The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1889-06-14


A policeman has come in, and, leaning
over, has tapped on the shoulder of a
young man, saying: 81 want you, sir"
He has not worked during the day, but
somehow has raked together a shilling or
two to get into the top gallery. He is an
idler. The man on his right hand is an
idler and the man on his left hand is an
idler,
Shrink back from idleness in yourself
and in others if you would maintain q
right position. Good old Ashbel Green,
at more than eighty years of age, was
found busy writing, and some young man
said to him: ''Why do you keep busy?
1t is time for you to rest" He answered:
81 keep busy to keep out CT ischief."
No man is strong enough to be idle.
Are you fenG Of pictures? If so, l will
show you one of the works of an old mas
ter. Here it is: 81 went by the field Of
the slothful, and by the vineyard of the
man void of understanding, and lOl it
was all grown over with thorns, and net
ties had covered the face thereof, and the
stone wall was broken down. Then saw
and considered well. 1 looked upon it,
and received instruction. Yet little
sleep, a little slumber. a little folding Of the
hands to sleep. So shall thy poverty come
as one that traveleth and thy want as
an armed man." / don't know of another
sentence in the Bible more explosive than
that 1t first Kisses softly, like the fuse of
cannon, and at last bursts like fifty
four FOUNDER. The old proverb was right;
''The devil tempts most men, but 1dlers
tempt the devil" A young man came to
man of ninety years of age and said to
him: CHOW have you made out to live so
long and be so well?" The old man took
the yOungster to an orchard and, point
ing to some large trees full Of apples,
said: II planted these trees when was
boy, and do you wonder that row ! am
permitted to gather the fruit of them?'
We gather in cid age what we plant in
our youth, Sow to the wind and we reap
the Whirlwind. Plant in early life the
right kind of Christian character, and
you viii eat luscious fruit in old age, and
gather these harvest apples in eternity.
Again, urge you to avoid the perpetual
| pleasure seeker. l believe in recreation
and amusement. I need it as much as !
need bread, and go TO my daily exercise
with az conscientious a purpose as l go
TO the Lords Supper; and all persons of
sanguine temperament must have amuse-
ment and recreation. God would not
have made us with the capacity to laugh
if He had not intended US sometimes to
indulge it. God hath hung in sky, and
set in wave, and printed on grass many a
roundelay; but he who chooses pleasure
seeking for his life work does not under
stand for what God made him.
Our amusements are intended to
help US in some earnest mission.
The thunder-clo hath an edge exquis-
/ itely purpled, but, with voice that jars the
earth, it declares: Il go to water the
green fields" The wild flowers under
/ the fence are gay, but they say: "We
/ stand here to make a beautiful edge
| pOT +6o RI hp
! husbandmen in their incoming" The
! stream sparkles and foams, and frolics,
! and says: 81 go to baptize the moss.
! leave the spots on the trout. l Stake the
thirst of the bird. I turn the wheel Of the
mill. l rock in my crystal cradle muck
| shaw and water lily" And so, while the
world plays, it works. Look out for the
man who always plays and never works
You will do we'll to avoid those whose
regular business it is to play ball. skate
or go a boating. All these sports are
grand in their places. l never derived sc
much advantage from any ministerial
! association as from q ministerial club
that went out to play ball every Satur-
day afternoon in the outskirts of Phila-
| delphia. These recreatiOns are grand tC
! give US muscle and spirit for our regular
toll. / believe in muscular Christianity
y man is not so near God with a veal
stomach as when he has a strong
digestion. But shun those who make
it their life occupation to sport
! There are young men whose industry and
| usefulness have fallen overheard from
| the yacht on the Hudson or the Schuyl
! kill. There are men whose business fel
! through the ice of the skating pond, ant
has never since been heard of. There il
a beauty in the gliding of boat in thu
song of skates, in the soaring of well
| struck ball, and never see one fly but
| Involuntary throw up nv hsz.s5ss 10 catcl
=, and, SO far as laying en- INDUCTION upo1
! ball playing, or any other innocent sport
I claim them all as belonging of right t.
! those of US who toll in the grand indus
tries of Church and State.
But the life business of pleasure seek
ing always makes in the end a crimina
or a sot. George Brummell was smiled
upon by all England and his life was
! given to pleasure. He danced with peer
| esses, and swung round of mirth anC
| wealth and applause, until exhausted o.
purse and worn out of body, and bank
rupt of reputation, and ruined of soul, b.
! begged a biscuit from a grocer, and de
clared that he thought a dogs life bette
than a mans. Such men will crow
around your desk or counter or wOrl
bench or seek to decOy you of. The.
| will want you to break out in the midst o
your busy day to take ride with them t
Coney Island or to Central Park. The,
will tell you Of some people you ought t
see; of some excursion that you must take
OF some Sabbath Day that you ought {
dishonoR. They will tell you of exquisit
wines that you must take; of cOstl
| operas that you must hear; of wonderful
dancers that you must see; but before
you accept their convoy or their com
panionship remember that while at tn
end of a useful life you may be able t.
look back to kindnesses done, to honor
able work accomplished, to povert
helped, to a.gOod name earned, to Chris
tian influence exerted, to a Saviour
cause advanced-these pleas ure- seeker
on their death bed have nothing better t
review than torn play bill, a ticket 70
the races, an empty tankard and tn
cast-out rinds of a earousal; and as Il
the delirium of their awful death the.
clutch the goblet and press it to their lips
the dregs Of the cup falling upon thei
tongue will begin to hiss and uncon wit
the adders of an eternal poison.
) Cast out these men from your compan!
| Do not be intimate with them. Away
be polite. There is no demand that 70
ever sacrifice pOTiteness. A young ma
accosted a Christian Quaker with: ''Ol
chap. how did you make all your money?
Inc quaker rep1ed: by ueal1ng III
article that thou mayest deal in if tho
wilt-civility." Always be courtroom
but at the same time firm. Say no as
you meant it. Have it understood
store, and shop, and street, that you WI
not stand in the companionship of til
skeptic, the idle, the pleasure-seeke'
Rather than enter the companionship {
such, accept the invitation to a bette
feast. The promises of God are th
fruits. The harps Of Heaven are the mu
sic. Clusters from the vineyards of Go
have been pressed into the tankard
The sons and daughters of the Lord A