The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-12-10

The religious journal on whose
seventh anniversary / preach has had
for its owner and publisher one who,
in his ancestry, experienced just the
opposite. His father, an exile from
his native land because of his opinions,
his property confscated, his life inn
periled, landed on American soil bereft
of verything that foreign oppression
could rob him of. Naturally, his son
knows right well how to appreciate
liberty. The most of us are descended
from those who imperiled all to gain
the natural and religious rights. Let
the type and the printing presses and
the editorial chairs be overthrown
which dare to surrender to any attempt
again to put on the shaclxles. The
movement has started for the demoli-
tion of all the tyrannies of church and
state. Religious newspapers must
stand shoulder to shoulder in this
mighty march for God and the worlds
rescue.
Again, on this seventh anniversary,
l say there is room for religious paper
charged with old-fashioned evangel-
ism. Other styles of religious news
pdHCI may NtO 4OA oNlbOA OAoAhS Pun POSOSg
or for the presentation of able essays
on elaborate themes, but if this world
is ever brought to God it will be
through unqualified, unadulterated,
unmixed, unmistakable evangelism. It
was astounding that the Lord Almighty
should have gone into great bereave-
ment, submitting to the loss of His
only Son, that Son stepping off the
doorsill of Heaven into a darkness and
an abysm that no plummet has everyet
been able to fathom; and through that
funeral of the Heavens life is offered
to our world; but how to get the
tidings to all people and in such an at
tractive way that they will take hold
of them. is the absorbing question.
The human voice can travel only
few feet away, and the world wants
something further and wider-reaching,
and that is the newspaper press; and
as the secular press must necessarily
give itself chiefly to secular affairs,
let the religious newspaper give itself
to the present and everlasting salvation
of all who can read, or, if not able to
read, have ears to hear others read.
If there be an opportunity higher,
deeper, grander than that offered to
newspaper evangelism, name it and
guide us to it, that we may see its al
tars, its pillars, its infnitude.
Again, l notice there is room for a
religious paper thoroughly humanita-
rian. The simple fact is. the majority
of the human race have not enough to
eat or wear. The majority of the hu-
man race are in trouble. How to null
tiply loaves of bread and increase the
fuel and heal the wounds and shelter
the homeless, are questions that Christ
met equally as soon as He did spiritual
necessities. The first heart to re-
spond to the cry of sufferers from
drought, or flood, or earthquake,
or cruelty, should be the Chris
tion heart. Therefore, let the pages
of religious journalism spread out the
story of all such woes, and collect re-
lief, and disburse aims all around our
suffering world. Religious journalism
ought to become the aqueduct through
which the Christian charities of the
world should pour until there is no
more hunger to be fed, and no more ig-
norance to be educated, and no more
to be clothed, and no more
suffering to assuage. In trying to do
that practical thing, the religious pa
per whose anniversary celebrate has,
during the past seven years, raised and
distributed over $500, 900 for the relief
of physical distresses.
Again, l notice that there is an es-
pecial mission for a religious journal
truthfully optimistic. The most opti-
mistic book know of is the Bible, and
its most impressive authors were all
optimists. David was an optimist.
Paul an optimist. st. John an opti-
mist. Our blessed Lord an optimist.
1 can not look upon desert but am
by the Old Book reminded that it will
''blossom like as the rose" l can not
in menagerie look upon lion and
leopard but l am reminded that "a
little child shall lead them" l can
not see a collection of gems in a
jewelers. window without think
ing of Heaven afash and
ablaze and incarnadined and empurpled
with all manner of precious stones 1
can not hear trumpet, but think of
that one which shall wake the dead.
Ali the ages of time, bounded on one
side by the paradise in which Adam
and Eve walked, and on the other side
by the paradise which st. John saw in
apocalyptic vision. The Scriptures OPP
timistic and their authors optimistic,
all religious newspapers ought to be
optimistic. Not only should all minis
ters and all religious editors have their
hearts right, but their liver right.
The world has enough trouble of its
own, without our giving them an ex-
ira dose in the shape of religion. This
world is going to be saved, and if you
do not believe it you are an infidel
None of us want to get on board
train which, instead of reaching the
depot, is surely going down the en-
bankment. All aboard for the millen-
niuml For the most part, in areligious
journal, let the editorials be cheerful
and the pictures cheerful. IF in one
column there be ghastly woodcut of
the ADMINISTRATION in India, in the
next column have list of contribu-
tions for alleviation of the suffering,
or n picture of a ship carrying bread
stuffs. If in one column there be the
death of an old minister of the Gospel
whom we can not spare. in the next
put the name of some young
Elisha who can wear the mantle |
Of Elijah. If some evil of so-
ciety is depicted in one column, in
the next show the Gospel machinery
that is to drive it back into the perdi- |
ton from which it ascended. More
and more sunshine let there be in reli- |
gious journalism. Publish in it more |
sermons on texts like 20, give thanks |
,ntn tho Lord fo,. He iS rood and l