The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-23
Goods Word"

Goods Word"
(Selected for The Times Dlspatch)
'.Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and
a light unto my patl,"--Psalnls cXiN,,
1o5
We accent the Bible as the Word Q,
God and truth. We do not attempt toe
closely to define the nature OF tho In
spiratlon OF the Bible But VIC believe
that through It's words. the Spirit Of God
IS breathing. not as water runs through a
pipe, but rather MS the breeze streams
through tho forest.
In the Bible we have not only the
records of the worlds earliest oivilza-
ton. but the full story of man and God S
dealings with him. Ii, it we find every
possible phase Of human nature, and
every possible experience known 10 man-
kind. The records Of the world arc the
foundation Of its history.
What lis Bible record? It Is a fixed
thought, all attestcd fact, 4 fragment Of
truth packed for export. 1t comes from
some source where 1t might have been
largely wasted hut for the inspired hand,
which, underH God seized and transfixed
It.
Tile man M!io thinks little Of the past
Is q savage; the nation that breaks with
#it entirely is q. ruined nation. How
poor would life he, and how utterly dark
were that Bible lost in which VIC see the
Holy Spirit working among men.
Human records bring us In touch with
the impact of mind upon mind. Divine
records bring all heaven to bear upon
Influence our lives today. You are diff
ierent from what you would have been IL
Homer and Dante Shakespeare and
Goethe had never lived and especially Ii
Moses and Isaiah and ST.. Paul had never
declared thus saith the Lord If they
have not influenced you directly they
have touched other lives which in turn
have moved yours. For each OF US Is
like harper sending his tiny note to
blend with the vast orchestral music of
the present, which, however, takes its tone
from the deep organ roll Of the past
The Bible tells us how men faced long
ago the great facts OF life: Its griefs,
its temptations, It's disappontments. The
lessons 1t teaches are of priceless I'M
portance. Nor would we lose eight Of
what the Bible says in.regard to meeting
the joys and success Of life. No other
book touches it in this respect.
& But the three pre-eminent facts which
the Bible impresses upon the weary and
wounded in the battle Of life are these:
!. The Divine interest in our daily
affairs,
2. The Divine self-sacrifce which has
utcncd for our sins.
9. The Divine discipline which has Jus
titled our sorrows.
1t is not too much to say that these
truths have to those who accept Them
absolutely changed the whole aspect OF
the world.
TIE knowledge Of the fundamental laws
of nature. which tell us that fire burns.
ana water browns. and graVitation draws
us downward. is not more essential to
human life than these three spiritual
tuths--tilat God cares, that God has
shown 1t through His Son. that God
has wise purposes IN tcnlpering Us
these are as the great longitudinal beams
OF steel which undergrad in the ship
of life tie fabric from bow to ruddcr.
This conviction crops out in the most
unexpected and marvellous ways. 1T.
comes from the death bed OF many a
man who has led a terrible life for long
years, but who has never been able to
drown entirely the Bible voices. The
VIII be often restrained at the last, by
some Bible memory. The hardened SOL.
dicr places his mothers Bible next his
heart
In the great Indnn mutlny OF 1851 Il
band of helpless English women and
children were flying from the scpoys.
During their terrible danger their cour-
age was sustained and their souls mp
lifted by n torn leaf from a Bible, which
ono OF the company possessed. II was
only fragment Of one Of the grand
chapters OF Isaiah. but In II was pledged
the Divine Arm to those who in the
midst of pcrils put their trust IN the
Rock OF Ages.
The poor fugitlves read It again and
again 10 revive their fainlins courage
amid their crushing anxletles, and when
at last they were rescued they returned
humble and hearty thanks to their Maker
for that heavenly voice which had gllld-
ed ana supported them during tho dread
season Of trial.
In tho account given by II. NJ Stanley
of his marvellous journey across Africa
there occurs tho following striking pas
sage, which proves that under the hard