Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-03-14
Is Marriage A Failure ?

much truth as possible shall be well
presented, propriety demands that
whilst establishing the faith, I shall
also respect the patience of the saints.
| This article will close the discussion
by me.
In these days when broken cIsterns
lie all around us, human substitutes
counterfeits ofdivine ordinances, which
| which hold none of the waters of life,
and whose goodness is as the morning
cloud and the early dew that goeth
| away, if PLATE were alive he might do
we'll to repeat his question, ''What is
TRUTH" and then many would reject
the two-fold answer, "that theoretical
truth Is the clear knowledge of the
true relations of men and things, to
God and each other, and that prac-
teal truth is the full and faithful per-
formance of all the duties arising out
OF those relations.n But when many
have rejected that answer, is their un-
belief the end of the matter? Most as
suredly not, for
Gas sunlight broken in rill,
And turned aside is sunlight STILL"
so in all inquiries after truth there is
an assumption that there is some
where foundation for, and a standard
of truth. Accordingly, all the wiles
of the adversary and the deceivableness
of unrighteOusness have failed to blot
from the hope and faith of men the
idea that there is somewhere, beyond
the reach of human eyesight, one who,
lifted above the control of hnnlan pas
sions, unswayed by human hopes and
fears, holds firmly in unfalteripg
hands the answering balance of
Judge OF all the earth, will most assur-
edly do right. Neither hes the adver-
sary been able to eradicate from the
brains and hearts of men the convic-
ton that this Ruler and Judge has
somewhere given a code of invincible
and unerring laws, the standard of
Truth and Right. This all Christians
call the Bible. All attempts to fur
iiloli itiC iol any 'i-
dinance laid down in that book are
based On a direct or constructive denial
of its inspiration. The Bible gains
strength and force under trial.
A Bible unassailed is generally BIZ
BILE unstudied. 1t may be received as
a whole with unquestioning reverence:
but the chara cteristics of it's compound
parts are not distinctly examined.
A vag ue sense of the general unity
of the books of which it is composed
takes the place of clear view of their
organic union.
Their independence and variety,
their vital connection with periods
widely separated in time and thought,
their Individual traits and original OBJ
jects, are neglected in that traditional
view which sees in all one uniform and
changeless revelation, neither special
in It's destination, nor progressive in
its course.
The Devil of to-day is az exceedingly
learned, and humane gentleman. AS
scholar he is distressed with the
conflict between religion and science,
which he raised, and he insists that
religion shall be discussed in every
voice, mode and tense, except the
present indicativ active.
AS humanitarian he is shocked at
the expressions under W hich tomahaw
ky women nave labored, and, as a
pietist, he cannot away with the human
element in the inspiration of the Bible. |
1t is due to him to say that although |
his existence Is distinctly admitted !
and his character and destiny very
clearly described in the Bible, yet his |
views and wishes were not consulted
ir preparing that book, so that he and |
his followers may be expected to be
dissatisfied with it, and really to re-
ject its conclusions. But in order that
the Bible may be authoritative as a
rule of lie it must be the word of
God, and that it may be understood it
must be clothed in the language of
men, and come through them. All
through inspiration there are traces of
personalities. Humanity is not re-
moved by it, but only clothed in heav-
enly dream. But men have erred in
supposing that inspiration in men is
confined to the matter of eternal life. |
When God has any work for any man
to do the grace that is sufficient for
him and the strength that is perfected
in weakness are phases OF inspiration.
1t was this that enabled Moses to
endure as seeing Him that is invisible,
and Samson to slay the lion, carry off
the gates of GAIA, and pull down the
temple of Dagon, and David to slay
the lion. the bear and The Philistine |
giant.
1t also filled his soul with poetry;
at the call of which all the passions in
our frames of clay come trooping, and
enabled him to reproduce and perpet-
uate the dead song Of Moses, the man
of God, to be chanted as the Lights |
Out over the grave of time.
1t revealed to Isaiah the Lord sitting |
on His throne high, even lifted up. |
1t was the fourth one whom besotted
king saw like unto the Son of God,
walking in the fiery furnace. It was
the angel of God which the Iona saw,
but the pagan king did not. 1t was
the Elohim that held the hand of the |
Persia King and led him where he |