, 1876-02-14


thu pro-emnonoe Of chnttn ~ wella WhY. my
friends though tie lghtniuxa and sli,ndoringa
of Sluai rayorborased throughout tho hook;
though tho noun: 10 which we inuat com' weto
tic mount that might NIT b. totolsoit
though tho call uoro from QUO Of tho angels
which hold tho soven last viAlst yet usrb u not
positively charming. II therein there xets tho
ttdings Of sescne to anch ~ NO? To an Elijah
fnlntshln tn tho ulhlnrnesa might nos the bird
which brought him meat, be Of raven rlunsaAo,
swhrtl1 AZ night, and Jet ho moro gracouN III bis
eyes than ovef was bird OF rsrhaeo TO him who
felt no want huppohc 70 were wtooke1 on NJ,
far AVAIL Should wo domhnd that tho lifo.hoae
which carno 10 cur relief, mus como with grace
i,l ooatour, aud radiHnt oolor. and waving
tlags, an,l rosonndsng music. before We could
Of our eratsfu ful hea1ts' Suppose We worn lost
on tho mountains. with pitfalls botoro NJ, itro-
tracablo ways behind lis, and storm and night
coming on! Should wo think TINT thev who
maut and have soft: white hands. before wn
could wholly rejoice At thest coming sud givo
thnm our fcrvent blessing?
Oh. thcn. lot m feel thai ths Bbo may DO
terrible a. tho facts yot becanaa II tolls Of aal-
vAtion because 1t makossknown tho way ut TO-
d.mption. we will count u the Book OF books,
md doom That wo can never know onoHgll at
wonders uf the Crosa OF chsiat. and 70 10 aolo
to toach tloso wondcra to others. IS sufficient To
attract all Of us to The sysssma:Lc and sarncst
Hstltly Of tie HOLY Word.
Though III all fArnote, we n1ist nnelB ro.
non.bos si,ut tho llbio does not atop with own
the disclosure OF relonption! Having sot forth
tho way of return 10 God. It also sota forth thu
way Of tho subsequent life. It consains pro.
yison for te uphadns q IT, ts rSGsnosa,;; y; sea
mud ! procopt admon,tiou and ,entreatY;
aud that % tho generous, glorious end
OF hoIplug tho aout to ito best postsb'o attalr,-
mousn. Il gathers its forces aud displsJs tts
treasures tA1t Lc Who comes to It's teachtuE may
a. The Apostle declares, s'bo made pcrfect
thoroughly furnished for avory good work." It
proposca comfort In attl3ction md ENCOURAGE
inont In dependency; u undertakes to 9iyo
strengtt In woakoasa and guidance In doubt; 1t
ussays 10 mako this life ebdurahle aud grand at
tho sanlo time that it tells Of lifo boyond this,
In which tho soul shall ba autnal&7 complete tn
Him rYllo IL tho "All in aii." lts great purpoao
ia not accomplished until. having Carried Us from
strength to strength. aud glory 70 glory, on
earth, It Introduces us 10 tho hnsl holiuosB anu
peace OF heaven. ..,...-.,
Thoroin, accordingly. rest my main psoa for
| az tue revelation OF God In Ohrist,-thc dis
| closure OF tho souls ono WAY Of salvation aud
| spiritual hlesscdnns34-l would point all who
| hear MO. In those supreme rolasions Il 4
,,n!1ue, Incompatible, tho very Gft OF God!
There i. royeala ita sovc1o!gnty, and there tt
reats forever an on = throno Of glory. " How bo-
| fitting, thou, tho sight Of tho whole oongrogA-
ton assembling on tho Sahbath.day, mud N tho
Sabbath school, 10 study tho Book Of Iiio!
But oven while par Huch tribute TO tho ss-
crod oraces and Rdori.lQly sdnliro tho apples Of
| gold, zm romnled that ovoa tho picture also
| IL Of silver, aud deserves our revcrant pralso-
worl attractive IN ways that appcal to ovoty
| true sentiment Of 0,,E nature, Ho hos adorncu
1 md enriched 1t with all which eyou tbs world
| countB raro.
