The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1901-04-19

y = =
NAL salutation to the host and the
hostess and then move around, spend
ing the whole evening in the discus
sion of the weather and in apology
for treading on long trains and in
effort to keep the corners of the
mouth up to the sign of pleasure, and
going around with an idiotic he-he
about nothing until the collation. is
served, and then, after the collation.
is served, going back into the parlor
to resume the weather, and then at
the close going at very late hour to
the host and hostess and ASSURING
them that you have had a most de-
lightful evening, and then passing
down off the front steps, the slam of
the door the only satisfaction of the
evening.
I know there is a great deal of talk
about the self-denials of the Chris
tan. I have to tell you that where
the Christian has one self-denial the
man of the world has a thousand
self-denials. The Christian is not
commanded to surrender anything
that is worth keeping. But what
does a man deny himself who de-
MES himself the religion of Christ .:
He denies himself pardon for sin
he denies himself peace of conscience
he denies himself the JOY of the Holy
Ghost, he denies himself comfort
able death pillow, he denies himself
the glory of Heaven. Do not talk
to me about the self-denial of the
Christian life. Where there is one
in the Christian life there is a thou
sand in the life of the world. 'HeI
ways are ways of plcasantness."
Again, L find a great deal of re
ligious sunshine in Christian and di
vine explanation. To n great many
people life is an ineXplicable tangle
Things turn out differently from
what was supposed. There is use
less woman in perfect health. There
is an Industrious and consecrateC
woman n complete invalid. Explain
that. There is a bad man with $50,
900 of income. There is a good mar
with $500 of income. Why is that
| There is foe of society who lives on
! doing all the damage he can, to z
years of age, and here is Christian
father, faithful in every department
of life, at 35 years of age taken ava.
by death, his family left helpless
Explain that. Oh, there is no sen
tence that oftener drops from you
lips than this: 81 cannot UNDERSTAND
| it. I cannot understand it."
Well, now religion comes in just a
that point with its Illumination an
it's explanation. There is bushes
man who has lost his entire fortune
| The week before he lost his forum
there were 20 carriages that stoppe
at the door of his mansion. TIL
week after he lost his fortune a.
the carriages you could count on on
| finger. The week before tinancia
trouble began people all took OF
their hats to him as he passed dow
the street. The week his finanCia
prospects were under discussion pee
pie just touched their hats withou
anywise bending the rim. The wee
that he was pronounced insolven
people just jolted their heads a
they passed, not tipping their hat
at all, and the week the sheriff sol
him out all his friends were loollin
in the store windows as they wen
down past him.
Now, while the world goes ava
from a man while he is in financia
distress, the religion of Christ come
to him and says: "YOu are sick, an
your sickness is to be moral purif
cation: you are bereaved. Go
| wanted in some way to take you
family to Heaven, and He must begi
somewhere, and so He took the on
that was most beautiful and wa
most ready to 60" T do not sa
that religion explains everything j
this life, but l do say it lays dow
certain principles which are grandl
consolatory. You know business me
often telegraph in cipher. The mel
chant in San Francisco telegraphs
the merchant in New York certai
information in cipher which no othe
man in that line of business can III
derstand, but the merchant in Sa
Francisco has the key to the ciphe
and the merchant in New York ha
the key to the cipher, and on tina
information transmitted there ar
enterprises involving hundreds
thousands of dollars. Now, the prov
dences of life sometimes seem to /
a senseless rigmarole, a mysterioU
cipher; but God has a key to tina
cipher and the Christian a key I
that cipher, and, though he ma
| hardly be able to spell out the meal
ing, he gets enough of the meanin
to understand that it is for the hes
Now, is there not sunshine in that
| Mo in,
beyond laughter, it is nearer til
fountain of tears than boisteroJ
demonstration. Have you never erie
for ioy? There are tears which al
eternal rapture in distillatiOn.
There are hundreds of people WI
are walking day by day in the SUI
lime satisfaction that all is for I'll
best, all things working together IL
good for their soul. How a man ca
get along through this life witho,
the explanation is to me a myster
What, Is that child gone forever
Are you never to get it back?
your property gone forever? Ha,
you no explanation, no Christian e
PLANTATION, and yet not a maniac
But when you have the religion
Jesus Christ in your soul it explain
everything so far as it is best fl
YOU to understand. You look off
life, and your soul is full of thank
giving to God that you are SO muC
better off than you might be. A ma
passed down the street without al
shoes and said: Il have no shoe
Isn't it a hardship that l have I
shoes? Other people have shoes