The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-07-08


one in the house you bow the shutters
or turn the lattice, so God in the after
noon shut the windows Of the world.
AS it is appropriate to throw a black
pail upon the coffin as it passes along,
SO 1t was appropriate that everything
should be somber that day as the
great hearse of the earth rolled on.
bearing the corpse of the King.
A mans last hours are ordi-
narily kept sacred. However you may
have hated or carics tured On man,
when you hear he is dying, silence puts
its hands ON your lips, and you would
have loathing for the msn who could
stand by death-bed malIiEg faces and
scoffing But Christ in His last hour
can not be left alone. What, pursuing
Him yet after SO long pursuit? You
have been drinking His tears. Do you
want to drink His blood? They ccme
up closely, so that notwithstanding the
darkness they can glut thcf~ revenge
with the contortions of His couhatenance.
They examine His feet. They want
to feel for themselves wheter
those feet are really spiked. They
put out their hands and touch
the spikes, and bring them back wet
with blood and wipe them on their gar
ments. Women stand there and weep
but can do no good. It is no place for
the tender-hearted women. 1t wants
heart that crime has turned into gra mite.
The waves of mans hatred and C hell's
vengeance dash up against the mangled
feet, and the hands of sin and pain and
torture clutch for His holy heart. Had
He not been thoroughly fastened to
the cross they would have torn
Him down, and trampled Him with
both feet How the cavalry horses
arched their necl1s and chanpedi
their bits, and reared and snuffed at
the blood! Had a Roman officer called
out for light, his voice would not have
been heard in the turnult; but louder
the clash of spears and the wailing Of
womanhood, and the neighing Of
charges, and the believing of the cru
offers there comes n voice crashing
through-loud, clear. overwhelming.
terrific. IL is the grooming of the dying
Son of Godl Look! what scene! Look,
world. at what you have donel
lift the covering from the maltreat
ed Christ to let you count the wounds
and estimate the cost. Oh, when the
nails went through Christ's right hand
and through Christ's left hand, that
bought both your hands with all their
power to work and lift and write; when
the nails went through Christ's right
foot and Christ's left foot, that bought
your feet with all their power to walk
or run or climb. When the thorn went
into Christ's temple, that bought your
brain with all it's power to think and
plan. When the spear cleft Christ's
side, that bought your heart with all its
power to love and repent and pray.
o, sinner, come, come back! If a
man is in no pain, if he is prospered, if
he is well, and he asks you to come, you
take your time and you say: 81 can't
come now. I'll come after awhile
There is no haste" But if he is In
want and trouble you say: 81 must go
right away. i must go now" To-day
Jesus stretches out before you two
wounded hands, and He begs you ia
come. Go and you live. Stay and
you die. Oh, that to Him who
bought us we might give all our time
and all our prayers and all our sue
ing else, but come to Christ. He is so
sympathizing. He is SO good. wish
we could put our arms around His neck
and say: Chine, Lord, will be for
ever" Oh, that you would begin to
love Him. Would that could take this
audience and wreath it around the
heart of my Lord Jesus Christ.
When the Atlantic cable was lost in
1865, do you remember that the Great
Eastern and the Midway and the Al
bany went out to find it? Thirty times
they sank the grapnel two and half
miles deep in water. After awhile they
found the cable and brought it to the
surface. No sooner had it been brought
to the surface than they lifted shout
of exultation, but the cable slipped back
again into the water and was lost.
Then for two weeks more they swept
the sea with the grappling-hoolzs;a and
at last they found the cable and they
brought it up in silence. They fastened
it this time. Then with great excite
ment they took one end of the cable to
the electricians room to see if there
were really any life in it, and when
they saw a spark and knew that mes
sage could be sent, then every hat was
lifted and the rockets flew and the guns
sounded, until all the vessels on the ex-
petition knew the work was done and
the continents were dashed together.
Well, my friends. Sabbath after Sab
bath Gospel messengers have come
searching down for your souls. We have
swept the sea with the grappling-hook
IF ChriStsS C0SpeI AGAIN and again we
have thought you were at the surface,
and we began to rejoice over
your redemption; but at the mo-
ment of our gladness you sank
back again into the world and back
again into sin. To-day we come with
this Gospel searching for your soul
We apply the cross of Christ first to
see whether there is any life left in
you, while all around the people stand.
looking to see whether the work
will be done, and the angels
of God bend down and witness;
and oh! if now we could
see only one spark of love and hope
and faith we would send up shout
that would be heard on the battle
ments of Heaven and two worlds
would keep jubilee because commune
cation is open between Christ and the
soul, and your nature that has been
sunken in sin has been lifted into the
light and the joy of the Gospel
Prepare for Death ms for Journey.
The proper way of looking upon
death is to regard It as part of life. It
means transition IT'S transfer-wo