For example, take nosc OF &he antiquity which
belongs to tue Biht!cel cauon. IL It not tho con-
scriptures contain tho most anclent foruaa Of
truth known to menf Certainly OF tho world
before tho Flood, tho oniy consecutive aud au,
thcutic history is in those Scriptures, 40 that
whoavor would loara auEht OF tic antediluvall
times must Of necessity ba taught by tho aacrcd
volume. HhYs q living scholat, " Docs 1t mol
ho!p uB to como conception Of tho venorAblenodH
OF thcso records to rocal that thcy ucro written
aIl o.lor literature douominatea tho tnthcr o,
history? Tho Iiobrew Jurisprudence ia soyeu
hundred years older than that Of LJcurgns the
Greek. and Two THOUSAND yeara older than that Of
Thomas Jcfrolaon was indebted for htB concop
ton OF our American Government to tho poiiey
at an obscure CAlvinistlc church ia Virginia
yot ropubllcanlsn1 WAS oshndowod In tlla lie
foro svon sho settlement OF JamoBtownl" W.
arc told thas Dr, Johuson onca read manu-
script copy Of tho Book OF Ruth TO fash!ouabie
c,rtle In Loudon, and that theY begged TO kapn
| Of him HAore lio obttiuea auch All inmtable
pastoral. Wcll may tho Narrator add - Whns
] would have been their Amazoment had he con
coai1a tho fact OF Tho Inspired ortgiu Of the sto
ry, and told them that it WAS MI ancient tteas
4 years before ths discovery Ut , An,orica!
4 it is literal fact TINT i tho lyrit
postry of the uobrowH WAS in ita golden es,
nsarIy a Thousand yohrs bofoss shs birth o
Horace! THO author Of Ecclcsaastas oiscusnos
tho problem al oy.i Hi1 hundred years botoF
Socrates In tho dialogues Of Plato, aud the love
Aung OF Solomon IL q thousand years. Older tha1
OVID. The book Of Esther was fragment o
biography, at Toast tifteen hundred yoara old a
| tho dawn Of the romantic literature OF Europe
Tho Book Of Proverbs is more ancient by MN
huud.ol years thau tho T1eatiscs OF ScnooA. Iii
! entire bulk Of tho prophetic literature Of Il.
| Iinb1ows was anterior to tho Augustau age o
, Homo. snl oven tho wrtorB Of the Now Toata
,nsnt are all OF them, OF moro venerable IN
! ti1ni!y slan TAcltus, and rlutarch. and plin
tho youngcr! And what, pray shall bo sail Q
tho Book Of .Job2 II what to many secn1
probable is ruS. it In Tho Oldest writing nov Oh
, | istiug,-xt Ieast Z Thousand yoaEa older ta,a
Ilomer. II waa already old When CscropA founG
ed Atheua- Al louB ago Al whoa tho 1&onaaus It
: yaaad britain, 1t waa more tllna-wotn than tA
, name Of Jullt,s Cleaar IL to US to-day!
Ia il not presumably worth while, nv llearsrl
, for ,B all to study volume which comes dow
to III frcislltod with tho history aud literature
, slch suciont times? Docs Il not appeal to or
inatinctiyo reverence for tito venerable. IL
!. lons.l,ved?
: But perchanco It would bo fo}t that tho al
t nbai VAS still stronger II ii could Ds known TIN
j. th,s ancient word wern Rltogethor Trustworthy
il HISTORY, truthful In ita biography and nation
a al.us,uus. Hut ouco oons. my. friend, to i
earnost study, and 5ou will tlud that It IL true
Tho lo.tor. Yuu will lind that when its real stat
j. nleut il disoorned, tue faata ~ iaaru0A fro
i any other sourcs lcnd corroboratton. You kno,
for instance. that within the Ast ilfty years tho
Q have beeu. III every direction, research mo
i sitting, and inquiry Iooat ulsorupulous, aud d
. covory most unprecedented. lou kuoH th
ii n,u:h OF vhat once passed Tor history IL uow |
9 nDre than historic fable. Yos eYery c1ehrlt
J. away OF rubbish hh4 been but now revealing
j. ths bibles truth, and overy freni discovery Ii
= beoa a new gem In ~ n'atchleas crown. for i
ii atanca, ssiouco has dropped hes aauualoG.!lno
svya tho DuaI Soa aud from out lts very iopt
10 ha4 pr3vsd tho catastrophe whicl. ongulfod Il
;, U,tteu OF tho Plain. Gun remsmhsr wlan AXE
"a ticiam was wont to asls. with : sheer, .Whssa
~ | k,nnvof, that uraat cftY uf thFo0 iiays' Ion