Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1903-11-07
SOME EVIDENCES.
OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERMON.
The Book We Call the Bible Has Been
Handed Down From Generation 10
Gieueratlon

zuon Sundsy morning on Is the oid BOOK
.rpps tod Thu % one Of the oldest
and strongest churches IA the land. IL
wss presided over tor thirty gears by Ut
George Dana Boardnan. " no Nas succeed
- about eight years ago by Or upper
Two years ago. az a cost OF nearly S&Do.Voo,
q ma pnihcent house of worship was erected \
aud $50 OOo endowment laid aside The
e0nsregatiOns are very large, especially IN \
the evening. The text Tor tins sermon was
fron First 1hcssalOnians ul3 We thank 4
Gsd without ceasizg because when We i
nsseived the word OF God ye received X /
not a. the word Of man, but as It - IN I
truth. the word OF God DR.. Upper /
said:
Ancient history has preserved the ira 4
sfition that when. thirty centuries ago. the /
clSy OF Troy was sacked by the Greeks. !
tAe sOnQucrors made the general proclaim
alton that each Of the inhabitants thereof
he permitted 20 save single article OF
property especially dear % MS own heart. /
10king advantage OF the 0hcf. Aeueas
selected his household gods and carried
them IN triumph and for JOY TO place
sf safety 81 pleased were the Greeks
by shis affected act OF pietv that they
extended TO him further Indulgence al
kowIng him 20 save one other thing, when.
seturnng IN haste. he bore of on ms
shoulders his AGED father whose wisdom
and affection constituted for him price
lcss inheritance.
Were the traditions tnus related 90 re
neat Itself IN history today and the PRIV
Sever in a supposed season OF calamity
and privation. 10 make a selection OF that
enc Possession most hignly priced by him,
both because OF IT'S intrinsic value and Its
immortal induence. the truest wisdom
would dictate peculiar and, 10 thousands,
an incxpii cable choice. Tins choice would
not be silver or gold, military tame or
owe honor, profound learning or match
lees eloQucnce; this choice would not be
even father or mother. husband OF wife,
son Or daughter. friend or lover, precious
might Dc eacn OF these, Il would not be
the one thing wiseiy chosen n the choice
were made both for time and eternity
What then would the one thing be-
Strange a II may seem % many. the
calm, firm. heaven guided. intelligent
choice of the earnest. thankful Christian
in that solemn. sacred hour, would be
certain b0ok-a book ancient and artess.
elevating and ennobiing, divine and dur
able.
A. utter this sentence you anticipate
abe designation 1 an about 20 make. You
Reed not be told that. This book l. no
work OF mere poetry. neither HAD nor
Odyssey. Mitons Odes nor SHAKESPEARE =
plays; no work OF mere history. neither
Lazy nor Tacitus. HAllam nor Hume; no
work OF mere philosophy, neither Bacon
nor Hamilton. Describes nor Locke: no
book of mere biography. neither Plutarch
nor Lamartine. Rcmusat nor Noltaire; no
book Of mere romance. neither George
Eliot nor Scott, Buiwer nor Ihackeray
no book OF mere ethics. neither Plato nor
Seneca. Pailv nor Balm, no book of Chris
tan morality and meditation, neither
Thomas a kemDis' Imitation Of Christ
nor Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress" Hook
sFs "Homihes' nor Paschals Thoughts
--1Erest and good are many II not AT
Of these immortal works some OF them
r4sing like Erand and majestic mountair
peaks, catching and presenting 10 th'
world the GLORIOUS splendors % the high
est human geuirs-Wc could see them an,
an else OF mans creation burn into ashe
hrrr r.n4 in ~as q A. HHHr faT rf.
We might save 10 our hearts and 1--we
here and hereafter that one single book
which has an origin and character an'
mission and destin, AS FAR above ever.
work Cf mans creation as the skies ar
above the ciouds-that book whose "au
thor IS God. whose subject Is maR, who's
object IS salvation. whose end eternity
that book 90 which Pollock. iu an oui
burst of poetic fervor and Christian ialtf
50 feelrgly writes.
This lamp from oil the everlasting thron
Mercy took down. and IN the might q
time
bow.
And iorevec r,ore besecehing men wit
tears
And earnest s'ghs. to hear. believe an
i've.
surely. brethren. this must be the boo
81 al books. which, while tul and re
with the sweetest strains of poetry. IN
most memorable deeds OF history. the mos
ln2xhaustlhle stores OF philosophy, q
most thrilling incidents OF biography. Oh
iofuest principles OF ethical and mor
TRACKING, counts no one Of these ats TEL
tsrres of chielest glory. hut rather tins
4 hat for centuries Il has gone up and dow
THIS world OF ours. relieving human col
rcienceS, illuminating human lntellccts. r
eming human spirits. Transforming
1ran lives. aud that. in SO beautiful ar
Gus degree. that the thinking wor
j. beginning 10 accept the statement
".sar. 81 af.|sIrl ia Kill
y 20 pluck up iv the roots all that
modest and trucst and clvlnest IN q
worlds civilization"
On IF there is one prayer that / OF
MO daiiv with more consistency and ferv
OF soul than another IN our axe OF the
logical ferment and unrest. II Is this. Go
Seep me "a an ambassador Of Christ al
the great brotherhood of Christian belle
ers, true now and always 10 the lnialhh
Word OF the a.sernal God. As in the pa.
eupernasural revelation mas had TO 60
tend against the sophisms of Hume al
lie transcendental philosophy OF &C
Eany. so TODAY, al about there a
those who battle against the idea OF Il
lng, personal. omnlpotent Jehovah, "
can aud does freely and fully cCmmul
cate with His children; and to-day the
is a cab long and loud for those who
eept the Bible ae the full and satisfacto
oracle from heaven. 60 stand up and %
against all these attacks. ana that. 4,
with convictions strong and unshakt
With You to-day / come 10 consider [
question, What are some OF the evidenC
that the Book we call the Bible has be
gwen by inspiration Of Cod / say son
for we have no time, even II we had {
ability. 20 enumerate them all That the
sacred writers themselves believe III
fheirs were the soracles OF God - wltho
question Hear David sing: The spi
Of the Lord spako by me and Ills We
WAS in my tongue and Isaiah. Hear.
heavens, and give ear. Oh earth. Tor