Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-07
BIBLES TO BE READ.
Advice Of Cardinal Gibbons Given from
the Pulpit.
uE DECLARES 1T A SACRED DUTY.
A book which "stands as Firm rs
the Pyramids, mistaken and IN
riven by the Upheavn1s and Re'o-
IutiOns of Centuries.
baltimore SUM-

| on that occasion made several quotations
from the Scriptures. deem the time and
occasion most opportune for commenting
TO my hearers the sacred duty Of hearing
| and reading devoutly the Word OF God.
1T U.s." he continued, "a remarkable and
| significant fact that the Bible Is the only
| book which Christ Is known ever TO have
read or to have quoted I'm the whole
course of his public ministry. lie never
made any allusion whatever to the clas-
sic literature OF Greece and Rome. which
flourished In his day.
The Word of God is an inexhaustible
| treasury OF heavenly science. 1t is TIC
| only oracle thar discloses to us the origin
| and sublime destiny of man and the
means of attaining II. 1t is the key that
| nterprcts his relations to his Creator II
is the foundation Of our Christian faith
| and of our glorious heritage. Its moral
| code Is the standard of our lives.
| BASIS OF CIVILIZATION.
| IF our Christian civilization Is SO mani
testify superior TO all actual and pre-
existing social systems, it is indebted for
! its supremacy TO the ethical teachings
| of Holy Writ
| Viewed as an historical chronicle, the
| Word Of God is the most ancient. the
| most authentic. and the most instructive
| and interesting record ever presented 10
| mankind. 1t contains the only reliable
| history Of the human race before the
deiuge embracing period Of more than
! fifteen hundred years from the crea tiOn
| OF Adam TO the time Of Noah. Were 1t
| not for the Hebrew annalist, the antede-
luvian age would be a complete blank to
| all succeeding generations.
THE Dcca lOyla &c 7pl vearc nI1ar than
| the Jurisprudence Of Lycurgus; 1t is 1900
| older than that of Justinian: II is 200
years older than that OF the Magma
Charta; IL is $500 years older than the
code of Napoleon. and almost as many
years older than the American Constitu-
tion-and yet the Decalogue is better
known to-day and more universally in
culcated than any laws ever framed by
the hand Of man. II is an historical monu-
ment that has remained impregnable for
thousands of years. and has successfully
withstood the violent shocks of the most
formidable assailants.
There Is not a single arch. or column.
or keystone in the sacred edifice that
does not show some marks of foreign or
domestic assault. But there II stands, ~
firm as the pyramids, mistaken and
unriven by the upheavals and revolutions
of centuries.
TEACHING OF GREAT EXAMPLES.
at gives us the narrative OF the most
memorable and momentous events and OF
the most eminent men that have ever
figured in the theatre of the world. There
is scarcely a notable incident recorded in
Scripture that may not serve as text
for some moral reflections. Bible facts are
sermons as well. Read Massllon's dis
courses, and you will perceive the truth OF
this assertion.
IF history Is philosophy. teaching by
example. this definition is specially appll-
cable to the Word of God. for the apostle
says that what things soever were writ
ten. were written for our learning There
is not single virtue that is not embel-
lished by the luminous example of some
patriarch or prophet or apostle or KING
or matron in the Sacred Book.
III you look for an example OF un-
shaken faith and hope in God, where
will you find it more beautifully por-
trayed than in Abraham? In David, you
have a conspicuous marvel of tender piety
toward God and Of magnanimlty toward
an enemy. Chastity and hlial affection
shone forth in the life of the patriarch
Joseph Tobias and Job were held ny
as types OF patience and resignation in
adversely. Martial herosm is strikingly
exhibited in Gideon and the Machabees.
and domestic affection by Jacob and
Ruth. Susanna is n sublime pattern of
conjugal purity, and st. Paul Of burning
zeal and apostolic courage.
SUPERIORITY OF INNOCENCE.
Where shall we find more gra-
phlc and impressive picture than That
of Paul with his face emaciated after
two years of imprisonment, and led in
chains to the nall Of Felix, the Governor
Ill l.. It,,r. 4 f-
adulterous wife sitting beside him. The
apostle. with upiifted, manacled hands,
preached TO Felix on righteousness and
chastity and the judgment to come.
Felix trembled before the prisoner and
hastily Withdrew from the chamber,
stung by the words OF Paul and OPP
pressed by a guilty conscience What a
striking instance Is this OF the superiority
Of innocence unclaimed over guilt en-
;hronedl Well might Felix tremble az
those three words-justice chastity. and
the Judgment 10 come-for justice he
trampled upon, chastity he had violated.
and the judgment 10 come he had reason
to dread.
WARNINGS OF THE FUTURE.
while these great luminaries shine
forth like stars in the armament, guiding
the wayfarer in the path OF rectitude,
Writ who had fallen from their high
estate serve as beacon lights warning
us TO snun the rocks which occasioned
their downfall. Saurs disobedience Sam
sons and Soiomon's Righteousness the
vengeful spirit and cruelty of Je-
zebel. with the awful retribution
which followed: the treachery of Judas,
the falsehood and avarice OF Ananias
and S8phira. these, and other examples
81 l. yft
to the reader TO show that no crime can
be committed with impunlty. and that
what a man soweth. that shall he reap
also
AN UNFAILING FOUNTAIN.
THE Bible is the unfailing fountain
from which the theologans, doctors. and
fathers of the church have cOpiOusly
drunk. Who have surpassed in pulpit-eio-
auence the fathers of the third. fourth.
and fifth centuries? There Is freshness
and virility in their sermons which have
rarely been equalled. and never eXcelled
by modern preachers. Their great
strength was the result of the invigoTat-
Ing nOurishment on which they fed. The
only book Of divinity they consulted was
the Word Of Cod
MODEL. OF LITERARY EXCELLENCE.
Apart from its inspired character. the
Bible Is model OF literary excellence.
What classic author. ancient or modern.
can excel Isaiah or st. John In sublimlty
OF conception or the books OF Samuel or
Kings, and the Gospels in the charm and
conclseness of historical narrative, or
J .remah's Lamentations in pathos and
tenderness, or the Apocalypse in descrip
tive power. or job in majestic and terri
bic images. or David in poetic thoughts?
The grandest creations OF poetic genius
pale before the psalmody of the royal
prophet. Milton and Dante have borrowed
their noblest images from the pages OF
the sacred writings.
LIGHT AND CONSOLATION.
"But the Bible should be read for
higher motive than for the sake of the
style. Ii should be perused for the sake
Of the light and consolation which 1t i'm
parts When you open the portals Of this
temple of divine knowledge you should
not stop to admire the ornaments and
decorations Of the interior. but you should
rather mediate on the words Of wisdom
that are inscribed on liz walls and con-
template the hallow ed portraits looking
down upon you. that you might venera,c
them. and hold them up TO the veneration
OF the faithful"