The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-16


worked wonders for me."-MRs. S.
BARNHART, New CASTLE, Pa.
ent. BY competent we mean sound of
mind, of good moral character, and
be disposed to testify. Were the au-
thors of the New Testament COM
petent witnesses? Indeed they were.
When one reads the clear pure logic
and sentences, one feels that they were
sound of mind and their characters
were proved by the untold sufferings
they endured for the Lord, forsaking
all else. To Matthew in particular
feel grateful, for he, more than any one
of the apostles gave us the words Of
Jesus, in their entirety. Then we turn
to st. Luke, the physician, and then
to st. Paul, the learned man who
possessed that great power of making
men feel that he was telling the truth
and was honest.
THE second rule Is that a witness in
order to be believed must give a per-
sonal testimony, and person can only
be believed when he knows or saw the
thing in question. We have such eX-
amples of personal testimony in pro-
fame history. Caesars commentaries,
authentic accounts of the great wars
of his time, were written in the heat
of action and save for the over
Whelming Conceit that pervades them,
are splendid testimony. The best BIZ
ography ever written of any man,
Boswell's Lifa of Samuel Johnson,
wtS a grand instance of personal
testimony. Boswell accompanied john
son everywhere, made notes of his
every act and as a result we have the
great biography.
Nothing was too small or insgnifi-
cant for Boswell to jOt down. 1t Is
said that on one occasion on Boswell s
making remark, gruff old johnson
looked up and remarked snappily,
Boswell, you're an ass and an idiot"
yes, SIR" the scribe answered dutl-
fully, and taking out his pad jotted il
down.
Thus, the apostles, almost every act
and word of the Lord has been trans
mitted to us by these faithful ones.
They did not accompany 1t with any
long drawn out eulOgies, but gave us
the simple facts.
THE third rule is that the witness
must have no motives to make his
story good. A wife, sister or daughter
is incompetent in a measure TO testify
against her husband, brother or faith
er. The authors of the New Testament
had no motives to make their story
good. They made no money they
gained nothing. The New Testament
was written by these great authors
a
ly to live and die with Christ, and
who sealed their testimony with theil
hearts blood.
THE fourth rule is that the Wit
ness must give the particulars.
used to wonder in reading the Bible
why it was necessary to explain every
thing so much in full, and give all tn,
veriest details. The man who gives
the particulars gives a true picture
and is a good witness.
"These are the four rules and in al
of them are the authors of the New
Testament good witnesses, and fol-
one believe the Bible as l believe my
life."
In telling Of the wonderful power Of
the Bible, Rev. Phelps narrated an in.
cident which had come under his owr
observation. Near him there lived 6
man who was a notorious infidel and
| scoffer. His daughter lived with him
| in the midst Of the atmosphere OF
| sacrilege and unbeief. The girl wa!
sickly, and one day the news sprea;
that she was dying. Rev. Phelps at,
tended her, and she told him that a
| the last moment she had offered III
prayer to the Almighty and that sh,
| had then experienced a beautiful feel
| ing Of rest and calm.
"She died, believing in the Lord
happy and content" said the speaker
Rev. Phelps brought his sermon to
close by an eloquent plea for a NOR,
general study of the Bible, and NOR,
universal appreciation of its contents