The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-06-28

- No raph7xard method OF consulting
r.. IL was nor fnten1e1 20 Be used as a
compiling source for birthday albums n
which The texts are supposed 10 indicat e
sorrs fanc.s6 feature IN the rfe OF the
party born on that particular day. Nell
fher was i intended to De subjected 20 the
ar Of ire rsscrornancer. Its contents are
proper subjects for analysis and literary
criticism. ard become the more fntelli-
gent. the more Inviting. ths more fsscsn-
atsng. As scholarship sheds rs human Hight
upon the page AMI prayer accompanies II
with IT'S coneee-atsng Spirit Thus re-
gzrdinx the bible. It's truth viii shine the
Tighter ard It's divine Author All SIZED
His srxpIratfoa IN every ra3kattng beam OF
light Should we rot. then. appreciate our
privilege "a having such 9 book 10 come
TO- What cloud Of doubt can oSsrsna6ov
Us through which this suns spsen6or may
not burst What difficult position can We
s-zaa IN for which this oracle shah not
be Sufficient n adviceg We need fear no
foe with tbs friend a. hand. When even
the arch enemy OF our souls hufTets US.
We can confidently point TO the Word and
say: Il Is written
Quoted for Opposite Purposes.
Put some obtecfor may exclairn at this
point: Il am perfectly willing 70 ac-
cept the Bible as the most wonderful book
ever written as I am willing TO admit
that read il frequently and with profit:
bur / can not look upon II "a inspired in
the sense you claim. because there are
contradictory statements in il. and men
can quote II for the very opposite doctrines,
and maintain their pozitionA too. Even
tbs devil quoted Scripture against our
Savior in the chapter from which your
text In taken" Well. that sounds for
rniiabie. a. first Most OF IL Is true. too.
There are contradictory statements in the
Bible. and sects as far from each other in
doctrine and polity as the antpodes are
apart. have bolstered ND their claims TO
correct Interpretation by scholarship of
their own type, each saying with the ut
most venemence: 1T Is written" and each
ready to go TO the stake for his belief.
And as for the devil. why. he knows more
Scripture than anybody. ard can quote
no. that Is not right. can half quote, or
nisquote-pasages by the yard. He tried
Il here. Let US see how he succeeded. He
took that blessed Psalm. the 9lst. which
treats OF the security OF believers. and
twisted IL to his OWN uses. m.sapplying
It's meaning and emitting what he thought
might interfere with his purpose. This
Psalm describes the safety OF those who
are always found in the way of obedience.
Even the DEVILS diabolical ingenuity was
unable TO garble II into defense for pre-
sumption Cast myself down." said he
10 Jesus. "for II Is written. He shall give
His angels charge over Thee. TO keep
Thee" purposely emitting the next clause.
in all Thy ways" that would have taken
the meaning out OF his quotation. Then
he continued: "And in their hands shall
bear Thee up Ses the significance OF
that adverb up as Satan used IL. /
have no doubt he gave IL considerable
emphasis. But let us hear him
through. Lest at any time twords
not in the Psalm at alb Thou
dash Thy foot against a stone" That Is
the way a good many people quote Scrip
ture. A dropped clause an inserted
clause, and an emphasized advert. will
easily pervert any text. The devil wanted
10 ut the passage to the situation What
q pity he did not quote right on. Thou
shalt tread upon the lion and the adder.
the young lion and the dragon shalt Thou
trample under feet" He was too willy
for that. He who went about like a roar
ing lion, who had taken the form OF a
serpent when Ii suited him. and who Is
pictured in the Apocalypse as the drag
on, that old serpent, which is the devil
and Satan" he who was known by all
these names was afriad TO take up that
next verse. for IL predicted his own de-
struction. Our Lord might have answered
him by continuing the Psalm, but that
would have been descending to Satan's
level: or He might have skipped few
verses and quoted the last clause Of the
fifteenth. II will set Him on high because
He hath known My nams." giving that as
a reason why He should stay where He
was. on the pinnacle of the temple; but
that would be initiating the contemplate
tactics OF His enemy. He did a wiser
thing He made counter quotation,
which cut the ground from under His
tsmpter's feet. And Jesus answering,
said unto him, II is said. or written, on
the other hand, thou shalt not tempt the
Lord thy God" In other words. God has
promised TO protect His children: but they
are not TO do foolhardy things and then
claim the promise. No wonder the IRE
pressible old serpent was obliged to with
draw. sbsshed, for a season.
Now. that Is a sample OF the way parti-
sans and unbelievers treat the sacred
Book This IS brought out by Shake
speare. as he puts into the mouth OF the
Duke OF Gloucester these words:
but then / sigh. and with a place of
Scripture.
Tell them that God bids US do good for
evil,
And thus ] eiothe my naked villainy
With old odd ends, stolen forth of Holy
Writ.
And seem a saint when most i play the
devil"
Such chance shots with Sortptursl am
rnunitIon are all wrong. Every verse needs
TO be examined In the Hight OF every other
verse. The same spirit broods over all
Find me- an absolute contradiction. the
crossing OF two statements in the Bible. as
two swords cross each other IN battle. ar
irreconcIlahle difference between any two
parts OF this inspired word. and / viii give
IN my faith IN II AMI teach men so. You
can't do IL. all the scoffers In the world tc
the contrary. notwithstanding. Against al
the sneer- that have been raised over thS
truth OF Gods word, I place the strong
commentator OF our blessed Lord
Search tina Scriptures" said He, "foi
they are they which testify Of me" at the
same time showing what reverence th'
Jews had for them. 'for IN them We thint
"a have eternal life" HIS own frequent
quotations from the Old Testament during
His ministry showed His oHn feeling; and
HIS complete confirmation OF the law. th'
prophets and the psalms. and all Scrip
ture. are sufficient ground for ne 20 STAN
on. when / claim the absolute truth an
Inspiration OF the foremost book OF al
time. And now. in this new dispensation
having before US the combined Tesla
rnents. old and new. do We not mean yer,
much more. when out or fnu besrt W
exclairn, II IA wrtttenf
The hook Of Life.
with the end % time the written wor'
VIII vanish Somebody has fancifuiiy de
eiaref that there viii be no Bible In hea
ven chained - the throne OF God; bat
30 rot believe g. Its Office will hsV'
ceased when the celestial illumination
bursts unor US II was intended as LAM
- our feet: Bat = lamp IS useless whei
the Ks,n rises What need % the writes
wor4s We shall have the lived word con
tinuallv with ns- Moses. and David. ans
Daniel. and Isaiah. ana other ote Tesla
nsent writer's the evanweiists and apes
ties. VII - there 90 corrcbcrats ever
written statement. ara - answer ever
-.