Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-03-28
NO. 36.
5abbatb Reuhing.
BARDS OF THE BIBLE.


The Bible is 4 mass of beautiful figures; its
words and its thoughts are alike poetical; it
has gathered around its central truthes all ma
tural beauty and interest; it is temple with
one altar and one God, but Illuminated by
thousand varied lights, and studded with q
thousand ornaments. 1t has substantially but
one declaration to make, but it utters il in tho
voices of creation. Shining forth from the
excellent glory, its light has been reflected on
a myriad of intervening objects, till it has be-
come at length attempcred for our vision. IL
now beams upon US at once from the heart OF
man, and from the countenancc of nature. It
has arrayed itself in the charms of fiction. It
has gathered new beauty from the works OF
creation, and new warmth and newpcwer from
the very passions of clay. 1t has pressed ;;c.o ;;c.o
its service the animals OF the forest the flow
ers of the field, the stars of the heavens,-all
the elements of nature. The lion spurning the
sands of the desert, the wild roe leaping over
the mountains, the lamb led in silence to the
slaughter. the goat speeding othe wilderness,
the rose blossoming in Sharon, the Ely Ely droop
ing in the valley, the apple tree bowing under
its fruit, the great rock shadowing the weary
land, the river gladdening the dry place, the
moon and :he morning star, Carmelby the sea,
and Tabor in the mountains, the dew upon tho
womb of the morning, the lain upon the mown
grass. the rainbow encompassing adark place,
the light of Coos shadow, the thunder of His
voice, the wind and the earthquake of His
footsteps, all such varied objects are made
if naturally designed from their creation to
~,
emblenis point. Thus the spirit of the Book
has ransacked creation to lay its treasures on
Jehoyah's altar, united the innumerable rays
Of a far streaming glory the little hill OF
Calvary, and woven garland for the bleeding
brow of Emanuel, the flowers OF which have
been culled from the garden of universe.
The power of the Bible over man has been
long obstinately resisted; but resisted in vain.
For ages has this artless, loosely piled little
Book been exposed to the fire of the keenest
investigations, fire meanwhile which has con-
sumed contemptuously the mythology OF the
Iliad, the Georgics, the historical truth Of
Livy, the fables Of ShaStcr, the Talmud, and
the Koran, the artistic merit OF many popu-
lar poem, the authority of many awork of phil
osophy and science. And yet there the Bible
lies unhurt, untouched, with not one of its
pages singed, with not even the smell Of fire
having passed upon it Many an attempt has
been made to scare away this Fiery Pillar OF
our wanderings, TO prove it 4 mere natural pro-
duct of the wilderness; but still night after
night it rises like one of the sure and ever shi-
ming stars in the vanguard of the great march
Of man, the old column gliding slow but gui-
ding certainly to future lands of promise, both
in the life that is and in that which cometh
hereafter.
While other books are planets shining with
reflected radience, this Book like the sun
shines with ancient and unborrowed rays.
Other books after shining their little season.
may perish in flames fiercer than those which
destroyed the Alexandrian. library; this must
in essence remain llne as gold, but inconsuma-
bic as abestos in the general confagration.