The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-05-30
y'ALMAGE'S SERMON.
slough Things in the Bible" In
terestingly Discussed.
Scientific SIurs on the Authenticity of
the Bible Met in the Light of
Modern Research-Criti-
cism Answered.

was: though Things in the Blble," ana
the text:
In which are some things hard to be under
stood. Ill Peter iii, 16.
The Bible is the most common-sense
book in all the world But there are
many things in it which require explana-
ton. 1t all depends on the mood IN
which you come to this grand old Book.
You may take hold of the handle of the
sword or its sharp edge. You may en-
ploy on its mysteries the rule of multi
plication or subtraction. There are
things, as my text suggests, hard to be
understood, but 1 shall solve some OF
them, hoping to leave upon all honest
minded people the impression that II
four or five of them can be explained
perhaps they may all be explained.
Hard thing the first: The Bible says
the world was created in six days, while
geology says it was hundreds OF thou
sands of years IN process OF oullolng.
SIN the beginning, God created the Heav-
en- and the earth" 'tIn the beginning"
There you can roll in ten million years,
if you want to. There is no particular
date given-no contest between science
and revelation. Though the world may
have been in process of creation for mill
ions of years, suddenly and quickly, and
in one week, it may have been fitted up
for mans residence. Just as great
mansion may have been many years IN
building, and yet in one week it may be
curtained and chandeliered and cush-
toned and upholstered for a bride and
groom.
You are not compelled to believe that the
world was made in our six days. 1t may
not have been day of twenty -four hours,
the day spoken of in the first chapter; 1t
may have been Gods day, and a thousand
years with Him are as one day. Sand the
evening and the morning were the first
day'-God's day. 'sAnd the evening and
the morning were the second day"-God's
day. "And the evening and the morning
were the sixth day''-God's day. You and
/ living in the seventh day, the Sabbath of
the world, the day of Gospel redemption,
the grandest day of all the week, in which
each day may have been made up of
thousands of years. Can you tell me how
man can get his mind and soul into such
blasphemous twist as to scott at that
first chapter of Genesis, its verses pillows
of light surging up from sapphire seas OF
glory?
The Bible represents that light was
created on Monday, and the sun was not
created until Thursday. Just think of it!
A Book declaring that light was created
three days before the sun shone! Why,
don't you know that heat and electricity
emit heat and light independent of the
sun? Besides that, when the earth was in
the process of condensation, it was sur
rounded by thick vapors and the dis
charge of many volcanoes in the primary
period, and all this observation may have
hindered the light of the sun from falling
on the earth until that Thurs
day morning. Besides that, David
Brewster and Herschel, the astrono-
mer, and all the modern men OF
their class, agree in the fact that the sun
not light, that it is an Opaque mass,
that it is only the candlestick that holds
the light, a phosphorescent atmosphere
floating around it, changing and chang
ing, so it is not to be at all wondered al
that not until that Thursday morning its
light fell on the earth. Beside that, the
rocks, in crystalization, emit light from a
thousand surfaces, the alkalies, for in
stance. The metallic bases emit light
There was time in the history of the
world when there were thousands of miles
of liquid granite flaming with light Be-
side that, it has been found that there are
burned-out volcanoes in other worlds
which, when they were in explosion and
activity, must have cast forth an insuffer-
able light, throwing glare all over our
earth. Beside that, there are the aurora
borealis and the aurora anchalis. A book
on physical science says:
Captain Bonnycastle, coming up the
Gulf of st. Lawrence on the 18th of Sep.
l. IL. Il
the vessel in great alarm from an unusual
appearance. 1t was a starlight night
when suddenly the sky became overcast
In the direction of the high land of Corn.
wallis County an instantaneous and in.
tensely-vivid light, resembling the aurora
shot out on the hitherto gloomy and DARK
sea on the lee bow, that was SO brilliant
1t lighted every thing distinctly, ever
TO the masthead. The light spread
over the whole sea between tht
two shores, and the waves, which before
had been tranquil, became agitated. Cap.
tain Bonnycastle describes the scene as
that Of blazing sheet of awful and mos
brilliant light--a long and vivid line o
light that showed the face of the higl
frowning land abreast. The sky becam
lowering and more intensely obscure
Long, tortuous lines of light showed i'm
mense numbers of large fish dartinl
about as if in CONSERVATION. The topsai
yard and inizzen boom were lighted b,
the glare as if gaslights had been burned
directly below. them, and until just befor
daybreak, at four O'Clock, the most min
ute objects were distinctly visible" NJ
hearers, there are ten thousand source
of light besides the light of the sun.
Another hard thing: The story of tn
deluge and Noah's ark. They say tina
from the account there it must haV
rained eight hundred feet of water eael
day in order that it might be fifteen cubit
above the hills. They say that the arl
could not have been large enough to con
tain s'two of every sort" for there woul,
have been hundreds of thousands an
hundreds Of thousands Of creatures
They say that these creatures would hav
come from all lands and all zones. They sa,
there was only one small window in th
ark, and that would not have given fresl
air to keep the animals inside the AR
from suffocation. They say that the ar
finally landed on a mountain seven.
teen thousand feet high. They say the,
do not believe the story. Neither do j
There is no such story in the Bible. vii
Ali /. d.