The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1903-08-14
be entirely separated from religious
thought and activity.

! put InelT 6lDleS IN Lnelr gr1pS
when starting off on their vacations =?
You can help answer this question by
4telling what you yourself have done
The bodily needs and comforts are
assiduously looked after when the
trunk is being packed, and everything
which possibly may be needed for the
better enjoyment of the trip are taken
/ along. Why should the needs of the
soul be neglected? Why should the
physical be considered to the utter
! forgetfulness of the spiritual? "Oh,"
you say, Il am not going off to read
my Bible | can do that at home"
To be sure you can and ought, but you
may not read your Bible in the heart
of Nature when at home. You may
not be so situated as to have Gods
Word mingle in sweet harmony with
the voice and expression of Nature as
you are when away on your vacation.
| You may lose fresh visions of God and
new glimpses of the birds, and trees
and flowers, If you shut the Lord out
of your vacation, and set off to have
good time at all hazards. 1t is un-
safe and unwise to go away on the
vacation without the conscious pres
ence of Jesus accompany you. We
sing: Anywhere with Jesus l can
safely CO." and have in mind the place
of trial and danger and distress, but
into the pleasures of life and upon
the vacations we somehow feel that
we can walk safely alone. But the
Christian needs the Lord with him
upon his vacation as at no other time,
for it is then that myriad temptations
come, when the conventionalities and
restraints of home are severed.
uEVERY man that striveth for the
l. mastery is temperate in all things"
What would you think of the athlete
who INDUCED in his every whim until the
day of the race and then, suddenly real
izing that he must get himself into con-
dition, would agonize and fret in the
effort? Could he expect to win? Could
he hope to make creditable showing?
What can the Christian expect in the fall
if the summer has shattered his spiritual
health by it's excesses? He cannot hope
to be in condition for the work his Lord
would have him do. At the last moment
he cannot agonize in prayer and cram
hOu NOIu IAIO Alo oOul oO do " 10
equipped for service. Christians too lit
tie realize that the reason for many
failure and defeat dates away back to
the indulgence and neglect of days gone
by. The summertime excess bears fruit
in fall and winter barren of spiritual re-
suits
The Divine admonitions: BE instant
in season and out of season. Pray
without ceasing" do good unto all
men," are in force as much during the
summertime as during the other seasons
of the year. Your prayers during the
summer will determine how much bless
ing you and your church are to have in
the fall. Your faithfulness to religious
obligations in the summer will determine
how we'll prepared you are for the work
Of the fall. But IL must not be supposed
that this intensity of Christian life and
service, this ceaseless prayer, this con-
slant attitude of helpfulness to those
about are in conflict with the keenest en-
joyment of the summer time, or is
handicap to the most refreshing and
restful vacation. To be instant In sea-
son and out of season does not mean that
you may not leave the present work in
ings. To pray without ceasing does not
mean that you must go around with
prayer rug in your hands and your eyes
rolling into Heaven. These are not SO
much admonitions to outward express
sion as to inward attitude. And If the
inward state of the soul is one of prayer
and eager yearning for service, there
will be the constant and refreshing ex-
preston in the life of that temperate en-
joyment of all things which Paul urges
IN our text.
ONE other thing which is often IN
~ cluded in the Christians summer
time excess. That is the extrav-
agance which is encouraged and