The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-05
INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE.
The Second of DIR. Houghton's Series of
Sermons the Subject.

Sermons the Subject.
Rev. Dr. Ross c. Houehton last evening" at
Roberts Park Church, preached the second of a
series of sermons upon the "Inspration of
the Bible" Next Sabbath evening he will de-
liver the concluding discourse upon this theme,
treating of those evidences which appeal more
directly to people at the present time, "and," as
he announced, (Which furnish to every man in
the nineteenth century sufficient proof of the
divine inspiration of the Bible, or that what the
Bible says, God says" AS the scriptural basis
for last evenings discourse, DR.. Houghton Sc
lected Philippians iii, 8: "Yes, doubtless, and
count all things but loss for the excelleney of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom
I have suffered the loss of all things, and do
count them hut dung, that may win Christ"
He said in brief
The word used here denotes pre-eminent excel
lencv, an excellency beyond all comparison, aud
very happily expresses the apostles estimate OF
the gospel, good news, which he has pro-
claimed with such untif1ng zeal. The excellence
of the knowledge appears first in a fact which is
the basis Of all other facts ana evidences, and
which. however familiar to us, cannot be passed
by in our Investigation, and that Is the fact that
it comes from Cod Knowledge possesses au-
thority and inspires confidence IN proportion TO
the reliability of its source, and for this reason
this supereXcellent know ledge challenges our
attention and confidence.
Great truths in science and philosophy have
been discovered by master minds, and through
them have become "A blessing to men. But the
greater truths of the gospel, brought to our at
Iention purely by revelation, point to Goa, the
creator of science and scientific men, of philOso-
ply and philosophers, their immediate source.
And certainly the elevating purifying influence
they have exerted in the world Is worthy their
exalted origin. The argument l advance, to
prove that this excellent knowledge contained in
the Scriptures really emanates from his
divine source, is the argument of prophecy.
Prophecy has been called one of the chief outer
pillars upon which rests the fabric OF Christian
ity as a revelation from heaven. Man cannot
know the future If men, therefore, predict
truly, they must be inspired of God.
Prophetic evidence runs through the entire
Bible and we find that each dispensatiOn has its
appropriate prediction, but the most important
prophecies of scripture relate TO the coming and
the kingdom of the Messiah. Immediately after
the fall we have the promise of Savior, which
promise is contained in record of undOubted
antiquity, record which is made part of
nations literature, at least 5000 years ago. And
in the strctesU futillment of that promise the
Savior has come. A little more than 800 wears
ago Uhe followers OF this Jesus of Nazareth
could all he assembled in little upper room in
tne city of Jerusalem-tO-day they make up
25n, 100000 of the human race. And while
other religious systems are one by one dying
out, this system continues TO extend on all sides,
and seems destined TO hll the whole earth. This
in itself is significant fact, but It becomes
dOubly when we learn that
all this, even in many of it's
minute details, was foretold centuries before t
came to pass From the time when IL was said
the seed of the woman should bruise the
pent's head, all along down TO the close of tine
Ola Testament record, these ancient historical
writings of nation are ful OF clear and posi-
tive predictions. all of which have been fulfilled
in tile person of Christ and In the more modern
history of His church. AS we carefully review
the literally overwhelming evidences that these
predictions were actually made at the very time
alleged, what a strong confirmation is given
thereby to our faith that He. Of whom all these
things had been spoken so long beforehand,
indeed the Christ, tine Son of the living
God. This long line of predictions extended
a of m md WI
do well Ia remember that the arguments which
are employed TO brand these sacred records
fables would destroy the entire fabric of history,
and would leave us no reliable knowledge of
other days and other men.
Our second argument is that of miracles. Man
cannot divide the waters of the by ii word;
he cannot heal the sick with touch; he cannot
raise the dead. Yet that mon have done
all this, with the avowed purpose
of attesting the truth of Christianity,
is a matter of genuine history. The historical
success of the gospel, in the days OF our Lord,
session of miraculous power. The very reason
why men beloved in those days WIS because di-
vine works proved to them the truth of the Cos
pei message. To these miracles our LORD re-
peatedly appealed, as works which no other man
did, and as evidence of His mission. Our
faith in the reality of these miracles rests upon
human testimony, which is abundant and In the
highest degree reliable. That historical evil
dence, upon which We depend is contained in
the sacred writings of the apostles themselves,
and in the authentic records of the early church,
which have been carefully preserved.
sion of the New testament scriptures
find, by comparing English Bible
with the most ancient manuscripts, that it is in
every essential particular the same, and this is
more than can be said of the purity of any
other ancient writinGs which have been pre-
served. These, having been the sacred writings
of the church for the past / 800 years at least,
have of course been guarded with jealous care,
and any important change in them
would have been simply impossible.
They have come down to us through
the same channel, and with the same vouchers
for authenticity, with a large mass of other an
Client writings, the genuineness of which no one
has ever denied Who has ever doubted the
credibility of Xenophon's memorable LA Of Soc
rates, or of Demosthenes's OratiOns2 And yet
these were written hundreds of years before
Christ, and thOse who nave possessed them have
not had the hundredth part Of the interest in
their uncOrrupted preservation which has ami
mated those who have put their faith in the
cred record.
Our belief, then, in the miracles of Jesus
wrought TO prove that the Bible and the whole
Christian system is os God, is bound uD with our
belief in large portion of ancient history and
literature, for our knowledge of which we are n
debted TO writings of equal, and III some in
stances even greater, antiquity than those of the
New Testament. II the skeptic casts aside the
one, he must in all fairness casI aside the other
also Miracles, as evidence of divine inspiration
seem to have been necessary only during early
and comparatively unenlightened years of the
the modern church, and in the accumulation of
other reliable evidences, they have ceased alto
gether.
Central Christian Church.
Two large congregations assembled in this
church, .sterday, and all the services were of a
deeply impressive character. The morning SER
mon was preached by the Rev. Gay Waters, of
St. LOUIS and was an excellent presentation of
the mission of the church. There were two adj
ditions to the church at the morning service.
In the evening Mr.. Walk conducted the special
revival services, which have become feature