The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-05-09

Il
ly kept on loving all through the ages,
though mans heart has been so slow
to respond. Can we understand that
love? Can we so speak as to convey |
an idea of what that love is? If John,
the beloved disciple, who was nearest |
to the heart of Christ, could not fully |
understand, but exclaims: Beloved, |
now are we the sons of God, and it |
doth not yet appear what we shall be, |
but we know that when He shall |
appear we shall be like Him, for |
we shall see Him as He is" surely, |
we cannot hope to fathom that love,
but also must wait until beholding face |
to face, we shall then understand what |
Gods love really is.
Aged Sarah thought she knew what
love was when the faithful, covenant
keeping God came and laid in her
arms the beautiful babe, Isaac.
Abraham, as he saw the child of
promise develop into strong young
manhood and share in the fathers
faith and devotion to the only true
God, thought he knew what real love
was. When God would test him, He
commanded Abraham to take his
son, his only begotten son Isaac, and
offer him up in sacrifice to him.
With his obedient heart breaking, he
takes his beloved son and for three
days journeys towards a mountain
which God is to show him. Did you
ever try to picture what those three
DAYS were to faithful old AbrahamP
The communion between the father
and the son as they journeyed is too
sacred for even the pages of Gods
Holy Word to record. Abraham
then thought he knew what real love
was. AS they wended their way slow
ly up the mountainside to the place
of sacrifice, and Isaac in wonder
asks: my father, behold the fire
and the wood; but where is the lamb
for a burnt offering?" Oh, the cruel
anguish which pierced the heart OF
Abraham through and through. he
thought then he knew what real love
was. Abraham's faith failed not,
blessed be God, and he had grace suf-
ficient to say: MY son, God will
provide Himself lamb for burnt Of
fering." And God did provide lamb.
Abraham thought ne knew what
love was, but he never did until on
the wings of faith his spirit took its
fight to Gods Heaven and he under
stood fully the infinite love of COG
who was preparing to give His only
begotten Son as a sacrifice to the
world.
There are beautiful pictures OF
human love running all through the
Word of God, from devoted. loyal
Ruth to Mary with the alabastcr box
of ointment, or Mary Magdalene,
whose love for her Lord made her
linger at the tomb and gave her the
first vision of her risen Lord. Love!
AS the love of Christ fills our hearts
we can begin to know somewhat OF
the love of God, but we cannot fully
know until we stand on the other
side and join in the grand chorus OF
the redeemed in praise of Him who
alone is worthy to be praised.
The potency of the gift of God be-
gins to be realized as we slowly read
the rest of our text. This gift is all
; comprehensive, it is from everlasting
to everlasting. Aladdin's lamp, If II
ever had any existence beyond the
imagination of the one who tells the
story of its wonderful potency, has
passed away, and only the memory
remains. The story of Midas touch
. which could transmute to gold any
thing with which it came in contact
has delighted and held the attention
l of readers for generations, but it i:
: but a tale. The story of the magic
carpet which used to whisk it's owner
, in the story book to every conceiv
! able and inconceivable nook ant
i corner of old mother earth has per
: formed its mission in fairy land ant
given place to other fairy potenciei
of the story writer's brain. Bu
: where in history, prose or poetry vii
you find an equal to the story of th
: potency of the Gift of God to th
;, world.
Moses rod, under the direction o
God, could part the Red sea, coul'
= smite the rocks in the desert unit
= refreshing waters gushed forth. TIL
= trumpets of the priests and tn
shouts of the children of Israel coul
Law low the walls of Jericho. Th
Gideon's band of three hundred coul
win mighty victory over the host
of the Midianites. The cry of
= Joshua to God could cause the sun t
- stand still. The shepherds sling of
David could send crashing to cart
y the terrible giant and deliver froI
!, the oppression of the Philistines fo
= time, but all these wonderful potter
= tialities of God passed away and a
= we have is a living, thrilling memo-y
But the gift which God gave to tn
e world nineteen hundred years ago
a swaying the world more powerful
than ever before, and as we revie'
a the achievements of the past wonder
! full century we hear it echoed o
, every hand that it is the result of tn
Light which God sent into the worl
- to light every man to Him.
Or Young Solomon, called to the =,
# sponsibilities of great and prospe
# Gus kingdom, sought q blessin
" from God. In choosing wisdom,
70 order that he might successfully col
10 duct the affairs of state, he four
n that the lesser gifts were included an
8 he had both riches and honor.
ir In Gods Gift to the world we S
I'd cure Saviour from sin and find tn;
e. all the lesser blessings of life are i
" cluded. "Whosover receiveth (belie
in eth in) Him hath everlasting life
" The ambitious heart that receiv
ne Him as the center of his beiI
ir finds that instead of the horizc
Id of his hopes being limited
SIS the possible three score and ten,
ne has all eternity in which to work o.
n. Gods plans. The one who has pa
-1IJ o-J %hic xuorl1,c ZOO,