The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1896-11-20


You have to add to the right OF that fg-
ure to express the souls value. each ci-
pher adding tenfold? Working into
that scheme of the souls redemption,
how many angels OF God, descending
and descendlngl How many storms
sweeping on Lake Galileel How
many earthquakes opening dungeons
and striking catacl5sms through
mountains, from top to basel What
MONDAY sun was put on retreatl What
Omnipotence lifted, and what Godhead
was put to tortured All that for the
soull No wonder that Paul, though
| possessing great equipoise of tempera-
ment, when he thought what his
friends and kindred were rislxipg con-
cerning their souls. flung aside all his
ordinary modes OF speech, argument,
and apt simile, and bold metaphor and
learned alIusion, as unfit to express
how he felt, and seeing upon the ap-
palling hyperbolism of my text,
cries out, 81 could wish my
self aceursed;" that is, struck
of the thunderbolts of the
Omhipotent God, sunk to unfathomed
depths. chained into kefvitude to
Abaddon, and thrust into furnaces
whose fires shall never burn out, if
only those whom / love might nosv
and forever be saved. Mind you, Paul
does not say: Il do wish" He saysi
81 would wish" E%en in the agony
he felt for others, he did not lose his,
balance-"I could wish myself -ac-
cursed" 1 could, but I do not.
Only one being that ever lived, was
literally willing to give mp Heaven
| for perdition, and that was the
Divine Peasant whom l mentioned
| few moments ago. He was not only
willing to exchange dominions of bliss
for dominions of wretchedness, but He
| did sol for that He forsook Heaven
witness the stopping star and all those
who saw His miracles of mercy, and
that He actually entered the gates of
the world of perpetual confagration
the Bible distinctly declared. lie did
not say, with Paul: 81 could" but He
said: Il will; do" and for the souls
of men He descended into hell"
But, after all, the best way to culti-
vate that Divine passion for souls is to
work for their salvation. Under God
save one, and you will want right
away to save two. Save two, and you
will want to save ten. Save ten, and
you will want to save 20. Save 20, and
you will want to save 100. Save 100,
and you want to save everybody. And
what is the use of talking about it,
when the place to begin is here, and
the time is now? And while you pray
/ will in one minute tell all that there
is of it: Full pardon for the worst
man on earth, if he will believe
in Christ, whose blood can in
stantly wash away the foul
most narrowing distress that ever
crushed human being. At your first
moment of relief, process by which
the whole universe of God will turn
clear around for your eternal advan-
tage. For the mere asking, if the ask
ing be in earnest, and you throw every
thing into that asking, complete
solace and helpfulness for the few
years of this life, and then a wide-opeE
Heaven, which you can reach in less
time in which it takes me to pronounce
that imperial word, flashing with all
the Joy that an infinite God knows
how to bestow-Heavenl
In this world God never does His
best. He can hang on the horizon
grander mornings than have ever yet
been kindled, and rainbow the sky
with richer colors than have ever been
arched, and attune the oceans to more
majestic doxologies than have ever
yet been attuned; but as near as
can tell, and / speak it
reverently, Heaven is the place
where God has done His best. He can
build no greater joys, lift no mightler
splendors, roll no loftier anthems,
march no more imposing professions,
build no greater palaces, and spread
out and interjoin and wave no more
transporting magnifcence. / think
Heaven is the best Heaven God can
construct, and it is all yours for the
serious asking? How do you like the
offer? Do you really think it is worth
accepting? If so, pray for it.
Get not up from the pew where yotI
are sitting, nor move one inch from
where you are standing, before you
get a full title for it, written in the
blood of the Son of God, who would
have all men come to life present and
everlasting. If you have been in mill
tary life you know what soldiers
call the ''long roll" All the
drums beat it because the enemy is
approaching, and all the troops must
Immediately get into line. What sour
rying around the camp and putting of
the arms through the straps of the
knapsack and saying "Good-by" to
comrades you may never see againI
Some of you Germans or Frenchmen
may have heard that long roll just be-
fore Sedan. Some of you Italians may
have heard that long roll just before
BerPamo. Some of you northern and
southern men may have heard it just
before the battle of the Wilder
ness. You know it's stirring and
solemn meaning; and SO I sound
the long roll to-day. beat this
old Gospel drum that has for centuries
been calling thousands to take their
places in line for this battle, on one
side of which are all the forces beatifc
and on the other side all the forces de-
moniac. Here long roll-call; who Is
on the Lords side?" "Quit yourselves
like men," In solemn column march for
God, and happiness, and Heaven. So
glad am l that do not have to wish
myself accursed. and throw away my
Heaven that you may win your Heav-
en-, but we have a whole convention Of
Heavens-Heaven added to Heaven,
Heaven built on Heaven-and while I
dwell upon the theme 1 begin to ex-
perience in my own poor self that