The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1894-02-23

Cham berS' malfOrmatlOn of feet to
make him the literary conqueror. 1t
was bereavement that brought Will
liam Haworth of Wesley's time from
wickedness to an evangelism that won
many thousands for Heaven. The
world would never have known what
heroic stuff Ridley was made of had
not the fires been kindled around his
feet, and, not liking their slow work,
he cried: II can not burn; let the fire
come to me; l can not burn" Thank
God that there are gems that unfold
their best glories under the lamp
light! Thank God for the ruby!
Moreover, am sure that Solomon
was right in saying that religion, or
wisdom. is better than rubies, from the
fact that a thing is worth what il will
fetch Religion will fetch solid hap
piness, and the ruby will not. In all
your observation did you ever find a
person thoroughly felicitated by an
encrustment of jewels? AS you know
more of yourself than anyone else are
you happier now with worldly adOrn-
ments and successes than before you
won them? Does the picture that cost
you hundreds or thousands of dollars
on your wall bring you as much salts
faction as the engraving that at the
expense of five dollars was hung
upon the wall when you first be-
gan to keep house? Do all the cut
iery and rare plate that glitter on your
extension dining-tab bic surrounded by
f1attering guests contain more real
bliss than the plain ware of the first
table, at which only two sat? Does a
wardrobe crowded with costly attire
give you more satisfaction than your
first clothes-closet with its four or five
pegs? Did not the plain ring set on
the third finger of your left hand on
the day of your betrothal give more
gladness than the ruby that is now en-
throned on the third finger of your
right hand2 If in this journey of life
we have learned anything, we have
learned that this world neither
with its emoluments nor gains
can satisfy the soul. Why, here
comes as many witnesses as 1
wish to call to the stand to testify that
before high Heaven and the world, in
cOmpanionship with Jesus Christ and
good hope of Heaven, they feel a JOY
larly fail to express. Sometimes it
evidences itself in CALCULATIONS of ho-
sauna; sometimes in doxology; some
times in tears. A converted native of
India in a letter said: "How I long
for my bed, not that may sleep; lie
awake often and long, but to hold
sweet communion with my God" If so
mighty is worldly joy that Julius
H., hearing his armies were triumph
ant, expired; and if Talva hearing
that the Roman senate has decreed
him an honor, expired; and if Diony-
sius and Sophocles overcome of joy,
expired, and if shipwrecked purser
waiting on the coast Guinea in want
and starvation at the sight of vessel
bringing relief, fell dead from shock
of delight; is it any surprise to you
that the joys of pardon and Heaven
rolling over the soul should sometimes
be almost too much for the Christian
to endure and live? An aged aunt said
to me: "De Witt, three times I have
tainted dead away under too great
Christian Joy. 1t was in all three
cases at the Holy Communion" An
eminent Christian man while in prayer
said: stop, Lord, l can not bear
any more of this gladness: it is
too much for mortal. Withhold! With
hold!' We have heard of poor work
men or workwomen getting letter
suddenly telling them that a fortune
had been left them, and how they were
almost beside themselves with glec,
taking the first ship to claim the es-
tate. But, oh, what it is to wake up
out of the stupor of sinful life aud
pardoning grace find that all our earth
" existence will be divineiy managed
for our best welfare, and that then all
Heaven will roll in upon the soul.
Compared with that a spring morn
ing is stupid, and an August
sunset is insane, and an aurora has no
pillared splendor, and a diamond has
no flash, and a pearl no light, and
beryl no aquamarine, and a ruby no
ruddiness. My gracious Lord! My
glorious God! My precious Christ!
Roll over on us few pillows of that
rapture. And now ask you as fair
minded men and women, accustomed
to make comparisons, is not such JOY
as that worth more than anything one
can have in a ieweled casket? Was
not Solomon right when he said:
"Wisdom is better than rubies?"
In olden time, Scotland was disturbed
by freebooters and pirates. To rid
the seas and ports of these desperadoes
the hero, William Wallace, fitted out
merchant vessel, but filed it with armed
men and put out to sea. The pirates
with their flag inscribed of a deaths
head, thinking they would get an easy
prize bore down upon the Scottish
merchantmen, when the armed
men of Wallace boarded the
craft of the pirates and put
them in chains, and then sailed for
port under the Scotch flag flying. And
so our souls assailed of sin and death
and held through Christ are rescued,
and the black flag of sin is torn down
and the striped flag of the cross is
hoisted. Blessed be God for any sign,
for any signal, for any precious stone
that brings to mind the price paid for
such a rescue!
I like the coral. for it seems the
solidified foam of breakers; and l like
the jasper, for it gathers seventeen
colors into its bosom; and | like the
Jet, for it congresses the shadows of
many midnights; and / like the chryso-
prase, because its purple is illumined
with a small Heaven of stars; and
like the chrysolite for its waves of
color, which seem on fire. But this
morning nothing so impresses me as
the ruby, for it depicts, it typifes, it
s,,o1aS+S ssThe blood of JeSuS Christ |