The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-10-26

their farms. Every farmer there had self
same interest 10 the Old Testament. Il con-
tanned what we would call the County Records
So jealous was the Hebrew in his care OF these
writings that he even numbered the letters
contained in them.
| We have far greater evidence that the Bible
| has come down TO us without essential change
] by Interpolation than we have that any other
ancient document has survived that ordeal.
But in what sense are we to understand that
the Bible is inspired? Inspiration means, lit
orally " God breathed." In what sense, then,
is the Bible "God breathed"? Did God sug-
gest the ords and the men write them down
as dictated? We think not. In describing the
title over the cross the former eyangellsts Ill
differ verbally in their statement. Matthew :
"This is Jesus, the King of the Jews" Mark :
- The King Of the Jews" Luke: " This ls the
King of the Jews" John: "Jesus OF Naza-
reth, the King Of the Jews" The thought is
the same here. but the words differ. Hence,
inspiration is not verbal dictation.
There is human as well as divine element
in this inspired volume. Holy men OF old
spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit"
Men spake, not angels. Here is the human
element. They spake as they were moved by
the Holy Spirit. Here is the divine element.
We send an ambassador to England. He
has message to deliver. The man presents
that message In connection with this she
makes lengthy speech. The message is from
the government but the mans method OF de-
vering 1t is his own. His arguments, his IL
lustrations, his grammar, his pronunciation.
his gestures, are all his own. These writer's OF
the New Testament had message to deliver.
That message was from God. But each mans
method Of presenting that message was bis
own HIS arguments, his figures, his style IN
general was bis own. Hence, we find that each
book bears the impress OF the authors pecu'
liarites. John was repetiti0us, and when he
reports the saying OF jesus he makes HIM be
gln, Verify, verify l say unto you" The
other eyangelists give but one verify but John
always two. His method OF writing the mes
sage was his own and differed from the Others
We are to hold God responsible for the mes
sage and not the method OF It's presentation
Ee is not responsible for the division o. ths
Bible into chapter and verse, for the poo.
grammar used, for the printing for the tTaus
latiou, nor for the binding. This is the human
element. To do this wculd be like holding oui
government responsible for an awkward ges-
ture that its ambassador might make in pre-
septing the message to the foreign court. Tc
use the illustration OF another, the light OF tho
sun ia pure and unadulterated. But in order
to reach us 1t must make use OF al lmperfeci
medium. The atmosphere is full OF notes and
mists, and through it all the light must pass 70
reach us. But for all this we say to the gun
Send down your light. God would hand us
truth; but to reach us it must pass through
the imperfect medium OF human language
This made an atmosphere full of the mlsts oi
poor grammar, poor reasoning, poor figures,
poor translatons; but for al this we say "a
Heaven. Send down the Truth.