The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-08-22

command: Enter We in at the Strait
Gate" and whose eyes have sought and
found the Strait Gate, while their
hearts are fixed on the future glory
and reward of Heaven. Here we're the
military prowess of Rome, the COM
mercial supremacy of Corinth and
Ephesus, the culture of Athens, and
the learning of Alexandria, all crowd
ing into the Broad Way, while the few
devout Jews were vending their jour
ney along the Narrow Way of Gods
will to Jerusalem to worship. The
many are found upon the Broad High
way because every human will and de-
sire make their own pathway to the
Wide Gate and the Broad Road. The
few find the Strait Gate and Narrow
Way because the human will must be
surrendered to the Divine will and God
accepted as the only leader.
The Two Gates.-They are alike in
that they both stand at the begin
ming of the ways and admit the traveller
to the road he seeks to travel. But the
one is wide and easily entered. The
other is strait and is only found by
seeking. One stands for the will of
man. The other represents the will of
God. The Wide Gate is attractive and
gives promise beyond of all that the
heart could desire or long after. In
gilded letters over the archway is in
scribed the word SELF, and under
meath is the declaration that you can
take anything with you into the
Broad Road which you desire, that you
can do anything you wish while in the
way, and that you can find any re-
ligion to suit your fancy except the
religion of the Strait Gate and Mar
row Way. The Strait Gate is solid and
massive and plain. 1t stands as glo-
rious triumph of the ages, and the
one word GOD blazes forth from the
keystone. And, in contrast to the
declara ton in the stones of the Wide
Gate that those entering could take
anything with them which they
wished, it is specifically stated at the
entrance to the Strait Gate that only
those will be admitted who leave self
behind and accept Christ as the new
Leader.
The Guide Books.-Those which are
found at the entrance to the Broad
Way are almost inpumerable. They
are being turned out as rapidly s man
can give advice and the printing press
can do the printing. They all pre-
tend to give explicit directions for the
finding of success and happiness and
honor and riches along the Broad
Road. At the entrance to the Narrow
Way the Word of God is offered to the
traveller, that it may become lamp
unto the feet and a light unto the
path" which lies ahead. 1t
makes the way plain, and sets
one right when he wanders
into bypaths which for a time
look similar to the Narrow Way, but
soon lead to difficulty and darkness
and despair. 1t puts a song in the
mouth as one journeys along the path,
and inspires hope in the heart is to
the certain blessing to which the Mar
row Way leads. This Guide Book
gives abundant biography of those
who have travelled the way before.
Of Noah, who spent 100 years in car
rying out the one task the Lord had
given him to do in building the Ark.
OF Abraham, whom the Lord led out
from the land of his fathers to land
which He promised to give to him
as an inheritance. Of Isaac, and ia
cob, and Moses, and Joshua, of Sam
uel, and David and hosts of others
who lived before Christ came in the
flesh. Of Christ Himself, Who de-
clared that He twas the Way, the
Truth and the Life" who overcame
Satan and filled up many a pitfall in
the way that we might follow after
Him in safety.
This Guide Book also tells of those
who have chosen the Broad Way and
have persisted miserably by the way
side. Of the people before the flood
who would not listen to the word of
Noah but chose their own way. Of
the proud and willful at the tower of
Babel. Of Sodom and Gomorrah; of
the Pharaohs; of the heather nations
which withstood the onward march
of Gods chosen people; of Nadab and
Abihu, who burnt strange fire befoae
the Lord and were consumed; of thor.
who through unbelief refused to en,-
ter into the promised land and pey
ished in the wilderness; of the dis
rael, beginning with King Saul, who,
defeated in battle, fell upon his own
sword, and ending with Zedekiah who
was the last king of Judah before the
final captivity; of the heather kings
who were punished and destroyed; of
wicked Herod and his desire to kill the
babe Jesus; of Judas, who pretended
to be walking the Narrow Way and
was ON the Broad Road to destruction
as he planned to betray the Christ; of
the rulers of the Jews, the Scribes and
Pharisees; of Plate and Herod, and
the Roman soldiers and the hooking
throng which surrounded the cross.
Oh, what long list! Just take your
Bible and make two lists, one of those
who walked the Narrow Way and the
other of those who sought the Wide
Gate and Broad Road, and you will see
that Scripture bears out Christ in His
statement that the many are found in
the way which leadeth to destruction,
while the few pass through the Strait
Gate into the Narrow Way which lead
eth unto life.
Yes, and the true Guide Book is a
1dlIH1ul IcCOIu. UcCduSS II also tells
of the failures of those who have trav-
eled the Narrow Way. 1t tells how Noah
got drunk; how Moses lost his patience
and took glory TO himself which be-
longed TO God, when he brought water
out of the rock for the complaining
people; how David, a man after Gods
own heart, committed adultery and
murder; how Peter denied his Lord,