The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-06-03

have said: "Why all this beatingf
Why must l be pounded any more than
any other iron?'' The workman would
have said: 1--WE want to make axes
out of you-keen, sharp axas axes
with which to hew down the forest, and
build the ship, and erect houses, and
carry on thousand enterprises of civ
ilization. That is the reason we pound
you" Now, God puts soul in the fur
mace of trial, and then it is brought out
and RUIZ through tie crushing machine,
and then it comes down on the anvil,
and upon it, blow after blow, blow
after blow, until the soul cries out:
"Oh, Lord, what does all this mean?"
God says: Il want 20 make something
very useful out of you Y@u
shall be something to hew with
and something to build with. 1t
is practical process through
which L am putting you" Yes, my
Christian friends, we want more tools
in the Church of God; not more wedges
to split with. We have enough of
these. Not more bores with which to
drill We have too many bores. What
we really want is keen, sharp, we'll
tempered axes, and if there be any 9TH
er way of making them in the hot fur
mace, and on the hard anvil, and under
the neavy hammer, L do not know what
it is. Remember that if.God bring any
kind of chastisement upon you it is
only to make you useful. Do not sit
down discouraged and say: Il have no
more reason for living. / wish l were
dead" Ohio there never was SO much
reason for your living as now! BY
this ordeal you have been cOnsecrated
a priest of the most high God. Go out
and do your whole work for the Mas
ter.
Again, there is comfort in the
thought that all our troubles are a
revelation. Have you ever thought of
it in that connection? The man who
has never been through chastisement
is ignorant about thousand things in
his soul he ought to know. For in
staDce, here is d man who prides him
self ON his cheerfu1ness Of character.
He has no patience with anybody who
is depressed in spirits. Oh! it is easy
for him to be cheerful, with his fine
house, his filled wardrobe and we'll
strung instruments of music, and tap
estried parlor, and plenty of money
in the bank waiting for some
permanent investment. 1t is easy
for him to be cheerful. But suppose
his fortune goes to pieces and his house
goes down under the sheriff's hammer,
and the banks will not have anything
to do with his paper. Suppose those
people who were once elegantly enter
tanned at his table get SO short-sighted
that they can not recognize him upon
the street. How then? Is it so easy
to be cheerful? 1t is easy to be cheer
full in the home after the days work is
done, and the gas is turned on and the
house is full of romping little ones
But suppose the piano is shut because
the fingers that played on it will no
more touch the keys, and the childish
voice that asked so many questions
will ask no more. Then is it 50 easy? |
When man wakes up and finds that !
his resources are all gone he begins to
rebel, and he says: God is hard; God |
IS outrageous. He had no business to |
10 this to me-" My friends, those of |
rs who have been through trouble |
know what a sinful and rebellious |
heart we have, and how much God has |
has to put up with, and how |
much we need pardon. 1t is only |
n the light OF a flaming furnace |
hat we can learn our own weakness |
IND our own lack of moral resource. |
Oh, how much coincidence there is
II this thought l expect to see my |
Kindred in Heaven-I expect to see |
hem just as certainly as expec: to go
home to-day. Aye, l shall more GER
ainly see them. Eight or ten will
,ome up from the graveyard back OF
and one will come from
he mountains back of Annoy,
)hina, and another will come up
rom the sea off Cape uatteras,
md 80 will come up from Green
wood; and [ shall know them better
han L ever knew them before. And
our friends-they may be across the
ga, but the trum pet that sounds here
will sound there. You will come up
IN just the same day. Some morning
-Ou have oversight yourself, and yo9
pen your eyes and see that the sun is
ugh in the heavens, and you say: Il
ave oversight, and L must be up
nd away" So you will opeL
our eyes on the morning of the
in the full blaze CT Gods
ight, and you will say: Il muA be up
nd away" On, yes, you will come,
nd there will be a reunion, recon-
of your family. like what
Halliburton Il think it was)-good old
Ii. Halliburton said in his last mo-
lents: Il thank Godsthat L ever lived,
nd that L have father in Heaven,
nd a mother in Heaven, and l am now
DING up to see them"
l remark once more: Our troubles
i this world are preparative for glory.
What a transition 1T was for Paul
rom the slippery deck of a laundering
hip to the calm presence of Jesus!
What transition it was for Latimer
rom the stake to the throne! What
transition it was for Robert Hall
rom insanity to glory What q
transition 1t was for Richard
the dropsy to the
Saints Everlasting Rest" And what
transition it will b. for you-from a
,orld OF sorrow to d world of JOY.
ohm Holland, when he was dying,
aid: What means this brightness In
he room? Have you lighted the can
les?' No." they replied, eve have
OF lighted any candles" Then SAID
O. ..lValoO,nA IIAavanT" Tha 6rbt |