The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-06-23
SERMONS FROM SUNDAY PULPITS.

the truth as contained in the written WorG.
The word OF God 'quIckens the soul:
gives light: is quick and powerful. ana
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even tc the dividing asunder OF soul and
spirit. ana is a ciscerner Of the thoughts
and intents of the heart. Paul says. me
:" ord OF God e1ectually works IN you that
believe. James declares The engraf:ed
Word Is able TO save your souls Peter af-
iirmed. by the exceeding great and precious
promises of the Word, we are made par
takers of the divine nature And Christ
pTays 10 his Father that he would sane
TRY his followers by the truth and then
adds, The Word is truth This vital and
vttaliZins power Of the written Word II
attested in our day by the Christian eN-
To have clear, intelligent knowledge. :hen,
of what the Bible is and how to use it
properly is the first OF duties.
What is the Bible? IL is a divine-human
book. The written Word of God is a divine
human hook, just as Jesus Christ. the living
word OF God. IS "A divine-human person.
man element in the Scriptures any more
than the humanity OF Christ. From one
point of view the Bible is like any other
literary production. and must be Interpreted
according to the laws of human thought
and language. From the other It is differ
ent from all other books and must be used
with peculiar care and reverence. To treat
it only as literature IS to abuse it. 1t has
n truly human soul and body, but the ami
mating spirit Is the eternal truth of God.
Looking at the Bible as a human book
and reviewing its history as a book, it is
not strange that difficulties are found in 1t.
which intidels eNasSerate and assafl.
appearing by means of Christian scholar
ship. and the Bible never had as firm a hold
upon the best minds as il has to-day. TIL
writings of infcldS are varied and VOlumi-
nous. The destructive school of higher crit
icism has increased dOub; in certain cir
c!es. This doubt has been fostered by GER
tain characteristics Of our times, such as
love of independent thinking, a free press
catering 10 all ciassls. an unrestricted lee
w yTTs p ria4;nr 81, ana "a a R LAX pulpit nsra Bmt; f not,
It's fer baptism of hostile criticism. not
less truly human. but more and more the
power of God unto salvation.
The proper Christian attitude toward
the Bible ia not TO claim more for It than it
claims for itself. TIE Bible was not given
to teach natural science. or even history. as
such II 5 a gradual; progressive revela-
ton of God 10 man ard of the relations be-
tween God ana men for the religious needs
of man. Its claim IS purely religious. Its
supremei purpose is To impart the life of
God TO the soul Of man: that is. to make
man religious. And whatever is human in
OF the case IL had to be there. God
revealed himself and his will to man in the
only way possible. through human eyes and
ears, intellect and hearts, tongues and pens.
This book is TO be to US the touchstone of
truth, the authority in religion
Then. how should We use this book?
First OF all. make II our own by diiiSent
and meditation. 1t IS not an easy
book. Plain places In il for our help, but
hard places for our exercise. Its best treas
uTes lie deep down in the heart Of il. like gold
in the soil. Jealous miners we are to be,
going into the depths and bringing up the
pure, unalloyed gold of truth.
Coming TO the written word. and realiZ-
ing the relation of the personal Christ TO
the whole of Scripture. We shall be saved
from two errors in interpret ng the Bible;
q gross liberalism on the one hand, and a
use of symbolism on the other.
We shall instantly reject any Interpretation
makes us think less of the Bible;
but refuse TO reject some profounder and ,
Irore spiritual truth simply on the ground
that it has never been received before. We !
shall not be like the AthenianS CT Paurs !
always seeking for something new; |
lor like the Pharisees. ready TO kill the
OF the word of Cod; but like the
who. with open minds and a
for all fresh truth. searched the |
daily to see whether these things |
are so or not" |