The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-12-18

the spirit the subduing of the body the eulighten-
aPg 81 ahe unasIsIAnd.ng The purifying OF the
IN the guidance Of youth, the support OF manhood.
and the comfort OF old age Ia the proper ordering
OF domestic life IN the institution Of those social
relations which lie at the base of all society and in
all the vast and varied concerns Of human existence
this word i the only sale guide. the only infallbe
source Of information and direction.
The word "only" in the last sentence sug-
gests Wesley's homo iRiH5 li5ri." The Bible is
ultimate authority.
The Boston Zion's Herald, an organ Of the
M. Z. Church, declares:
The Bible is a world book. Other Scriptures are
adapted TO IA people, an age, a country parallel
OF latitude this il for all ATTITUDES for all peoples
Written IN Syria, IL j. equally adapted To LApand
or Nova Iembla- The truth Ia II touches the core
OF humanity, not simply the fashion the soul has
taken IN this that locality or axe Diverse IA are
the wants and tastes of man. they all find an an
swer ia tlhs Cosmopolitan Eook. In fnlinesS.
elasticity, breadth and fitness 10 j. TO have equal
10 will remain when all other books peFish-the
incorruptible aud inexhaustibIe oracle OF human
ny, light to those " no sit in darkness lamp To
the feet OF the just. they pnss to Mount Zion
The vitality of the Bible il amazing. The oldest
OF books IL i yet fresh and new. The subject 81
tie most Intense and pTOTaeted opposition, % yet
holds its ground la the forefront of sacred llera
lure. No book has met 81 many obstacles; ONE
mas TePulsed them so completely. The fight has
been bitter aud continuous bat the great Book has
gained 10y each assault Attacked on all sides. and
by all sorts Of weapons the volume j. found To be
iuvulHerabie- The very quintc-scnce Of truth, II
stands projected in a complete nrmoF glitiering
along the ages tie comfort Of tie believer aud the
confusion Of tho infidcl.
Go into all the world with the Bible and you
will find response in human instincts and
hopes. In 81. Matthew's Gospel (2S. l9) We
read, Go ye therefore and teach ali nations
Then, in st. Johns Gospel, l3: 49, we read
" God so loved tile world, that he gave his only
begottcu Son, that whO5OeyeF believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. .
We see that the commission 10 Christ's Minis
tiers of the Gospel IS equal 10 the availability Oi
salvation. Now i'm beautiful harmony with
both these facts wo fiud the Bible, the Text
Book Of Christianity, is also for the world, the
whole world-the Ministry, the Bible, Saliva
ton for all the world.
Margaret the Duchess Of Alcncon was the
favorite sister of Francis T. Of France She
was very deyOut, and yet exceedingly agreeable
socially and domesticaIly, showing that it Is
practicable for the same person 70 be at the
same time both cheerful and religious, affable
and deyOut.
You ask the. my children. TO do a very difficult
thing-tO invent diversion that will drive away
your eHHHi. I have been seeking all my life ta
effect thtsi but have found only ono remedy,
which - FeHdtng The Holy Scriptures. In pcrusipg
them my mind experiences It's true and perfect
JOY, ana from ttis pleasure of the mind proceed
the repose and health of the body
III yOu desire me to tell you what do, to be so
gay and we'll ut my advanced age, IL il because as
soon IA get up read these sacred books There
] see and contemplate the will Of God, who sent
his son to us 0n earth to preach that holy word,
and To announced the sweet tdiHgs that he promises
To pardon our sins and extinguish our debts. by
giving rs his son. who loved u.s. and who suffered
aud died for our sHkes. This idea 40 delights me
that take up the Psalms and sing them with my
heart. aud pronounce with my tongue humbly
~ possible tire fine hymns with which the Holy
spirit inspired David and the sacred authors
The pleasure I receive from this exercise so
Transports me that consider MI the evils which
may happen to me through tire day TO be real
blessings; for place Him ia heart by faith VI no
endured more misery for me. Before SUD- I re-
tire ira the same manner. to give my sOui con
genial lesson At night review all have done
In the day. / inplOre pardon for my faults; I
thank God for his favors; and lie down iva his
love. "a his fear and in his peace free from every
worldly anxiety.
