The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-03-19
lny Paul Nortonl

AS an earnest believer in Christ ant
Christianity and holding most ten
aoiously to the full inspiration OF th
Bible, have been not a little interest
ed In the controversy current in th'
columns OF the Chieftain Whoeye
John Marcus and El. Nathan may be
rejoice 70 see the manly way II
winch they stand up for all that Chris
tians hold dear. also am glad tha
the opponents OF the faith" are cour
ageous enough 20 express their senti
ments as they do. for in this way, set
ting truth against error tho reader may
see the mighty contrast and difference
between the system of unbelief and
the principles of Christianity
There has been so much said, and
so many bitter insinuations uttered
against sonie Of the characters OF the
Scriptures, MS for instance Moses and
David, that thought would state a
few facts that would throw a different
light upon the subject than that offer.
ed by the champions of intidelity.
II my reader will take up the Bible
and read the nth chapter Of Second
Samuel, he will find the story of one
of the saddest downfalls of a man God
recorded anywhere In human history,
while. at the same time we have the
record Of one of the most contemplate
and outrageous wrongs that any man
ever committed against a faithful
friend
am not one of those who, in think
Ing to defend the Bible, would for a
moment offer defense of Dayid's ac-
tion. on In any way minimize the
heinous offense. II was awful and
devilsh in its character, and NO
WHERE DOES THE BIBLE DEFEND
IT. ON THE CONTRARY, GOD RE
BuKED IT IN THE STERNEST
TERMS.
Further, no one can read the sequel
to David's crime without seeing clear.
ly that whatsoever man soweth
that shall he also reap that God
surely punishes sim and that in David 5
case there was no exception made;
that the most appalling calamities
came upon him in his later days,
Unlike the defenders of Voltaire.
Paine, and others. whose abilities are
usually magnified. and whose vices
they deny, the Bible always paints a
faithful portraiture of the characters
therein given, no matter how exalted
their position, or how great their abil-
tiles. or how manifold their virtues,
every one of their defections from the
ways of righteousness, is laid bare by
the unerring and unsparing penman.
In this respect the Bible is utterly IN
like any other book, and this is one
of the many marks OF its genuiueness,
and a proof OF its divine origin
1t is true the Bible asserts that David
was man after Gods own heart,
and up to the time he committed this
horrible crime the title was a worthy
one, allowing for all the weaknesses
in human nature. The expression does
not convey the idea by any means
that David was an absolutely faultless
man. navid's character was set over
IN contradistinetion TO Saul. Who was
constantly disposed to 80 his own way,
David sought In al things to know the
viii Of God and do II exactly Yet it
was still possible for him, as il is pos.
sihle for men today. whose Wills are
noe wholly surrendered 70 God, to step
out OF their position OF absolute SUR
render To God, and in a moment of
weakness and folly to commit an act
hideous in the sight of God and man.
And such episodes in the career OF
men who were accounted brilliant tai.
ented, and good in their day and gen
GRAFTON, have transpired almost times
without number Such breaks" in
human lives are known to all Of us,
and not only has II happened to young
men in the heyday of their virility,
but TO men who had passed the mer
idian Of their lives; men who had ex-
eellent wives, and who had reared
large families. suddenly have fallen
beneath the power Of the Tempter and
their baser passions. and their light
has gone out in darkness" and the
pail OF disgrace has rested upon their
posterity, Il is fearful thing to sin
against God. and that is one reason
why every one Of us need TO heed the
Seriptural admonition; Let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest
he fall
II is well 10 repeat that the sins Of |
Bible characters are not concealed
from the public eye. In all these is