Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-11-14
"In perfect peace?
THE ARGUMENT FROM EXPERT.
ENCE.

Practically the strongest of all argu-
mcnts is the argument from our own
personal experience. This is true, no
doubt, in the ordinary affairs of secular
| business and of daily life. 1t is equally
| true in the more momentuous matters
| of religious belief. Our Christian faith,
as its ultimate basis. rests unquestion-
ably on the testimony of God contained
in the holy Scriptures. At the same
time our faith in every one of the essen
tial doctrines Of the Scriptures is very
largely confirmed and established bv
what may be called our experience of
the truth and the saving efficacy of
those doctrines. AS a matter of fact
we scarcely can be said to have gained
the most satisfactory and convincing
demonstration for the truth of the Cos
pei, until we have practically made
trial of it in II own personal expert
ence by an honest and whole-hearted
endeavor to live according to it's pre-
cepts. Our Saviour clearly recognized
this kind of experience and this ground
of evidence, when He said: eff anv
mar will do His will, he shall know of
the doctrine, whether it be of God, or
whether l speak of Myself"
AS a matter OF logic, we do not un-
dertake to say that this personal and
experimental argument for Christianity
is the strongest of all its evidences.
Perhaps not. Certainly it will not carry
demonstration to those who have never
tried it. Outsiders and directors and
skeptics are not likely. to feel its truth,
or admit its force. All that we need
here affirm is that to the Christian man
himself who has once entered upon this
inner court of the Christian temple, by
a living experience OF the vital princi-
Piles of the Gospel, it is not only a good
argument, but probably the strongest
and the most satisfactory of all argu-
mcnts. For it is one which, when fully
grounded on ones w personal his
tory, and tested by q consistent Chris
tian lite, is not likely to yield to n
assaults of theoretical intidelity and
skeptical free thinking, The question
was once put to d. l.. Moody, the evan
gclist: GLOW do you know the Bible is
insPred?" The prompt and emphatic
answer q II know the Bible is in
splred because it inspires me-" Was
not this a good argument to the man
who could make it? What was it but
the application Of the very test of truth
which u Saviour had given to His dis
ciples when He said: '.By their fruits We
shall know them" He had searched
the Scriptures and felt their saving,
qu%ickening, elevating, influences upon
his own heart and life. After such an
experience of good, how could he ques-
ton the divine inspiration of 4 book
whose inspirations he had SO long and
fully tested as the very power of God to
his WI soulo To have heard Jesus in
the flesh led men to say: Never man
spakc like this man. In like manner,
to have read the Bible prayeriullv. CON
~tinuously, savingly, may well lead a
man to say with Moody: "Iknow it is of
God, because it knows me and inspires
my heart with o hope and peace and
JOY never felt before.' This is the az
gument from experience. This areu.
ment grows stronger and stronger, the
more we read, and the longer we live.
ms argument every true and faithful
Christian may have as the very anchor
OF his faith in Christ. And once having
1t, he need not be disturbed by the pre-.
vailing skepticism of the world around.
Having it, he need not be much con-
cerned even if he can not answer the
arguments of speculative philosophy
and recent science.
1t is interesting to notice with what
frequency the sacred writer's bring into
view the class of evidence derived from
q personal experience of the truth.
The book of Psalms is full of it. That
most ancient song-book of the church
is the very song-book of the human
heart in all Its deepest experience. One
reason why it has had such power
through all the ages to inspire the
heart with devotion is because it con-
talns the utterances OF the Psalmist's
own heart drawn from his own expert
ences. 1t is a perpetual call to all men
to come and worship to try religion
by the test OF a personal application, to
enter within the sanctuary of a deyout
and holy life. "Oh taste and see.n
cries David in the thirtv-fourth Psalm.
taste and see that the Lord is good.'
Come ye children, hea1ken unto me.
Will teach you the fear OF the Lord. -
''Oh, magnify the Lord with me and lot
us exalt His name together. | souoht
the Lord, and He heard me and 1e.
iAS " all NV Tears. lHlS
poor man cried, and the Lord heard
linn and saved him ont of all his
troubles What an experience of the
efficacy Of prayer, and what an evil
uehcc OF the goodness OF God, to the
heart OF the rsalmist, was that, A
similar experience is recorded in the
10th Psaln,, whese he tells us of the
deep and fearful distress through which,
ne had passed; when 1.-The sorrows Of
death comprised him and the pains Of
hell took hold upon him;" when he
loohu nothing but 'troublc and sor-
row. and said in his haste all men are
mars. Then called | upon the name
OF the Lord, y, Lord, l beSeech Thee
deliver my SOUL" And the Lore heard
me and delivered my soul from death.
tnlne eyes from tears, and my feet from
asli1ng: Therefore will cali upon Him
as long as l live" Probably there
We're no Tyndalls and scientific PRAYER
I tests in David's time. But had there
been, they would have been powerless.