Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1883-10-24
A SUNDAY TALK.
Inc Theme Of the Bible, as Stated BY
the Rev. Mr.. Pratt.

''S 'oihss tHc substance OF which ,
is published herewith:
The theme of the Bible is salvation
in Jesus Christ. All the other sub
Jects have value nj " as they are re-
lated to this one theme. 1t is that !
which fills the mouths OF angels, at
tunes the voices of the sweetest sing
ers, and is the bright ray of sunshine
piercing the dark clouds of sorrow and
distress Of poor, frail, struggling hu-
manly.
The history of the world is rec
ord Of the workings of the evil ten
denotes and corrupt nature of man.
If we have great and good Joseph,
we have beside him his elev, II br. h
rem whose lives are black with un-
brotherly conduct. If we have the
grand and heroic Conduct of Nj SEES
towering far above his time, shining
as a star in the armament of the
moral universe, we have the unwritten
history of generations of oppression
and hardship, of the ignorance and
superstition Of the people, of the craft
and avarice of kings, Of houses and
homes made desolate by the cruelty
Of hard task masters. Every page Of
history is the record of wrong; and
where there appears one example Of
ul,seliish action, there is flood of hu-
man wretchcdness and folly, Of selfish
ness and avarice. This is the envir-
onment in which we live, the moral
atmosphere which we breathe. Whether
it breaks out into open mutny in
society and is fettered behind the bars,
Or is handsomely dressed and fares
delcately, it is all alike sinful. The
fgrandest and most heroic action ever
performed in the world was that
wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ i'll
saving man from sin.
But some say have never seen
Christ, and low can | know or believe
in Him ?" Ordinary honest people,
in the common business OF life, accep,
what they see without any deep reason
ing of what ouo ht to be. Wares are
bought at the store without question a.
to whether the merchant is rightly the
owner or not, marriage certificates
are not presented as cards Of respect
ability. That which is of good re
port among our friends and nelghbor;
which bears good fruit in the com
munity, is accepted without philoso
ply, as good and true. So we hav
! the need of Saviour which Chrl:
t satisfies. The story Of his grand llf
6 told by supplemented, plain mel
with no attempt to cover or prevar
cate, simply giving facts as they kno
. and saw them, and then we have Il
a working in good and beautiful acts
charity. These things have sto'
k eighteen hundred years, d, if al
: fact is established, His life must be a
II copied as having the best groun
- for belief.
But granted that He lived; Go
r. He save? What is the evidence:
a Schools and co, res are great
st struments in the elevation OF manki
t. and saving from lives of misery. i
s. cry great school of any importan
, has been founded either directly or
directly through faith in Christ; mi
u listers and laymen have poured c
: the treasures of their fortunes a
e, lives in unselfsh devotion to God a
re humanity through Christ. Ho>pit
q and great institutions for suffer-
n humanity have been establish
through faith in Him. Dissol'
s. women, vicious men, hardened s.
IT ners, through the gentlrness Of t.
: doctrines have been led from lives
II sin to holiness. The records Of su
re- are nnumerablc.
H. What other name of philosopher
ne orator, wi at other teaching ever |
70 saved any man from a life of S
and reclaimed the fallen to LONE a
.r. usefulness?
Ter As the salvation wrought by Cha
ed is power in this world in raising SC
yer ETY. to higher level and in recla
- ing the lost, we can certainly trus
Al a,)l Ao,opI op1 may Sa