Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-12-24


copyright, 1897. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.-The throngs
coming to DR.. Talmage's preaching
services at the First Presbyterian
church are all the time increasing and
far beyond the capacity Of his church to
hold. In this sermon he discusses sub /
ject interesting to all-viz, "The Geolo-
gy Of the Bible; or, God Among the
Rocks" The text is II Samuel vi, /
8, 7:"And when they came to Nachon's
threshing floor Uzzah put forth his hand
to the ark Of God and took hold Of it, I
for the oxen shook it, And the anger Of
the Lord was kindled against Uzzah,
and God smote him there for his error,
and there he died by the ark Of God. "
A band of music is coming down the
road, cornets blown, timbrels struck, |
harps thrummed and cymbals clapped, |
all led on by David, who was himself q
musician. They are ahead Of a wagon
on which is the sacred box called the
ark. The yoke of oxen drawing the
wagon imperiled it. Some critics say
that the oxen kicked, being struck with
the drivers goad, but my knowledge Of
oxen leads me say that if on hot day
they see shadow Of a tree or wall they |
are apt to suddenly shy off to get the |
GOODNESS Of the shadow. 1 think these
oxen so suddenly turned that the sacred
box seemed about to upset and be |
thrown to the ground. Uzzah rushed |
forward and laid hold Of the ark to keep
it upright, but he had no right to do so.
A special command had been given by
the Lord that no one save the priest un-
der any circumstances should touch that
box. Nervous and excited and irrever-
ent, Uzzah disobeyed when he took hold
of the ark, and he died as a consequence |
In all ages, and never more so than
in our own day, there are good people
all the time afraid that the Holy Bible,
which is the sacred ark Of our time,
will be upset, and they have been
long while afraid that science, and es-
pecially geology, would overthrow it.
While we are not forbidden to touch the
holy book, and, on the contrary, are
urged to fondle and study it, any one
who is afraid Of the overthrow ~ the
book is greatly offending the Lord with
his unbelief. The oxen have not yet
been yoked which can upset that ark of
the worlds salvation. Written by the
Lord Almighty, no is going to protect
it until its mission is fulfilled and
there shall be no more need Of a Bible,
because all its prophecies will have
been fulfilled and the human race will
have exchanged worlds.
Perfect Accord.
A trumpet and violin are very diff
ferent instruments, but they may be
played in perfect accord. So the Bible
account Of the creation Of the world
and the geological account are different
-one story written on parchment and
the other ON the rocks, and yet in per-
feet and eternal accord. The word
"day," " repeated in the first chapter of
Genesis, has thrown into paroxysms OF
criticism many exegetes. The Hebrew
word "yom" Of the Bible means some
times what we call day and some
times it means ages. 1t may mean "a
| hours or 100, 900, 600 years. The or
dor Of creation as written in the book
Of Genesis is the order Of creation dis
covered by geologists' crowbar. SO
many Uzzahs have been nervously rush.
ing about for fear the strong oxen Of
scientific discovery would upset the BIZ
bic that went somewhat apprehenslve-
" to look into the matter, when l
found that the Bible and geology agree
in saving that first were built the rocks,
then the plants greened the earth, then
marine creatures were created, from
minnow to whale, then the wings and
throats of aerial choirs were colored
and tuned, and the quadrupeds began
to bleat and below and neigh. What is
all this fuss that has been filling the
church and the world concerning
fight between Moses and Agassiz? There
is no fight at all. But is not the geolog-
ioal impression that the world was mil
lions Of years building antagonistic to
the theory of one weeks creation in
Genesis? No.
A great house is to be built A man
takes years to draw to the spot the foun-
dation stone and the heavy timbers. The
house is about done, but it is not nm
ished for comfortable residence. Sud-
denly the owner calls in upholsterers,
plumbers, gas filters, paper hangers. and
in one week it is ready for occupancy
Now, it requires no stretch of imagina-
ton 10 realize that God could have tax
EN- millions Of years for the bringing
of the rocks and the timbers OF this
world together, yet only one week more
70 make is inhabitable and to furnish 1t
for human residence. Remember also
that all IN and down the Bible the
language of the times was used-com-
mon parlance-and it was not always to
be taken literally. Just as we say every
day that the world is round when 1t Is
not round. 1t is Observation-Disclosures at
the poles and protuberant at the equa.
tor. Professor Smell, with his chain OF
trianRles, and Professor Varin, with the
shortened pendulum of his clock, found
il was not round, but we do not become
critical Of any one who says the world
is round. Let us deal as fairly with
Moses or Job as we do with each other.
Geology and Scripture.
But for years good people feared geol-
ogy. and without any imploration ON
their part apprehended that the rocks
and mountains would fall on them un-
til Hugh Miller, the elder Of st. John s
Presbyterian church in Edinburgh and
parishioner Of DIR. Guthrie. came forth
and told the world that there was no
contradiction between the mountains
and the church, and o. NJ. Mitchell. a
brilliant lecturer before he became brig
adler general. dying at Beaufort, 5. o.
during our civil war, took the platform
, and spread his map of the strata of rock
in the presence Of great audiences, and
Professor Alexander Winchell Of Mich.
igan university and Professor Taylor
Lewis of Union college showed that the