The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-05-28

Of Scripture, but do you think
Of any king in Scripture as anything
else than 4 mere man. There was
the great King David, Of q line bless
ed because the line from which should
spring oar Lord and Savior, 4 man
marked in the history Of mankind as
the chosen instrument OF God 70 DO
justice and eXalt righteousness in the
people.
But what does this Bible do for
avid? Does it utter eulogies upon
him? Does il conceal his faults ana
magnify his virtues? Does il set
him up as a great Statesmen Noula
be set up in Il modern biography
No, tie 300 in which his annals are
written strips the mask from David,
strips every shred OF counterfeit n
concealment from him and shows
him as indeed, an Of God,
but q sinful and selhsh man, and
the verdict Of the Bible is that David.
like other men, was one day to
stand naked before the Judgment seat
Of God and be judged not as i king,
but as a man. Isn't this the book
OF the people? Is there any man
in this Holy Scripture who is exempt
ed from the Olnmon andar and
! Judgment? How these pages TEEN
with the masses Of mankind, Are
these the annals of the great These
are the annals of the peopie-of the
common run of men.
The New Testament is the history
of the life and the testimony of
common men who rallied to the fell
loWship OF Jesus Christ and who by
their faith and preaching renlade a
world that was under the thrall of
the Roman army This is the his
tory of the triumph Of the human
spirit. in the persons of humbl men.
A ~ I~r- -
across the pages, how infinite is the
variety Of human circumstance and
of human dealings and Of human
heroisnl and love, Is this a picture OF
extraordinary things? This is a pic
ture Of the common life Of mankind
1t Is a mirror held up for mems hearts
and it is in this mirror that we mar.
vel to see ourselves portrayed.
How like to the Scripture is al
great literature. What is it tina
entrances US when we read or wit
ness a play Of Shakespeare? 1t is thu
l consciousness hat this man, this all
5 observing mind, saw men Of ever,
l cast and kind as they were in theil
habits as they lived. And as passag'
: succeeds passage we seem to see tn
characters of ourselves and on
t friends portrayed by this ancien
] writer, and a play Of Shakespeare i
S just as modern today as upon the da,
II was penHcu ana 1lrSl enacted. AN
f the Bible is without age or date 0
e time. It is a picture Of the human
heart displayed for all ages n 70
all sorts and conditions of nler
: Moreover. the Bible does what is s
s Invaluable in human life-it classifte
moral values. 1t apprises Us tina
men are not judged according to thci
e wits, but according to their cha
d acters.
y That the last Of every mans repu
tation is his truthfulness, his squaT
n ing his conduct with the standar
It that he new to be the standards c
purity and rectitude.
It How many a mar we apprals'
II ladies and gentlemen. as great toda.
% whom we do not admire as noble
/ 4 man may have great power an
small character. And the sWe.
. praise Of mankind lies not in the
"a admiration Of the smartness wit
A. which the thing was accomplishe'
but in that lingering love which ar
"a prises men that one of their fellow
has gone out Of life to his own rect
# oning, where he is Sure Of the blesse
II verdict: well done, good and faitf
full servant
&c Did you ever look about you in az
20 great city, in any great capitol,
the statues which have been erecte
q in it? To whom are these statu,
;, erected Are they erected to II
y, men who have piled fortunes abol
: them? do not know of any sue
-. statue anywhere unless after he he
;. accumulated his fortune the man b
- slowed it in beneficence upon his &c
:. lowmen and alongside OF him "
" stand a statue OF another meaning, f
it is easy to give money away.
y heard a friend of mine say that Il
IN standard Of generosity was not Il
ne amount you gave away, but I
- amount you had left. Il is easy
= give away Of your abundance. =
look at the next statue, the t.
tatue and the next i'll the mark
place of great cities and whom "
you see? You will see here a sold;
IL who gata his LIE to Seryn not his o.