The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-02-19


mendous power, when the wheels
have such vastness of circle and
such swiftness of motion and the least
impeachment might put it out of gear,
could only be kept in proper balance
by Divine hand. No human power
could engineer this train of immortal IA
culties.. How strange it is that our MEM
DRY on whose shoulders all the successes
and misfortunes and occurrences of a
lifetime are placed, should not oftener
break down, and that the scales OF
Judgment. which have been weighing
SO much and SO long, should not lose
their adjustment, and that fancy.
which holds dangerous wand, should
not sometimes malicious1y wave 1t,
bringing into the heart forebodings
and Authorizations the most appalling.
is it not strange that the expectations
of this intellect should not be dashed
to pieces on its disappointsnents?
How many fine intellects are being
destroyed by anodynes and ansesthetics,
which were given by Providence for
occasional use in alleviattaR of pain or
insomnia, but by being employed con-
tinuously after awhile capture and de-
stroy. Choral, cocaine, bromide of
potassium, opium and whole shelves of
seductive ct ceteras that help turn
acknowledgements into imbecility or
madness Do not trife with opiates
that benumb the brain. If you can not
live without the perpetual and enslav-
ing use of them, you had better die.
Better die sane man than live a fool.
What right have you to kill your brain.
and put in wild jangle your nervous
system? But rum is the cause of more
insanity than anything else. There is
nothing like rum to put a man, like
Nebuchadnezzar, down on all-fours.
Again. learn how quickly turns the
wheel of fortune; from how high up to
how far down went Nebuchadnezzar.
Those now in places of position and
power, even though they should live,
will, in few years, be disregarded,
while some, who, this day are obscure
and poverty-stricken, will ride up on
the shoulders of the people to take
their turn at admiration and the spoils
of office. Oh, how quickly the wheel
turns! Ballot boxes are the steps on
which men come down as often as they
GO up. OF those who were a few years
ago successful in the accumulation Of
property, how few have not met
with reverses of fortune, while
many of those who then were straitened
in circumstances now hold the bonds
and the bank keys of the nation, and
win the most bows on the exchange
OF all tickle people in the world Fortune
S1@ l. .<NcA~ E01rl \
her mind, and woe to that man who
puts any confidence in what she prom
ises or proposes. She cheers when you
go up, and she laughs when you come
down. Oh, trust not moment your
hearts affections to this changeable
world. Anchor your soul in God From
Christ's love gather your joy. Then
come sorrow or gladness, success or de-
feat, riches or poverty, honor or dis
grace, health or sickness, life or death,
time or eternity, all are yours, and ye
are Christ's and Christ is Gods.
Take this goodly religion which has
done SO much for me that can COM
mend it to all. Without it I should
have gone the whole downward career.
Stolid and phlegmatic natures going
astray do not go SO far, but natures
like mine-sanguine, intense, emotion
al, optimistic, social to the last degree,
and echoing to all the heights and
depths of mirth il they get off the
track they go with one wild leap to hell.
AS to the restraining power of this re-
Hgion upon mercurial temperament, I
testify. This is not abstraction or some
thing gotten from books. ] speak of
what know. Go out and ask all who
have tried this religion and ask them
how it works. Three young men in a
factory came out on the Lords side,
but two of them, overcome by the jeers
of their comrades, went back and
joined the scoffers. The one held on
to his Christian hope, and one day,
when they pressed him hard and were
telling how much infidelity had done
for the world and that Christianity had
done nothing, the prosecuted Christian
turned upon them, and, pointing
to Henry and George, who had
for a little while followed Christ
and then turned back, he said:
"You have tried your principles on
them, and know what they have done
for them. When they tried to serve
Christ they were civil, good-tempered.
kind husbands and fathers. They were
cheerful, industrious and ready to
oblige. What have you made them?
Look and see. They are cast down and
cross; their months are full of cursing
and filthiness; they are drunk every
week; their children half clothed, their
wives broken-hearted, their homes
wretched. That is what your principles
have done. Now, have tried Christ
and HIS religion, and what has
it done for me? You know well
what / used to be. There was
none of you that could drink so
much, swear so desperately and fight
so mastery. I had no money, and mo-
body would trust me. My wife was ILL
used. / was ill-humored, hateful and
hating. What has religion done for
me? Thank God am not afraid to put
it to you. Am 1 not happier man
than / was? Am ] not better work.
man and kinder companion? Would
once have put up with what / now
bear from you? ] could beat any of
you as easily now as ever. Why don't
I? DO you ever hear foul word from
my mouth? Do you catch me at a
public house? Has any body score
against me? Go and ask nay neigh
bors il / am not altered for the
better. Go and ask my wife. Let my
house bear witness. God be praised.
here is what Christianity has done for
for Henry and George" Ont Of this