Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-08-14

us announced IN that striking prophe-
cy, "Tho scoptro shall not depart from
Judah, nor q lawgivcr from between
his feet, until Shiloh como, and unto
him shall tho gathering of tho people
be-" Follow the long line of judges
and lawgivcrs and puophcts ard hoa-
them proclaim the wrath of Heaven
upon the uncircumcisod idolator; and
backsliding Israelite, upon Moab, and
Ninovch and Babylon and ] Jerusalem.
Stand with the Savior upou tho po rch
OF Herod's temple, and hear bim pro-
nounce tho doom which should con-
sign its beautiful columns to tho dust,
and raze its worry foundations. Read
those prophetic pre-. igurations which
pertain to the Messiah himself, wheth.
or symbolizcd in the bleeding sacrifice
of Abel, or drawn in characters of
light by the burning pencil of Isaiah.
Now turn from prophecy to history
for their wonderful fulfilment, as timo
unrolls tho scroll of destiny, and dis.
closes the characters which have been
inscribed by the finger of omnis.ienco
See Assyrian and Babylonian, Greek
and Roman, successiveIy carrying out
tho purposes of Jehovah, and prepar.
ing the way for the coming of him,
to whom oil the prophecies pointed,
and tho chosen race itself miraculous
ly preserved in Egypt, in the wilder.
ness, and by Babol's stream still as a
distinct nation, with records untouch.
cd, and geaealogios unbrolSon, and still
with templo service and smoke OF
morning and evening sacrifice, until
tho final oblation of that sacrificial
lamb, "slain from the foundation of
the world" who though of the city of
David and tribo of Judah, was as de-
scribed in prophecy, ",ho Wonderful,
Counsscllor, tho Mighty God, tho Ever
lasting Father, the Prince of Peace"
But apart from miracle and proph-
ecy, there is in the antiquity and won.
derful preservation of the Sacred
Scriptures and their connection with
the ordinary facts of jewish history,
remarkable confirmation uf their
truth. Wo have here an unbrolxen
record, going back to a period long
anterior to that when profane history
is lost in tho twilight Of fable, and
long anterior to the era of Roman,
and Greek, and Babylonian, and As
syrian civilization, tracing the origin
and migrations of singular people
whose atter-hislory is connected with
that of all other nations-a record
experimenting all other history and
itself remarkably confirmed by tho
testimony Of profane historians-a
record of the origin of institutions
which are still existing, and of the
promulgation of q bouy of laws,
which has moulded the civilization
aud controlled tho destiny Of tho
world.
But why linger upon tho outer
walls, to tell the towers and mark the
bulwarks of Zion, or survey tho outer
glories Of the Temple, when we may
may enter "the Holy of Holies," and
behold overshadowing the mercy.seaL,
the miraculous Shekinah which SYM
balized the Divine presence Why
pore over musty records for proofs of
tho Divine origin of the Scriptures,
whom we may see impressed upon
each page, the signet seal of the. Eter-
nall In our search after truth, we
may apostrophize this Book in tho
language of tho disciple to our Lord,
"Master to whom else shall we 60:
thou hast the words Of eternal life."
TO what other book can we go for any
proper conceptions of tho Eivine Char
aoter-his unity, hisomnipresence, his
justice, his infinite purity and holiness
his unity as thus set forth-"I am
the Lord and there is mono else, and
there is no God beside me''-his omn
presence-"Whither shall L 90 from
thy spirit, or whittier shall foe from
thy presence"-his Justice Justice
and judgment are the 'habitation OF
thy throne; mercy and ruth shall go
before thee"-his holinoss-"Thou art
of purer oyes, than to behold evil and
canst not look upon iniquity." 9th.
er religions 'haeo cnly deified tho at.
tributes of our nature,-nado some
apotheosis Of martial virtue in Mars,
or, Of human uvo in Venas. The foun.
tain has not been able to rise abo9o
it's. source. nor the best creations Of
the unaided reason above. the oorn-
mon passions and frsiities Of our ma:
sure- But in the Holy Scriptures we
have revealed Being whose exalted
attributes furnish the onlyproper oh
jeot of love and adoration---a >Divine
Saviour; in the perfSetiops of wf,osa