Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-03-28
DIVINE SERVICES SUNDAY
DR.. Stricken, of Second Presby,
terrain Church.
Bishop Randolph breaches at ~.
E.ukcs' T.. r. Church sunday Morn
ing, ana Christ Church ut Night.
Confirming n Cinss Mt Ench.

mond, preached at the Second Prcsby-
terrain Church. this city, Sunday morn
ing and evening. In the morning he
spoke on the Interpretation of the
Holy Scriptures" taking for his text
the first part of the 10th Verse, of the
Sd Chapter OF ii. Timothy. rs follows:
IAN Scripture is given by inspiration of
God"
His argument set on; with the state
ment tina; the Old Testament Script
urcs were held to be and were accept
ed as true by the Jewish race in all
ages. Notwithstanding the fact that
those Scriptures were largely composed
of the record of the failures. the sins.
the suffcrngs. the humiliations. the
captivity and slavcly of their whole
people, they accepted that record a.
true as having been handed down b.
Abraham Moses and David. though it
revealed not only the greatness and
glory, but equally tho apos;acy of their
race. That record would never have
been accepted by them. dishonorng as
il is to these fathers ana founders of
their nation if 1t had not come to them
with such marks and proofs OF authen-
ticity as made 1t impossible for them
to reject that book. The Scriptures as
found in that book had an origin. 1t
claims to have come from God. who so
inspired men that with all their falla-
bility they were moved by the Holy
Spirit of God. The claim 20 be n reve-
lation they make known what they
claim to be the will and law of God for
tho government of man: they start out
with the declaration tina: in the begin
ming God created all things; they set
nd frt tho nt mi !, .ir,rr
power 10 create and to Great all things
of nothing, but as a Being infinite in
perfection, holiness, goodness, justice
and truth. and one requiring and pro-
noting the same attributes in His crea-
lures. avowing the purpose of their
good as well as His own glory. All ma
tons hold to the belief in n Supreme
Being, and have some ceremonial of
service and worship NJ Him. but almost
universally their idea is of n man mag
niiied, or enlarged. His passions and bad
qualities being expanded as we'll as the
better traits of their conception, and
generally they attribute to their God
Inc worst traits Of mans nature. and
their worship is offered to appcasc their
cruelty or vengeance. None have ever
invented the idea OF n God Of mercy,
truth or love. That idea could only
originate in n source far above human
conception. All of the laws, the prin-
ciplcs of justice and noblcr duties and
relations of life of the Jews emenated
from their religion. which is one with
their history. Their history bears testl-
mony that their God gave them their
law among the thundcrs. llGhtnings
and earthquake of Sinia; wrought
among them and in their presence mir
acles by plaques, by pillar Of cloud by
day. and of fire by night: by opening
The Red Sea and by feeding them OH
md ha,
in the wilderness and by all these es-
tablishins the truth beyond question
that He was their God and that their
scriptures were given by inspiration Of
God.
Now let us examine into the Script
ures of the New Testament. The first
witness must be Christ Himself. His
coming and character was foreShadow-
cd in hundreds of parts of the Old Tes-
lament. and notably predicted and
minutely portrayed in sixiy-siX cases
That all bear testimony to Him. What
does he say of the Old Testament? He
quotes extensively from them and said
that though the Heaven and earth pass
away, not one jOt or title of the word
could pass away till all was fulfilled
He said | came not to destroy, but to
fulfill the law. Thus. while the old
Scriptures predict Him. he comes and
exactly meets all its requirement and
approves and teaches its prccepts and
cmbodietS its teachings. Directors say
that Christ is n myth-an invention
Now. no inventions Is greater than the
inventor: no author can invent n char
acter greater than his genius can i'm
aginc; no sculptor can carve n statue
which is beyond his own conception; no
painter has ever thrown upon canvass
u picture Of such beauty or glory as to
be beyond the limits of his own COM
prehension: so, to have invented Christ
would have nccessltated powers equal
Hing or even being superior to the one
invented. Christ's testimony regarding
Himself was that He il the Son Of God
Now a man may profess 10 be that
which he is not. but when examined the
truth can be demonstrated. A man
may claim 10 be n Greek scholar: this
may be denied but when examined in
Greek and he shows thorough knowl-
edge OF the language no amount of as
sertion or testimony offered to the con-
trary could shake his claim that he was
Greek scholar. Forty-four different
persons wrote the two TestamentS
Nearly all of these were taken from
the humber walks OF life. few only
scholarly mon; they were found in diff
fercnt sections and raised under differ
ent influences. and yet they all sub
stantiaily agree; although they wrote
of Christ in all the different relations
and periods Of His life-as Child, as
son. as Youth. rs Man. as Friend. and
rs Teacher. Many OF them lived nearer
with Him; he taught them, they
handled Him. they heard Ills words
and saw His works; they wrote ana
testified of Him in the country and up
on the very spot where they state He
lived. taught, worked. was crucihed.
was buried. arose from the dead. as,
cendcd into Heaven and then poured
out His Spirit upon thousands Of those
who themselves knew whether these