The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1895-02-15

chain It down. You can not imprisoL
it You can not make it stay, All
its pulses are thTobbifig with a haste
that can not be hindered or coutroled.
1t is the opportunity of invitation on
my part, and acceptance on your part,
The door of the palace of Gods mercy
is wide open. Go in. Sit down, and be
kings and queens unto God forever.
'Well," you say, 81 am not ready" You
are ready. care You sinner" Eyes. :"
"Do you want to be saved now and
forever?' Yes" ''Do you believe that
Christ is able and willing to do the
work?'' YES" Then you are saved.
You are inside the palace door of Gods
mercy already. You looked changed
Ton are changed. ''Hallelujah, tits
done!" Did you ever see anything
done so quickly? Invitation offered
and accepted in less than minute by
my watch or that clock. Sir Edward
Greasy wrote a book called: "The
Fifteenth Decisive Battles of the
World; from Marathon to Water
loo" But the most decisive bat
tie that you will ever fight, and
the greatest victory you will never
gain, is this moment when you con.
quer first yourself, and then all the
hindering myrmidons of perdition by
saying: Lord Jesus, here 1 am, un-
done and helpless, to be saved by Thee,
and Thee alone" That makes panic
in hell. That makes celebration in
Heaven. Opportunity! On the 11th Of
January, 1866, a collier brig ran
into the rocks near Walmer beach,
England. Simon Pritchard stand
Ing on the beach threw off his
coat and said: "Who will help me save
that crew?" Twenty men shouted: II
will, though only seven were needed.
Through the awful surf the bOat
dashed, and in fifteen minutes from the
time Pritchard threw off his coat all
the shipwrecked crew were safe on
the land. Quicker work to-day. Half
that time more than necessary to get
all this assemblage into the lifebOat of
the Gospel and ashore, standing both
feet on the Rock of Ages. BY the two
strong oars of faith and prayer first
pull for the wreck and then pull for
the shore. Opportunity!
Over the city went the cry,
Jesus, OF Nazareth, passeth by.
Let the world go. It has abused you
enough, and cheated you enough, and
slandered you enough, and damaged
you enough. Even those from whom
you expected better things turned out
your assailants; as when Napoleon in
his last will and testament left five
thousand francs to the man who shot
at Wellington in the streets of
Paris. Oh, it is mean world.
Take the glorious Lord for your
companionship. 1 like what the
good man said to one who had every
thing but religion. The affiuent man
boasted Of what he owned, and of his
splendors of surroundings, putting
into insignifcanco, as he thought, the
Christians possessien's. "Ah!'' said
the Christian, imam, have something
you have not" "What is that?" said the
worldling. The answer was: "Peace"
And you may all have it, peace with
God; peace with the past; peace with
the future, peace that all the assaults
satanic can not interfere with. A
Scotch shepherd was dying and had
the pastor called in, The dying shep-
herd said to his wife: MARY, please go
into the next room, for 1 want to see
the minister alone" When the two
were alone the dying shepherd said:
81 have known the Bible all my
life, but 1 am going, and 1 am
Altered to dee" Then the pastor
quoted the Psalm: '"The Lord is
my shepherd; shall not want" Eyes,
mon," said the shepherd, 81 was fa-
mi1iar with that before you were born,
but I'm a-goin', and 1 am Altered to
dee" Then said the pastor: "You
know that the Psalm says, Though 1
walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, 1 will fear no
evil" YES" said the dying
shepherd, II knew that before
you were born, but it does not
help me-" Then said the pastor:
Don't you know that sometimes when
you were driving the sheep down
through the valleys and the revlnes
there would be shadows all about you,
while there was plenty of sunshine on
the hills above? You are in the shadows
now, but it is sunshine higher up" Then
said the dying shepard: "Ah! that is
good. 1 never saw it that way before.
All is well. Though l pass through
the valley of the shadow of death,
Thou art with me. Shadows here, but
sunshine above" So the dying shep-
herd got peace. Living and dying may
we have the same peacel
Opportunity! Under the arch of that
splendid word let the multitude of my
hearers pass into the pardon, and hope,
and triumph of the Gospel. Go by
companies of a hundred each. Go by
regiments of thousand each. The
aged leaning on the staff; the middle
aged throwing off their burdens as
they pass; and the young to have
their present joys augmented by more
glorious satisfactiOns. Forward into
the kingdom! AS soon as you pass the
dividing line there will be shouting
all up and down the heavens. The
crowned immortals will look down
and cheer. Jesus of the many scars
will rejoice at the result of His
earthly sacrifices. Departed saints
will be gladdened that their
prayers are answered. An order
will be given for the spreading
of a banquet at which you will be the
honored guest. From the imperial
gardens the wreaths will be twisted
for your brow, and from the halls OF
eternal music the harpers will bring
hniY ha nd 4~lIr