Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-05-24
THE BIBLE A MIRACLE.


The evidences of Christianity are getting
! too intricate One needs to be walking
encyclopaedia TO give Il reason for tho hope
that is in him, which will satisfy the de-
mands OF modern skepticisn. Young men
are getting tangled By the long and compli-
Gated Processes of defending the truth which
| used 10 be taken for granted. There was
| 4 rUur fellow who came very near being
| drowned the other day because the rope
they thrcw him was too long. He caught
| it easily. but il tangled his feet and hands,
| as he trinl 10 swim, i;nd lie was finally
| drawn on board almost liieicss. Shorten
| the rope - WIS the cry, ant! noL quite too
| late. Are we not throwing too mucE rope
to nifte'i and scholarly. h!it very young
| men, who arc drowning in The waters OF
| modern iniidelity, and cannot make elabo-
| rate answers 10 Tie 'mythical theories and
| the visionary theories :"
| Here il; short, tough life line, which we
should like TO throw out for busy practical
| men who are tempted with doubts about
the Bible aud cannot read big books, nor
| long articles. II consists Of this one simple
| raightforward truth.
The Bible is divine because The Bible is 4
| present miracle.
Il i; a miracle OF creation IT is the only
| hoo; in the universe which has been created
b.. the same being who created man. The
proof Of this is that il finds and satisfies the
| deepest spiritual wants of all sorts and con-
| diliGns of man. Take the most fascinating
| story of Dickens 10 the South Sea Islands
and it. loses its charms. The Bible has been
| translated into every dialect on earth, and
| is Just aa much at home among savages as
among the Oricntals where IL was compoScd
| David's Psalms were written centuries be-
| for the poeins of Homer the four Gospels,
centuries after the histories Of Thucydides
ana Herolotl,s The books OF men instruct
and charm some men. The Bool; OF God IS
| the mrrcr of every mans heart. II must
be divine because it is so human.
Il is 4 miracle OF providence. 1t is the
ont. book which has been hated, and torn
| TO pieces. and burned up, and ridiculed, and
| pcrsistcntl;' prosecuted from the beginning
10 the present hour. When our English
Bible vas translated, not one Ms. OF the
| New Testament dating as carly as the
fourth century was accessible. And yet
there has never been . translation o! the
Bible in any language containing deadly
errors The Jews preserved the very books
which convicted them OF tIc murder Of the
| Messiah.
The Bible is a miracle Of prediction. just
as the flagship Of Perry's fleet was moving
out ot the harhor after the first expedition
to Japan, something WAS lost overheard
which n native on shore had the curiosity
| 70 recover. IT. was !: book which he could
moi read At last ne found out that 1t was
:. book i.ein sacred iii America, and that 1t
bad been translated into Chinese. lie sent
TO China and obtained Il copy. lie read it
carefully end became restless. He kept ln-
uuirinm until the missionaries came to Japan
and explained TO him the new life and peace
which he had already found in til" book.
Now YOU can readily turn 10 Il score OF
places iii the Psalms and the New Testa-
incnt, where precisely this experience is
nlainlv predicted. What is the sense OF all
this controversy about Assyrian, Bahylonian,
and Mcssianc predictions? The very things
which are ,ranspiring now in japan, and
India. and Chicago, and in your own breast,
are clearly predicted. The Bible is the gift
OF Him who knows tho future and even the
thoughts ana intents of our hearts.
The Bible is n miracle of revelation We
have recently been moved by the story in
al; the papers +he wretched girl in Lon
don, who was betrayed, and lorsook her
home for the haunts Of sin. After weary
search in vain, her mother asked cele-
brated physician To help her find the child.
lie caused . photograph of the mother to
be taken, and thousand copies to be print
cd. Under each ouc Of them the mother
wrote with her own hand, these two words
"Comc home u The Doctor readily OBJ
tanned permission to hang the picture, neat
" framed, in II thousand of the vilest dens
of wickcducss in the great city. One night
tho lost child entered one of these saloons.
and stood speIi-bound before the affecting
face, and read the loving words beneath
In an hour she was sobbing in her mothers
arms. The Bible is the photograph of Gods
love TO his wandering children. All recon
ciIiation is concentrated in this. Heaven is
home for sinful men. The Bible says
"Comc home !''and the appeal is irresistible
We 10 not need 70 knowwhereit came from
nov. how it has reached our hands. 1t re-
vcals our own wants 1t reveals our Father
Il bids us welcome. It's Il present miracle
, II must be true and divine Chicago Al
| rance.
III u New York paper we see it noted thai
: in Milwaukee, i city of abundant beer
there arc proporiionaIIy twice as many sui
cides as III any other city in the Unitet
i,ac bnpO ofIan rEDPafpU - 4