We have been in the habit of considering
royal life full Of frivOlity, style, show. Tt is
beautiful to find the Bible in the palace, and its
contents exhibited in the lives Of the regal. 1t
Is well TO cultivate such an ideal of pleasure
that ono can realize the fuIfiIImeat Of his ideal
IN life Of piety, acts of charity, the doing OF
good, holy meditatiOR5 sacred song. Biblical
readings. There IS a diversion in goodness, a
gale Of piety. "A lestivity OF holiness, n miFth
In holy song. recreation in prayer a vigOF for
old age derived from righteousness, "A banquet in
Christ's love Of us, and our love Of Christ. We
do we'll 10 cultivate the ideal of diversion
Margaret the Duchess.
The Dutch scholar. Disiderius Erasmus ID.
1867; d. 1856, thus tells his appreciation Of the
Holy Bible:
Iis philosophy IL worth a thousandfBld more
thhn that 81 ZenO and Aristotle. 10 IL simple. II h
eonptop aud open To- all. wish that the weakest
woman should read the Gospels; nay, even the
Episies Of ~. Paul. I wish thai these were trans
lated into every language that they might be read
and understood not only by Scots and Irishnieu,
Init al
husbandman should siux portions of them to him
self ~ he follows the plOw; that tlte weaver
should hum them to the tune OF his shuttle; that
the Traveller should beguIe with their stories the
te'iiuin of his journey.
Rev. DIR. T. De Witt Talmage says:
The Bible i great flower garden filled with
fuehsias and with dairodIi- and with smaFaEtIs,
aud with evening primroses for the close of Iif's
day and with croctIsses at the foot of the snow
bank sOTTOw and with heart s-ese for the troubled
aud with passion flowers at the foot Of the cross
So we may GO to Gods Word as to a garden.
We may carry from it bouquets to sweeten life.
Reading it we may feel as in floral conserva-
tory, where plants grow all tire year round.
Would that We loved the Bible as we do roses
aud viOIets and daises.
Bengel IS in Hindostan- The native inhabit-
ants of HindOstan are IIindoos. Bengel is a
northern province The sugar-cane grows
there. and the people are used TO seeing the
plant. We read the following quoted from a
liindoO newspaper. published in Bengel The
quotation refers to the volume of the Holy
Scriptures
II is the best and most excellent of all English
books, and there is not its like in the English
language. As every joint Of the sugar cane.
from the root tO the top - full Of sweetness 30
every page OF the Bible IL frgIu2hI with the most
precious instruction. portion of that book would
yield 10 you more OF sound morality than n thou
sand other treatises ON the same subject In short
II any person study the English language with a
which Is more worthy Of being read than the
Bible.
The Bible is living Book. It teaches of life.
Its teachings impaTt life. 10 leads to Christ
vino Is life No ono can destroy the Bible. To
illustrate its tenacity Of existence we quote the
following paragraph cut from the Liriag
Church.
VolIaiTe. who was considered the eleverest man
in Europe ia his day. and died in I77s prophesied
that 100 years from his time the Bible would be n
forgotten book. When the 100 years were up, the
Bible Revision Committee sitting in Europe
aud America. la 1881 tire British and Foreign BIZ
bic Society distributed 100000 copies of the
Scriptures
So much for iufdel prophesies. So much for
a man who ridiculCd Scriptural prophesies de-
ciarng they were mere imaginings of fanciful
theOlOgians. What would VOltaire have said
OF the prophecies of the Old Testament if they
had met such fulfllment as did his own proph-
ecy as to the extinction OF the Bible?
We close with aquOtatiOn from Bishop Ryle /:
Tell me what the Bible il to - man. and will
generally tell You what he is This is the pulse to
try, this ~ the barometer TO look at, if would
know the state Of tile heart L have no notion of
the Spirit dwelling ia man, aud not giving clear
evidence Of his presence. Aud believe IL TO be a
signal evidences of the Spirits presence when the
word - really precious To mans soul When
there is appetite fOr the truths of Scripture the
soul cannot be ia a state of health There is some
serious disease Reader what Is the Bible to you?
i u your guide. yOET counselor, youF frieudg IA