The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1894-02-09

.e .. .".. $50 mann. sermons drop ..H.
that Christian songs do not get tnca
wing under the re1r.r-lh7l SOD often
l-a.r-. 500. ao Al-al Uaau hunter s.
-hGllC12- i Is because there Is = link
wanting-the work of the Holy Spirit.
Unless that spirit give graphing hooks
to sermon, and lift the prayer, and
watt the song, everything Is dead
failure. That spirit is willing to
come at our call and lead you
to eternal life; or ready to come with
the same power with which He un-
horsed Saul on the Damascus turnpike,
and broke down Lydia in her fine
store, and lifted the three thousand
from midnight into midnoon at the
Pentecost. With that power the spirit
of God now beats at the gate CT your
soul Have you hot noticed what
homsly and Insignificant instrumental
ity the spirit Of God employs for mans
conversion? There was a man on Hud-
son river boat to whom tract was Of
fered. With indignation he tore itup and
threw it overheard. Brture fragment
lodged on his coatsleeve; and he saw
on it the word eternity" and he
found no peace until he was prepared
for that great future. Do you know
what passage it was that caused Mar
tin Luther TO see the trutho aThe
Just shall live by faith. /" Do yon
know there is ,one-lust one-passage
that brought Augustine from life
CT dissipation? "Put We on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and make no provision
for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof
1t was just one passage that converted
Hedley Wears, the great soldier; to
Christ. The blood Of Jesus Chfist
cleanseth from all sin. - DO you know
that the Holy Spirit used one passage
of Scripture to save Jonathan Ed
wards? Now, unto the King, eternal,
immortal, invisible, the only wise
God, cur Saviour, &c glory" One year
ago on Thanksgiving day, I read for
my text: 80 give thanks unto the
Lord for He is good; for His mercy
endureth forever" And there is a
young man in the house to whose
heart the Holy Spirit took that text
for His eternal redemption. hight
speak OF ny own case. / will tell you
was brought to the peace of the Cos
pei through the Syro-Phenician wom-
ans cry to Christ: even the dogs cat
of the crumbs that fall from the Mas
ter's table,
Do you know that the holy spirit al
most always uses insignificant means?
Eloquent sermons never save anybody;
metaphysical sermons never save any
body; philosophical sermons tiever SAFE
anybody; Eut the minister comes
Some Sabbath to his pulpit, worn out
with engagements and the jangling of
a frenzied door-bell; he has only a
text and two or three ideas, bat he
says; so lord, help me. Here
are a good many people i
may never meet again. ] have not
much to say. Speak thou through my
poor lips" And before the service Is
done there are fearful 9vgs and 4
soletihity like the judgment. The
great French orator, when the dead
king lay before him, looked up and
cried: God only is great and the tri-
umpb of his eloquenec has beer told
by the histofiah6. But have not
heard that one soul was saved
by the oratorical flourish. Worldly
critics may think that the early preach
ing of Thomas Chalmers was master
piece. But Thomas Chalmers SAYS he
never began to preach until he came
ott of the sick room, white and ENACT
ated, and told men the simple story of
Jesus. In the great day of eternity, it
will be found that the most suels have
been brought &c Christ, not by the
Bossuets and Afassillons and Bourda-
lOues, but by humble men. who, in the
strength of God, and believing in
the eternal spirit, invited men
10 Jesus. There were wise
were excellent ONT
nents, suppose, in the time Of Christ
for blind or infiamed eEes but Jesus
burned His tack upon them, and put
bhe tip of His finger to His tongue, and
then, with the spittle that adhered to
the finger, He anointed the eyes of the
blind man, and daylight poufed into
his blinded soul. So it is now that the
spirit of God takes that'humble prayet-
meeting talk, which seems TO be
the very saliva of Christian in
1nence, and anoints the eyes of the
blind, and pours the sunlight of pardon |
and peace upon the soui Oh, my
friend, wish we could feel it more and |
more, that if any good is done it is by |
.he power of Gods omnipotent spirit. |
do not know what hymn may bring |
7ou to Jesus. do not know what |
words of the Scripture lesson read may |
save your soul. Perhaps the spirit of |
iod may hurl the very text into your
ieart: Come, for all things are now
'eady."
Again, the church is ready. Oh, |
man, ! could take the curtain OF these |
Christian hearts, I should show YOU
4 great many anxieties for your re- /
lemption. You think that old man is
sleep, because his head is down and
lis eyes are shut. Nc; he is praying
or your redemption, and hoping that