The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1901-02-15

inside gate of the mouth, but there
it halted. Some hindering power
locked the jaws together so that they
did not open. The tongue lay fiat and
still in the bottom of the mouth as
though struck with paralysis. We
were mute. Though God had given
us the physiological apparatus for
speech and our lungs were filed with
air which by the command of our
will could have made the 1arnygeal
muscles move and the vocal organs
vibrate, we were wicledly and fatal
| ly silent. For all time and eternity
we missed our chance, or it was
prayer meeting, and the service was
thrown open for prayer and remarks,
and there was a dead halt-every-
thing silent as a graveyard at mid
night. Indeed, it was a graveyard
and midnight. An embarrassing pause
| took place that put wet blanket
on all the meeting Men, bold enough
on business exchange or in worldly
! circles, shut their eyes as though they
were praying in silence, but they
were not praying at all. They were
busy hoping somebody else would do
his duty. The women flusl ed under
the awful pause and made their fans
more rapidly flutter. Some brother,
with no cold, coughed, by that sound
trying to fill up the time, and the
meeting was slain. But what killed
it? The dumb devil. This is the way
/ account for the fact that the stu
pidest places on earth are some
prayer meetings. 1 do not see how
n keen he
larly attends them. They are spirit
ual refrigerators. Religion kept on
ice. How many of us have lost occa-
sions of usefulness? In sculptor's
studio stood figure OF the god OPP
portunity. The sculptor had made
the hair fall down over the face of
the statue so as to completely cover
it, and there were wings to the feet.
When asked why he so represented
Opportunity, the sculptor answered.:
''The face of the statue is thus COW
cred because we do not recognize OPP
portunity when it comes, and the
wings to the feet show that Opportu-
nifty is swiftly gone.
But do not let the world deride the
church because of all this, for the dumb
devil is just as conspicuous in the world.
The great political parties assemble at
the proper time to build platforms for
the candidates to stand on. A commit
tee of each party is appointed to make
the platform. After proper delibera-
ton, the committees come in with
ringing report: Whereas" and
Whereas" and "Whereas." Pro-
nunciamentos all shaped with the one
idea of getting the most votes. All ex-
preston in regard to the great moral
evils of the country ignored. No ex-
preston in behalf of temperate liv-
ing, for that would lose the vote of the
liquor traffic. No expression in regard
to the universal attempt at the demoIi-
tion of the Lords day. No recognition
of God in the history of nations, for
that would lose the vote of atheists.
But Whereas" and Whereas" and
Whereas" Nine cheers will be given
for the platform. The dumb devil of
the text puts one wing over one plat
form and the other wing over the other
platform. Those great conventions
are opened with prayer by their chap
lains. If they avoided platitudes and
told the honest truth in their PRAYERS
they would say: so Lord, we want to
be postmasters and consuls and foreign
ministers and United States district
attorneys. For that we are here. and
for that we will strive till the election
next November. Give us office. or we
die. Forever and ever, amen" The
world, to say the least, is nc better than
the church on this subject of silence at
the wrong time. In other words. is it
not time for Christianity to become
pronounced and aggressive as never be-
fore? Take sides for God and sobriety
and righteousness. 'If the Lord be
God, follow Him." Have YOU oppor-
tunity of rebuking a sin? Rebuke it.
Have you a chance to cheer a disheart-
ened soul? Cheer it. Have you use
full word to speak? Speak it.
BE out and out, up and down for
righteousness. If your ship is afioat
on the Pacific ocean of Gods mercy,
hang out your colors from the mast
head Show your passport, if YOU
nave one. Do not smuggle your soul
into the harbor of Heaven. Speak
out for God! Close up the chapter
of lost opportunities and open a new
chapter Before you get to the door
on your way out shake hands with
some one and ask him to join you on
the road to Heaven. Do not drive up
to Heaven in a two-wheeled "sulky''
with room only for one, and that
yourself, but get the biggest Gospel
wagon you can find and pile it full
of friends and neighbors and shout
till they hear you all up and down
the skies: Come with us, and we
will do you good, for the Lord hath
promised good concerning Israel"
The opportunity for good which you
may consider insignificant may be
tremendous for results, as when on
the sea Capt. Haldane swore at the
ships crew with an oath that wished :
them all in perdition, and a Scotch
sailor touched his cap and said:
Captain, God hears prayer, and we
would be badly off if your wish were
answered" Capt. Haldane was con-
victed by the sailors remark and con-
verted and became the means of the
salvation of his brother Robert, who
had been an infidel, and then Robert
became a minister of the Gospel, and
under his ministry the goddess Felix
Nef became the world-renowned mis-
sionary of the cross, and the worldly
Merle d'Aubigne became the author
of "The History of the Reformation
and will be the glory of the church
for all ages. Perhaps you may do
as much the Scotch sailor who just