Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-07-11


that the greater the improbabilty the
more we like to believe it, when he goes
on to say that the Bible is made up of a
lot of manuscripts, one picked up here
other place, and that the whole thing is
an imposition on the credulity of the hu
man race, must reply to that charge.
The Bible is made up of the Old Testa-
ment and the New Testament. Let US
take the New Testament first Why do |
believe it? Why do l take it to my hearty
1t is because it can be traced bac'- to the
divine heart just as easily as that aisle can
be traced to that door and that aisle to
that door.
Jerome and Eusebius in the first century
and Origen in the second century and
other writers in the third and fourth cen
t: les gave list of the New Testament
writers Just exactly corresponding with
our list, showing that the same New Tes-
lament which we have they had in the
fourth century. and the third century and
the second century and the first century
But where did they get the New Testa-
nent! They got 1t from Irenaeus. Where
did Irenaeus get itg He got it from Poly
it from st. John. who was the personal as
sociate OF the Lord Jesus Christ. NV
grandfather gave book to my father, my
gave 1t to me. | give it to NV chlId. Is
there any difficulty in tracing this lineZ
On communion day | will start the cha
lice at that end of the aisle. and the cha
lice will pass along to the other end of the
aisle. Will it be difficult to trace the line
Of that holy chalce: No difficulty at all:
This one will say. Il pave it to that one
and this one will say, 81 gave it to that
one" But it will not be so long a line as
this to trace the New Testament. 1t is
easier to get It the fact. But you say:
although this was handed right down in
that way, who knows but they were lying
mposters! How can you take their testl-
mony? They died for the truth of that
book. Men never die for lie cheerfully
and triumphantly. They were not lying
truth of that New Testament
We'll" says some one, now | am ready
to believe that the New Testament is
from the heart of Christ but how about
that:" l believe the Old Testament be-
cause the prophecies foretold events hun
dreds and thousands of years ahead
events which afterward took place. How
far can you see ahead? Two thousand
years! Can you see ahead hundred years!
Can you see ahead five minutes! No, no.
Human prophecy amounts to nothing.
Here these old prophets stood thousands
of years back, and they foretold events
which came accurately true far on in the
future centuries. Suppose | should stand
here and say to you, "Twenty-fv hundred
and sixty Years from now, three miles and
half from the city of Moscow there Will
be an advent, and it will be in a certain
family, and it will be amid certain sur
Iroundings." 1t would make no impression
upon you, because you know | cannot fore
see thousand years one year or on,
minute, and l cannot tell what is going tc
transpire in land far away. But that is
what these old prophets did.
You must remem ber that Tyre ard
Babylon and Nineveh were in full pornp
and splendor when these prophecies, these
old prophecies, said they would be de-
lstroyed. Those cities had architecture that
hOnSeS n rItI
fectly insignificant. Yet these old pro-
phets walked right through those magnifi-
cent streets and said, This has all got to
come down; this is all going to be leveled."
Besides that, you must remember that
this book has been under fire fer centu-
ries, and after all the bombardment OF the
skeptics Vt all the centuries they have not
knocked out of this Bible a piece as large
as the small end of a sharp needle oh.
how the old book sticks together
| UnsanctIfied geologlsts try to pull away
the book OF Genesis. They say they do not
believe it. 1t cannot be there was light
story about Adam and Eve, and they pull
at the book of Genesis, and they have been
pulling great while, yet where is the
book OF Genesis? Standing just where it
stood all the time. There is not man on
earth who has ever 5ed it from his Bi.
BILE.
And SO the infidels have been trying to
pull away the miracles, pulling away at the
blasted fig tree, at the turning OF the
water into wine, at the raising OF Lazarus
from the dead. Can you show me Bible
from which one OF these miracles has been
eraseLy
How marvelousy the old book sticks to-
gether! All the striking at these chapters
only driving them IN deeper until they are
clinched on the other side with the ham
mers OF eternity.
And the book is going to keep right on
until the fires of the last day are kndled.
Some of them will begin on one side and
some on the other side of the old book.
| They will not find bundle OF loose manu-
scripts easily consumed by the fire.
| When the fires of last day are kin
died, some will .urn this side, from
Genesis toward Revelation, and others Will
burn on this side, from Revelation toward
I Genesis, and III all their way they will not
find single chapter single verse out
OF place. That will be the first time we
can afford to do without the Bible:
| What will be the use of tn. book of Cen
esis, descriptive OF how the world was
made, when the world is destroyed! What
will be the use of the prophecies when they
are all fuilledy What will be the use of
the evangelistic or Pauline description OF
Jesus Christ when we Him face to face!
But do not think we will give up the
Bible even at that time. l think we will
want the Bible in heaven. | really think
the fires of the last day will not consume
the last copy, for when you and | get our
dead children out of the dust we want to
| show them Just the passages, lust the
promises, which comfofted us mere in the
dark day of interment, and we will want
| to talk over with Christians who have had
trials and struggles, and we Will want TO
show them the promises that especially re-
freshed us. | think we shall have the Bi-
BILE i'll heaven.
Oh, L want to hear David with his own
voice read, The Lord is my shepherd
l want to hear Paul with his own voice
read, Thanks be unto God that giveth us
the victory" | want to hear the archangel
play Paufs march of the resurrection
with the same trumpet with which he
awoke the deadi o blessed book, gooL
enough for earth, good enough for heaven
Dear old book-book bespattered with
the blood of martyrs who died for its de-
fense, book sprinked all over with the
tears of those who by it were comfortedl
Put it in the hands of your children on
their birthday; put it on the table in the
sitting room when you begin TO keep
house; put it under your head when you
die. Dear old book! | press it to my
heart; L press it to my lips.
Where shall | go?' said dying Hindoo
to the Brahmitic priest to whom he had
given money to pray for his salvation.
Brahmitic priest said, You will first of all
go into holy quadruped." But" said
the dying Hindoo, where shall | go them"
Then you shall go into a singing bird"
But, said the dying Hindoo,, where
then shall l go!" Then" said the Brah-
mitic, you will go into a beautiful flow
err" The dying Hindoo threw up his arms
n an agony of solicitation as he said, But
where shall l go last of all?" Thank God
this Bible tells the Hindoo, tells you, tells
me. not where L shall go to-day, not where
| shall go tomorrow, not where l shall go
next year. but where l shall 60 last of ALI