Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-08

people ask me II l believe every word
in the Bible was inspired. tell them no.
1 say that l do not believe that the devil
was inspired to say the words to Eve that
tempted her to eat of the fruit. But do
think that some one was inspired to write
those words as lesson to us. / think that
the whole work was inspired"
Mr.. Moody then went into a discussion
Of some things that some men do not &C.
cept or believe in the Bible. Various mir
acles and strange happenings Of both Tes-
taments he quoted as being just beyond the
line of credence of some who otherwise
call themselves believers and Christians.
He spoke finally of the case Of Jonah and
the whale.
Jonah and the Whale.
II believe in Jonah just much as in
the resurrection of Jesus Christ" he de-
clared. II think that there was just as
much need for one miracle as for the other
and that there is a vast deal of connection
and similarity between the two When
your eye begins to grow dim. and your hair
to grow gray, and your limbs to grow weak,
you will find much comfort in the doctrine
of the resurrection and also in the story of
Jonah and the whale perhaps as much out
of the resurrection as out of all the rest of
the Bible. Some folks are inclined to say
that the swallowing OF Jonah was contrary
to nature; that ii was impossible. and that
God would never have so outraged natural
laws as to make an animal do something
so out Of the range Of possibilities. They
forget the all-poWer of God. Once bring
God in upon the scene and there is never
any difficulty. You must not limit the
power of the Almighty.
Il remember once hearing a discussion
on board a ship on which l was crossing
the ocean, between some latter-day scien-
lists and philosophers and hard headed
old Scotchman who pinned his faith in the
old beliefs and would not bulge an inch
One of the scientists was asserting that he
had made a scientific examination of the
mouth of the ass, and that never In the his
tory of zoology had 1t been so formed that
the animal could speak. He therefore ridi-
culed the story of Baalam and his speak
ing ass. The Scotchman held in as long
as he could and then his indignation burst
into flame, and he declared, in a sort OF
prayer to God: Amen. You make the ass
Lord, and III make him speak,"
Must Believe Both Testaments.
Then, with a torrent of statistics, Mr.
Moody plunged into a denunciation of the
theory of some people that the Old Tesla
ment is spurious. while they accept the new
book. He referred to the number of quo
tations of the different parts of the Bible
from other parts, and showed that the
writer's of the latter had access to the
former, and that there are marks of similar
inspirations from one source. 1t is utterly
impossible, declared the speaker for a man
to believe one of the Testaments withou,
believing the old. He went on to speak OF
those who accept what they are pleased tc
term the natural parts of the Bible, while
they reject the supernatural.
That leaves you nothing to believe" h,
declared. If you are going to read tn.
Bible with a penknife in your hand 70,
might as well not begin. There was {
preacher once who had the bad habit of say
ing occasionally from his pulpit that h,
had his doubts about this miracle and tina
chapter and the other verse in the Bible On,
day he was surprised to receive a visit from
one of his parishioners, who brought him ;
copy of the Bible with parts here and Their,
cut out. In one place a verse had beer
slashed. in another a chapter. and the who'll
book of Job was gone. The pastor looked q
1t in shocked establishment.
What Is this? he asked
g. It's your Bible answered the visitor
why, no, it isn't returned the minis
ter.
Yes it is,' insisted the parshioner. Tt,
the Bible you teach. Every time you hav,
thrown cold water on any part of the bool
Here is what is left of the Word Their
minister wanted the man to give him tn.
book, saying that he did not want 1t to b,
seen in the community.
No insisted the other. III keep It, i
you only leave me the covers. They will b,
something to have
There is not part Of the Bible wher'
there are not supernatural things recorded,
continued Mr.. Moody. You will find then
everywhere. The last things a man usual,
gives up are the four gospels, and yet yol