The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-08-02
Of DIVINE ORIGIN.
Dr.. Talmage's Reasons for His Be-
lief in the Scriptures.
The Good Accomplished In the World
rs nm Evidence-An Answer to
AgnOsticism-Pr0p
FULFILLED.


Fulhlled.
copyright, 190o by Louis Klopsch.l
Washington,
In the great conflict now raging in
Europe as in this country between
Christianity and agnosticism DR.. Tai
mage has taken decided stand, and in
this sermon declares his unwavering
belief in the divine origin of the Scrip
lures; text, Matthew, 7:16, do men
gather grapes of thorns?"
Not in this country. Not in any
country. Thorns stick, thorns lacer-
ate, but all the thorns put together
never yielded one cluster of Catawba
or Isabella grapes. Christ, who was
the master of apt and potent illustra-
tion, 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. IT
you find a round, large, beautiful clus-
ter of grapes, you know that it was
produced by good grapevine and not
from tangle of Canada thistle. Now,
if can show you that this holy Bible
yields good fruit, healthful fruit, splen-
did fruit, you will come to the conclu-
sion that it is good Bible, and all the
arguments of the skeptic against it
when he tries to show it is bad book
will go overheard.
"Do men gather grapes of thorns"
Can a bad book yield good results?
Skeptics with great vehemence 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 the conclu-
sion that the Bible is in favor of lacera-
ton and manslaughter and massacre.
Now, a bad book will produce bad
result, 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: I have been read
ing the story about the determination
of the Canaanites, 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 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-
ter? 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 reading
this cruel book gone forth with cruel
spirit to pull the wings of flies and to
pinion grasshoppers and to rob birds
nests? A cruel book ought to make
cruel people. If they diligently read ii
and get absorbed with it's principles
that cause must produce that effect. Al
what time did you notice that the
teachings of this holy Bible created
cruelty in the heart and the life o1
George Peabody, of Miss Dix, of Flor
ence Nightingale, of John Howard, ot
John Frederick Oberlin, of Abbot Lau
renee? Have you noticed in reading
the biography of these people that il
proportion as they became friends Of
the Bible they became enemies to hu
manity? Have you not, on tn.
contrary, noticed that all the institu
tions of mercy established or being es
tablished were chiefly supported by tn,
friends of this book? There is the hos
) pital in war time. There are 20 Chris
tian women. They are binding W
wounds; they are offering cordials
they are kneeling down by the dyinl
praying for their departed spirits
; Where does the cruelty crop out? The,
have been reading the Bible all thei
lives. They read it every morning
: they read it every night; they carry i
under their arm when they 60 int
the hospital.
Where does the cruelty Of the bool
crop out? Is it in the gentleness o
: their step? Is it in the cadence Q
their voice? Is it in the sympatheti
prayer they offer at the bedside of tn
: dying? Your common sense tells yo
that cruel book must produce crue
results. When you can make ros
leaf stab like bayonet, and whe
: you can manufacture icicles out of tn
/: south wind, and when you can poiso
!; your tongue with honey got fro1
blossoming buckwheat, then you ca
get cruelty out of the Bible. Ths
charge of the skeptics falls fat in th
= presence of every honest man.
. Again, infidels go on ard most "
8 aemently charge that this Bible is a
t impure book. You all know that a
u impure book produces impure result
. No amount of money could hire yc
;- to allow your child to read an III
q clean book. Now, If this Bible be q
impure book, where are the victim.
Your father read it-did it make hi
10 bad man? Your mother read it
- l:d - roo1>a hap q had vvnman2 Yn1