The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1896-01-17

comes back from the massacre of a
million souls TO attempt the destruc-
tion of your soul to-day. No peace out
of God, but here is the fountain that
con slalxe the thirst. Here is the har-
Dor where you can drop safe anchor~
age.
Would you not like, ] ask you-noS
perfunctorily, but as one brother might
talk to another-would you not like to
have pillow of rest to put your head
on? And would you not like, when
you retire at night, to feel that all is
well, whether you wake up tomorrow
morning at six o'clock, or sleep the
sleep that knows no waking? Would
You not like to exchange this awful
uncertainty about the future for a
glorious assurance of Heaven? Accept
of the Lord Jesus to-day and all is
we'll If on your way home some
peril should cross the street and
dash your life out, it would not
hurt you. You would rise up imme'
diately. You would stand in the great
throng that forever worship and are
forever happy. If this night some
sudden disease should come upon you,
it would not frighten you. If you
knew you were going you could give a
calm farewell to your beautiful homo
on earth, and know that you are going
right into the companionship of those
who have already got beyond the tolls
ing and the weeping.
You feel on Saturday night different
from the way you feel any other night
of the week. You come homo from
the bank, or the store, or the office,
and you say: "Wel, now my weeks
work is done, and tomorrow is Sun
day" 1t is pleasant thought. There
is refreshment and reconstruction in
the very idea. Oh, how pleasant it will
be, if, when we get through the day Of
our life, and we go and lie down in our
bed of dust, we can realize: "We1l,
now the work is all done, and to-mor-
row is Sunday-an everlasting Sum
| day."
Oh, when, thou city OF my Cod
Shall thy courts ascend?
Where congregations neel break up,
And Sabbaths have no end.
There are people in this house to-day
who are very near the eternal world.
If you are Christians, bid you be of
good cheer Bear with you our con-
gratulations to the bright city. Aged
men, who will soon be gone, take with
you our love for our kindred in the
better land, and when you see them,
| tell them that we are soon coming.
| Only few more sermons to preach and
hear. Only a few more heartaches.
Only few more tolls. Only few more
tears. And then-what an enhancing
spectacle will open before usl
Beautiful Heaven, where all is light,
Beautiful angels. clothed in white,
Beautiful strains that never tire,
Beautiful harps through all the choiri
There shall join the chorus sweet,
| Worshiping at the Saviors feet.
And so 1 approach you now with a
general invitation, not picking out
here and %here man, or here and
there a w,+nan, or here and there a
child; but giving you an unlimited in-
vitation, saying: Come, for all things
are now ready" We invite you to the
warm heart of Christ, and the inclos-
ure of tie Christian church, 1 know
great many think that the church does
not amount to much-that it is obso-
lete; that it did its work and is gone
now, so far as all usefulness is con-
cerned. 1t is the happiest place have
ever been in except my own home.
know there are some people who
say they are Christians who seem to
get along without any help from
others, and who culture solitary piety.
They do not want any ordinances.
do not belong to that class. can not
get along without them. There are so
many things in this world that take my
attention from God, and Christ, and
Heaven, that 1 want all the Chris
tian associations; and want around
about me solid phalanx of men who
love God and keep His commandments.
Are there any here who would like to
enter into that association? Then by
a simple, child-lil1e faith, apply for adj
mission into the visible Church, and
Won will be received. No questions
asked about your past history or pres
ent surrounding. Only one test-do
you love Jesus?
Baptism does not amount to any
thing, say a great many people, but
the Lord Jesus Christ declared: "He
that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved, putting baptism and faith side
by side. And an apostle declares:
Repent and be baptized, every one Of
YOU" Idonot sickle for any particular
mode of baptism, but put great en-
phasis on the fact that you ought to be
baptized. Yet no more emphasis than
the Lord Jesus Christ, the great head
of the church, puts upon it.
Some of you have been thinking on
this subject year after year. You have
found out this world is a poor portion.
You want to be Christians. You have
come almost into the Kingdom OF
God; but there you stop, forget1
full of the fact that to be almost saved
is not to be saved at all. Oh, my
brother, after having come so near to
to the door of mercy, if you turn back,
you will never come at all. After all
you have heard of the goodness of
God, if you turn away and die it will
not be because you did not have good
offer.
Gods spirit will not always strive
With hardened, self-destroytng men;
Ye who persist His love to grieve.
May never hear His voice again.
May God Almighty this hour movd
upon your soul and bring you back
from the husks of the wilderness to the
Fathers house, and set you at the BAN
quet, and ''put a ring on your hand.
---=------G-=
Punishment.
The punishments inflicted by the
state seem to be arbitrary and capri
cicus, even whimsical. OF people now
in prison convicted of similar crimes,
one is serving a sentence of five years,
another of fifteen and another of two.