The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-11-06
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
A DISCOURSE ENTITLED rs TIE CID
BOOK FROM COC7"
Some Of the Evidehces That the roof We
cali the Bible Has Been Givcr to :
by the Inspiration or God-it IS Pecu-
liarly Mans BOOK.


by the Inspiration OF God-it - Peeu-
liarly Mans BOOK.
PHILADELPHIA. - The Re-. Dr. Kerr
RoyCe runper. pastor of the First Baptist
Church Of this city. preached a strong ser
mon SUNDAY morning on is the Old Book
rom God 80 This : one OF The oldest
and strongest churches IN the land. AZ
was presided over FOR thirty years by DR..
George Dana Boardmen. who was succeed
ed about eight wears ago by Or. Tupper.
Two years ago. az a cost Of nearly SiO0 900.
a magnificent house of worship was erected
and $50 900 endowment laid aside. The
congregations are very large. especially IN
the evening. The text for this sermon was
from First Thessalonians n-l3: I'VE thank
God without ceasing because when We
received the word Of God We received II
truth. the word of God DR.. Tupper
said:
Ancient history has preserved the ira.
dition that when, thirty centuries ago the
city of Troy was sacked by the Greeks.
the conQuerors made the general proclaim.
alton that each OF the inhabitants thereof
be permitted 10 save single article OF
property especially dear 20 his own heart.
Taking advantage OF the offer, Acueas
selected his household gods and carried
them in triumph and for JOY 70 a place
of safety So pleased were the Greeks
by this unaffected act OF petv that they
extended 10 him further indulgence. al
lowing him TO save one other thing, when,
returning in haste, he bore off on his
and gfect'on constituted for him pnce-
less inheritance.
Were the traditions thus related 10 re-
peat itself in history to-day and the priv
ilege granted every genuine Christian be-
lever, In supposed season of calamity
y n q l..s
one possession most highly prl-ed by HIM.
both because of its intrinsic value and Its
immortal influence, the truest wisdom
would dictate a peculiar and, TO thousands.
an inexpiicable choice. This choice would
not be silver or gold. military fame or
civic honor, profound learning or match
less eonuence: this choice would not he
even father or mother. husband or wife.
son or daughter, friend or lover; precious
as might he each OF these IL would not be
the one thing wisely chosen If the choice
were made both for time and eternity.
What then would the one thing be?
Strange as il may seem TO many. the
choice OF the earnest. thankful Christian
in that solemn, sacred hour. would be a
certain book-a book ancient and artless
elevating and ennobling, divine and dur.
able.
As utter this sentence You nntieinate
the designation ] am about 10 make. You
need not be told that. This book is no
work of mere noetrv, neither HAD nor
Odyssey. Milton's Odes nor Snarespeare's :
plays; no work of mere history. neither
Livv nor Tacitus. Hallam nor Hume; no
work of mere philosophy, neither Bacon
nor Hamilton. Descartes nor Locke; no
book of mere biography. neither Plutarch
nor Lamartine, Remusat nor NoItaire; no
book of mere romance, neither George
n,,l.. IL.
no book Of mere ethics. neither Plato nor
Seneca, Pailv nor Rain; no book Of Chris
tian morality and meditation. neither
Thomas a Kemnis' limitation Of Christ"
nor Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress" Hook.
er's "Homlies" nor PaschaPs Thoughts
great and good as are many If not all
Of these. immortal works some of them.
rising like grand and majestic mountain
peaks, catching and presenting to the
world the glorious splendors OF the high
est human gcnius-we could see them and
all else OF mans creation burn into ashes
or buried in the sea. II at their expense
we might save TO our hearts and lives
here and hereafter that one single book.
which has an ORIGIN and character and
n mission and destiny as far above every
work of mans creation as the skies are
above the clouds-that book whose "au.
thor Is God. whose subject is man. whose
object is salvation. whose end eternity
burst of poetic fervor and Christian fai.h,
so feelingly writes;
This lamp from off the everlasting throne
Mercy took down, and IN the night of
Stood casting on the dark and gracious
bow
And forevc, more beseeching men with
tears
And earnest sighs, TO hear, believe and
live.
Surely, brethren. this must be the book
of all books which, while full and rich
with the sweetest strains of poetry, the
most memorable deeds OF history, the most
IN sxhaustible stores OF philosophy, the
most thrilling incidents of biography, the
lJftiest principles OF ethical and moral
teaching, courts no one OF these its fea-
lures of chlefest glory, but rather tins:
4 hat for centuries il has gone uu and down
this world OF ours, relieving human con
sciences. illuminating human intelects. re-
deeming human spirits, Transforming hu-
man lives, and tnat, IN so beautiful and
glorious a degree, that the thinking world
ls beginning 70 accept the statement Of
Schleimermacher, "To abolish the Bible
is TO pluck uD V the roots all that IL
noblest and trucst and diyinest IN the
worlds civilization"
Oh II there ~ one prayer that ] offer
M daily with more constancy and fervor
Of soul than another in our age OF theO-
logical ferment and unrest, II Is this: God.
keep me as an ambassador OF CHRIST and
the great brotherhood OF Christian beiiey-
ers true now and always 10 the lnfslhble
Word Of the Hternal God As in the past,
supernatural revelation has had TO con
tend against the sophisms Of Hume and
lie tranEcendental philosophy OF Ger
rnanv, 50 to-day, all about us there are
those who battle against the idea OF llv-
ing, personal. omnipotent Jehovah, wbo
can and does freely and fully communi
cate with His children; and to-day there
j. n oall long and loud for those who ar
cept the Bible as the full and satisfactory
oracle from heaven. TO stand up and out
against all these attacks, and that, too,
with convictions strong and unshaken.
And well may we do so when even the
French skeptic. Rousseau, gives such tes-
timony as this The majesty OF the
Scriptures astonishes me, the holiness Of
the eyangeists speaks 20 my heart. the
whole Bible mas such strong and striking
characters of truth. and -, moreover. 80
perfectly illimitable. that II II had been
the invention Of genius, the invention
would have been greater than the greatest
heroes
With you to-day come 70 consider the
question. What are some OF the evidences
that the Book We call the Bible has been
gwen by inspiration Of God, j say some,
for We have no time. even II We had the
ability, % enumerate them all. That these
sacred writers themselves believe that
theirs were the orscles of God ~ without
question. Hear David sing: The spirit
OF the Lord spake by me and HIS word
was IN my tongue" and Isaiah. Hear, oh
heavens. and give ear, oh earth, for the
Lora has spoken, the mouth Of the Lord
hath spoken and Ezekiel. "TEe Word