The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1895-02-08

vast majority OF those IN the cOn1ugal
relation chose the most appropriate
comPanionship and are happy in that
relation. You hear nothing of the
quietude and happiness OF such homes.
though nothing but death viii them
part.
But one sound of marital discord
makes the ears of a continent and per
haps a hemisphere, alert. The che
letter that ought never 10 have been
written, printed in a newspaper. makes
more talk than the millions of letters
that crowd the post offices and weigh
down the mail carriers with express
sions of honest love. TolstOi, the
great Russian author, is wrong when
he prints book for the depreciation
Of marriage, If your observa ton has
put you in an attitude OF deplora tion
for the marriage state, one or two
things is true in regard to you; you
have either been unfortunate in your
acquaintanceship, or you yourself are
morally rotten. The world, not as
rapidly as we would like, but still with
long strides, Is on the way to the
beautitudes and felicity which the BIZ
BILE depicts. The man who can not see
this is wrong, either in his heart, or
liver, or spleen. Look at the great
Bible picture gallery, where Isaiah has
set up the picture of arborescance,
girdling the world with cedar, and FIR,
and pine, and lockwood, and the lion
led by a child; and st. Johns pic
lures of waters and trees, and
white horse cavalry, and tears wiped
away, and trumpets blown, and harps
struck, and nations redeemed. While
there are ten thousand things do not
like, have not seen any discourage
ment for the cause OF God for twenty
five years. 1he kingdom is coming.
The earth is preparing TO put on bridal
array. We need TO be getting our an
thems and marches ready. In our
hymnology we shall have more use for
Antioch than for Windham; for Ariel
than for Naomi Let "Hark! from
the tombs q doleful cry" be sub
merged with 'Joy to the world, the
Lord is Gomez Really, If l thought
the human race were as determined to
be bad, and getting worse, as the pes
simists represent, would think it was
hardly worth saving If after hun.
dreds Of years OF gospelization no i'm
provement has been made, let us give
mp and go at something else besides
praying and preaching. Ny opinion IS
that if we had enough faith ii quick
results, and could go forth rightly
equipped with the Gospel call, the ba :
tie for God and righteousness would
end with this nineteenth century, and
the twentieth century. only five or
six years of, would begin the
millennium, and Christ would reign.
either in person on some throne set up
between the Alleghenies and the
Rockies, or in the institutions of mercy
and grandeur set up by His ransomed
people. Discouraged work will meet
with defeat. Expectant and buoyant
work will gain the victory.
We need a more cheerful front in all
our religious work. People have
enough trouble already, and do not
want to ship another cargo of trouble
in the shape of religiosity. If religion
has been to you peace, d defense, IN
inspiration, and Joy, say so. Say it
by word of mouth; by pen in your right
hand; by face illumined with n divine
satisfaction. If this world is ever to
be taken for God, it will not be by
grOans, but by hallelujahs. IL we
could present the Christian religion as
it really is, in its true attractiveness,
all the people would accept it, and ac-
cept il right away. The cities, the ma
tions would cry out: ''Give US that! Give
it to us in all its holy magnetism and
gracious powerl Put that salve on our
wounds! Throw back the shutters for
that morning light! Knock of these
chains with that silver hammer! Give
us Christ His pardon, His peace, His
comfort, His Heaven! Give US Christ in
song; Christ in sermon; Christ in book,
Christ in living example," AS a system
of didactics, religion has never gained
one inch of progress. As technical
ity, il befogs more than it irradi-
ates. As dogmatism, it is an
awful failure. But as a fact,
as n re-enfOrcemcnt, as a trans
fguratiOn, it is the mightiest
thing that ever descended from the
heavens, or touched the earth Ex-
emplify it in the life of good man or
q good woman, and no one can help
but like il. A city missionary visited
a house in London and found a sick
and dying boy. There was an orange
lying on his bed, and the missionary
said: Where did Won get that or
ange?" lie said: "A man brought IL
to me. He comes here often, and reads
the Bible TO me, and prays with me,
and brings me nice things to eat"
What is his name?7 said the city
missionary. 81 forget his name"
said the sick boy, but he makes
great speeches over in that great build
ing pointing to the parliament house
of London. The missionary asked:
WAS his name Mr.. Gladstone?7 ''Oh,
yes" said the boy, that is his name;
Mr. Gladstone" Do you tell me a man
can see religion like that aud not like
1t? There Is an Old-fashiOned mother
in farm house. Perhaps she is some
where in the seventies; perhaps seventy
five or seventy-six. 1t is the early
evening hour. Through spectaclcs No.
8 she is reading a newspaper until
toward bedtime, when she takes
up q well-worn book, called the
Bible. know from the illumination
IN her face she is reading one of the
thanksgiving Psalms, or in Revelation
the story of the twelve pearly gates
After awhile she closes the book, and
folds her hands, and thinks over the
past, and seems whispering the names
Of her children, some of them on earth
and some of them in Heaven. Now q
smile on her face, and now tear. and
sometimes She smile catches the tear.
The scenes of long life come