The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-10-24
IN CHRIST'S STEAD.
Personal Service to the Master BY
Substitution.
How the Most Humble Deed Done in
ChristIy Love May Be ExaIted-
Sermon by the "Highway and
Dyway" Preacher.
copyright, 1902, by A. n. Kellogg News
paper Col

| Copyright 1902, by A. n. Kellogg News
paper Col
| Chicago, 1902.
| Text:-And the King SHAH answer and say
unto them, Verify say unto YOU: Inasmuch
as ye have done it unto one of the least of
| these, My brethren, ye have done it unto
! Me.-Matt. 20:40.
The Last Chapter.-Where is the per-
son who, when reading the interest
| ing story book, has not stolen a glance
into the last chapter to see how the
| plot was going to turn out, and when
| he has discovered the sequel and has
| learned how the author finally dis
poses Of the characters, he turns back
contentedly and reads the interven-
ing chapters to see how the story has
| been developed and, the plot unfolded.
In the section from which our text is
| taken, the latter part of the twenty
| fifth chapter of Matthew, Christ has
| given us glimpse into the last chap
| ter in the story of human events which
the years of time are now writing.
AS He stood with His disciples during
| the last few days of His earthly life
| God quickened His prophetic vision
and He looked down through the CEN
turtles that were to unroll to the time
when all nations were to be gathered
before Him, and the sheep of His own
fold were to be separated from the
goats of the worlds pastures.
During the 40 days in which the
risen Lord appeared to His disciples,
and they saw Him come and go un-
hampered by human conditions or hu-
man limita tions, their understanding
began to open and expand to the un-
limited resources and power of God.
And when they gathered on Olivet's
brow and had had a last parting word
with their Lord face to face, Heavens
cords drew Him from their midst,
up. up, until the feecy, glowing cloud
rolled beneath His feet and shut Him
from their view. They could not see
Heavens gates swing wide to admit
Him, but they knew they did. They
could not hear the rapturOus song of
the hosts of Heaven as they bid the
King welcome, but the music of David's
psalm swelled in their souls and they
knew it echoed the Heavenly strains:
Lift up your heads, o ye gates;
And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who IS the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, o ye gates;
Yea lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of Hosts,
He is the King of glory.
They could not see their Lord take
His seat at the right hand of God
on the throne in Heaven, but they knew
He was there. Yea. in the marvellous
davs which were to follow, the vision
of the sanity Stephen was to pene
trate the portals of Heaven and he
was to see the risen Lord to whom
his spirit was so soon to take its flight.
And with the knowledge of all this
filing their souls with peace and joy
and confidence, the words which Jesus
spoke came to be full of reality and
meaning. "When the Son of Man shall
come in His glory, and all the holy
angels with Him, then shall He sit
upon the throne of His glory" They
knew this was to come to pass. They
knew that when the world had run
its course and God had exhausted
every effort in mans behalf that the
nations and the peoples of the earth
would be ushered into the presence of
the King and the final separation of
the sheep from the goats would take
place. The last chapter lies open be-
fore us. We know what the sequel
of the story the nations and peoples
of the earth are writing is to be. We
are helping to fill in the intervening
chaDters Are we in the love of Christ
living out a life of service to those in
need so that we shall hear Him in
that great day saying unto us: SIN
asmuch as ye have done it unto one
of the least of these, My brethren, ye
have done it unto Me-" or are we in
the pride of the human heart, al
though may be, in the name of church
and religion, so serving self is to
be among those who will hear Him say:
"Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of
the least of these, ye did it not to Me.
Depart from Me-"
An Exalted Service.-The words of
our text throw new and beautiful
light upon the earthly ..fe and deeds
of those to whom the King is talk
ing. The cup of cold water which
was given to the tired, dusty, thirsty
traveller that day so long before
stands revealed in the pure searching
light of Heaven as having been given
to Christ Himself. That weary,
homeless stranger who knocked tim
idIy at the back door that dark and
stormy night, and who was given
hospitable shelter, is found in the
final reckoning day to have been the
substitute of Christ, and the service
rendered him was done as unto
Christ. The shivering, hungry little
one on the street who was fed and
clothed; the lonely and neglected
one, sick in the garret room, who
was visited and comforted and cared
for; the repentant criminal behind
the prison bars, to whom were car
ried the words of sympathy and hope
of better life, are all suddenly dig
nifed with new light and new mean
ing, as it is understood that Christ
looked upon the service rendered
them. as done unto Himself.
The charm of the childhood fairy
stories fingers with me still. What
intense fascination there was In the
tale of the rich and good fairy who
could appear in whatsoever form he
chose and bestow his gifts upon
those whom he had tested. With
what impatient anxiety we followed
the good and bad characters in the
=