The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-04-25

One of the worlds greatest preach
ers has passed away. Rev. I. De Witt
Talmage, having devoted his life and
wonderful talents to the pointing of
others to the way of eternal life, has
at last himself stepped over into the
larger, fuller life of Gods eternal day.
The tenement house of clay has been
given up for the one not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens. The
glories of the future home of the
soul, which has been so often elo-
quently and graphically portrayed by
DIR. Talmage in his sermons, has burst
upon his vision as he sees face to
face and realizes the force of the
Scripture which his lips have spoken
so many times: Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, neither have entered
into the heart of man the things
which God hath prepared for them
that love Him."
Death has been swallowed up in
victory. AS he fell asleep in Jesus
and awoke in His likeness, this
valiant soldier of the Lord Jesus
Christ could exclaim in ringing tones
of triumph: 80 death, where is thy
SJllS ~ "hC1C IL GllS VIZ
tory?" And as he passed on into the
presence of his King and Saviour, the
minor strain of the words: 1.-THE
sting of death is sin; and the
strength of sin is the law" have been
lost in the mighty chorus of the re-
deemed with which his voice has
mingled as they sing: But thanks
be to God, which giveth us the VIC
tory through our Lord Jesus Christ"
DR.. Talmage was a firm believer in
the Bible as the Word of God. The
higher criticism could never shake his
faith in the realities of all the Bible
set forth. He frequently declared
that he believed every jot and title
of it between the covers of the book,
every word of it as it stands. And it
was because of this that his preach
ing was so vivid and forceful. He be-
lieved what he spoke. Did he speak
of hell, he painted it as reality
and made his hearers believe that
when the Bible talked about hell it
meant exactly what it said. Did he
undertake to set forth the realities
| of heaven, his graphic portrayal of
| Scriptural passages on the subject
! carried his hearers up to the very
| gates until they could almost see the
white robed throngs passing through
the golden streets. The pictures
! which he drew at times were start
| ling, and his illustrations striking and
| forcible. Bible characters as he
! talked about them became living
realities and that vagueness which
generally surrounds sacred history in
the minds of people was lifted, and
Moses and Elijah, Daniel and David
and the others in the long list of
| Bible heroes stood out with a vivid
ness that held the wrapt attention OF
his hearers and the readers of his
sermons.
He was dramatic and sensational in
his manner in the pulpit, but always
with the purpose of emphasizing the
message he was delivering. On one
occasion, when it was time for him
to begin his sermon, he went to the
edge of the platform, buttoned his
coat, raised his arms and wheeling
suddenly about dashed in running
jumps across the platform, his arms
waving like the sails of a windmill
his coat-tails flying behind him, ant
his trousers working above his sho,
tops.
He had not spoken a word, anC
some of his congregation were ready
to shrek, not knowing what to max,
of it, when Mr.. Talmage stopped
short. turned and walked back to the
center of the platform and ex
claimed, as the beginning of his ser
mon: young man, you're rushing
to destruction!" And amidst the pro