The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1895-05-10

usi Oh, Lord, throw the lap of Thy
cloak over these poor things!" And
instantly Scotch mist enveloped and
hid the prosecuted from their persecu-
tors-the promise literally fulfilled.
while they are yet speaking will
hear"
Have you ever tried the power of
prayer? God says: He is loving and
faithful and patient" Do you believe
that? You are told that Christ came
to save sinners. Do you believe that2
You arc told that all you have TO do to
get the pardon of the Gospel is TO
ask for 1t. Do you believe that2 Then
come to him and sayi ''Oh, bOrdi /
know thou canst not lie. Thou hast
told me to come for pardon, and l
could get it. / come, Lord. Keep thy
promise, and liberate my captive
soul"
Oh, that you might have an altar in
the parlor, in the kitchen. in the store,
in the barn, for Christ will be willing
to come again to the manger to hear
prayer. He would come to your place
of business, as he confronted Matthew,
| the tax commissioners. IL measure
should come before congress that you
thought would ruin the nation, how
you would send in petitions and re-
monstrancesl And yet there has been
enough sin in your heart to ruin it for
ever, and you never demonstrated or
petitioned againstit. If your physical
health failed, and you had the means,
you would go and spend the summer
in Germany, and the winter in Italy,
and you would think it very cheap
outlay if you had to go all around the
earth to get back your physical health.
Have you made any effort, any ex-
penditure, any exertion for your i'm
mortal and spiritual health?
Oh, that You might now begin to
seek after God with earnest prayer.
Some of you have been working for
years and years for the support of
your families. Have you given one
half day to the working out of your
salvation with fear and trembling2
You came here with an earnest pur-
pose, take it, as have come hither
with an earnest purpose, and we meet
face to face. and tell you first of all,
if you want to find the Lord, you must
pray, and pray and pray.
When people are anxious about their
souls, there are those who recommend
good books. That is all right But
want to tell you that the Bible is the
best book under such circumstances.
Baxter wrote "A Call to the UncOn-
VERIFIED" but the Bible is the best call
to the unconverted. Philip Doddridge
wrote 1.-THE Rise and Progress of Re-
liEion In the Soul, but the Bible is the
best rise and progress. John Angel
James wrote Advice to the Anxious
Inquirer" but the Bible is the best ad-
vice to the anxious inquirer
Oh, the Bible is the very book you
need, anxious and inQuiring soul! A
dying soldier said to his mate: Com
rade, give me a dropI" The comrade
shook up the canteen and said: There
isn't drop of water in the canteen."
"Oh," said the dying soldier, that's
not what want; feel in my knapsacI1
for my Bible" and his comrade found
the Bible, and read him a few of the
gracious promises, and the dying
soldier said: "Ah, that's what / want.
There's isn't anything like the Bible
for dying soldier, is there, my com
rade?" Oh, blessed book while we
livel Blessed book when we diet
remark again, you must seek the
Lord through Bible study. The Bible
is the newest book in the world. "Oh,"
you say, lit was made hundreds of
years ago, and the learned men of King
James translated it hundreds of years
ago." / confute that idea by telling
you it is not five minutes old, when
God, by his blessed spirit, retranslates
it into the heart. If you will, in the
seeking of the way of life through
Scripture study, implore Gods light to
fall upon the page, you will find that
these promises are not one second old,
and that they drop straight from the
throne of God into your heart.
There are many people to whom the
Bible does not amount to much. If
they merely look at the outside beauty,
why it will no more lead them to
Christ than Washington's farewell ad-
dress or the Koran of Mohammed, or
the Shaster of the Hindoos. 1t is the
inward light of Gods word you must
get. / went up to the Church of Made
leine, in Paris, and looked at the
doors which were the most wonder
fully constructed / ever saw, and
could have stayed there for a whole
week; but had only little time, so
having glanced at the wonderful carv-
ing on the doors. 1 passed in and
looked at the radiant affairs, and the
sculptured dome. Alas, that so many
stop at the outside door of Gods holy
word, looking at the rhetorical beau
ties, instead of going in and looking
at the affairs of sacrifice and the dome
of Gods mercy and salvation that
hovers over penitent and believing
soulsl
Oh, my friends! If you merely want
to study the laws of language, do not
go to the Bible. 1t was not made for
that Take "Howe's Elements of
Criticism"-it will be better than the
Bible for that If you want to study
metaphysics, better than the Bible
will be the writings of William Hamil-
ton. But if you want to know how to
have sin pardoned, and at last gain
the blessedness of Heaven. search the
Scriptures, ''for in them We have
eternal life"
L remark again, we must seek God
through church ordinances. What"
say you, cant man be saved without
going to church," l reply, there are
men, suppose, in glory. who have
never seen a church, but the church is
the ordained means by which we are
to be brought to God; and if truth af-
fects us when we are alone, it affects