Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-03-21

study the book In that aspect this
morning. Would that the result might
he as effectual as was the eunuch's
study under Philips guidance!
The Chief Hero Of the Bible.
The Bible. Ia the first place has its
chief hero. II has central personal
ity toward which its opening pnges are
silently and swiftly moving This III.
vine personality Is Jesus Christ The
casual render may not at first glance
think that the story of creation has
any direct or indirect connection with
the Bethlehem manager. but You can-
not separate the first chapter OF John
with its opening sentence 'ln the be-
ginning was the word and the word
was with God. and the word was
God" from the first verse of Genesis.
Nor can you separate the idy Of Ruth
from the birth OF Jesus or perceive the
meaning Of Isaiah without connecting
II with the story Of the cruclhXion.
The Bible declares that when Philip
the evangelist climbed into the chariot
OF Queen Candace's secretary of the
treasury he opened his mouth aud be-
gan nj the same Scripture and ''preach-
ed unto him Jesus" Thus we lind
that. no matter how far one book OF
the Bible may antcdate another, they
all revolve about the personality Of
Jesus christ.
II you were 10 separate the books Of
the Bible from the personality Of Je-
sus they would he as meaningless as
one Of the novels Of Wilkle Collins
separated from It's central hero or hero
ire or. as We sometimes say, the play
OF Hamlet with the part of Hamlet
left out" AS Or. Saphir says: III the
Bible were like collection Of stones
we might select some and put aside
others as less valuable aud beautiful,
and. although In such selections we
might make great mistakes. we should
still lie In possession of something more
or less complete. but the Bible Is like
plant. and all its parts are not me-
chanically or accidentally connected.
but organically united. and hence law
OF life rules here He who revcres life
will neither add nor take away from
the beautiful plant which the Father
hath planted in and through Christ by
the Spirit Nobody asserts that a man
would be killed II you cut off his hair
and his nails. but there is vital union
OF all his members. II you cut OF my
little finger ! shall survive II, but II is
my little finger you cut of, aud II Is
loss. Disagreement So with the
Bible. 1t Is not like u piece OF cloth
you can clip and cut. II is a body AMI.
mated 10y one spirit" That Is true.
Thus as all the different parts Of the
physical body find their life action IN
the ihrobbing heart. all the different
parts OF the Bible find their potency
and their life giving force In the per
sonaIity of Jesus Christ lie Is the
great hero of this book He is the cen
ter. the circumference. the all in all OF
the Scriptures Whenever n man reads
any chapter Of the Bible without find
ing Jesus there lie has failed 10 lind
out the chief purpose for which that
chapter was written
The Origin Of Jesus.
Now. who Is this Bible hero Where
was he born? How was hc born?
Who were his ancestors These are
the questions which every author OF a
biography or Of novel which Is only
IA fictitious biography answers. There
the author Introduces YOU to his hero
or heroine lie finds the cradle of his
hero In the Indian wigwam of Pow
hatan. as does the blographer of POca-
hontas or he surrounds you with the
rivalries and plots of Queen Anne's
time. as does William Makepeace
Thackeray when he introduces to you
Henry Esmond or he tells you how
King james VI. of Scotland became
King james l. OF England because h.
was the direct descendant OF Margaret
Tudor sister OF Henry VIII. of Eng
land. All books of biography natural
~ give to us the genealogical history
OF their heroes or her0ines. They tell
how they were born aud what blood IS
flowing In their veins. So does the
blNit III itltltUNt ~ JESUS AAtHAs
His nativity had divine origin His
conception was miraculous He was
and IS omnipotent in power. All the
prophecies foretod it. All history
\. -. has proved IT,
Oh that you and might find a d.
vine aud an omnipotent Christ In every
part of that old Bible. May We do as
did John Randolph. the great Virginia
orator one day he was entertaining
family friend at dinner. and he said
to him: II was raised by ii plous moth
er-God bless her memory.-w taught
me the Christian religion IN all its re-
qulrements But. alas. | grew M an
intdei II not an infidel completely, yet
decided skeptic. But when be-
came man In this AS we'll rs IN polit-
zeal and other matters ! resolved 70
examine for myself and never pin my
faith TO any other mans sleeve. So
bought Bible. porcd over II and
examined II carefully sought and
procured books for and against IL, aud