Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-05-17

LuIG 10 NOCaA win
- theology. Nor
would we think OF contradicting the
statement that God manifests himself
through history and providence. VIC
tor Hugo said: Waterloo was God.
By that he meant that God showed bis
hand in that great war and turned the
stream of civilization into another
channel. The history Of all nations Is
abundantiy replete with marked inter
ferences Of God. Promotion cometh
neither from the east nor from the
west. It Is God who setteth up one
nation. and putteth down another.
The knowledge Of God that comes
to us from these sources, however, Is
not sufficient to fully satisfy the hui
man heart. Nature tells US OF God,
but does not adequately describe him
to us. We might infer from the d.
vine manifestations In history and
providence that God is a great force
of power, but such a definition OF God
by no means satisfies humanity. We
need some other and deeper vision OF
God. We need to know something
about his person. nature and attrt-
butes; his relations with his creatures;
what things are pleasing and what dis
pleasing to him; what are his ethical.
moral and spiritual standards. To
these questions not nature, nor his
tory, nor yet providence affords an
answer Nature may show the head
and wisdom Of God, and providence
and history the hand and power OF
/ God, but we need revelation such as
we have In the Bible to reveal to US
the heart and the grace OF our God.
Sometimes the Bible is compared
with other sacred books--Bibles OF
other religions: the Koran. the Vedas,
etc. There can be no real comparison.
The Bible is not to be put on the same
plane as these books. None OF them
claims for itself what the Bible claims
for itself; nor did any one Of their au-
thors claim for himself what Jesus
Christ, and the inspired writer's Of the
Bible claim for themselves. The
Christian must be very careful in the
matter OF comparing his Bible with
other sacred books. Such comparison
is attended with grave danger. There
is practically no difference. so far as
the disastrous effects of such compare
sons are concerned, whether you drag
the Bible down to the level OF these
other books, or lift these other books
up to the level Of the Bible. The eject
is the same: you rob the Bible OF its
unique character and authority Let
us be careful In this matter.
The Bible Is not only the book Of
God, It il also the book from God. Al
least this is the way In. which It gsvci
its own account Of its origin: "Al
Scripture IL given by inspiration o.
God. that is to say. is God
breathed" e Timothy s:1e). Again
in Peter 1:20-21. we read: Knowing
this first. that no prophecy Of thu
Scripture is Of any private interpreta
ton Tor origin. for II seems clear tina
J II is to the source rather than to tn
J exposition OF the Scripture that ref
J erence is here made). For tn
J prophecy came not In old time BY tn
! will of man; but holy men Of CO.
! spake as they we're moved by the Hol
Ghost" Here are some very clear an
: definite statements concerning th
J source Of the Scripture. 1t Is thi
, "God-breathed' element that differer
tiates this book from all other writing
+ The Bible is quite often referred I
} nowadays as splendid literature.
} Well, the Bible is that. but II Is NOR
: than that--it Is Scripture. LiteratuF
: is the letter; Scripture is the letts
imbreathed by the holy spirit. Just Q
, in the creation Of man We learn thf
Q man became a living soul when tbs
; frame of dust. as It lay on the grounl
. became inbreathed by the spirit {
/ life from God. Man Is dust inbreathe
!, by Deity; and II you take the spir
! Of life from man. he returns to duE
\ So Is It with the Bible: II is the le
4 ter, but It is the letter inbreathed
Q Gods spirit that makes that lett
1 Scripture. And when you rob the Bib
OF its inspiration you have nothing b
mere literature left-you have |
Scripture.
The message of the Bible IL a relil
q Gus message. Its aim and purpose
q to bring man. who has been estrang
from God by reason Of sin, back to Z
God from whom he has been estrangs
. The Scriptures. which are given By
spiration OF God. are for the man
God. that he may be instructed
!. righteousness; mark you. in righteol
ness. not In science, or art. or poet
o or history. important as those thin
n are in themselves.