The record-union., 1899-06-05


fore you match your puny strength
against this Gibraltar of divine truth.
In all discussions concerning the
Bible it is we'll to keep in mind few
facts Facts are Gods arguments.
However brilliant may be the infideIs
argument against Gods book, one fact
like stone from David's sling will
puncture the beautiful bubble and bring
it dragging to the dust.
Among the significant facts of the
Bible l put the fact that the Bible is
here. 1t exists. It's existence is proof
that it came from somewhere or from
some one. 1t is either purely human
production or else it is given by in
spiration of God. To decide these two
positions we must study the book
itself.
For the moment never mind where it
came from, but look at the book itself.
Consider its marvelously bold state
ments on the highest themes that can
engage the thought of man. This book
does not discuss trif1es. 1t grapples
with the mightiest problems of human
thought and destiny. The very first
sentence is characteristic of it's SUBJ
Unity and grandeur.
In the beginning God created the
heaven and the EARTH What a sub
lime declaration. The book opens big.
The first sentence is the fountain head
of all its after revealments. The germ
of the whole book is in it, God, Gre
alton, time, eternity, space, force, mino.
matter, cause, design, intelligence, will,
destiny, are all wrapped up in that ma
Jestic first sentence. That one verse is
ms a n
that the book is of divine origin. If
men had written the Bible the first
thing they would have done would be
to construct an argument to prove the
existence of God. The Bible majestic
ally affirms His existence and goes on
at once to reveal it's great truths Sci
ence has made great advance since Mo-
ses wrote, but science has never given
more reasonable account in so con-
densed space of the origin of things
than is given in the first chapter of
Genesis. Evolution itself is compelling
man more and more to believe in Gre
alton by an intelligent personal Being
rather than by mere blind force. THE
introduction of life on the globe" says
Dana, demanded divine intervention"
science accepts the statement, In the
beginning God created"
How do you account for the fact that
Moses writing away back in the morn
ing of the worlds history, before the
rocks had been read as they are to-
day, did not make a mistake in giving
All outline of the history of creationp
Did he evolve it out of his own mind
Or did God reveal it to him? 1 believe
the latter. 1t is more believabIe.
he
Bible treats these sublime truths. 1t
does not argue, it affirms. 1t does not
investigate, it declares It does not sug-
gest opinions; it records truths. 1t is
bold and positive in it's divine affirma-
tlohs. 1t speaks in the imperative
mood. There is nothing apologize in it.
On the contrary it is defiantly dogmatic.
1t never asks permission; it commands
Ihus by the audacity and holiness of
Its utterances, it challenges the inves-
tigat1on Of the deepest thinkers.
Ihls suggests another fact that inIi-
Gates the supremacy Of the Bible. This
book has arrested the attention of the
mghtiest intellects. The great scholars
or the world, the great poets. philos-
| others, scientists, statesmen have sat
reverently and long pondering the con-
tents OF this old book that we call the
Bible. Small books do not occupy the
attention of great minds. But this book
mas attracted to itself the finest INTEL
| iects of the world. No other book has
evoked such enthusiastic study as has
the Bible. An ordinary book would not
awaken such an extraordinary atten-
ton. Is 1t not a fact that the men and
| women who have studied the Bible the
most thoroughly are the very ones that
/ love 1t most? The language of the 10Th
/ Psalm expresses the affection that
millions of Bible readers all over the
| world have for it. That long psalm is
| all about the bible, and is an acrost:c
| on the Hebrew alphabet The object of
| the writer in using the acrostic evil
gently was to show that it would re-
quire the entire alphabet or all litera-
! ture to show forth the beauties and
| dressings of the revealed word of God
The psalm is full of such expressions as
the following: 20, how love Thy law.
1t IS my meditation all the day. II
nave re)olced in the way of Thy tes-
timones as much as in all riches" "The
law OF Thy mouth is better unto me
than thousands of gold and silver" II
love Thy commandments above gold.
yea, above pure gold'' Il rejoice at
/ ny word as one that findeth great
spoil How sweet are Thy words I'M
to my taste, yea, sweeter than honey
| 10 my mouth" Thy word is very
pure, therefore Thy servant loveth it -
i my word is lamp unto my feet and
| light unto my path" He feels the
need of divine guidance and offers the
prayer. Teach me, o Lord, the way Of
Thy statutes and 1 shall keep it unto
the end" Il am a stranger in the
earth, hold not Thy commandments
| from me-"
Thus one might go on quoting passage
after passage from this one chanter
every passage gem, every verse a
diamond, every sentence a pearl. gone
diamonds, pearls all clustered together
in rich profusion to figure forth the
love and admiration that the devout
reader has for this, the revealed word
/ of God. This is, the universal testi-
mony or those who read and obey this
book. If men will taste" thew will
see that this book like it's blessed
author is good
1t is interesting and instructive. too.
/ 70 hsten to the testimony that really
great men have given concerning the
Bible Literature abounds in glowing
tributes to it's supreme merit.
This book like the sheaf in Joseph 6,
Dream stands erect, and by its intrinsic
worth commands the homage of earth's
imperial intellects. The men of clear
est brain and purest life are foremost
in testifying to the supreme place the
Bible holds in literature They recog-