The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-09-23

How Learned Preacher wasted His
Sweetness on the Desert Air"


The great German critic, Leasing, once
said that fl was useless to complain of
the Bible for telling us things which are
beyond the reach of our natural facul-
ties. for what sort Of a revelation you'd
o. Dee. III o. revealed nothing? IL is rather
strange that this thought did not shake
Leasing himself out of his rationalism.
Here is note from "a sunday-school
teacher of large and long experience:
Teaching children, in general terms. TO
Doe good. To- behave well. 10 Doe respectful
and polite. is AN we'll, but it Is not the
great object On Sunday-school .ustruc-
ton. The Suuday-school is 20 school Of
manners. but only incidentally. II We
can succeed in bringing the children 10
Christ We may rest assured that their
manners and their general behavior will
De improved. The gospel is most pow
frful agent in producing in the Chris
uau just such manners as are appropriate
to his sphere. The Bible eXhorts princes,
and 20 oNhorts slaves The best work
YOU can do. in the way of teaching chill
dren 10 behave. viii Doe done when you
teach them the gospel This gospel was
meant for boys and girls. as well as for
men and women. There is no stage or
condition OF human life that is beyond
its sphere.
Yes the Sunday-school teacher will do
tie best work in every good sphere by
sticking closely to- his own sphere
Even highly intellectual ana cultivated
mon sometimes forget that God works
q rough what we call "thc laws of ma
tre" In that very thoughtful book
"The Reign OF Law the Duke of
Argyle has the following rich and pro-
found remarks:
IL is curious how tine language OF the
crand ssers Of the old Testament corrc-
spends with this idea chat Gods will
norks through the instrumentality of
mcausl. They uniformly ascrihe all the
operations of ndture-thc greatest and
tho smauest-to the working Of divine
power But they never revolt-as so
many do in these weaker days-from the
iOea OF this power working by wisdom
and knowledge in the use OF means nor
ir this point OF view do they ever sepa
rate between the work of creation and
the work which IS going ON daily IN the
existing world. Exactly the same lam
euage is applied TO the rlrest exertions
~ power. and TO the greatest and most
constant Of all natural operations. Thus
the saying that the Lord by wisdom
rath founded the earth by understand
ng hath DE established the heavens is
coupled in the same breath with this
other saying "by HIS knowledge the
depths are broken mp. and the clouds
drou down the dew.
And in the same connection the great
Scotch preacher and writer Guthrie, re-
fers 10 that beautiful and highly poetic
passage Of the prophet Amos: Seek him
that makcth tine seven stars and Orion
and turneth the shadow OF death into
morning and maketh the day dark with
night. that calleth FOR the waters Of the
sea. and poureth them ont upon the face
Of the earth, the Lord Is his name.
In an age I'm which so many men Of
science seem disposed 10 speak evil Of
dignities." and tO reason from nature
away from natures God, IL is worth
while TO examine our ground and see
whether the facts will bear out the as
sumption so frequently made by would
bee philosophers that the greatest lights
in the armament OF modern science are
nearly an giving their testimony against
the biblical account of the creation Even
i the assumption We're true, it would
prove very much less than is frequently
supposed The Bible Is religious BOOK
or rather a collection Of religious books.
10 was meant to be a moral and spiritual
guide 10 the scientific as well as 10 the
mlcarncd. and I confess thar the modern
attempts 10 attack. or TO defend revela-
don hy reading scientific theories INTO
the Bible. arc not edifying We hear and
read of what some speakers ANA writors
are pleased 20 call THE Mosaic cosmo-
gony." and yet there Is not the slightest
reason 90 believe that Moses ever dreamt
Of "cosmogony. I could as readily I'M
agine that he had thought OF the tele-
phone or the monograph. II you make
your Bible scientific" il will then and
therefore cease 10 De revelation 20 you.
Il is quite possible TO be TOO much afraid
OF Jonathan Edwards. II you insist that
the doctrine OF a limited atonement
Is q Calvinlstic fiction. can you logically
escape UniyeTsalism? Few reasonable