The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-07-18
THE BIBLE ron THEPoOn.

AAGh > DSNANsSN ~ AaGN.
ex-uder Clark, OF Pittsburgh.
There is familiar story of Welsh
clergyman who once asked n little girl
for the text of his last sermon. The
child gave no answer; she only wept.
He ascertained that she had no Bible in
which to look for the text. And this
fact led him to inquire whether her par
ents and neighbors had Bibles. Then
this inquiry and its answers led to the
meeting in London, In 1901, of few
devoted Christians, to devise means TO
supply the poor in Wales with the BIZ
ble, the grand issue OF which was the
formation of the British and Foreign
Bible Society-a society which has al
ready distributed more than $4,000, 600
of copies of the Bible, its issues now
reaching a million and a hRlT every
year. And this effort, in turn, led to
the formation of the American Bible
Society, and to the whole beautiful
cluster of sister institutions throughout
the world, all of which now stand and
grow in the free sunlight AS SO many
trees of life, scattering from among
their rustIing leaves the goIden-fruited
words of OfimmOrtality upon the nations
of the earth.
To change the figure and view this
deep, and broad, and clear, and free it
is And vet, from its irresistible flow
as It wideus aud rises, all the way back
to its beginning, we may trace this
stream that makes glad the world, to n
little fountain of tears gushing from the
eyes of a pauper child
The heart of this little girl in the OBJ
scurity of the Welsh bills became
new center for outcircling light and
love, in the beauty OF printed pages,
even as the same Influences first began
at the blessed Child heart in Bethlehem
in the music of dH0Et voices.
When the world was dark and desc
late in sin, when superstition and idOla-
try everywhere prevailed, when man
had almost sealed his utter destruction,
and when, among the millions of an
apostate race, bnt a weary few remem-
bered and trusted The promise of n Mes
siah, then in the midnight hour the
demption. The lowly shepherds who
fingered in the fields watching the
sheep, believed the prophets. They
pondered the promises. In the still and
silent night, under the beautiful light
of the high hung chandeliers of stars,
they gazed up wonderingly.waiting for
the Messiah. Late one evening, as
little nsighborly company OF these
Juuean shepherds were seated
on the ground, doubtless talk
ing over their hopes and fears,
while the cool dews were falling upon
the pastures, while the flocks were
compnnied in little groups and quietly
reposing, while the winds were still,
and the stars twinkliug as If they
would smile the heavenly secret down
to earth, suddenly over the solitude OF
the Bethlehem hills, brilliant light
shone round! Loi radiant circle of
morning at midnight! 1t was the glO-
ry OF the Lord. How with fear and
amaZement the poor shepherds looked
into each others faces, and ciasped
each others hands, and whisper
ed each others names in the marvellous
light l How pale their cheeks! How
bright their eyes How tremulous
their voices! How thrilled and throb-
bing their hearts!
The angel sees their CONSERVATION,
and saws: "Fear not, fear NOT; for be-
hold l bring you glad tidingS Of great
joy Which shall be to all people, for unto
Won this day''-how- early the news
earlier than its sun This DAY, sin
the city of David, is burn Saviour,
who is Christ the Lord"
That was the tirst gospel preached to
dying men. And il waFhled in tones
OF music from the tongue of an ungel.
What a rapturous beginning The
new gospel of peace proclaimed first OF
all to poor men in the fields III night by
an angel itinerant from heaven
No wonder the angels rejoiced. The
shining ones had been watching and
listening from the battlements of the
celestial city-looking far down 10 the
dark plains of Bethlehem, and TO the
nstonished shepherds. and to their own
sister angel singing the good news into
he ears OF mortal men, they could re
strain their music no longer, they could
stay away no longer, they could keep
- In
stantly a choral multitude OF them
Joined the solo of the herald, and tie
heavenly host shouted chorus of tTi-
umph, praising God, saying, GLORY to
God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men,"
The angel said that the gospel should
be joy to all people; and its Divine Au-
thor himself says, "Preach the gospel
TO every creature" 1T comes to all. 1t
brings blessings to all. 1t never dis
criminntes; 1t never changes; 1t never
ends. 1t never grows old, and never
wearies the ear IKE Tue lahBn9seu
opinions and histories of men. Many
generations Of its preachers are in their
graves, and the thousands now living
and proclaiming the glad tidiDRs OF
salvation, will soon sleep in the dust;
and the lips that pronounced it, and the
ears that were charmed with its sweet
sound, and the eyes that Inoistened at
it's deep meaning, and the hearts that
bounded at its wonderful love-all shall
soon be confined under ground; but the
Gospel, o the everlasting Gospel!
''heIven and earth shall pass away, bn:
my iUord shall not pass dirdy," saith the
Lord.
Other systems of religion have chang
ed with the ages, and compromised
with the new fashioned Satanisms of
the times. Other systems have been
modelled to suit popular opinion, and
shaped to fit a warped and crooked
policy. But this Gospel, eternal and
immutable ns its author, Is 1.-The same,
Yesterday, and to day, and forever"
Creeds and confessions tend TO estab-
lish secIs and hamper professors to mar
rowness of love, but the bible sings of
angel charities and breathes them by
its Spirit through all the human broth
erhood. The Bible Is broader than
bounds and stronger than bands, teach
ing and exempliiying a double atfec-
tion-an upward, to Goo, and an outward,
to man, welding in the Mighty Cross
power of love which the combined
forces of earth and hell can not with
stand.
visible manifestations OF this gospel
among uien. but they prayed with
hands folded too close to help, and with
eyes shut TOO close 70 see the sufferer,
were he standing asking for the word
of life within finger touch in prayer
time.
There was time when men prayed |
not so.especially thatthe gospel might be |
sent TO the hesthen, as that ships be |
sent abroad and cruel men to catch and 1
bind the heather, hand and loot, and
bring them to the gospel. Those hate |
ful ships had borne better ballast by |
knr,