The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-12-02
DAWN OF A CENTURY
Dr.. Talmage breaches of the Bright
ness in Which 1t Comes.
America To-day the Chosen Nation of
God-What the Old Century Leaves
Behind Itch ristianIty Is
Spreading.
Copyright, 1881

text, Chronicles, 1892: THE children
of Issachar, which were men that hal
understanding of the times, TO know
what Israel ought to do
Great tribe, that tribe of Issachar.
When Joab took the census, there were
145.GOO of them, Before the almanac
was born, through astrological study.
they knew from stellar cOnjunctions
all about the seasons of the year. Be
fore agriculture became an art they
were skilled in the raising of crops.
Before politics became a science they
knew the temper of nations, and when
ever they marched, either for pleasure
or war, they marched under three
colored flag-topaz, sardine and car
buncle But the chief Characteristic
of that tribe of Issachar was that they
understo ood the times. They were not
Like the political and moral incompe-
tents of our day, who are trying 10
guide 1898 by the theories of 1928.
They looked at the divine indications
in their own particular century. So
we ought to understand the times, not
the times when America was 13 colonies
huddled together along the Atlantic
coast, but the times when the nation
dips one hand in the ocean on one
side the continent and the other hand
in the ocean on the other side the con-
tinent; times which put New York
Narrows and the Golden Horn of the
Pacific within one fash of electric
telegraphy; times when God is as di
rectly, as positively, as solemnly, as
tremendously addressing us through
the daily newspaper and the quick
revolution of events as he ever ad-
dressed the ancients or addresses us
through the Holy Scriptures. The
voice of God in Providence is as i'm
portant as the voice of God in typology,
for in our own day we have had our
Sinais with thunders of the Almighty,
and Calvaries of sacrifice. and Gethscm-
anes that sweat great drops of blood,
and Olivets of ascension, and Mount
Pisgahs of far-reaChing vision. The
Lord who rounded this world 5000
years ago and sent his Son to redeem II
near l 800 years ago has yet much to do
with this radiant but agOnized planet.
May God make us like the children Cf
Issachar. (which were men that had
understanding of the times, to know
what Israel ought to do
The grave of this century will soon be
dug. The cradle of another century will
soon be rocked. There is something
moving this way out of the eternities,
something that thrills me. blanches me,
appalls me, eXhilarates me, enraptures
me. It will wreathe the orange bios
SONS for millions of Weddings 1t will
beat the dirge for millions of obse-
quies. It will carry the gilded ban
ners of brightest mornings and the
black flags Of darkest midnights. The
world will play the grand march of its
heroes and sound the rogues' march of
its towards. Other professions may
halt or break down or fall back, but
the procession led by that leader moves
steadily on and will soon be here. 1t
VIII preside over coronations and de-
thronements. I hail it! | bless it! /
welcome it! The twentieth century of
the Christian era.
What may we expect of it and how
shall we prepare for it are the momen-
tous questions propose now to discuss.
AS in families human nativity is an
ticiPated by all sanctity and Ilindli-
ness and solemnity and care and hope
fulness, SO ought we prayerfully, hope
fully, industriously, confidently pre-
pare for the advent of new century.
The nineteenth century must not treat
the twentieth on its arrival as the
eighteenth century treated the nine
teenth. Our century inherited the
wrecks of two revolutions and the SUI
perstitions of age. Around its cradle
stood the armed assassin of old world
tyrannies; the reign of terror" be-
queathing its horrors; RobespierTe,
plotting his diaboisnI; the Jacobin
club, with its wholesale massacre; the
guillotine, chopping its beheadments.
The ground quaing with the great
guns Of Marengo, Wagram and Bad
ajos. All Europe in convulsion. Asia
in comparative quiet, but the quietness
of death. Africa in the clutches of the
slave trade. American savages in full
cry, their scalping knives lifted. The
exhausted and poverty struck people
of America sweating under the debt of
$500. 100000, which the revolutionary
war had left them. Washington just
gone into the long sleenat Mount Yer
non, and the nation in bereavement,
Aaron Burr, the champion libertine, be-
coming soon after vice president. The
government of the United States only
an experiment, most of the philcso-
piers and statesmen and governments
of the earth prophesying it would be
disgraceful failure. No poor foundling
laid at night on the cold steps of
mansion, to be picked up in the morn
ing, was poorer off than this century at
its nativity. The United States govern
ment had taken only ~ steps on its
journey, its constitution having been
formed in 1889, and most of the ma
tons of the earth laughed at our gov
ernmeEt in it's first attempts to walk
alone.
The birthday of our nineteenth cen
tury occurred in the time of war. Our
small United States navy, under Capt.
Truxton. commanding the frigate Con-
stitution. was in collision with the
French frigates La Vengeance and
LInsnrgeute. and the first infant cries
of this century were drowned in the
roar Of naval battle, And political