The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-04-15

course God had marked out for him.
And while eating in the forbidden place
! Gods worst judgment against him
| came, and he went out to perish before
the fierce attack of a great lion 1t is a
sad story, but it has it's lesson and its
warning for you and for me. ''Ye were
running we'll; who hindered you that
We should not obey the truth? This
persuasion came not of Him that call
eth YOU" Let us not be harsh in our
| judgments upon the prophet of Judah
who failed just when he was about to
round out a splendid service with sue
cess and full obedience Let us con-
slider ourselves and see if we have not
turned and are not most apt 10 turn
aside from complete obedience to the
will and commandments Of God
T HIS man of God had exact and
| full instructions from God as to his
journey, his testimony and his return
Man never turns aside from the pathway
of obedience because God has failed to
make the way plain. The Galatian Chris
tianS had rot departed from the doc
triIe delivered unto them by Paul. be-
cause it had not been made simple and
plain And you and 1 do not turn
aside from the right path because God
has not lovingly and faithfully ard care
fully marked all the way over which
our feet should ~. Yet did run well, oh,
man of God! Why did not you continue
so to the end? Ye did run well, oh, ye
Galatians! Why did not you so con-
tinue to the end? You and l do run well
at times, we perform half service for
the Master faithfully. But what hinders
us finishing as we began? Surely it is not
because God has failed to make Him
self understood. 1t is not because He
has not hung sign posts at every turn
in the road. He has made it so plain that
''Wayfaring men, yea fools, shall not
err therein" The turning aside of the
Christian cannot be charged to any neg
lect. or Indifference on the part of God
He has provided chart and compass and
guide book, and best of all He has given
us a Pilot who has been over all the
journey of life and served in every posi-
bic condition and circumstance, so that
He is able to help and guide as need re-
qu1res. Such being the case, we cannot
claim that our vacillating course is
chargeable to God. We cannot offer as
excuse for having turned aside from the
path of duty and obedience that God had
not given us careful instructions, and
plain commands, for He has, and We know
it. God is not responsible for our fail
ures
EIRST of all, then, we may discover the
secret of the failure of the man of
God in delay and the seeking of ease
in a forbidden place. What hath him
dered you?" Delay and self-sought
easel Perhaps more failures can be
counted from this source than from any
other. The man of God did not stop and
rest under the tree by the roadside in
order that he might commune with God.
Back into Judah was the place where
he must go to receive Gods We'll done, |
good and faithful servant" Back in
Judah was where God would talk with !
him further. He could not receive these !
on the roadside where duty had not !
been fully performed. And neither |
more can the child of God to-day. l. |
was safe for the prophet to go to the !
very heart of the enemy's country, to |
openly denounce the idolatrous worship |
and the false altar and priests, because |
Sod had sent him, but it was not safe |
10 tarry by the wa-side. and seek his /
ease, for God had not told him thus TO
10. He had been told to go and get
back in time for the next meal, and that
meant haste. Perchance he was hungry
when he left Bethel, and he stopped TO
.hink of what feast he would have had
1t the kings house. And how many
u 10
,er in the regions of the forbidden
hings. They know they must not par
axe, but they tarry to think what a
goodly land the forbidden land is, after
III, and they banker after the viands
nat have been denied them. And this
llmost invariably leads to failure The
1ord's business takes the Christian
light into the enemy's country He is
n the world surrounded by all the at
ractive and alluring things Of this
ife. But. as the prophet was not to
,artake of the bounties of Bethel. even
% the Christian is told not to love the
world nor the things of the world. nor
o indulge in worldly things.
} UT the Christian. regardless of the
hOA u Slbo hAlISSll uONH
nder the shade of the worlds tree.
nd reasons on this wise, much as l be-
eve the man of God reasoned that
usy, and eventful, and fatal day. He
ras conscious of having done good
ervice, but instead of reporting back to
eadquarters a. once, and letting God
if commendation were due. he
the self-satisfied feeling
7hich filled his heart His thought all
entered in self. and what he had dons
Ie, the servant of God, had obeyed
eds voice, and departed early that
lorning for Bethel. He had spoken |
iod's message. he had refused the |
ing's meat, and had started hack az
ther way-surely, he had done well.
lie had obeyed God. Why should he |
OF rest here under the oak nigh to !
ethel? He was entitled, he thought,
, a little quiet ease after his long jour
ey, his splendid sermon, and his re-
lsal of an invitation to dinner His
bought was all of SELF and when one
Irries by the way to think of self, and '
hat self has wrought, he is in great I
eril. How very, very often the Chris [
an falls into this snare. Faithful serY-{