The Trinity times., 1855-05-19
Metanhnrs Of the Bible.

The following passages, sparkling with
beauty, from Gilhllan's Bards of the Bible,
re-published by the liarpers, of New \ ork, F.,
give brilliant view of the metaphors used by
inspired men to illustrate divine truth:
The words and thoughts of the Bible are
alike poetical; it has gathered around its cen
truths all natural beauty and interest; it is a
temple with on altar and one God, but illu-
mined by thousand ornaments. 1t has
substantially but one declaration to make, but
it utters it in the voices OF the creatlon.--
Shining forth from the excellent glory, its
light has been reflected on myriad OF inter-
vening objects, till it has become attempered
for our early vision. 1t now beams upon
MS at once from the heart of man, and from
the couutenance of nature. 1T has arraycd
itself in the charms Of fiction. IL has gath
cred new beauties from the work OF creation,
and new powers from the very passions Of
clay. It has pressed into its service the very
animals of the forest, The flowers OF the field &,
the stars of heaveu--all the elements OF ma
ture. The lion spumiug the sands Of the
desert, the wild roe loaping over the noun
tains, the ldlnh lcd in silence Co the slaughter,
the goat speeding to the wilderness, the rose
b.ossomjng i'm Sharon. the lily dropping in
the valley, the applc-tree bewng under ITS
fruit the great rock shadowing Il weary land, j.,
the river gladdeuing dry place, the moon
and the morning star, Carmel by the sea and
the Tabor IN The mountains, the dew from
the womb Of the morning. the rain upon the
mown grass, the rainbow encompasslng n
dark place, the light OF Gods sun, the thun-
der Of his voice, the wind and the earthquake,
His lootsteps--al such varied objects are
made as if naturally designed from their
creation to represent HIM to whom the Book
and all its embems point Thus the spirit Of
the Book has ransacked creation to lay It's
treasures on Jehoyah's altar, united the rays
of iar-slreamng glory on the bill Of Caya-
rv, and woven garland for the bleeding
brow of Emmanuel, the flowers of which
have been cplIed from the garden Of a uni
verse.
The power Of the Bible ever man has been
lcue and cbstinately resisted; but resisted in
VAN. or ages las ti. altess ioos y Piled
Book been exposed to the fire Of the Ike most
investi0atons--a FIRE, meanwhile which has
consumed conlemptuousy the mythology of
the l.iad, the husbandty of the Georges, the
historical truth Of Lyy, the fables of the
Shaster, The Jamvd, aud the Koran, the ar
tistic merit Of many a popular poem, the an-
thority Of many wOek Of philosophy and
science. And yet there the Bible lies nm
hurt, untouched, with not one Of It's pages
singed. with not even the smell Of fire hav-
ing passed upon it. Many an attempt has
been made to scare away the Fiery Pillar Of
our wandt rings, to prove II mere natural
product Of the wilderness; but still night af-
Ter night il rises, like one Of the cyer-shning
stars in the vanguard Of the great march Of
man, the old column gliding slow, but gud
ing certain, 10 future lands Of promise, both
in the lle that IS, and that which cometh
after
Willie other books arc planets shining with
reflected radiance, (his Book, like the Bun,
shines with ancient and VI borrowed rays.
Other books. after shining their little sea-
SON. may perish la flames fercer than those
which destroyed the Alcxandrian library;
this must in essence remain fine as gold, but
incousumablc as asbestos in the general con
Aagratien