The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1900-06-29
OF DIVINE ORIGIN.
DR.. Talmage's Reasons for His Be-
lief in the Scriptures.
The Good Accomplished In the world
as an Evidence-An Answer !"
Agnosticism-Proph
FULFILLED.
rcoDvr,eht. 1900. by Louis Klopsch.l

In the great conflict now raging I'D
Furope as in this country between
Christianity and agnosticism Dr. i az
mage has taken a decided stand, ana IN
mis- sermon declares his unwavering
belief in the divine origin Of the scrip
lures; text, Matthew, 5:l6, DO men
gather grapes of thorns?'
Not in this country. Not IN any
country. Thorns stick, thorns LAGER
ate. but all the thorns put together
never Welded one cluster of Catawoa
or Isabella grapes. Christ, who was
the master Of apt and potent illusira-
ton. is thus setting forth what you
and well know. that you cannot gel
that which is pleasant and healthiul
and good from that which is bad i.
You find a round, large. beautiful clus'
ter of grapes, you know that II was
produced by good grapevine and not
from a tangle OF Canada thistle. Now
If / can show You that this holy Bible
Yields good fruit. healthful fruit splen-
lid fruit, YOU will come 60 the conclu-
sion that il is a good Bible, and all the
arguments of the skeptic against ~
when he tries to show il is bad book
will 90 overheard.
DO men gather grapes Of thorns?
Can a bad book yield good results
Skeptics with great yehemenee declare
that the Bible is a cruel book. They
read the story Of the determination Of
the Canaanites and Of all the ancient
wars and of the history Of David and
Joshua. and they come TO - conelu-
sion that the Bible is in favor OF lacera-
lion and manslaughter and massacre.
Now, a bad book will produce a bad
result. a cruel book will produce a cruel
'esult.
You have friends who have beer IN
The habit Of reading the Bible a great
many years. Have you noticed ten
3ency 10 cruelty on their part? Hsye
you ever heard any of them come out
and practically say: 4 have been read
ing the story about the determination
Of the Canaanites. and am seized upon
with disposition 10 cut and slash and
maui and pinch and murder and knock
70 pieces everything / can lay my
hands on?" Have your friends in pro-
portion as they become diligent Bible
students and disciples Of the Christ Of
The Bible shown a tendency toward
massacre and murder and manslaugh-
.er? Has that been your observation?
What has been the effect upon your
children Of this cruel book? Or IL YOU
do not allow the book TO be read in
your household, what has been the ef-
feet upon the children of other house
holds where the word Of God Is hon
ored? Have they as a result of reading
this cruel book gone forth with a cruel
spirit 10 pull the wings Of flies and 20
pinion grasshoppers and TO rob birds
nests? A cruel book ought 70 make
cruel people. II they diligently read il
and get absorbed with its principles
that cause must produce that effect. At
what time did you notice that the
teachings Of this holy Bible created
cruelty in the heart and the lie -
George Peabody. OF Miss Dix. Of Flor
ence Nightingale. Of John Howard. Of
John Frederick Oberlin. of Abbot Lau-
renee? Have you noticed in reading
he biography of these people that in
proportion as they became friends Of
the Bible they became enemies to hu-
manity? Have you not. on the
contrary, noticed that all the institu-
lions Of mercy established or being es-
tablished were chiefly supported by the
friends Of this book? There is the hos
pital in war time. There are 20 Chris
tian women. They are binding up
wounds; they are offering sordials;
they are kneeling down by he dying
praying for their departed spirits.
Where does the cruelty crop out? They
have been reading the Bible all their
lives. They read IL every morning;
they read it every night; they carry il
under their arm when they go into
the hospital.
Where does the cruelty Of the book
crop out? Is It in the gentleness of
their step? Is IL in the cadence Of
their voice? Is IL in the sympathetic
prayer they offer at the bedside of the
dying? Your common sense tells you
that a cruel book must produce cruel
results. When you can make a rose
leaf stab ike a bayonet, and when
you can manufacture icicles out Of the
south wind. and when YOU can poison
your tongue with honey got from
poisoning buckwheat. then you can
get cruelty out of the Bible. That
charge Of the skeptics falls fat in the
presence OF every honest man.
Again, infidels go on and most We.
hemeEtly charge that this Bible is an
impure book. You all know that an
impure book produces impure results
No amount Of money cohld hire you
10 allow your child TO read an un.
clean book. Now, II this Bible be an
impure book, where are the victims
Your father read ibid Il make him
bad man? Your mother read it,
did it make her a bad woman? Your
sister IS years in Heaven died i'm the
faith of this gospel--did II despoil her
natureY Some say there are 100000.
600 copies of the Bible i'm existence
some say there are 400, 100000 copies
of the Bible. IL is impossible to get
the accurate statistics, but suppose
there are 2OO,OOO,COO copies Of the
Bible abroad, this one book read more
than any 20 books that the world ever
print this book abroad for ages. for
centuries-where are the victims ?
Show me 1000. Show me 900 victims
Of an impure book. Show me 100 de-
spoiled of the Bible. Show me so.
Show me ten. Show me two. Show