The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-29
JONAH AND THE WHALE.
Rev. A. j. Smith Defends the Mooted
Bible Story

Rev Arthur J. Smith, pastor of the
First Presbyterian church. preached last
night on "The Story Of Jonah; Is It Cred
ible?" His text was from Jonah, lit:
Now the Lord had prepared a great fish
to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in
the belly Of the fish three days and three
nights"
The question has been asked of me by
many" said Mr.. Smith, DO you believe
the story of Jonah?' This question is ask
ed both by cavilling unbelevers and by
earnest seekers after the truth. To the
latter class my answer Is, i do believe the
story to be an historical fact.
THE first TO attack this story" said Mr..
Smith, were Lucian, CELSIUS Porphyry,
Julian the Apostate and many avowed I'M
believers from their day up to our own.
They say It is improbable, impossible and
absurd, declaring it to be a fiction, an al
legory or a satire.
Their greatest objection to it is that
it is contrary to the laws of nature
would caution such not to boast too much
of their knowledge of the laws of nature.
Man knows but very little Of the
laws of nature. He is discov-
oring new things each day he lives.
II man had said fifty years ago that he
had stood in New York and spoken to a
man in Chicago he would have been put
down as out of his mind. And yet the
thing Is done every day. If a man had
said fifty years ago that he could sit in
his Office in one city and address a CONVEX
satton in another ninety miles away he,
too, would have been considered unsafe
TO be allowed to be out without an attend
ant, and yet a friend of mine did it the 9TH
er day through the photograph. l heard of
a u n at her fy,r
eral short time ago in the same way.
The laws of nature are the laws of God
God permits man to know them as 1t
p.eases Him. 1t may please Him 60 let
man known, some day, how Jonah was
preserved in the body of the great fish,
for three nights and three days. 1t was a
special act of God. A miracle as far as
man is concerned.
1T was a great fish that swallowed
Jonah and not a whale. Jonah says, The
Lord prepared a great fish to swallow up
Jonah. The reference in the New Testa-
ment contains the word whale, which Is
translated from a Greek word meaning
huge fish, or sea monster" Fish have
been caught in the Mediterranean sea in
which have been found the whole bodies
of men and even horses. There are the
jaw bones Of a fish in the British museum
into which man could drive a horse and
carriage.
DO you believe In miracles2 Do you
believe in the miracle of creation? Then
why not believe in the miracle of JONAH
God prepared this fish for the special pur-
pose of swallowing Jonah.
There are six reasons why / believe
the story of Jonah to be a historical fact.
The first is that Jonah believed, and he
was the one most concerned. Second, the
Ninevites believed it. Another name for
their fish God, Dagon, was Aannes, which
is supposed TO mean Jonah. Recent dis
coveries have disclosed the fact that the
citizens Of Ninevah knew and believed in
the story of Jonah. Thirdly, the Jews
believed 1t. Tobit and Josephus both tell
us about Jonah's experiences as told in
the book that bears his name. The fourth
reason is that the early church fathers
believed II. St. Cyril defended the story,
and his words in defense are on record.
ST. Augustine also defended 1t against the
attacks of the unbelievers of his day.
My fifth reason Is that many of the most
eminent scholars of the church to-day-be
leve il. Delitzsch, Hess, Philip Schaff
President Townsend of Boston university
President Harper Of Chicago university
and a list of others. whose names are
known the country over.
The last reason and the strongest rea-
son why l believe 1t is because Jesus be-
lieved IL. He associated it with the great
est event in the worlds history, His resur-
rection."
Mr.. Moody has asid IF you reject the
story of Jonah, you reject the resurrection
Of Jesus Christ"