The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1899-01-20


night and storm, and he put in a
cabin. He saw firearms along the beams
of the cabin. and be felt alarmed. He
did not know but that he had fallen
into a den of thieves. He sat there
greatly perturbed. After awhile the
man of the house came home with gun
on his shoulder and set ii down in
corner. The stranger was still more
alarmed. After awhile the man of the
house whispered with his wife, and the
stranger thought his destruction was
being planned. Then the man of the
house came forward and said TO the
stranger: stranger, we are rough
and rude people out here, and we work
hard for living. We make our living
by hunting, and when we come to the
nightfall we are tired and we are apt to
go to bed early, and before retiring we
are always in the habit of reading
chapter from the Word of God and
making a prayer. Ifyou don't like such
things, if you will just step outside the
door until we get through, I'll be great
ly obliged to you" Ofcourse the stran-
ger tarried in the room, and the old
hunter took hold of the horns of the
altar and brought down the blessing of
God upon his household and upon the
stranger within their gates. Rude but
glorious Christian hospitality!
Again, this woman of my text was
great in her kindness toward Goj's
messenger. Elisha may have been
stranger in that household. but as she
found out be had come on Divine mis-
sion he was cordially welcomed. We
have a great many books in our day
about the hardships of ministers and
the trials of Christian ministers. ]
wish somebody would write a book
about the joys Of the Christian minis
ter, about the sympathies all around
him. about the kindness, about :he
genial considerations of him. Does sor-
row come TO our home, and is there n
shadow on the cradle, there are hun
dreds OF hands to help. and many who
weary not through the night watching.
and hundreds of prayers going up that
God would restore the sick. Is there a
burning, brimming cup of calamity
placed on the pastors table? Are there
not many to help him drink of that cup,
and who will not be comfCrted because
he is stricken? Oh, for somebody to
write a book about the rewards of The
Christian ministry-about his sur
roundirgs of Christian sympathy!
This woman of the text was only =
type Of thousands of men and women
who come down from mansion and
from cot to do kindness to the Lord S
servants. l could tell you of some
thing that you might think romance.
A young man graduated from New
Brunswick theological seminary was
called to a village church. lie had not
the means to furnish the parsonage.
After three or four weeks of preaching
a committee of the officers of the
church waited on him and told him he
looked tired and thought he had better
take a vacation of a few days. The
young pastor took it as an intimation
that his work was done or not acce pit
able. He took the vacation. and at the
end of few days came back, when an
old elder said: There is he key of he
parsonage. We have been cleaning il
up. You had better go up and look at
it," So the young pastor took the key,
went up to the parsonage, opened the
door, and 10! it was carpcted, and there
was a hatrack all ready for the canes
and umbrellas and the overcoats, and
on the left hand of the hall was the par
lor, sofaed, chaired, pictured. He
passed on to the other side of the hall.
and there was the study table in the
center of the floor with stationery up
on it, bookshelves built, long ranges Of
new volumes, far beyond the reach of
the means of the young pastor many OF
these volumes. The young pastor went
upstairs and found all the sleeping
apartments furnished, came downstairs
and entered the pantry. and there were
the spices and the coffees and the
sugars, and the groceries for six
months. He went down into the cellar,
and there was the coal for the coming
winter. He went into the dining hall.
and there was the table already set
the glass and the silver ware. He went
into the kitchen, and there were all the
culinary implements and a great stove.
The young pastor lifted Cne lid of the
ignition. Putting back the cover Of the
stove, he saw in another part of it
lucifer match, and all that young man
had to do in starting to keep house was
to strike the match. You tell me that is
apocryphal. oh, no! that was my own
experience. Oh, the kindness, the en-
larged sympathies sometimes cluster
ing around those who enter the Gospel
ministry. suppose the man of Shunem
had to pay the bills. but it was the
large-hearted Christian woman of
Shunem that looked after the Lords
messenger.
Again. this woman of the text was
great in her behavior under trouble.
Her only son had died on her lap. A
very bright light went out in that
household. The sacred writer puts it
very tersely when be says: He sat on
her knee until noon and then be dice" I"
Yet the writer goes on to say that she
exclaimed: at is well!" Great in pros
perity. this woman was great in trouble.
Where are the feet that have not been
blistered on the hot sands of this great
Sahara? Where are the soldiers that
have not bent under the burden of
grief? Where is the ship sailing over
CLASSY sea that has rot after awhile
been caught in a cyclone? Where is
tie garden of earthly comfort but trou-
BILE hath hitched mp its fiery and pant
ing team and gone through it with
burning plowshare of disaster? Under
the pelting of ages of suffering the
great heart of the world has burst with
woe. Navigators tell US about the riv-
ers, and the Amazon and the Danube
all the Mississippi have been explored,
hut who can tell ;he denrh or the Ieupt b