Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-25
SUNDAY THOUGHTS
on
MORALS MANNERS
BY A CLERGYMAN.
WRITTEN FOR THE p1spArcH.1 ]

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATcH.1
There is truth in the teaching of Sweden
borg concerning the double sense of the
Bible. There are two Bibles. There is the
outward book, the historical record, full Of
physical geography and Asiatic scenery"
the reign of kings and queens, the tramp
of armies, the sayings and doings of patri-
archs and prophets, the manners and Gus
toms of peoples. There is also the inward
book, the spiritual record, of which the his
tory is the parable. This is the real Bible,
the valuable and permanently helpful part.
If we would understand what we read we
must penetrate beneath the surface. Then
we discover the true import OF the whole.
A keen scholar indicates the Importance
of such a method of study:
1T is when the Bible within the Bible is
clearly seen that we can harmonic some por-
tions of the Book with justice, purity. modesty
the refined tastes of our times. Here is one
of the staple objections to the sacred Scriptures
as urged by unbellevers: To take an example
or two, we have Sam, xv., 3, declared to be
unjust, tyrannical, cruel. So it must seem to
the man who only reads the outer Bible-the
mere historic statement. But what are the
hidden facts? These: Amalek was the visible
head of Satan's kingdom. To be an Amalekite
was to be opposed to all that was righteous,
holy, good. To allow his existence was to foster
the growth of evil weakening thereby the
kingdom of good. Hence, we find such positive
statements those in Exodus xviii. 1915;
Numbers XIV. 20; Deut. XIV. l9; Sam-!xv, ..
The history here given is the contest between
righteousness and unrighteousness The prin-
ciple involved is that the former must live and
advance at all cost. Is it unjust, cruel, to sus-
tain this principle? A desperate on western
train. having mortally wounded three fellow
passengers, is himself dispatched before his
mania for blood can be stayed. Was this treat
ment of the murderer tyrannical? King Saul
was commanded to do no more to Amalek by
Samuel Il Sam. XVI. So in every case in the
Bible. where injustice seems to be on the sur
will show that the case is one of life or death
between good and evil Which, think you,
ought to triumph at all cost?
As to charges OF lack of modesty in the Bible,
we will take the one most commonly men,
tioned:,Lo incest with his two daughters. Asa
mere tact in history this paragraph could not
have been omitted without completely obscur-
ing the origin of the Moabites and Ammonites
peoples playing an important part in the early
the narrative will prove to be an absolute me-
cessity in order to be the continuity OF history.
But of infinitely greater importance than this
to US is the profound truth here revealed, with,
perhaps, more emphasis that in any other part
of the Bible: Q) Drunkenness-its hellish
power. Whom will 1t not destroy2 What will it
not lead men to do? (2) Solitude-its
dangers. Not in the busy world, out in solitude
have men performed their most dastardly deeds
of infamyl t3) A mans nearest relative or
best friend may become his greatest tempter
and the worst enemy of his soul. az The
import of a single act for good or evil. Is a
passage like this, holding in trust for the ages
such precious warnings, stumbling block TO
the Bibles good name and glorious mission?