Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-07-03
MAKEMIE LEAGUE.
Monthly Meeting at the First
Presbyterian Church.
Large Audience - Splendid Musical Pro-
gram by 90 Voices. Under Direction
of Professor whidditt- Eloquent Lee
turc by Professor Currcu.

ne regular meeting of the Mackenzie
League. formed from members of all
the Presbyterian churches OF the city.
was held in the First Presbyterian
church last night. The music was
furnished by band of fifty voices, un-
der the training of Prof. Whidditt. and
most instructive and entertaining
lecture was given by Prof. w. S. Cur
rel Ph. D., of Washington and Lee
University. Prof. Currell's subject was
Model Bible Readers
The speaker said, in part: rGod has
written two books-The Book of Ma
ture and the Bible. The Book of Ma
ture is divided into two volumes-out-
er nature, which we see: a beautiful
panorama which God spreads out be-
fore us. The poet Blake said when he
looked at Nature he saw an
Lord Cod of Hosts. Paul taught
the same lesson when he said
| The invisible things of God are
clearly seen. being understood by the
Things that are nude But, in a sense,
Nature conceals God, While the Bible
reveals Him. The second volume of
| nature is Man. II we cannot infalli-
bly, look through Nature to God,
neither can we infallibly look through
man to God, but we can see something
of God. Plato said; Bear in mind
that thou art not mortal, but the body
Is mortal thus reasoning to the i'm
mortality of the soul. But while Blake.
in Nature. or Plato, in Man, may see
God 1T might not be so with us; so God
gave the Revelation. Had man never
fallen there would have been no need
OF u Bible. We do not need letter
from u friend who is near. The other
book of God to man is the Bible. 1t
| SfCtc Of fN,.., -
and the New Testaments. The one en-
phaSizes Law and the other Love. AS
the parent rules the little one by law,
but by love as the child grows older.
What grand book this Bible is. Sup
pose we just eliminate God, what
| grand literature is there? Where do
You find poetry TO equal the Psalms or
Ezekiel? Where do you find story to
equal the story of Joseph and Ruth?
| Where is history equal to Bible his
tory? Where drama equal to Job?
Where code of law and
DecaloGue? Where philosophy and
logic equal to Romans and He
brews? Where truth condensed
into such rich nuggets as in Proverbs +?
| recent writer OF Il worldly paper
said: 1t is impossible to overestimate
| the power OF the Bible-it,is so rich in
| literature This is saying much for
side by side with Dante. Shakespeare.
| Milton, men will say it is finer even
| in literature than these. But the Bible
is more than literature. 1t is the Rev
citation of God. and for this reason it
! holds the attention of. influences and
elevates the world. There are many
| reasons Tor this great influence coming
from the Bible. % 1t Is the only COM
| plete book. t2) 1t Is the only mex
| haustiblc book. passage OF Shakes
| peare may he exhausted. but what
Matthew Arnold calls The great texts
| of the Bible cannot There is always
| some new light, new lesson even in the
| most familiar passages. Why is this
1t is because 1t is written by an inf
mite hand. and therefore not to be eX-
| hausted by the finite. Thus IT is di-
vine. CD 1t is the only universal book.
Grant that all Norfolk people might
appreciate Shakespeare; go into the
| heart of Africa and they would not.
| Give them the Bible and they get from
it nuggets of truth that will influence
their lives. sink into their hearts and
save their souls. This is the REVEAL
ton of God: that's what makes it
| stand the test OF time and influence all
peupte.- view of this. isn't it sad to
| find so much ignorance concerning It?
| Doesn't it look as though we ought to
read the Bible better and treat the
| Bible better than we do? If l make n
mistake about Tennyson 1t doesn't
make so much difference; but the Bible
has to do with eternal things and our
| immortal souls. See how God would
have us read the Bible from Acts IL:
| These were more noble than those in
| Thesalonica. in that they received the
word with all readiness of mind, and
searched the Scriptures daily whether
these things were SO. Therefore, many
| OF them believed "a They searched
with readiness of mind. They were in
tent. Mrs. Browning says the way to
read n book is to 'Gloriously forget
ourselves and plunge headiong into it's
truths Don't wait till the fag end of
the day and the tired hours of the
night. Can't do good work if you are
asleep; can't study Bible we'll If asleep.