The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-04-23
international Sunday School Lessons,
SECOND QUARrER-issl.
A Tribute 10 the Bile.

The Book is immortal; believers love
It and will not let it die. And they have
felt its influence in a variety of forms,
for no volume ever commanded such
profusion of readers or has been trans
lated into 80 many languages. Such is
the universally Of its spirit that no
book loses less by translation, none has
been 20 frequently copied in manu-
script, and none so often printed. King
and noble, peasant and pauper, are de.
lighted students Of its pages. Philoso-
piers have humbly cleaned from its
pages, and legislation has been thank.
fully indebted 70 it. Jts stories charm
the child, its hopes inspire the aged.
and its promises soothe the bed of
death. The maiden is welded under
Its sanction, and the grave is closed
under its comforting assurances. Its
lessons are the essence Of religion, tho
seminal truths Of theology, the first
principles Of morals and the guiding
axioms Of polical economy. Martyrs
have often bled and been burned for
attachment to it. It is the theme of
universal appeal. In the entire range
Of literature no book is 90 frequently
quoted or referred to. The majority
Of oil the books ever published have
been in connection with it. The fathers
commented upon it, and the subtle di.
vines Of the middle ages refined upon
its doctrines. It sustained Origen's
scholarship and Chrysostom's rhetoric.
It whetted the penetration Of Abelard
and exercised the keen ingenuity of
Aquinas. It gave life to the revival Of
letters, and Dante and Petrsrch reveled
in its imagery. 1t augmented the cru.
dition of Erasmus, and reused and
blessed the intrepidity of Luther.
Ito temples are the finest specimens
Of architecture, and the brightest
triumphs of music are associated with
ito poetry. The text Of no ancient an.
thor has summoned into operation such
On amount Of labor and learning, and il
has furnished occasion for the most
mastery examples of criticism and
comment, grammatical investigation
and logical analysis. It has also in.
spired the English muse with her LOTT.
est strains. Its beams gladdened Mil
ton In his darkness and cheered the
songs Of Cowper in his sadness. 1t wal
the star which guided Columbus to the
discovery of q new world. 1t furnished
the panoply of the Puritan vslor which
shivered tyranny in days gone by. Il
II the magma charta of the worlds re-
generation and liberties. The record.
Of false religion, from the Koran to thu
Book Of Mormon, have owned ito supe
riority and surreptitiously purloined it,
jewels. Among the Christian classic.
it loaded the treasures of Owen, charged
the fullness of Hooker, barbed tho point
Of Baxter, gave colors to the palette
and sweep to the pencil Of Bunyan, en-
riched the fragrant fancy of Taylor
sustained the holiness Of Horne anl
strung tho plummet Of Edwards. Ii
short, this collection of artless lives ani
letters hes changed the face Of til,
world and ennObled myriads of ito pop
ulation. Holding, a. / did to-day, tt,
Bible of Luther in my hands. with it
wooden cover, could not but thauI
God for His precious Word, for it, re-
markable preservation and its mos
blessed and comforting trutha-Ff
(Sc0tlGnd) Neacs.