The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-07-23

tne incorrect statements, winch OCCASION
ally appear, give every indication of hay
ing been purposely made for the sake of
The great end in view. Especially does
the entire silence of the Bible upon many
matters which must have hadthe deepest
interest for its human authors, show that
he who restrained them knew what to
avoid as we'll as what ito assert. The si-
lences of the Bible, in some instances, even
more than its utterances, evince its Divine
authorship.
The standard of correctness in the Bible
as to all matters not connected with its
main theme is the phenomenal standard;
that is, in all scientific, historical, statis.
-tical and other similar matters, the facts
are so stated as not to contradict mems
convictions as formed from ordinary OBJ
servation and the general belief. This
principle is vital. 1t renders unnecessary
all the misleading and alarming phrases
now in fashion, such as "human mis-
takes" ''an uninspired setting of inspired
TRUTH" 'a fallible clement" etc, 1t gives
an absolute standard of correctness.
Judged by that standard, the Bible is in
fallible on all subjects. Its so called mis-
takes are only mistakes when the wrong
standard is applied to them. Its mis-
takes are intentional mistakes-inspired
mistakes. They are mistakes only when
judged of by standard which the Spirit
of inspiration has defnitively rejected.
They are true when judged of by a stan
dard the Spirit has manifestly accepted
and acted upon uniformly and consistent-
ly.
1t is true that the language Of the Bible
in regard to objective physical facts is
phenomenal" as it is termed. That is,
it describes things, not as they are, but as
they seem, And why should it notp Do
we not ourselves do the same thingp We
speak of the sunrise and the sunset.
What should we think of proposal to say
eGrth-rise and eGrth.set? And how should
we receive the charge of ignorance or of
untruthfulness, in case we should insist
upon our right to use the former phrase?
What if it were true that the miraculous
light which aided Joshua at Gibeon was
cosmic light like that which filed the at
mosphere before the creation of the sun,
and that there was no actual suspension of
the movements of the Heavenly bodies,
would any one seriously insist that the
author of the Book of Joshua should halt
the conquering hosts Of Israel and explain,
that light is only the undulation of lam.
iniferous ether, and not corpuscles shot out
from the sun, and perplex their honest
| souls with proposition to setinto activity
a special atmospheric lantern for their use;
or would you rather commend the grand
and simple way in which Joshua put It'll
"Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and
thou moon in the valley of Ajalonp am
not advocating the undulatory, as against
the corpuscular, theory of light, still less
am asserting that this is the scientific
explanation Of Joshua's miracle. / am
endeavoring to convince you that certain
objections made to this Book of Life and
Salvation will not bear examination.
have said enough perhaps, to indicate
the meaning Of our text as applied to the
verbal revelation we call the Bible. These
words are written for one single simple
purpose, that ye might believe that Jesus
! 40 ohO Ohi iAopS uAAO oOA1 VI NOoal anu Oudb Do-
lieving ye might have life through His
name. We shall then look in vain to
the Bible for information concerning nat
nral or philosophical science or history, or
statistics or any other form Of knowledge,
except as 1t may occur incidentally and
necessarily in the furtherance Of its great
purpose. 1t will often give no teaching
even in matters of ethics, or the common
moralities. The Bible was not sent to do
the work of conscience and common sense.
The great body even of moral truth had
already been given to man through these
God.like faculties, long centuries before
the Bible appeared. The additional reve-
lation, and the special revelation commit
ted to the sacred writers was the revela-
ton of Jesus-the man of Nazareth-as
the Christ, the Son Of God, that believ wing
in him, we might have life through his
name.
Now, wish to add the suggestion that
the same limitations are put upon the
whole body of human knowledge. The in.
dications of nature and history, and the
clear statements of the Bible are to the
effecJ that the whole creation, as we are
now seeing it, and studying it, groanetl
and travaileth together with man in his
sin, and that its earnest expectation wait
eth upon the redemption Of the man il
Christ, when it is to be delivered from itl
present bondage of corruption into the
liberty of the glory of the children
Of God. Paul distinctly teaches (Eph
iii. 81 that he was called to preacl
the unsearchable riches of Christ, and t,
make, thereby, all men see mystery
which is not born of the Bible, but whicl
from all ages has been hid in God, who
mark the words" created all things
to the intent that now unto the principali
ties and powers in the Heavenly place
might be known by the church," (by tn
manifest and ripened results of the re
demption) "the manifold wisdom o
God," and especially that the form Of Di
vine wisdom visible in the work of Christ
might be known through the church. Tn
wisdom to be made known is that involve,
in the eternal purpose which He pur
posed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom
we have boldness and access through ou
faith in Him." However new this mean
ing may be to many students of the Ne,
Testament, there can be no doubt that tn
meaning is here, and that we are taugh
that the Book of Nature, not less trul,
than the Book Of Revelation, is designed
has been compiled-to the single and sol
| ~ n. L. III L