The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1895-10-18


when that was DESTROYED. in arissvcr To
the prayer of the Christian, the sick
man got we'll.
Many man has awakened in his dy-
ing hour to find his sins all about him.
They clambered up on the right side OF
the bed; and on the left side, and over
the headboard. and over the footboard,
and horribly devoured the soul.
Repent the voice celestial cries,
Nor longer dare delay,
The wretch that scorns the mandate dies
And meets fiery day.
Again, we need believing heart A
good many years ago a weary one
went up one Of the hills of Asia Minor,
and with two logs on His back cried
out to ali the world, Offering to carry
their sins and sorrows They pursued
Him. They slapped Him in the face.
They Knocked Him. When lie Froaned
they EroAned. They shook their fists
at Him. They spat on Him. They
bounded Him as though He were a
wild beast. His healing of the sick,
His sight-giving to the blind, His
mercy to the outcast, silenced not the
revenge of the world. His prayers
and benedictiohs were lost in that
whirlwind of execration: Away with
Him! Away with HimP'
All! it was not merely the two pieces
of wood that lie carried; it was the
transgressiOns of the race. the an
guish of the ages, the wrath of God,
the sorrows of hell, the stupendous in
terests of an amending eternity. No
wonder His back bent No wonder
the blood started from every pore. No
wonder that He cfouched under tor
! tufe that made the sun faint, and the
; Everlasting hills tremble, and the dead
rush up in their winding sheets as He
cried: IF it be possible, let this
| cup pass from me-" But the cup did
not pass. None to comfort
They have some old wine in Heaven,
not used except in rare festivities. In
! this world, those who are accustomed
to use wine on great occasions bring
out the beverage and say: This wine is
thirty years DID," or forty years old. >"
| But the wine Of Heaven is more than
eighteen centuries old. 1t was pre-
| pared at the time when Christ trod the
wine-press alone. When such grievous
sinners as we come back. methinks
| the chamberlain of Heaven cries
out to the servants: "This is unusual
| joy! Bring up from the vaults of
| Heaven that old wine. Fill all the
| tankards. Let all the white-robed
| guests drink to the immortal Heaven
of those newborn sons and daughters
of the Lord Almighty" "There is
| JOY in Heaven among the angels of
God over one sinner that repenteth;"
/ nd rOH Mt hot hot he
| you'll
Again, to have right heart it must
be a forgiving heart. An old writer
says: "To return good for evil is God.
| likel good for good Is inan-likeI evil
for good deVil-like." Which of these
natures have we? Christ will have
nothing to do with us as long as we
keep any old grudge. We have all
been cheated and lied about. There are
people who dislike us so much that if
we should come down to poverty and
disgrace, they would say: Good for
himl Didn't / tell you SOP" They do
not understand us. Unsancti fed hui
man nature says: wait till you get
good crack at him, and when at last
you find him in tight place, give it to
him. Flay him alive. Noquarter. Leave
not rag of reputation. Jump on him
with both feet. Pay him In his own
coin-sarcasm for sarcasm, scorn for
scorn, abuse for abuse" But, my
friends, that is not the right kind of
heart. No man ever did SO mean a
thing toward US as we have done to-
ward God. And if we can not forgive
others, how can we expect God to for
give us? Thousands of men have been
kept out of Heaven by an unforgiving
heart
Here is some one who says: ST will
forgive that man the wrong he did me
about that house and lot; / will for
give that man who overreached me in
bargain; l will forgive that man
who sold me shoddy overcoat; for
give them-all but one. That man /
can not forgive. The william, l can
hardly keep my hands off him. II
my going to Heaven depends on
my forgiving him, then 1 will
stay out" Wrong feeling. II
man lie to me once, am not
called to trust him again. If man
betray me once l am not called to put
confidence in him again. But | would
have no rest if l could not offer sim
cere prayer for the immortal and ever
lasting welfare of all men, whatever
meanness and outrage they have in
flicted upon me. If you want to get
your heart right, strike a match and
burn up all your old grudges, and
blow the ashes away. IF You forgive
not men their trespasses, neither will
your Heavenly Father forgive you
your trespasses.
An old Christian black woman was
going along the streets of New York
with basket of apples that she had
for sale. A rough sailor ran against
heI and upset the basket and stood
back expecting to hear her scold
frightfully, but she stopped down and
picked up the apples and said:
GOD forgive you, my son, as
l do" The sailor saw the mean
ness of what he had done.
and felt in his pocket for his money,
and insisted that she should take it
all. Though she was black, he called
her mother, and said: Forgive me,
mother, / will never do anything so
mean again" All! there is power in
a forgiving spirit to overcome all hard
ness. There is no way of conquer
ing men like that of bestowing upon
them your pardon, whether they will
accept 1t or not.
Again, right heart is an expectant
heart. 1t is a poor business to be
building castles in the air. Enjoy
what you have now. Don't spoil your