthy flush. You said it can't
be any thing serious. Death, in slippered
feet, walked round about the cradle. You
did not hear the tread; but after awhile
the truth flashed on you. You walked
the floor. Oh, if you could, with your
strong, stout hand, have wrenChed that
chilli from the destroyer. You went to
your room and you said: "God, save my
child! God, save my child" The world
seemed going out in darkness. You said:
81 can't bear it; 1 can't bear it." You
! felt ds if you could not put tho long lasbes
| over the bright eyes, never to see them
again sparkle. Oh, If you could have
taken that little one in your arms and
=
would have done it! Oh, if you could let
| your property go, your houses go, your
! land and your stOrchOuse go, how gladly
you would have allowed them to depart if
| you could only have kept that one treas
urel
But one day there arose from the
heavens q chill blast that swept over the
bedroom, and instantly all the light went
out and there was darkness-thrck,
murky, imponetrablo, shuddering dark
ness Bat God didn't leave you there.
Mercy spoke. As you took up the cup,
and was about 10 put it to your lips, God
said, LET it pass" and forthwith, as by
the hand of angels, another cup was put
into your hands; it was the cup of Gods
! consolation. And as you have some
times lifted the head OF a wounded sol
der and poured wine to his lips, so God
put His left arm under your head and with
His right hand He poured into your lips
the wine of His comfort and His cousOla
ton, and you looked at the empty cradle
and looked at your broken heart, and you
looked at the Lords chastisement, and
said: Even so, Father, for it seemeth
| good in Thy sight"
| All, it was your first trouble. How did
/ you get over il? God comforted you. You
/ have been better man ever since. You
have been a better woman ever since. In
| the jar of the closing gate Of the sepuloher
| you heard the changing of the opening
! gate of Heaven, and you felt an irresisti-
/ Bile drawing heavenward. You have been
| purer of mind ever since that night when
the little one for the last time put its arms
around your neck aud said: ''GoOd
night papa; good night mamma
Meet me in Heaven" Bat 1 must
come on down to your latest sor-
row. What was it? Perhaps 1t was
your own sickness. The child's
| tread on the stair, or the tick-of the watch
| on the stand disturbed you. Through the
! long weary days you counted the figures
/ in the carpet or the flowers in the wall
/ paper. Oh, the WEAKNESS, the exhaustion