The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1893-08-18


tan altar at which you were taught to
kneel; thank God for an early Chris
tian home
bring to mind another passage in
the history of your life. The day came
when you set up your own household.
The days passed along i'm quiet blessed
ness You twain sat at the table morn
ing and night and talked over your
plans for the future The most insig-
niicant affair in your life became the
subject of mutual consultation and adj
visement- You were so happy you felt
you never could be any happier. One
day dark cloud lowered over your
dwelling, and it got darker and darker;
but out of that cloud the shining mes
senger of God descended to incarnate
an immortal spirit. Two little feet
started on an eternal journey, and you
were to lead them; gem to fash in
Heavens coronet, and you to polish it;
eternal ages of light and darkness
watching the starting out of newly
created being.
You rejoiced and you trembled at the
responsibility that in your possession
an immortal treasure was placed You
prayed and rejoiced, and wept and
wondered, and prayed and rejoiced, and
wept and wondered; you were earnest
in duplication that yon might lead it
through life into the kingdom of God
There was a tremor in your earnest
ness There was a double interest
about that home. There was an addi-
tional interest 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 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
fed? God help you to-day in your
solemn reminisence, and let His mercy
fall upon your soul if your kindness
has been ill requited. God have mercy
on the parent, Oh the wrinkles of whose
face is written the story of child's
sin. God have mercy on the mother
who, in addition to her other pangs,
has the pang of child's iniquity. Oh,
there are many, many sad sounds in
this sad world, but the saddest sound
that is ever heard is the breaking of
mothers heart Are there any here
who remember that in that home they
were unfaithful? Are there those who
wandered off from the early home, and
left the mother to die with broken
heart? Oh, l stir that Renaissance
to-day.
/ find another point in your life his
tory. You found one day you were in
the wrong road; you could not sleep at
night; there was just one word that
seemed to throb through your banking
house, or through your office, or your
shop, or your bedroom, and that word
was Eternity" You said: 81 am not
ready for it. 0 God, have mercy" The
Lord heard. Peace came to your heart.
You remember how your hand trembled
as you took the cup of the holy COM
munion. You remember the old
minister who consecrated 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 hand in theirs in congratu-
lating sympathy, as much as to say,
''Welcome home, you lost prodigal;"
and though those hands have all with
cred away, that communion Sabbath
is resurrected to-day; it is resurrected
with all its prayers, and songs, and
tears, and sermons, and transfigura-
ton. Have you kept those vows?
Have you been backslider? God help
you? This day kneel at the foot of
mercy and start again for Heaven.
Start to-day as you started then. /
rouse your soul by that Renaissance.
But / 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 bind them up in your
memory with one loud harvest song
such as reapers sing. Praise the Lord,
We blood-bought mortals on earthl
Praise the Lord, We crowned spirits of
Heavenl
But some of you have not always had
a 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. / must gather
up the sorrows of your past life, but
how shall do it? You say that is inn
possible, as you have had SO many
troubles and universities. Then | will
take just 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-
find yourself keeping step to the
music, so when you started life your very
life was 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" and
you halted, you grew pale, you con-
fronted your first sorrow. You had no
idea that the flush on you child's cheek
was an unhealthy flush. You said it
can not be anything serious. Death in
slippered feet walked around about
the cradle. You did not hear the tread;
on you. You walked the floor. Oh.
if you could, with your strong, stout
hand, have wrenched the child from
the destroyer. You went to your room
and you said: God, save nv child!
God, save my childl" The world seemed
going out in darkness. You said: II
can not bear it. i can not bear it,"
You felt as il you could not put the
lashes over the bright eyes never to see
them again sparkle. Oh, if you could
have taken that little one in your arms
and with il leaped into the grave, how
gladly you would have done it. Oh, if
you could have let your property go,
your houses go, your land and your
e4o.-e-ho,,Sa er, how GLADLY Won would