The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-05-13

dOu > WOIuS DGHIuu hill. his take
means that he was heady and high
minded. that he had vain self-esteem
which made him unteachable. And the
charge of casting Gods words behind
him would imply that he gave them d
subordinate place in his life and put his
own judgments and thoughts before
those of God. More than likely, intel
| lectualism and higher criticism were
barriers that prevented Gods words
| having due weight and influence in his
life.
| A ND now We enter upon another phase
1 \ of the character of the Forgotten of
| God. He is compromiser with evil, for
when he saw the thief at work-oh, not
the thief who breaks into houses and
steals everything he can lay his hands
on. This man is respectable in his thiev-
cry alongside of the man who robs in a
business deal or engages in questionable
enterprises that promise large profits, or
| takes advantage of the mistake of a
clerk or cashier which is in his favor
when he saw this kind of thief at work
he winked and smiled a bit and thought
what sharp fellow he was, and perhaps
| he was in on the deal and shared in the
| profits. He wouldn't do anything dis
honest, not he! But he will let the other
| fellow do the dirty work and he will
pocket his share of the proceeds. Yes,
| when he saw the thief at work, he con-
sentedst with him. Had he seen hun
CRY beggar purloining loaf of bread
from the bake shop, or the highwayman
holding up the wayfarer and taking his
valuables, he would have been quick to
yell thief so loudly that the policeman
could have heard him quarter of mile
away if he had cared to do so. But when
it came to polite stealing in business he
smiled approvingly, especially when he
was in on the profits. And not only is
the Forgetter of God a compromiser
with evil, but he is a partaker with
adulterers. He is a man of the world
who, though perhaps not himself a
moral leper, fellowships with those Of
positive immoral habits. The social
fabric of the present day is becoming
rotten with moral Irregularities. Di-
vorce is coming to be the rule rather
. than the exception, and marriage ties
and VOWS are thoughtlessly and lustful-
ly formed and then more thoughtlessly
and lustfuily broken. And the Forget
ter of God, though he may be in outward
conduct of high moral rectitude, yet he
is a partaker with adulterers because his
bosom friends, his associates are moral
ly defective, and he knows it, and yet he
excuses and overlooks and forgets. And
then he gives his mouth to evil. All,
how unclean and vile is much of the con-
versation of the smoking room or the
social circle. The questionable wit
ticism, the double entendre, the smutty
story, the light, flippant, joking re-
marks upon the most sacred relations
of the married life, all these issue from
the mouth given to evil. The Forgetter
of God is the man or woman of polluted
lips. He is also the liar. Lying is one
of the commonest of evils. 1t is consid-
cred quite the proper thing among the
majority of people, and yet it is an
abomination in the sight of God. And |
then there is the slanderer and back |
bitter, even towards those Of his own |
household, and last of all the Forgotten |
of God is spoken of as the corrupter of |
the true God; that is, he has loose and |
low conception of God, quite in conson- |
ance and harmony with his own life and
character. And this is the Forgotten of |
God
GO much for the Forgetter of God.
~ You know who he is, without fur
ther discussion on our part. You know
you yourself are Forgetter.
But whatever your attitude may be to-
wards God, God has not forgotten you.
He appeals to you and to me. He warns
Of the danger. He waits in mercy. He
holds out His promise of salvation. He
pleads for us to consider our condition,
our danger and our chance of escape.
Now consider this, ye that forget
God" and then He goes on to warn of
the impending danger. Listen, ye For
getters of God, "lest tear you in pieces
and there be none to deliver" Here is
the danger signal. Here is the sign post
written by the finger of God telling you
you are pursuing in careless forgetful-
ness of God there are judgment and pun s
shment. Gods mercy and patience
must not be counted for weakness. ''The
1ord is not slack concerning His prom
Sc, as some count slackness; but is long
to you-ward, not wishing that
my should perish, but that all should 7
:ome to repentance" There are those
Who doubt God, who do not believe that
he judgments which He has pronounced
.gainst sin will be fulfilled. Jesus en- ,
such skepticism and referring
Jack to Noah declared that the people
# that day had manifested the same
eckless disregard of Gods warnings, I
and as were the days of Noah, so shall +
e the coming of the Son of man. For Z
S in those days which were before the G
ood they were eating and drinking, I
marrying and giving in marriage, until | .
he day that Noah entered into the ark, =,
nd they knew not until the flood came /;
nd took them all away; so shall be the r
oming of the Son of man" And Peter, 4;
aving declared that God is not slack :
oncerning the fulfillment of every
romise and every judgment, goes on r
, say that "the day of the Lord will !.
ome as a thief" -.
] Angling over the head of the For h
L getter of God. like the sword of s
amocles upheld by single hair, is a
lspended the judgment of God. 1t does W
-A-%A u, - =ss -