Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-11-10
&eaaiug fur The Sabbath.
CONDUCTED A
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
THE INVITATIONS OF THE BIBLE.
BY REV. T. NJ. MCCONNELL.

I have long thought that the real beauty
and sweetness of the Bible was in its invita-
tions. Every page is loaded with them in
some form or other. There is an invitation
for every class and condition of humanity,
and for every scene and circumstance in life,
and to every invitation there is appended a
precious promise. The whole Bible may be
summed up in one word, "Come!" The en-
tire book is only letter of invitation ad.
dressed to wayward children, urging them to
come home to Il Fathers house and Father 3
heart. The precepts Of the Bible are intend.
ed to call attention to the invitations, and its
warnings are only invitations in disguise, de-
signed to force the mind to dwell upon the
sweet words of welcome which everywhere
gleam in such pleasant contrast with the stern
rebukes and severe threatenipgs. Upon one
page we read the solemn warning, "Flee from
the wrath to come," but right opposite, on the
next page, we find some such words as "Come,
for all things are now ready"
Thus it is throughout the entire Book for
every warning and every threatening, we find
q kind invitation and word Of welcome.
Away back in the Bible we read, "Look unto
me and he ye saved, all ye ends of the earth y
and again, "Ho! every one that thrsteth,
come ye to the waters, and he that hath no
money, come yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price," while fur.
ther on we read, "Come unto me all ye that
labor and are heavy laden, and / will give
you rest" and then in almost the very last
verse, just as the Divine Author was closing
the Book, resting under its very seal as Gods
farewell message to ruined world, we find
that broad, all.comprehensive invitation
"The Spirit and the bride say, Come and lei
him that heareth say, Come and let him
that is athirst, Come ; and whosoever will, lei
him take the water of life freely" as though
God was 10th to quit the pleasant task of re.
vealing himself to men, and had paused to
remind them of all the kind invitations he
had previously given, endeavoring to com
press them into one.
Thus the invitation, "Come," is echoed
through the entire Bible. One page borrows
it from another, and one verse from another
until at last it rests under the very seal of the
Book. 1t begins with the first of Genesis and
extends to the very last of Revelation, shed
ding its cheerful light upon every page, and
imparting its heavenly influence to every
verse; Moses utters it in the Decalogue, Da
vid sings it in the Psalms, Solomon repeats ii
in the proverbs, Isaiah uses it in the prophe
cies, Paul echoes it in the epistles. 1t wa;
typifed in the blood and blaze of the sacrifice
1t gave significance to the temple service. II
was the burden of Christ's earthly ministry
1t forms an essential part of Bible history. II
was interviewer with the ceremonial law. II
was borne across the chasm of centuries with
the voice of prophecy. 1t is prominent fac
tor of the gospels, and stands conspicuous in
all the epistles. 1t is the one word common
to all the inspired writers. 1t is the grand
refrain of the entire Bible, the epitome and
essence of all revealed truth, the whole reve
lation of God in one single word!