Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-12-12
The Bible.

Sitting alone in my study, | fell into a
train of reflections on the preservation of
the Bible, and its influence on the history of
man. Here before me lies an unpretending
little book. What volume of thought
does it suggest 1t is by many centuries
the oldest book in the world. More than
three thousand years ago the first word of
1t was written in the desert of Arabia more
than seventeen hundred the last word wss
written on the rocky isle of Patmos 1t mas
been read by more people than al other
books in the world put together. More of it
is remembered by men thap all the books
that were ever written. It treats Of ques-
tons OF the highest mo.nent to all men, and
proposes to reveal that for which the wisest
OF all ages have sought in vain-the secret
of true happiness, These very letters that
pass under my eye are the same as those
traced by the finger of God on the tablets of
stone amid the thunders and lghtnings of
Mt. Sinai The language in which the New
Testament was written is the same in which
Scion, Plato, and Demosthenes wrote and
spoke. .....
This book has survived the revolutions
and changes of three thousand years. 1t has
seen Nineveh, Babylon, Memphis, Thebes,
Eyre, Sidon, Carthage, Rome, Athens, and
a thousand other cItiest rise, flourish, and
fall. 1t has lived amid wars the most bloody,
amid desolations the most complete, amid ty-
rauny the most grinding, amid darkness the
most profound, amid superstitions the most
degrading, amid idolatry the most repulsive
amid blasphemy the most heaven daring
and has been against all these the great wit
ness of God. This book has outlived all the
efforts made to shake the faith of man in its
revelations and to Danish it from the world
| CELSIUS, Porphyry, Julian, and host of 9TH
ers, fiercely attacked it in the first ages of
the Church; but still it lived, Hume, Hob
bes, Voltare, Paine, and many others of the
rabble rout Of infidelity, in modern times
| but it still lives, while its enemies sleep in
dishonored graves.
The book has laid hold of all classes. The
warrior has carried it next his heart in the
storm Of battle; and often has the bullet
aimed at his life buried itself in the leaves of
his Bible. 1t has been la upon the throne
of the monarch as his safest guide book in
the administration of justice. 1t has been
exalted by the priest in the cathedral, amid
solemn chants and penitential confessions of
sin. 1t has been sought by the wor,d-sick
for its healing balm; by the hermit in his
cell for its consolation; by the poor man for
its promise Of more than earthly riches; by
the homeless wanderer for its promise of a
'home in Heaven" by the guilty for its as
surances of pardon; by the living for its
guiding principles of truth by the dying for
its password into the Heavenly places"
This book Las been given to the world in
all its babbling tongues. In more than two
hundred languages and dialects it is read by
a sinful race. 1t has long been unclaimed
from the high affairs of gray old temples, and
sent out to all the tribes, nations, and people
of the world and yet it cannot be supplied
fast enough, though a Bible is printed every
minute in the Gay.
This book has marched at the head OF civ
iiizaton in all ages. 1t went with the Jews
into Palestine; it invaded Greece, Rome
anc all the States of the ancient world under
the preachings of the first heralds of th,
truth. Its principles have been at the base
of all revolutions that have pushed forward
the human race. \ was so in Germany
England, France, and Scotland, and in ou
own country.
The pilgrims fed to the American wild.
that they might enjoy the blessings of tn
: Bible truths and Bible teachings unmolesteC
, TWAS deYoutly recognized as book especial
= ly needful for people struggling for freedom
: by the fathers of our Republic. In the dar
: kest and stormiest hours of the Revolution
when money could hardly be found to pa,
,, the starving, naked and bleeding soldiers q
liberty, Congress, in TIT, appointed com
! mittee to confer with printer, with viey
: of striking off thirty thousand Bibles at tn
q expense of the Congress but it being diff
= cult to obtain paper and type, the Committe
r of Commerce were ordered to import twent
thousand from Holland, Scotland and elst
9 where. They gave as the reason thatits US
|, is so universal and its importance SO great
o In 1880, Congress appointed Committe
to attend to printing an edition of the Bib
in Philadelphia, and voted that they highl
approved the pious and laudable undertak in
as subservient to the interests Of religio
9 and recommended this edition of the Bib
If to the people of the United States.
i eight successive years Congress voted ar
70 kept sixteen national feasts and thanksgi
~ ines. On the committees which Iepor t
. these bills, were such men as Gen. Livin
10 ston of New York r. III. Lee, of Virgin
n Roger Sherman of Connecticut Elias Boudin
ar and James Madison. Some of these signed t
10 Declaration of Independence, and most Of the
r. were engaged in procuring the CONSTITUTE
and knew its true spirit.
OF Thus was the Bible honored by these apost
= of freedom. When their children who enj
NJ the fruits of their labors shall cease to cher
~ it as the palladium of civil and religious liber
re that moment will the nation begin its dow
no ward march to ruin