Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1846-03-12
Infidel Objections Answered
BY ABBOTT.
+ G on | u d e d.

|
man crimes can hardly afford one of great
er alrociiy than his conduct in the affair
Of Uriah; and ye. he is represented in the
Bible as man after Gods own heart.
.4nswer. /. The Bible condemns his
sin as severely as il can be condemned by
any one. The plain truth is stated, that
David was guilty Of such crime, and i,
is spoken of in terms Of The mos. unmea-
sured adherence. God sent prophet to
David with a special message of condem-
nation. He punished David for the crime
with the utmost severity. "Because," said
the prophet, "by this deed thou hast Civ.
en- grea, occasion TO the enemies of the
Lord to blaspheme." a. Your beloved
child shall die. e For the remainder o.!
life you shall not have one moment of do
mestic peace, but shall suffer as severely
as man can suffer from domestic sorrows.
az You shall have no more peace upon
the throne. Bereaved of your child. and
harassed for the remainder of your days
with domestic discord and political disas-
tiers, you shall drag out melancholy ex
istence.
This was the sentence God sen. the
prophet to pass upon David; and this is
the occurrence the deis, quotes TO prove
tina, the God of the Bible coun,enances
sin! Is this palliating SIM Is this pass
ing i, by as Sigh. occurrence!
What is the objection of The deis,! |.
is, that notwithstanding this sin. God re-
garded David with appreciation,
And what is the answer! l, is, that
God regarded his Gin with the utmost alb
horrence, and that for it David suffered
to the very last hour of his life. He did
not IN this respect regard David with ap-
probation. He was approved only for
those things in which he did justly, and
loved mercy, and walked humbly with
God.
Even David himself does not attempt
TO palliate the sin. He acknowledges the
righteousness of Gods judgment. He
condemns himself in language Of the most
abiect humility and the deepest pentence.
Read the fifty first Psalm, which he wrote
in reference to this transaction. How
hear, rending his peniience! How is he
overwhelmed with selfloa.hing and self
abhorrenee! "Have mercy upon me. O
God" he cries. "Wash me thoroughly
from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from
my sin. For acknowledge my trans
gression, and my sin is ever before me.
Behold. was shapen in iniquity, and in
sin did my mother conceive me. Hide
thy face from my sins, and blot out all
nine inquiries. Create in me clean
heart, o God; and renew right spiri,
within me. Cas-. me not away from thy
presence. and take not thy Holy Spirit
from me-" These were the confessions
which David made; the feelings with
which he was oppressed. And yet, strange
TO tell-almost incredible to believe. this
is the transaction which the deisl quotes
to prove that the God of the Bible encour-
!. ages adultery and murder!
Why did the writers Of the Bible record
this sin of David! They must have been
very honest men, 10 give such an impair
,al statement of the vices as well as the
= virtues Of those whose lives they describe
The historian surely knew, for he de
clares, ",hat the deed would give grea
!. occasion to the enemies of the Lord tc
blaspheme." Why then did he place
through all coming time, to furnish oc
CASTOR of scorn to the enemies of religioni
The historian might have been silent up
on this point. He might have recorded
D. only the virtues of David. But withou
one word Of palliation or ex,enuaton, hi
: records this sin in all its alrocily. An.
these are the writers who, the deist think
are trying TO impose upon the world
Men who are so honest that they stat
g, the whole truth, without asking wheihe
it will strengthen the believer, or furns
arguments to the infidel!
This affair of David taken in all its cir
cumstances, is strong evidence Of III
= truth Of religion.
Q.) II shows the nAexible impartial
i,y Of the sacred writer's.
(2) 1t shows Gods utter ahhorrenc
of David's sin, and the awful judgment
with which he visits sin.
= a. And it shows the nature Of ger
uine repentance, with all its hcartrendin
agony. and the consolation which relgio
:. can afford to the peni,ent soul, burdene
with the consciousness and enduring III
awful consequences Of guilt.
Objection 8. 1.-The prayers Of Davi
are dictated by spirit OF mos, bitter re
venge. Instead Of forgiving his enemies
and praying that God would bless then
he imprecates vengeance upon their heas
and even pronounces benediction npc
those who shall dash their children again
-, the stones. And yet il is said in the B
BILE that these prayers are dictated by Il
Holy Spirit sf&R"
. .4nswer .'snppose there is a horr
: murder committed in our neigtiborhoo
The ak and the knife OF robbers have co
- cred the floor of our friends dwelling wi
~ the mangled corpses of the family. IT
. Christian appalled, Ivy the horrd spe
= tacle, in the fervor of his morning praye
says, 90 God, bring these guilty men
justice; O let them not escape; let sw
ut retribu,ion overtake them; let them suff
the just punishment for their crime, II
The honor Of our laws may be preserve
and that terror may fill The hearts of 4
wicked"
l. II. IL n IL :.