Sharp County record., 1885-07-16
THE BIBLE,

Attacks and Criticism an Eyidenca ., Ii
Living Power and Infiuence-Wbat a.
les Have and Have Not Done.
At the annual meeting of the Bris, i
and Foreign Bible Society Prot. En- /,
lie paid stirring tribute to the BR'
Speaking of the criticisms upon # Ii
antagonists of the Bible, the sn4sI. Il
said:
Infidelity itself has tears come M II
its eyes when you bring it face to +, Is
with Christ. We count criticism
enemy. think that is a mistake NIX,
often think of temptations in life slt
they were almost an evil and came r., rt
the devil. But the Bible says: "Bles. n|
is the man that endureth temptatim "
l think God puts temptation in life ~
a discipline. Perchance the very fDse'l
gifts my God-given life has bestOvsy
upon me-as will appear at the II
great day-have come, not out Of v
happiness and success, but out Of n
struggles and conflicts and battles-o[
of the blessed temptation. And Idr9
to say this: / count it a sign, not d n
dying Bible, but of living, rising n
bic, that il is spoken against. IcOuP
it proof that mems hearts are not X
rest when they can not stick to ti'
science and philosophy, but must COZ [,
and strike at Christ. He is mOil
them and is attacking them, and =
heart of the age is stirred. The a: 7
of faith, as they are called, | thin
were often ages of stagnation and deaf <
Where there is life and movement d.
where religion is stepping forwa, &
there you may have criticism and II
tagonism. Ii
What has criticism done in these 3
wears? | tell you it has executed juit
ment on itself. | will tell YOU vi L
critics are doing-they are, step bys3i,
as each new unbelieving theory cOn,r
out, making one more pathway Of II,
cape from Christ impossible. When, 4
the Christ of Paulus? where is II
Christ of Strauss? where is the Chi .
of Schenkel? where is the Christ ,e
Renan? There is not a cultvatedGin h
man or critic who believes in one d
them. And what haze these ciaic
done? Why, by a method of elnl Il
ton they are shutting up the hear Il
humanity and the intelligence Of I
age to this there is no other expGsr
ton of Christ's power than the old, 81
one, that He was perfect man and I'll
feet God, the worlds Saviour. the V
of God. This good thing has b
done for our churches and for our;eIui
the attack on Christ has driven d
back on Christ. Our churches sl
too apt to live with the Cho,
in their creeds; and the ChAZ
of the best creed is not quite the Tlsk
loving Son of God whom we see b
the Gospels. 1t is like that old I'm
story of the giant son of the earth in :
wrestlc for life. Every time he Ve'
thrown on his mother earth he Del
again with renewed strength, but vi
held aloft he was killed. You 70
never kill Christianity till you Succh hi
in deluding Christians that they can e
fend it out OF the Bible away my
Christ. But every time one is, lnp
conflict of criticism, flung back
Christ, l ask him if, indeed, he Sp
renewed; and so in these shocks H
church rises again with new lie n
cause she relies anew on risen CHP
who is exalted on high, and is golni 2
be the worlds Saviour and the VOL
Conqueror. Because the Bible oOc1 r.
is bringing mems hearts into cOIy' Y
with the heart of the Christ of thew
pels, bid it God-speed, and aSKm%o = =
all the support you can give IN nvy
and prayer; and we will all JON /.
gether in wishing that God mSl e 6
crease its resources and multPl
means of usefulness, and hasten (
time when every human home h x
find its supreme pride and boast ID r z
Holy Book of God. e