The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-20
MOST READ OF ALL ROCKS.
Rev. DR.. Fair on the Cosmopolitan
Character of the Bible.

The cosmopolitan character Of the Bible
was discussed by Rev. Dr. James Y. Fair
at the morning service a the Independent
Presbyterian Church yesterday. The text,
His truth endureth through all genera
TONS is from the psalms.
a collection was taken for the Savan-
nan Bible Society, which was the reason
Dr. Fair talked along that dine A liberal
contribution was made by the congrega-
ton TO aid the con1meudable work this in
etituton is doing. The service was made
the most interesting by exceptionally good
music by the choir.
Dr. Fair said that of all books In the
world the Bible is the most universally
read. It is found in the Libraries of the
great and In the homes of the poor. The
little child finds in it delight and the phil
osopher finds unfathomable wisdom. The
soldier takes It in his knapsack. The sail
or carries it to sea with him.
OF the most popular of the latest publ
cations no book is so widely read as this
Old book which was completed centuries
before the fall of the Roman Empire. The
secret of this is found In three causes;
first, its perfect naturalness. I'VE know
roundings The highest literature is merely
re-echo of the voices around it, a refec
ton of the scenes amid which it
is born. Palestine was not only
the ce inter- of the habitable,
world, but it was miniature of the world
itself. In It's landscape and in its climate
il represented every region Mountains
and valleys, sea and desert, luxuriance of
the tropics and desolation of the Arctic.
Hence the Bible produced in this COS
Eopolitan land had a cosmopolitan charac-
ter The dweller amid wintry scenes reads
1t to-day and it seems applicable to him,
while 10 the dweller an the tropics. It's
imagery is equally appropriate and intel
ligibe.
Another reason Of this cosmopolitan
character Is the intensely human element
running through il. Ii is not simply the
oreucal and d'dactic, but also experimental
and Biographical 1t is principally the
record Of men and women, who, in this
strange, bard world, found strength and
help fulfilled their life work and lived to
great purpose. And that is what the hui
man heart Graves to-day. The ancient
Hebrews in their ethnic traits, may have
differed widely from us. They had diff
ferent political and social problems to
solve. But the great questions of life,
light and destiny were the same to them
as to US. This is powerful secret of that
the affections of mankind.
But the chief cause of its wonderful
power is the divine element running
through it. The Bible not only re-echoes
the voice of nature and of man, but it re-
echoes also the voice of God Nature
God man, any book resting on this trim
ity of powers and re-echoing truly the
voice of each. must be permanent and be
universally read.
In conclusion, the inference was drawn
by DR.. Fair from the wonderful struc-
ture OF the Bible that it must be the work
of one mind and that mnd-divine.
IT. he said, you see a monument
whose stones We're wrought out by differ
ent workmen, each ignorant of the plan
of the other yet their various works when
brought together, fitting into perfect unity
it Is not an accident, but the result of in
telllgent design. SO the Bible is not a
book alone, but a library of many books
written by different authors in different
ages working independently of each 9th
er, yet their works when put together, 1e-
suit in this marvellous unity, majesty and
symmetry. This Is the work of a divine
hand"