The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-23
Topic Of a Strong Sermon by DR.
Cunningham Sunday at
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

AMI SoNflSSlNt lis
COURSE.
Euaday morning. Mt the First Presby-
terrain church, a large congregation
heard the sermon by Rev. DR.. Cum
bingham on 1.-THE Sure Word OF God"
1t was q very strong discourse. which.
was listened to with great interest by
tile minister's hearers. The text was
these words from Ezekiel, &c, 80: "Thus
Saith tho Lord God" Said DR., Cum
bingham:
This phrase. which Is 80 frequently
used In the Scriptures, means the whole
word OF God. The venerable philoso-
pher. Thomas Carlyle, once said: ."rhe
older l grow (and I now stand on the
brink Of eternity, the more comes back
to me the first question and answer in
the Shorter Catechism. which I'learned
when a child. and, the fuller and deeper
Its meaning becomes-rWhat Is the chief
end Of mann Mans chief end Is to
glorify God and enjoy Him forever"
No less important Is the second ques-
ton and answer, What rule has God
given to direct us, how we may glorify
and enjoy Him?" The word OF God
which Is contained In the Scriptures OF
the Old and New Testuments. Is the
Il only rule to direct us how we, may glor-
ify and enjoy Him." Men have under
staken to destroy the Bible, but the
. sUrhttuH cath tina r .1rl -Gatyp Na,,,nk ~
e destroyed. Men have been burned and
put to death for, printing the Bible, but
the Thus saith the Lord still lives.
Nearly five centuries and a half ago,
WycAre. who died 10 1884, had trans
lated the whole Bible out OF tho Vul-
gate. and earned the posthumous glory
OF giving his body to be burned. Just
one hundred years later Tyndall was
born, and made almost a fugitive on
the face OF the earth for bis repeated att
tempts to publish parts OF the Word Of,
God, while at Antwerp, In 1884, he Is
cues his New Testament. nails his name
to Its masthead, and, as usual, Is burn
ed at the stake. But still the Word of
God is not bound. Tyndale's friend,
Miles C%overdale. in 1885, publishes his
English translation OF the whole Bible,
whose version OF the Psalms Is in the
Episcopal Prayer Book unto this day;
his work denounced by the Inquisitlon
and condemned to the flames. Martin
Luther, after twelve years of toll, issues
his,great German Bible In 1882. The
5Geneyan Bible comes forth In 1860; and
our own King James version In 1911.
The long-smothered blaze OF revelation
was bursting out everywhere, and the
light OF Gods Sovereign Word was so
glorious as to make persecution .'pale
It's Intellectual fires" as Jerome OF
Prague dies u%ndaunted at the stake,
and Hurss, of Bohemia, goes out OF the
world as In Elijah's chariot. praying
the Psalms OF David and singing with a
loud voice. Thus We see that the THUS
II saith the Lord God,". the Scriptures of
the Old and New Testaments, could
net be banished from the face OF the
earth
Whatever may be the. conflicting opin-
ions and theories Of men. we may rest
assured that the Word of God is estab-
lisied and settled. Peter, in his second
epistle. says, THE grass whereWIth,
and the flower thereof fnlleth away,
but the Word of. God endureth forever.
And this is the word which by the Cos
pei Is preached unto you" Luke says,
.Itis easier for heaven and earth to pass
than one title OF the law to fail" Luke
Is: II.
I wish therefore, for the establish
ment OF our souls In the truths to pre-
sent some observations concerning the
sure Word OF God.
S1.aThe Bible Is an inspired record, Is
ansinfallible, and It Is the final author
ity for faith and lie. Its inspiration In
wolves its lnfallibility. Interpreted, as
all8words must be, by its real spirit,
It gives us truth without error. Light
and life come from the ministry OF the
word. Its hallowed sayings are our
stay, when all other support fail, and
our rock amid the pillows: the songs
Of our pilgrimage: the pledge Of our
Z final rest. Such Implicit confidence may
be ~stigmatized as Bibllolatry, but
where else can we go to find the words
Of eternal life. Blbliolatry clings to the
letter. spirituality In the letter finds the
spirit, and dares not dIsown the letter
which, guided to the spirit.
For the enduring wants Of the soul,
for the problems OF sin, salvation and
eternity, we find here an unwavering
authority, and can rest In faith and JOY
upon the last assurance OF the highest
testimony. Thus saith the Lord" And
" as It is an infallible. 80 Is It a final
authority. No man mat add to or take
from the words Of the Book. Here Is
the judge that ends the strife"
Again, it has attained It's present SUI
premacy in the world Of literature by a
conflict that Is without parallel In the
history of written and printed volumes.
1t Is the only book on earth which Is
printed in hundreds OF languages and
dialects. 1t Is the only book on Garth
for which languages are invented, that
1t may be read where written. and
printed where previously unknown. It.
ds the only book on earth which has
been printed By hundreds Of millions,
and Is now being multiplied b. thou
sands every day. and by millions every
year. It Is the only book on earth for
the translation OF which holy men have
been hunted like wild beasts, until they
were captured and burned alive. It Is
the only book on earth for the reading
n OF which thousands Of believers have
suffered the spelling OF their goods.
Punishment from their homes. impris.
onment In filthy dungeons. and then
death amid the flames. 81
But the Bible has trlunphed over
every principally and power. Nowhere
Is Its triumph greater than in the Eng
lish speaking world. It Is the Bible that
gives us what is purest best, and
strongest IN the language, which Is the
only conuuering language In either the
old world or the new. i"Thn grass With
ercth. tho flower fadeth away, but the
81 Word OF our God shall. stand forever"
q The Bible Is certainly the boidest OF
books, as 1t Is the Oldest and one OF the
mOqt teYtnneivn still rnaH In rhrtotIo1