The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1903-07-24


life to blackness and despair at the
end, without ever coming to realize
that just at hand is the Land of Up
rightness. in which is joy and peace
and satisfaction, and true success!
THE inhabitants of the Land of Up
L rightness are faithfully described
in the First Psalm. They are they who
walk not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit
in the seat of the scornful. Their de-
light Is in the law of the Lord and in
His law do they mediate day and night.
They are like tree planted by the rivers
of water, that bringeth forth his fruit
in his season; his leaf does not wither,
and whatsoever he doeth prospereth.
Abel dwelt in that land, and when the
jealous hand of his brother struck him
down, he quickly passed over to the joys
and peace of the land where tears are un-
known and sorrow and pain have given
place to joy of heart and peace of life
Enoch walked with God in the Land Of
Uprightness, and one day when enjoy
ing the companionship of the dear Lord
he wandered over the line, and never
came back. Noah lived in the Land of
Uprightness, but at that time he was
about its only inhabitant The god
less inhabitants of the world were as
unconscious of the existence of the
Land of Uprightness as the blind fish
of Mammoth Cave are ignorant Of the
blessed sunshine and the glad bird bath
ing in it's light But notwithstanding
that Noah had a pretty lonesome time
of it as related to human associations, he
found in the end that it paid to dwell
there. Abraham was content to abide
in the Land of Uprightness, where
Gods VIII controlled and His Spirit
led, but Lot, who knew the Land
of Uprightness, and ought to have
remained a resident thereof, lift
ed up his eyes, and, beholding the
glitter and show and surface pleasures
of the Land of the Natural Self, he wan
dered off to its distractions, and Gods
angels had hard work rescuing him
later from the destruction which over
took portion of that goddess land. And
we have not space to tell of all the
others who dwelt in the Land of Up
rightness, as enumerated in the Scrip
lures. Nor have we time to review the
grand army which has passed through
this land into the better land since
Christ first drew His disciples about
Him and commissioned them to go into
all the world and tell of this Land of
Uprightness, and draw thereto all who
would listen to the glad message and
turn from the Land of the Natural Self.
whose borders are adjacent to the outer
darkness of eternal death, and to the
edge of the bottomless pit.
WE have declared the Land of Up
w rightness to be a place of joy, of
peace, of satisfaction, of true success,
and you ask, in haste: rs sorrow
never known, then, by it's inhabitants?
do trouble and distress and hardship
and suffering never come with their
burdens? are there never any ungrati-
fed longings and desires? are all
hose who dwell in that land prosper
BUS and influential, as the world |
counts success and power?" No, you
us. When man plans |
with God and measures conditions |
With Him, the trials and Affections of |
his present world which are encoun-
cred in the Land of Uprightness are |
Is nothing ITO be compared with the |
glory which shall be revealed in u.s."
Jesus in the Land of Uprightness suf-
cred. He knew what it was to be in
want; He was despised and rejected
# men; He was buffeted and crucified,
ret at the close of His life He talked
O His disciples of the joy and peace
which He had found in the Land of
brightness, and then said: MY peace
leave with you, My Joy shall be in
-ou." And in prophetic declaration of
lis own experience and what the test
f true discipleship was to be, He said:
They shall deliver you up to be af-
icted, and shall kill you; and we shall
e hated of all nations for My names
lis ministry He said: Blessed are
e, when men shall revile you and
ersecute you, and say all manner of
vii against you falsely, for My sake.
,ejoice, and be exceeding glad: for
reat is your reward in Heaven; for
o prosecuted they the prophets which
vere before you" And as we follow
ne history of the disciples of the cross
Jesus Christ from the stoning of
tephen at Jerusalem down through
he long list of martyrs to the present
ay in which persecution from with
ut, and trial and hardship and suffer-
lg from within, are experienced, we
&c that in the Land of Uprightness
is not peace and joy and ease as
lie world counts those things, but it
peace and joy and satisfaction to
lie one who is abiding in the will of
cd, for the soul knows that just
head is the blessed contamination of
DDS purposes, and the grace of God l.
found sufficient for every need. Yes,
| the Land of Uprightness trials and
fiictions await you, but in all these
lings you may be more than con-
leror through Him Who loved you
nd gave Himself for you. In the
and of the Natural Self, all the bur- ,
ems and trials of life have to be borne ,
one and they crush into despair and
lie grave, but in the Land of Upright !
ess the Saviour yokes Himself up ,
it'll you and your burden and bears !
lie heaviest end. He never suffers
ou to be tested beyond your strength.
IHOW is it, Eliza" asked her mis- !
| | tress, that you are always so ,
leerful and contented and happy? I :
Lnnot understand it. Your life has ,
ZEN filed with sorrow, and privation
Id trouble You lost your parents
i'd brother and sister through the
yer epidemic which swept your '