The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-07-04
BYlTS FRUIT
DR.. Talmage's Reasons For Be-
lief in the Bible,
THE GOOD ACCOMPLISHED
In the World by the SCRIPTURES
as an Evidences Of Divine
Origin. An Answer TO
Aonosticism.
Agnosticism.

In the great conflict now raging in
Europe as in this country between
Christianity and aguosticism DR.. Tai
mage has taken decided stand and in
this sermon declares his unwaveriDg
belief in the divine origin Of the Scrip
lures; text, Matthew vii, Is, 'Do men
gather grapes of thorns?'
Not in this country. Not IN any
country. Thorns stick, thorns Iacerate'
but all the thorns put together never
Welded one cluster Of Catswba or lsa-
bella grapes. Christ, who was the mas
ter of apt and potent Illustration, is
thus setting forth what you and | well
know, that you cannot get that which
is pleasant and healthful and good from
that which is bad. Ifyou find round,
large, beautiful cluster of grapes, you
know that it was produced bya good
grapevine and not from a tsngle Of
Canada thistle. Now, if l can show
you that this howly Bible yields good
fruit, healthful fruit, grand fruit,
you will come to the conclusion 1t is a
good Bible, and all the arguments of
the skeptic against it when he tries to
show it is bad book will go ooyerboare.
do men gather grapes Of thorns?
Can bad book yield good results?
Skeptics with great veheuence declare
that the Bible is a cruel book. They
read the story of the extermlnatlon OF
the Csnasnites and OF all the ancient
wars and of the history Of David and
Joshua, and they come to the concIu-
sion that the Bible is in favor oflacera-
ton and na2slaughter and massacre.
Now, bad book will produce bad re-
suit; cruel book will produce cruel
result.
You have friends who have been in
the habit Of reading the Bible great
many years. Have you noticed ten
dency to cruelty on their part? Have
you ever heard any of them come out
and practically say, 81 have been read,
ing the story about the determination Of
the Canaanities, and | am seized upon
with disposition to cut and slash and
maui and pinch and murder and knock
to pieces everything can lay my hands
on?" Have your friends in proportion
cethey become diligent Bible students
ano disciples Of the Christ of the Bible
shown .endency toward massacre and
murder ant uanslsughter? Has that
been your observation?
What has been the effect upon your
children of this cruel book? Or if 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 result Of read
ing this cruel book gone forth with a
cruel spirit to pull the wings of flies
and to pinion grssshoppers and to rob
birds aests? \ cruel beck ought to
make cruel people. If they diligently
read it and get absorbed with its princi-
pies that cause must produce that ef-
feet.
Again, infdels go on and most vehe-
mently charge that this Bible is an i'm
pure book produces impure results.
No amount Of money could hire you to
allow your child to read an unclean
book. Now, if this Bible be an i'm
pure book, where are the victims? Your
father read it-did it make him a bad
man? Your mother read ibid it
make her bad woman? Your sister
Is years in heaven died in the faith Of
this gospel-did !, despoil her nature?
Some say there are 200, ,000,0 copies
of the Bible in existence, some say
there are 4O0,000,000 copies of the Bi-
bic. 1t is impossible to get the accur-
ate statistics, but suppose there are
200, 1000, 900 copies Of the Bible abroad,
this one book read more than any 20
books that the world ever printed, this
book abroad for ages, for centuries
where are the victims? Show me l, 900.
Show 500 victims Of an impure book.
Show me 100 despoiled of the Bible.
Show me 80. Show ne 10 Show me
two. Show me one! Two hundred
million copies Of an impure book a i
not one victim of the impurity O.
it is where the Bible has the most
power that the family institution is
most respected.
You must remember also that the
authors Of the Bible came from differ
eat lands, from different ages and from
different centuries. They had no com
munication with each other; they did
not have an idea as TO what was the
chief design Of the Bible, and yet their
writings, got up from ali these differ
ent lands all these different ages and
all these different centuries, coming
together make perfect harmony in the
opinion Of the very best scholars of all
lands. Is not that most remarkable
fact?
Again, infdels vehemently charge
that the Bible is an unscienti6c book.
In former discourse I showed you
that there was no collision between
science and revelation, and l went from
point 10 point in the discussion, but
now let US have authority in this mat
ter. You and | cannot give 40 or 80 or
50 years exclusively to the study or
science that some men give. Let US
have authority in this matter.
Who says there is collision between
science and revelation? Well, Herbert
Spencer, Tyndall, Darwin. They say
there is oiscord between science and
but will bring you names
Of men who have found a perfect &C.
cord between science and revelation
men as much higher in intellectual
character above those whom | have
mentioned as the Alps and Mount
Washington and the Himalayas are
higher than the hill back Of your house.
KaD1ar Taihnif7 Rose Je,oo |