, 1874-10-26
-THRBIBLE,
1t Forms tho Subject uf Prof. swing,s Ser

| 1t Forms tho Subject Of Prof. syving,s Ser
mon.
Prof. Swing preached yesterday morning at
the Fourth Church, corner Of Rush and Sill
po1!or streets, tnking as bis text:
All Scripture i4 given by Inspiration Of God and Il.
pFontabe 9or doctrine, esc,-I. 1t'aottH, i'll, 10.
No oao book has como anywhere ucar osorting
upon tho human raco the influence that has flow
cd from tho volume called tho "Dble," Al.
though thcro is no 1nethod by which no may
take up the civilized nations, and lind lust yhat
part OF tholr intellectual and mosAl stores cume
from art. nasura! powers. and from tho old CLAD
slo world. and then what t1aasurcs oamo eolcy
from tho Holy Scriptures, yet thero is an an
pro1imate estimate Of these various agencies,
and, making this ;" estimato, thoro will
bo fow to dcny that tho Bblo ia
tho greatest single forco netting upon TIC
immense object called society. Tho c 4urol of
all civilization is founded upon it. Away from
ita presence, 10 India or China, or old Ro,na
and Groecc, mans religion rms scarcely worthy
Of tho name. The worship which Egypt or In
Ola, or tho Greek or Ro,nnn States offered was
almost wholly unworthy Of either goa or q
man, for it Uea strange mingting OF a littlo
spirituality with much Groasuoss,-of q little
light With deop shadow. Vice and crimo formed
a part OF tho ancient hcathon religions, and
OlLGu tH9 to0lpeH OF lilo EOu8 TGrQ similar to tho
modern balloons OF bacchua.
Who evor would examine tho claiu1s Of tho
Diblo justly, muat compare it's sepurato parts
with tue surroundings Of TINT part. That is, ho
must not compare tho character OF Abraham
with tho boat men that ca1no 1000 ycara after
ward under torno now era; but ml,st 500 him
in tho light Of hsu own epoch, and. thus ostmAt-
ing tho lnorttB OF that patriarch, no will bo
rcen groat almost to tho pnint Of d miracle. III
you want to SEQ Abraham Alright behold Ills path
m = rf4ftt wi ut,f Ia
Ing along where thcro Eau no art, no music. no
painting, no echooi-houbo, no forum, no Horate
hut ouly n large world glyon up to agriculture,
slavery, poiygamy' Aud var; @ So far ns nc know,
grnecd tho world, much less tho Abrahamio
world. but tho good patriarch had to riao np
alone, out Of hsnsseif, aa tho oak growa up from
ita own little accd, aud with tl.n remembrance
God at tho ona Of It, q God whom hoathcn
nations had not discovered, that path followed
by faith which, in our fnr-oK orntury, 10 tho
eEnotton which atill guidca-that path soon RH
loading, to city that had Foundations. ahines as
never shonoitAo tracl! ora meteor. or tho wake Of
n ship in 3 pl.oBphorie Aca. Thns when tho
Bibio in its heparase parts, iN compared with tho
yoaru lyIug arouud It, it ID soon to 10 III advance
OF tnapEpd at latEo, as thouss! sune ;roEL lcador
wers iu it guiding tln multitude slowly along.
aionen, too, mus! bo socn III tho atmosphere Of
lis own aGe. 10 expect Inn to Ilayo opposed
alayery as lid Phillips, or Garrison, or Wllber-
iorco. wnuh bc exactly tho same III to expect him
~ l,avo built stea.uhoats or railways. Ills world
had not como to npy conception of tho equality
nf man, sna It was rot tho plan of Cod that all
Tint 1losca should aay Or ia slould belong to
somo fut4ro ora, 'Gnd fiat, living in lhe worlds
infancy. aloaoe should speak 10 though Ia tho
worlds noon.tide. Tho God Of l.,apration ID Tho
God wo 400 in Nature, aud honco 1iiu innpirod
mon riIl advance by BLOW sto,,n, not BteGplng
over yast ages, hu! walking ratisntIy oyor each
ynar. and hu'lr. It waa enough. tl,st NOSES was
purify III ADVANCE Of hia nLis.lo, III utlyauco on
thp Ton Commandments, au,. ns many m!luor
lava, ant u injuries t'nl!itny t1nt i'll rcnpcck to
piaycFy, and polyga'ny. sud war, ant cruelty, lo
ntood with but!l feet III the t:roat csnturscd ba-
fara 1i!rnBolf. and aronua himself. hut tn his
Ton ConHn'1t'ulanta no reached io.nar,l mud
Mlsoroa wof.n which will apply to tho worldu
Int youei alton.
Tho l,yinoueus Of lealAr or OF hook .loos
nut roposo upon tue pesfeu!iou of tho ,ntn ov
truo ontroa:hingu, ,ro!tiy pf = GoI. Iu l. World
Of progress, tho starting. po!nt OF perfection il
impossible. Progress iupiies imporlcs.lon.