The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-07-08
SOON BE FORGOTTEN.
The Fatigues of Earth Forgotten in
the. Heavenly Rest.
The Worn and Weary With tho Burdens
of Earthly Existence Shall Soon Re-
Recuperate in Gods Heaven
Iy Paradise.

Arise We and depart for this is not your rest
Micah, H., 10
This was the drum-beat of prophet
who wanted to arouse his people from
their oppressed and sinful condition; but
it may just as properly be uttered now
as then. Bells, by long exposure and
much ringing, lose their clearness of
tone; but this rousing bell of the Cos
pei strikes in just as clear a tone as
| when 1t first rang on the air.
AS far as l can see, your great want
and mine is rest. From the time we
enter life, a great many veXatiOns and
| annOyances take after Us. We have
our holidays and our seasons of recrea-
ton and quiet, but where is the man in
this world who has found entire rest!
| The fact is that God did not make this
world to rest in. A ship might as well
| go down off Cape Hatteras to find
smooth water as I man in this world
TO find quiet. From the way that God
has strewn the thorns, and hung the
clouds, and sharpened the tusRs; from
| the colds that distress US, and the heats
| that smite us, and the pleurisieS that
| stab US, and the fevers that consume
us, l know that He did not make
| this world as a place to loiter in.
| God does everything successfully; and
this world would be a very different
world if it were intended for MS to
| lounge in. 1t does right well for few
years. Indeed, it is magnificent! Moth
| ing but infinite wisdom and goodness
could have mixed this beverage of
water, or hung up these brackets of
stars, or trained these voices of rill,
and bird and ocean-so that God has
but to lift His hand, and the whole
world breaks into orchestra. But after
all, 1t is only the splendors of kings
| highway, over which we are to march
on to eternal conquests.
You and l have seen men who tried
to rest here. They builded themselves
great stores. They gathered around
them the patronage of merchant
princes. The voice of their bid shook
the money markets. They had stock
in most of the successful railroads, and
il safe deposit vaults great rolls of
government securities. They had en-
blazoned carriages, high mettled
Steeds, fOOtmen, plate that COMPOUNDED
| lords and senators who sat at their Ia
bic, tapestry on which fOatcI the rich
est designs of foreign looms, splendor
of canvas on the wall, eXquisiteness of
music rising among pedastals of
bronze, and dropping, soft as light, on
snow Of sculpture. Here let them rest.
Put back the embroidered curtain, and
shake mp the pillows of down. Turn
out the lights 1t is IL o'clock at night.
Let slumber drop upon the eyelids,
and the air float through the half
opened lattice, drowSy with midsGm-
mer perfume. Stand back, all care,
anxiety and trouble, But no! they
viii not stand back. They rattle the
lattice They look under the canopy.
With rough touch they startle his
pulses. They cry out at II o'clock at
night: Awake, man; how can you
sleep when things are SO uncertain?
What about those stocks? Harlx to the
tap of that fire bell; it is your district.
How if you should die soon? Awake,
man! Thiu! of it! Who viii get your
property when you are gone? What
will they DO with it? Wake up! Riches
sometimes take wings How if you
should get poor? Wake up!1 Rising
on one elbow, the man of fortune looks
out into the darkness of the room, and
wipes the dampnesS from his forehead
and says: Alas. For all this scene
of wealth and magni6cence-nO rest!"
l passed down a street of a city w it'll
merchant. lie knew all the finest
houses on the street. He said: There
is something the matter in all these
houses. In that one it is conjugal in
felicity. In that one n dissipated son.
In that, dissolute father. In that, an
idiot child In that, the prospect of
bankruptcy" This worlds wealth can
give no permanent satisfaction. This
is not your rest.
You and l have seen men try in an
other direction. A man says: IF l
could only rise to such and such place
Of renown; if l could gain that Office;
if could only get the stand, and have
my sentiments met with one good
round of hand-clapping applause; if l
could only write IA book that would
live, or make speech that would thrill.
or do an action that would resOund!"
The tide turns in his favor. His name
is on 10000 lips. lie is bowed to, and
sought after, and advanced. Men drink
his health at great dinners. At his fiery
words the multitudes huzzl. From gal
leries OF beauty they throw garlands.
From housetops, as he passes in long
procession, they shake out the national
standards. Here let him rest. 1t is IL
o'clock at a-ght. On pillows stuffed
with nations praise let him
lie down. Hush! all disturbant
voices Il his dream let there
be hoisted throne, and across
it march a coronation. Hushl Hush!
wake up!" says 4 rough voice. "Po-
litical sentiment is changing. How if
you should lose this place OF honor!
Wake up! The morning papers are to
be full of denunciation. Hearlen to
the excavations of those who once ca
ressed you. BY tomorrow night there
will be multitudes sneering at the
words which last night you expected
would be universally admired. How
can YOU sleep when everything de-
pends upon the next turn of the great
tragedy? Up, man! OFF of this pill
low!" The man, with head yet hot
from his last grafton, starts up sudden
lv. looks out upon the night, but sees
nothing except the flowers that lie
upon his stand, or scroll from which
he read his speech, or the books from
which he quoted his authorities, and
goes to his desk to finish his neglected
or to pen an indignant
line to some reporter, or sketch the
plan for a public defense against the
assaults of the people. Happy when he
got his first lawyers brief, exultant
when he tIiumphed over his first politi-
cal rival; yet, sitting on the very top
of all that this world offers of praise,
he exclaims: No rest! no rest"