The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-08-15

LIE 11Jllc uOMSI WOO1O Vic w
seed would fall into the ground to
bring forth future plant and flower,
and then from where would next sea-
sons supply of honey be drawn? No
man can live unto himself alone and
live as God intended He should live.
The man whose horizon is narrowed
down to the limits of this world may
grasp the wealth of a Rockefeller,
may win the financial and commercial
power of a Morgan, may receive the
plaudits and honor of the world, and
have such poverty of soul as to rem
der it impossible to minister unto
others single real blessing.
The Abundance of God.-Our text
takes us into the presence of Jesus.
He has just called His disciples into
active service and, having placed the
eternal riches of Heaven at their dis
posal, He bids them go forth, saying:
Freely ye have received, freely
give" They were to give out with as
bountiful hand as God had given to
them, and like the widows cruise of
oil, which failed not, their giving was
always Il reinsurance of their faith
that the source of supply would never
fail. Their relations to mankind att
er receiving their great commission
was to be adjusted upon a Divine
equation, which made the giving eN-
actly balance the receiving, and their
receiving of the riches of Heaven
equal the degree to which they be-
slowed. But in order for the dis
ciples to have an adequate conception
of the wonderful mission upon which
they were about to enter, they needs
must be given glimpse into Gods
treasure box and understand its in
exhaustible riches, and they must be-
lieve and understand that everything
was at their disposal.
The agent of a certain rich man,
commissioned to purchase in Eu-
rope rare paintings and statuary for
the rich mans new home, was not
| prepared for the performance of his
task until he had seen the bank book
| of his employer and knew just how
much money was at his disposal. The
servant of Jesus Christ is not ready
to undertake the Divine commission,
to which everyone is called, until he
has allowed his spiritual vision to
be quickened and he has looked into
| the treasure house of God, where are
| to be found gifts for mankind, both
temporal and spiritual, and has heard
the Lord say, as He does say to you
and to me: Freely We have re-
ceived, freely give" Gods Word re-
veals to us the inexhaustible riches
of Heaven. 1t tells us that every
good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, and cometh down from
the Father of Lights"
Think of it, All at your command
as you give in the name of the Lord
and are guided in the giving by Gods
Spirit. For we are not to cast God
pearls before swine, neither must we
give the children's meat to the dogs
But we must give freely as God
shows us the need, because freely
have we received, and there is no linn
it to the supply.
The eighth verse of II. Corinthians
to which we have already referred
gives US a hint of the riches of God
which we may obtain so as to bestow
upon others. Listen: God is able tC
make all grace abound toward you;
that We, always having all sufficiency
! III Ill JlllllSSs 1OOullu W SNSA y
good work" This reveals to us what
was implied by Jesus words, wheI
He said: Freely We have received
and shows what the equipment of the
disciples was for the mission to which
they had been called.
The Gospel of Giving.-The cal
grace" of God bestowed upon them in
Guided the healing of the sick, the rails
, ing of the dead, the cleansing of leper.
and the casting out of devils, as specia
equipment for the peculiar needs o
the time and the purpose of their mis-
sion. True it is that the grace of Coz
NAV not include such gifts to-day, bu
you may be sure all the grace needfu
to abound in every good work will b.
given to the disciple of Christ VIII,
gives with overlooking love. God un
derstands the needs of the times, an,
always provides the particular kind o
grace required. Note that we are no
to dictate what special form of grac
: shall be given to us. Our part is to re
ceive the "alI grace" which God
pleased to give, and then give out free
ly, and as we give we find the sal
grace" increases instead of CROWN,
, less. The grace of God rested upol
Christ as He blessed the loaves an,
fishes to their miraculous increase, an
when the fragments were gathere
after all had been filled there wa
much more than at first. So the on
regularity of the Gospel of giving
the certain increase in the supply.
No wonder the disciples returned
, Christ after their missionary tou
filed with joy. They went out i
: faith in the declaration of Christ
y Freely We have received" and cam
t back leaving behind pathway of igh
Y and blessed Joy. Acting on faith the
: had the evidence of having receive
t from Christ only as they began to give
A AS they went forth on the naked prom
e Use, not looking to feeling or anythin
e within themselves, and scattere
: throughout Palestine, the lepers foun
: cleansing, the dead were given bac
: to their loved ones, the sick wer
Y healed and the devil-possessed peopl
|. were delivered from their awful bono
: age. Then they began to know sue
r Joy as only the disciple of Christ ca
: know who gives in the name of til
: Master.
h Here is the secret of true giving.
t giving that is profigate of self an
= seeks alone the welfare of the r
= cipient is the way in which Heave
). gives and echoes the declaration {
|. Christ that "He that loseth his life fl
+ Nv sake, shall find it." Here is the VI
y deriving motive which distinguish
II L. Is ~