The record-union., 1899-05-23

iilCiSiLdl Pdi POSG VI OOd ~ iiALi, Ga =
revealed in this book as nowhere else.
The great purpose of the Bible is to
make God known to man. 1t is not
the book but the author of the book
that we love and worship and obey. 1t
is not the manger of Bethlehem that
the wise men worshipped but the Christ
in the manger. 1t is not the book we
revere and worship but the Christ OF
| God revealed in this book
We should not be surprised that some
men have doubted the divine origin Of
| the Bible. The best proven truths Of
science have been doubted by very
wise men. Some men have doubted the
existence Of God Some men have
doubted their own personal existence.
Some philosophers affirm that we have
no right to assert and cannot prove the
existence of a world external to our
| selves. We should not, therefore, be
surprised that a few men here and
there have doubted the divine author
ship and authority of the Bible. A
doubt does not prove anything. 1t is
simply negation or the shadow of a
negation. The fact that few men
here and there are born blind is no evil
dence that the most of mankind cannot
| see. Over against the doubt Of the
few, put the fact that the men who
4 have read the Bible most carefully and
| obeyed it most faithfully are fully per-
suaded that it is>bf divine origin, that it
contains the truth and word of God.
NO man ever read the book thought
| fully, continuously and intelligently
and at the end doubted it's divine ORR
gin and holy purpose The best argu-
ment for the divinity of the Bible is the
Bible itself. I know it is inspired be-
| cause 1T is inspiring. s A book that
nourishes and strengthens the divinity
| in man, must itself be divine. The
author of this book and the author of
my being Is one and the same person.
AS Hallam said: This book fits into
every fold and crevice of the human
heart l am a man and 1 believe this
is Gods book, because it is mans
book" II know that the Bible is in
spired," said Coleridge, because it finds
me at greater depths Of my being than
any other book
All admit that man needs a divine
revelation. We can not arrive at GER
tainty in religion without sxch a rev.
elation. In all ages the need of rev.
| elation from God has been felt Men
| have groped in the dark after God if
haply they might find Him. THE
great want of the race" said one of the
wise men of Greece, sis a book in
spired of God" We need a divine rev.
elation.
| 1t is reasonable to believe that God
would give US such a revelation. He
has made provision in nature for our
physical wants. AS soon as a child
comes into the world there comes into
| the mothers bosom the needed and ap-
propriate food for the child's susten-
| ance. 1t is reasonable to believe that
| the same divine wisdom and love that
made provision for the physical needs,
would make provision for our spiritual
| needs. If God has met the lower long
ings of our nature. He will meet the
| higher. If He has provided for our
bodies, He will provide for our souls
Man cannot live by bread alone be-
cause he is not body alone. Having
! created US in His own image, it is rea-
sonable to believe that He would give
US some knowledge of Himself and Of
His purposes concerning US. A low
ing father will surely make himself
known to his children. 1t is unreason-
able to believe that He would place us
on this planet and refuse to have any,
! thing to do with US.
When John Franklin was lost in the
Arctic seas, England and America,
moved to pity by the tears and appeals
of his noble wife, sent ship after ship
in search of the lost hero. Is God less
pitiful than man? Will He allow His
children to drift hopelessly over the sea
of life when there are shoals of doubt
to strand him, whirlpools of passion to
engulf him, icebergs of grief to crush
him, without sending him relief?
Would loving father send his chill
dren out to sea without compass, chart
or pilot? God would be less than man
if He took no interest in the human
soul created in His own image
Man needs a revelation. 1t is reason
| able to believe that God would give him
a revelation. Further it is reasonable
to believe He would reveal Himself in a
book written by inspired men. Man
communicates knowledge to his fellow
men by writing in a book. Our Ii
| braries contain the thoughts that once
lived in the brain and heart of men
who have passed away. Homer speaks
to us in the "Illiad," Milton's voice is
heard again in Paradise Lost"
Shakespeare's mind touches our mind
| as we read his immortal dramas. If
man can teach and move his fellowman
| by transferring his thought to the writ
ten or printed page, cannot God do the
same? VIII you limit the Almighty and
make Him less than man? If one
human mind can communicate with an
| other human mind by means of the
written or printed page, cannot God do
as much? If by that invisible some
thing called electricity, 1 can, in few
seconds, communicate my thought to
some one across the sea and continent,
| cannot God by some invisible power
| communicate His truth and grace and
will to the soul of man? What right
has any man to affirm that there is
nothing in the spiritual world analogous
to electricity in the physical world
What we know of thought communica-
ton in these latter days, makes it rea-
sonable and easy to believe that God
could make known to Moses and Isaiah
and Paul and others, His law and truth
and grace. and that these men could
write on parchment roll the revelation
entrusted to them.
John says. II heard voice from
heaven saying unto me write,'' and
again, What thou seest write in
| hook" ''Write for theca wordc are