The record-union., 1899-05-23
THE BIBLES INSPIRATION.
TREATED FROM A CONSERvA-
TIVE STANDPOINT.
First Of Rev. J. B. SiIcox's Series Of
Sermons on the Word
of God.

gregational Church, on Sunday evening
delivered the first of his series of SER
mons on the Bible. His subject was,
The Inspiration Of the Bible" TAX
ing for his text Hebrews- l., 1-2)-
God, who at sundry times and in
divers manners, spake in time past
unto the fathers by the Prophets, hath
in these last days spoken unto us by
His Son." ne said:
In the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth That is rea-
sonable statement The study of this
universe, by the most scholarly men,
has led them to the belief that the
world did not originate itself. Back of
all things as the source of all things is
God. This universe of rock and sea and
star, is a revelation of God. I'm the
beginning God created" The man takes
a reasonable position, who says in the
words of the creed-'I believe in God
the Father Almighty, maker of heaven
and earth.''
A belief in God naturally and rea-
sonably leads to a belief that God can
and will reveal Himself to man. There
AcAS IiiS lCAt, IOQ WIZ at Sd1ANiy
times and in divers manners spake in
time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days
spoken unto US by His Son." God
created the heaven and the earth God
made man in His own image God
spake to man. 1t is reasonable to be-
lieve that God having created man in
His own image would reveal himself
tn in, act
unto the fathers by the prophets, and
that he speaks in later days by His Son,
are eninently reasonable statements.
The contents of the Bible are such that
we may reasonably affirm that if
God has ever revealed Himself to
man we have the record
of that revelation in the Bible. If our
Bible does not contain the record Of the
revelation that God has made to man,
then the world has no revelation and
man is ignorant of his Maker Our
faith is that God revealed Himself to
man by the prophets-by holy men who
spake as the spirit gave them utterance
and that later He more fully revealed
Himself in the life and character and
sayings Of Jesus. The study of the
Bible emboldens US to say, that moth
ing can be more sure than that God has
spoken to man and that our Bible is
the record of what He has spoken or
revealed. The facts of the Bible lead
us to the faith that it is not of man but
of God. The Bible is not such a book
as man could have made If he would.
or would have made if he could The
Bible has a character of it's own It
is differentiated from all other books
There is something in it which is mex
plicable from the naturalistic stand
point. Scholarship cannot explain it.
nor can scholarship Danish it. 1t re-
mains there and is more and more seen
to be the very soul of the great Hebrew
literature. If you ask what then is
this quality in the Bible which marks
1t off from all other books in the world,
from the highest masterpieces of human
genius, whether of ancient or modern
days, we answer, it is inspiration. 1
believe the Bible is a revelation of God,
the highest and fullest revelation known
TO man, and I believe it is an inspired
revelation. l believe it contains truths
of God that the mere light of nature
would never have revealed. 1 believe
that God in some way we cannot tell,
made Himself, His truth, His grace,
His will known to holy men of old. |
believe that Jesus is a revealer of God
to man. His words reveal the character
of God. His life reveals God He is
such revelation of God that He could
say, He that hath seen Me hath seen
the Father My text is a most reason
able statement-God who spake in time
past to the fathers by the prophets, in
later times speaks by His Son.
The nature and method of divine
revelation is an intensely interesting
study. We will never this side of
heaven fully understand how God has
revealed Himself to different men in
different ages. No one yet has ever
been able to give a full definition of
inspiration, We speak of revelation
and inspiration. The term revelation
as commonly used means the COM
munication Of religious truths which the
unaided reason would never have dis
covered. BY Inspiration we mean that
process by which the spirit of God so
llumined the spirit of man, that man
apprehended truths of God and COM
municated them to other minds. BY
inspiration we believe a special illumi-
nation by the spirit of God came to the
mind and heart OF selected and pre-
pared human agents, granting them
clearer dlScernment or spiritual truths,
and so influencing them that they were
able to make known to others the truths
divinely revealed to them. Inspiration
is the influence of the spirit of God on
the spirit of man. TT is given to all
men," says Professor Le' Conte, "as
conscience: in greater measure to all
great and good men as clearer percep-
tion of Righteousness; in pre-eminent
measure to Hebrew prophets and
Christian apostles; but supremely and
perfectly to Jesus alone"
The fact that a few men at different
ages of the world were inspired to re-
ceive and transmit the divine revela-
ton is in harmony with life around
US. The knowledge we have of nature
has come to us mainly through a few
men of superior mental power. If a
man asks you why is Moses or David.
or Isaiah or Paul more inspired than
l am, meet him by asking him, why is
Homer or Plato or Bacon or Shakes
peare more intellectual than he is?
Why is Handel or Mozart more musical
than he Is? Why are Raphael and
Corot and Millet more artistic than he