The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-04-01


~---- won erful and
beautiful as it is, is but faint type of
the true and glorious Light of Life.
To every man that second Light is as
free as the first, and if he will accept
it the darkness is forever past. More
God cannot do. The Sun of Righteous
ness is shining even more brightly
than the orb of day, but, if men will
shut themselves up in the darkness OF
sin, as in a subterranean vault, they
alone are to blame that His glorious
rays do not penetrate its blackness. "
And as the man who would shut him
self away in the dark cavern where
the sun could never penetrate might
refuse to believe that there was any
sun and any glorious light, so the man
who loved the darkness of sin and re-
fused to come to the Divine Light
might contend that there was no Sun
of Righteousness, and no glorious
Light to chase away the blackness of
sin, but it would not alter the facts
in either case. The great sun is in the
heavens giving freely, fully and con-
stantly of its glorious, life-giving light,
and the greater Light, the Son of God
has come into the world and shines
with ever increasing brilliancy and
seeks to draw men from the darkness
and "the region and shadow of death"
to the light and safety in Him. The
man in the sunlight does not need ar
gument to convince him that the sun
is in the heavens sending forth its
light. He knows it because he sees
and feels it. But the man in the cave
might be prone to argue the point and
you would never be able to convince
him while he clung to the dark recesses
of his retreat But get him out in
the sunlight and all doubt and all de-
sire to argue would disappear.
NIOTWITHSTANDI the fact that
Y Light has come into the world
there are many who love darkness
rather than the Light. They prefer to
sit in the shadows instead of coming
out into the blessed, life-giving Light.
They abide in the darkness. They see
the Light, even as one in dark cav
ern might see far in the distance the
glimmering light of the sun as it crept
through the crevasses of the rocks.
They know it is shining out in the re-
gions beyond them, but they cling to
the place of darkness. Such were those
who came into touch with Jesus when
He was upon earth-His neighbOrs at
Nazareth who allowed prejudice and
envy to blind their eyes and who
sought to destroy the true Light which
had shined unto them-the scribes and
Pharisees and the multitudes that fol-
lowed their leadership; all these were
they of whom Scripture declares that
iehf chi in bpi T11id or xynf
their darkened minds and hearts of un-
belief apprehended it not. And such
are those to-day who come into touch
with the Light of the Gospel-Christ in
the world in the Spirit-and yet who
will not turn to that Light but prefer
the darkness of their own ways. Pre-
ferring the darkness when the soul of
man was intended to find life in the
Light. We do not wonder that the
earth worm delights to burrow into
the dark bowels of the earth. We do
not wonder when the hideous crawling
things which lurk in the darkness flee
from the light and plunge into the
darkest hole that can be found. 1t is
their nature. They can know nothing
higher and better. But think of the
bright-faced flower whose beauty and
very life depend upon abiding in the
glorious light of the sun, choosing
rather the darkness of some damp Gel
lar! Could it thrive? Could it live?
Indeed no. you say. And neither can
the soul of man thrive and live in the
worlds darkness of sin. 1t has been
made for higher and better expert
ence; for Light instead of darkness;
for Heaven instead of eternal separa-
ton from God in the outer darkness.
GOD calls it darkness, for such it is.
~ But the Devil gives it other names.
He calls it worldly enlightenment. per-
sonal liberty, pleasure, ease, luxury.
indulgence, etc, etc. The Devil always
likes to change the names of things.
He learned the trick away back in the
beginning of mans history when he
called the fruit of the forbidden tree
good, and wholesome and desirable.
And the present advertising age has
learned the trick to an amazing degree.
and attractive and high-sounding
names and phrases are tackled upon
articles for sale which help sell the
goods, but do not in the least change
their true character. The world has
answered the question: whats in a
name?" by replying, Everything, ev-
erything!" The name sells the goods.
And the Devil likes to call the dark