The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-12-24

I'LL III III BIOWS like IuS SuLs NAACn
it ought to be made loathsome as
smallpox hospital. There are to-day
influences abroad which, if unresisted
by the pulpit and the pIinting-pr
will turn our modern cities into Sodom
and Gomorrah, fit only for the storm
of fire and brimestone that whelmed
the cities of the plain.
You who are seated in your Christian
homes, comprised by moral and relIg-
iOus restraints, do not realize the gulf
of iniquity that bounds you on the
north and the south and the east and
west. While / speak there are tens oI
thousands of men and women goinG
over the awful plunge of an impure
life; and while l cry to God for mercy
upon their souls, call upon you to
marshal in the defense of your homes,
your church and your nation. There
is banqueting hall that you have
never described. You know all
about the feast of Ahasuerus.
where a thousand lords sat You
know all about Beishazzar's carouSal,
where the blood OF the murdered king
spurted into the faces of the banquet
ers. You may know of the scene OF
riot and wassail, when there was sci
before Esopus one dish of food that
cost $500, 900. But 1 speak now of
different banqueting hall. Its roof is
fretted with fire. Its door is tasselated
with fire. It's chalices are chased with
fire. Its song is a song of fire. Its
walls are buttresses of fire. Solomon
refers to it when he says: "Her guedts
are in the depths of hell"
Behold also in this giant of the text
and in the giant of our own century
that great physical power must crum-
BILE and expire. The Sampson of the
text long ago went away. He fought
the Philistines. He could fight any
thing, but death was too much for
him. He may have required longer
grave and a broader grave; but the
tomb nevertheless was his terminus.
If, then, we are to be compelled to
go out of this world, where are we to
go? This body and soul must soon
part. What shall be the destiny of the
former l knOw-dust to dust But
what shall be the destiny of the latter?
Shall it rise into the mpanionship
of the white-robed, whose sins Christ
has slain? or will it go down among
the unbelieving, who tried to gain the
world and save their souls, but were
swindled out of both? Blessed
be God, we have Cham
pion! He is so styled in the Bible;
IL Champion who has conquered death
and hell, and He is ready to fight all
our battles from the first to the last.
who is this that cometh from Edom
with dyed garments from Bozrah,
mighty to save?" If we follow in the
wake of that Champion death has no
power and the grave no victory, The
worst man trusting in Him shall have
his dying pangs alIeviated and his fu-
ture illumined.
In the light of this subject want to
call your attention to fact which
may not have been rightly considered
by five men in all the world. and that
is the fact that we must be brought
into judgment for the employment of
our physical organism. Shoulder, brain,
hand, foot-we must answer in judg-
ment for the use we have made of them.
Have they Ieen used for the eleva-
ton of society or for its depression? In
proportion as our arm is strong and our
step elastic will our account at last
be intensified. Thousands of sermons
are preached to invalids. Ipreach this
morning to stout men and healthful
women. We must give to God on ac-
count for the right use of this physical
organism.
These invalids have comparatively
little to account for, perhaps. They
could not lift % pounds. They could
not walk half a mile without sitting
down to rest. In preparation of this
subject l have said to myself, how
shall L account to God in Judgment for
the use of a body which never knew
one moment of real sickness? Rising
up in judgment, standing beside men
and women who had only little phys
zeal energy, and yet consumed that
energy in a confagration of religious
enthusiasm. how will we feel abashed?
Oh, men of the strong arm, and the
stout heart, what use are you making
of your physical forces? Viii you be
able to stand the test of that day when
we must answer for the use of every
talent, whether it were physical en-
crgy, or Il mental acumen, or u spiritual
power?
The day approaches, and 1 see one
who in this world was an invalid, and
as she stands before the throne of
God to answer she says: Il was sick
all my days. l had but very little
strength, but did as we'll as | could in
being kind to those who were more
sick and more suffering" And Christ
will say: "WelI done. faithful servant"
And then a little child will stand be-
fore the throne, and she will say: ION
eurth [ had a curvature of the spine,
and | was very weak, and | was very
sick: but used to gather flowers out
of the wildwood and bring them to my
sick mother, and she was comforted
when she saw the sweet flowers out of
the wildwood. l didn't do much, but
L did something" And Christ shall
say, as he takes her up in His arms and
kisses her: well done, well done,
thy faithful servant; enter thou into
the JOY of thy Lord" What. then, will
be said to us-wc to whom the Lord
gave physical strength and continuous
health?
l said to an old Scotch minister, who
was one of the best friends L ever had:
Doctor, did you ever know Robert
Pollock, the SEQ tch poet, who wrote
The Course of rime?" ''Oh, yes" he
replied, 81 knew him well; was his
classmate." And then the doctor went
on to tell me how thai the writ
ing of THE Course of Time" ex-
hausted the health of Robert Pollock,
&c no