The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-20
THE YOUNG MANS BIBLE.
Topic of a Discourse at the Y. Nj. G. A.
Yesterday AffRrnnnn-

Yesterday Afternoon.
heV. frederick G.. Parish, pastor of the
South-street Baptist Church, addressed a
large audience Of young men in the Y. M.
Z. A. gymnasium hall yesterday afternoon,
talking of The Young Mans Bible" Pre-
ceding his address there was an excellent
sacred concert rendered by the orchestra,
mandolin players and the male quartet. The
management of the Y. M. C. A. regards it
as having been a happy idea to provide con-
certs each Sunday afternoon, judging from
the increased attendance. 1t is perhaDs
true that never in the history of the asso-
citation have the afternoon meetings been
better attended.
THE Bible, of course" said DIR. Parish.
is for every one, but I thought that per-
haps young men might like to know if it
was particularly adapted to their needs.
We hear much discussion of the Bible these
days, but we ere not studying it. l want to
point out why it ought to be studied. There
is a passage OF Scripture which says that
all Scripture is given by inspiration of
God through holy men inspired by Him.
God might have written His message to us
in the clouds, the little stream murmuring
and singing might have been chosen to
speak to us His words, He might have in
trusted the mighty waves of the majestic
sea or the little birds singing in the forest
with the message of glad tidings, but none
OF these was the agency He adopted. When
God wanted to impress upon our minds
what He wanted to say we are told that He
inspired holy men to write. In our own
rooms, sitting by our firesides, we can sit
down and read Gods letter to us instead
Of bq Virp IN on n1,f ooI Lo~1 1,r 800 - -.
brook, turn our eyes to the cloud or listen
to the birds for His message.
NO place in Gods book is there any word
INTENDED to prove His existence. This was
a surprise to me when l first heard it, but
is 1t not In itself proof of the books divine
origin? The Bible is not the only book God
wrote-ln every mans heart He placed a
consciousness of a higher being. We of a
christian country hardly realize the great
code OF morals that is laid down in the
word. 1t is when compared with the world
outside of Christendom that its excellence
appeals most strongly. 1t is a code based
on the aspirations of the heart and reason
laying me foundation for a righteous char
acter; such a code, making the heart Gods
temple, could not be a human code. If there
Is ever TO be a perfect state of society Ii
Will come of full obedience to the first com
neutrality-suspicious. shalt love the Lord, thy
God, with all thy heart, mind and strength,
and thy neighbor as myself If every man
loved God with all his heart. and his neigh
Dor as himself, there would not longer be
sorrow and crime, bolts and bars would fall
from prison doors and ~unhappiness would
be no more"
The speaker looked upon the harmony be-
tween the various parts Of the Bible as be-
ing another proof Of it's inspiration. The
same law guide the patriarch and prophets
and apostles. lie was the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, of Moses. Samuel and
David, as we'll as the God Of Jesus Christ
and those that came after Him. Mr.. Parish
quoted various parts of the Scripture. from
James back TO Samuel, from Ezekiel 10
Matthew and Paul the apostle. to show that
everywhere was taught the bIessedness of a
clean heart and right spirit-in the language
of st. Matthew's gospel, Blessed are the
pure in heart"
tba 49, - asissd IL ali srds -
in the fact that all Scripture is given by
Inspiration of Cod In your search after
knowledge, young men, no study will ap-
peal to your conscience nor stir your emo
lions like the Bible. AS you read It's sweet
stories. are charmed with its music and
awed by its wonderful wisdom, It will inn