American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1859-10-27
The Bible.
BY HENRY WARD BEEcHER.

we make the following extract from
recent sermon by the Rev. Henry Ward
Bescher. as reported in the Independent.
Aman had written Mr.. BsschSr letter.
expressing his want Of faith in the Bible.
and asking whether he Beeoher) } believed
that virgin could become mother.
Now the Bible is not book which
man is to reverence as il it were god; as
ifit were anything but the voice Of one
crying in the wilderness, to lead men to
Christ; as ifit were anything but high
way cast up. along which men are to walk
toward the celestial city; as II it were any
thing but book to tell us how to act. aud
what to be. The Bibleis your guide book.
Take its read il; go where 1t directs you 10
GO: seesfor yourself what 1t describes.--
When the Bible tells you what a man is,
what be should be, and what he needs in
order to'be changed, 60 70 The substance
spoken Of. The truth OF the Word of God
% TO be found outside Of the Bible, rot in.
side Of 1t. II It declares that all men are
sinners. then look up and outl There are
the men before you. Look at theml Is it
true that they are selfish proud aud world
"? Ifit declares that there is such a
thing asths grace OF God, you are to vim
dictate thar statement Qy putting yourself
10 the position in which that, grace can
take effect, and see il il be real You must
open your heart to the touch Of Divine
power. II you would know whether there
isa power shed abroad on the human soul.
Bible truth is in your own heart and not
in The dead letter. The proof Of the deo-
larations Of the Bible are TO be found by
actual experiences OF daily life. 1t is BY
| your lie and disposition that you are TO
6ud out whether the Bible istrue or not,
ID go far as il speaks Of man And when
a.man saSs"l believe in religion when
seesit exemplified in true Christians; but
when see religion as it is in the Bible,
lido not believe In it," he states what is
true Of every other man as well as himself.
Neither do l believe in religion as it is in
the letter; nor do you; uor does anybody.
A man might aswell say 70 me, "When
hear birds singing, I think their music is
exquisitsly beautiful. but when l go and
look at tie eggs in their nests 1 do no,
hear anything delightful ID the music
there.''tg Nosof course not especially il the
eggs have been batched, and thss birds
have flown away, and nothing is left but
the shellsl9 7E A'Gt rs 2'&GkS8a .S&I
1t is written, ~ Come aud SEQ the place
where the Lord lay. "and MANY men come
here to the Bible TO .sse where Christ
lay; but they will hot look up to see the
living Christ righ. before them. There il
no longer any dead Christ, He is the liv
ing Chris. to you or be is nothing. I
s. IL you would know whether the Bibl,
be true ID its practical teachings, YOU mus
do by it, as. you would by . chart. A
| chart is nothing but a piece Of paper any
!. hoN; end what good does il do for,hslf-a
, dozen captains to sit down on the sbor
, aud discuss It's merits2 How can the
! know whether, its descriptions are ,correc
: Or not. Let them take it on board, ant
! provs It by sailing by &c. That is i tru
chart which is found true on trial. |
: there is no rock. where II says crock"
tsays sboal where there is no "sboal" i
it saysfcarfent where there is no o"current'
: if it is not safe where It says "safe" thel
q It is no true chart. no matter who made il
l or how or when it was made. It is th
: sea that is the best commentator on char
and human life is the test the Bible.
d Take Gods Word 10 which human III
II is all charted down. and measure chafacte
and conduct, and all the changes possibl
inthe human soul, by IL; measure God
l. grace promised and realised BY IL; measur
;, your whole earthly being by 1t. and see
70 itissnot true? Would you know the trul
. Of Christianity? Become a Christian!-
e s.If any man will do my willn says Chris
= The shall know Of the doctrine which
L teach" ,a ss yg,s,s,4 sts E3a 4st
is / do not however. shrink from the m
% nutest investigation of the sacred writ; an
ID ifamsa asks me, "Do you suppose Il
ut sun and moon ever stood still?" repl
thatI suppose there was phenomena
y, owbieh is appropriately described in tho
* words. ! believe unqhestionabiy th
,e, there was-at the time referred TO, an al
Is pearanos like that Of the sun and moo
70 standing still. What was The cause
IL that appearance. neither know nor ca
lis to know. Whether the earth stood sti
3D. Tor whether the planetary bodies stood st
lie or whether some other oplical effect WI
rs produced Is o matter Of no moment. II
lis enough tLat there was an effect produc'
Ist which answered TO these representation
lls and which served thepurposes Of God wi
pa the children Of Israel. Nature is. alws
va described from its appearance. Not fro
O. the scientific, but nom the poetic and pi
go torialsland point. is everything describe
o. Ifa man asks do you suppose that
virgin can become q moiher?'' my rep
\. is: fhe New Testament tells us that
" " Savior Was conceived ofths Holy Oh,
"Mn ~ and born Of a. woman. The event was
:" far removed from the ordinary process
- or natural Law, that Ishave no difficulty
ue believing that il occurred as il is describe
ne by the power Of God. Shall believs ii
'mm m He who ordailed from the beginEiog
:" the world. that we should spring into ]
n- from The lie, and body Of snother. COT
not control that wonderful aTrapgAmsI
,oo so that bis Son, should be born Of . v
10 msni The marvel 10 me Il. that meH !
ever born Of man and woman At ell; Il