The Bossier banner., 1890-07-03

dicted Himself. Christian merchants
endow universities, and in them Chris
tian professors instruct the children of
Christian communities. The warmest
and most enthusiastic friends of Christ
are the bravest and most enthusiastic
friends of science. The Church rejoices
as much over every discovery as the
world reioices. Good men have found
that there is no war between science
and religion. That which at first has
seemed to be the weapon of the infdel
has turned out to be the weapon of the
Christian.
Scientific discussions may be divided
into those which are concluded, and
those which are still in progress, de-
pending for decision upon future in
vestigation. Those which are concluded
have invariably rendered their verdict
for Christianity, and we have faith to
believe that those which are still in
prosecution will come to as favorable
a conclusion. The great systems of
error are falling before these discov-
cries, which have only demonstrated
the truth of the Bible, and to re-en-
forced Christianity. Mohammedanism
and paganism in their ten thousand
forms have been proved false, and by
great natural laws shown to be imposi-
tions. Buried cities have been exhumed
and the truth of God found written on
their coffin lids. Bartlett Robinson
and Layard have been not more the
apostles of science than the apostles of
religion. The dumb lips of the pyra-
mids have opened to preach the Gospel.
Expeditions have been fitted out for
Palestine, and explorers have come
back to say that they have found among
mountains, and among ruins, and on the
shore of waters, living and undying
evidences of our glorious Christianity.
Men who have gone to Palestine inf
dels have come back Christians. They
who were blind and deaf to the truth at
home have seemed to see Christ again
preaching upon Olivet, and have beheld
in vivid Imagination the Son of Cod
again walking the hills about Jeru-
salem. Caviglia once rejected the
truth, but afterward said: II came to
Egypt, and the Scriptures and the pyra
mids converted me-" When 1 was in
Beyrout, Syria, last December, our be-
loved missionary, Rev. DR.. Jessup,
told me of his friend who met a
sl1eptic at Joppa, the seaport of
Jerusalem, and the unbeliever said
to his friend: Il am going into
the Holy Land to show up the folly of
the Christian religion. l am going to
visit all the so-called sacred places,
and write them up, and show the world
that the New Testament is an imposi-
ton upon the worlds credulity."
Months after, DR.. Jessup's friend met
the sceptic at Beyrout, after he had
completed his journey through the Holy
Land. 'Well, how is it?'' said the
aforesaid gentleman to the sceptic. The
answer was: 81 have seen it all, and l
tell you the Bible is true!i Yes, it is all
trueP The man who went to destroy
came back to defend.
After what | myself saw during nv
recent absence, conclude that any one
who can go through the Holy Land and
remain an unbeliever is either a bad
man or an imbecile. God employed
men to write the Bible, but He took
many of the same truths which they
recorded, and with His own Almighty
! hand He gouged them into the rocks,
and drove them down into dismal depths,
and, as documents are put in the corner
stone of temple, SO in the very founda-
tion of the earth He folded up and
placed the records of Heavenly truth.
| The earth's cornerstone was laid, like
that of other sacred edifces, in the
name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost. The author of
revelation, standing among the great
strata, looked upon Moses, and said:
LET us record for future ages the
worlds history; you write it there on
papyrus; 1 will write it here on the
| powders"
Again, nature offers an invaluable
contribution to Christianity by the illus
tration she makes of Divine truth. The
inspired writer's seized upon the advan-
tages offered by the natural world.
Trees and rivers, and clouds and rocks
broke forth into holy and enthusiastic
utterances. Would Christ set forth the
strength of faith, He points to the syca-
more, whose roots spread out, and strike
down, and clinch themselves amid great
depths of earth, and He said that faith
was strong enough to tear that up by
! the roots.
Would Christ teach the precision with
which He looks after you, He said He
counts the hairs of your head. Well,
that is a long and tedious count if the
head have the average endowment. It
has been found that if the hairs of the
head be black there are about one hun
dred and twenty thousand, or if they be
tiaxen there are about one hundred and
forty thousand. But God knows the ex-
act number: ''The hairs of your head
are all numbered" Would Christ i'm
press us with the Divine watchfulness
and care, He speaks of the sparrows
that were nuisance in those times.
They were caught by the thousands in
the net They were thin and scrawny,
aud had comparatively no meat on their
bones. They seemed almost valueless,
whether living or dead. Now, argues
Christ, if my Father takes care of them
will He not take care of you?
Would David set forth the freshness