Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-02-17
SUNDAY HOURS.
All Who can Tell 2

In deepest gloom despairingly we grope;
We see the lonely years
Unlighted by their love, uncheered by hope.
All who can tie
Where are our dead?
VIII all be well
When life is fed?
Guard they our path Ger life's descending slope
Ah who can tell
We see the ceremonial winding- sheet
The toll of solemn funeral bells We hear;
The last sad rites are paid. and grief complete
Fills ali the heart with desolation drear
The sombre pail,
The lonely heart,
Can this be all
There is Of earth?
Ends life with coffin, shroud and funeral bier
All who can tell?
Fen while we weep, the tears that ease the heart
In rays prismatie paint til Exchanging skies,
And new rope Of our great grief part,
In faith prophetic to the doubt replies;
g Bodies must die
Death is their goal,
Lowly they lie
Not so the SOUL
God keepeth that with ever watchful eyes
All will be we'll"
BY sorro proved, made pure by trials here,
The chastened heart looks upward for relief
And holds IN spirit that communion dear
Which is the well-sprng of this sweet belief
After the strife
Cometh q rest;
Eternal life
For ever blest
The soul He gathers home, precious sheaf,
And all is well.
The Rev. Joseph Cook, in a recent Iect.
ure in Boston, gave the latest European
criticism respecting the origin and source
of the Old Testament Scriptures, and sum.
married. his conclusions on the subject In
the following propositions
The par kaa,,
analysed into the work of at least four diff
ferent hands, but what the modern critics
say as to the age OF the different documents
composing it is quite uncertain.
2. The so.called higher criticism has,
perhaps, proved that Ezra participated in
the codifcation of the priests code in the
Mosaic legislation, but it cannot be admit
ted that the priests code is the work of
the free invention Of the latest date which
takes on the artificial appearance of his
tory.
3. The chronological order in which the
documents arose has probably been cor
rectly described as first the Jehovistic, and
next the Elohistic portions, but the law of
Ezekiel xl., As, ia not prior to the priests
code of Exodus, as the critics maintain, but
subsequent to it.
4. There is certain amount of real
learning enlisted on the side of rational.
istic criticism, but it is governed by fore
gone conclusions, it is fundamentally anti.
supernaturalistic, and so it's results are
arbitrary, and reached in advance of in
vestigstion.
If you will bear with me once for all, I
will summarize the position which, accord
ing to my judgement, may now be safely
taken as to the new criticism Of the Old
Testament.
l. 1t is indisputable that the Psntateuch
spiritual worship.
2, Even if it were shown that the docu.
ments composing it were possessed in COM
mon by many of the rations among which
the Hebrews had their origin, the fact
would remain incontrovertible that these
nations were predominantly polytheistic
and devoted to a corrupt form of worship.
3. The documents, therefore, must be
supposed to have been purified from poly
theism and other false doctrines before
they were made part OF the Pentateuch,
and this cleansing OF them, in barbaric
age, from sdulterate elements which poison
them in their Chaldean and Babylonian
form, is one proof OF their inspiration.
4. The inspiration of the Pentateuch in
regard TO religious things would not be dis.
proved by showing that it was made up
sccording m tha 1ocrn,e1,t,r,, +bsory ~
the critics
Tbese discussions d mt +be-eforo
touch fundamental points for the ouestion
40 n the manner Of ;nsn;r,4;o, ia not ono
between hel;svers and r1be7;eyavs bnt ba,
tween Christians themselves 'N' ~
TIE churches M LARGO thor fora mead
not be drawn into the lnbvrinth Of Ola
Testament criticism. for the practical issues
involved in It do not affect the chief mat.
ters of the Christian faith.
The Christian Union. in commenting
upon the lecture. saws; Mr.. Cook apnsr.
emily comedies that portion Of the Pen.
tateuch may have been written in Ezra'a
time. which is the nosition of Robertson
Smith. though he repudiates the extreme
theory that the Pentateuch is wholly a
creation OF the epoch of Ezra. which Rob.
ertson Smith also repudiates. He
closed his lecture by the following very
practical conclusion "There il a bell in
melting together of French cannon, It
would pc very Gif1cuIG TASK indeed to
anaIyze that bell and determine whence the
cannon came. The Pentateuob. hung in
the cathedral tower of the world, has
uttered Gods voice, and it is our business
to ask how we can ring the bell in the
nights of history, rather than how il
originated bv the melting together OF pany
fragments.
In the manufacture of the Gobelin tapes.
tries, the most costly and splendid works
of the kind the world has seen, the work,
man is concealed from view. He sits be.
hind his work, hidden by it from the ob.
servers eve. But though Won see rot the
artist, if Won watch the warn Won viii see
gradually coming into view The most COR.
eeoug ooiors and the most delicate sbadfng
until at length there stands ont before Won
a 6nished nictnra the enland;d woTl, NJ
Genius and the coveted admiration OF kipos
So does God work ont his snbIime nnrroses
of wisdom and love. We do moi Zee him
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