The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-09-20

4
| divineiy appointed guardian OF the
DOCK Besides. IL the book comes
from the same Infinite wisdom that
MADE nature what n is-with all her
perplexing problems, then we may az
p-ct revelation TO abound In myster-
ies. ana that We can advance only by
uesrees ann through the process OF
81. ICES 70 q full comprehension Of
Its truth and grandeur. Passing on
now from the fact that the bible all
through its 1900 years OF preparation
IS the product OF one uniform SUPER
vising Influence. and that II In adapt =
ed 10 each rece. each country. and 10
every physical and mental environ
ment. consider the remarkable fact
,hat on; or all the millions OF books
IL Is the only book that know, and
fully conprehends human nature hu-
\ man needs. human strength. and hu-
man weakness
/ win over five hundred million con-
les Circulating all around the gloae
the question OF why men should want
TINS book * unanswerable N IL aid not
know and aeundantly respond to the
needs or the heart and mind and soul
VI man BUT men also want this book
because OF that instructive dread of
! social and moral anarchy which pre-
Vades all human society. Mankind
must nave an accepted standard OF
right and wrong. else SOCIETY goes to
pieces. Outside OF the bible Their. are
only four things to choose from in the
light OF to-day; Buddhism, and IL is
oecadent; the Koran. and IL is child
lsn; Confucianism. and 1t means stag
hation. Philosophy. and Il Is self
contradictory and unconvincing. The
common sense Of mankind accepts the
bible because the bible works: IL is
JUST IKE the multiplication table or a
table OF losarithims, II works. We
nave now weighed>three considerat-
Ions OF commanding power; the unity
OF the book as a thing too great for
human achievement; the ethics OF
the book as thing too high for hu-
man philosophy. Now, how could
prosecuted Hebrews. unleari d Ash
erman. and uncultivated shepherds
write such a book What Is that
something in this book which lifts
II above all other literature IL has
been called Inspiration. But what
is inspiration? do not know You
do not know. No man knows. Never
In all history has any church. or coun-
GIL OF assembly agreed on OF author
iIed definition OF that mysterious
word. inspiration. All that we can
say Is that when the word Is used n
| means ;hat revelation has been mad.
10 man. and that Inspiration is an
indehnable influence moving men TO
make a trustworthy record OF that re-
violation. Hut are there not many
human elements in the book DR..
Sarbett. who IL often quoted with ap-
probation bv DIR. Patton, both OF whom
stand at the extreme right OF the ORTIZ
odoX wing In the tight with higher
criticism. says that 20 argue that be-
cause the book Is divine ~ cannot be
human. or because 10 Is human ~ can
not be divine. is to argue that the d.
vine and the human cannot be united
| The eager and insistent question
about the bible today is that n there
Is a human element In the book. -
l II not therefore n falIible book a
Z book liable 70 error To answer that
| question ono must turn to a long and
revcrent contemplation Of the life
end teachings Of the Man OF Galiiee.
I Until modern criticism can dethrnne
I the Great Galilean. tear him out II
the heart 81 history. and destroy the
fact that he read and quoted the old
testament and ~ the central figure o.
the new. tho contamination Of the one
I and source OF the other. the bible will
stand. Here io the Glbralter Of it, d.
Tense against all destructive critic
/ ism. Here - the fountain from which
/ comes the Illumination that enables
/ men 20 rcaG the book Alright Here
( IL the all powerful influence that with
stood the snsers q CELSIUS. the satire
~ Lucian. nrG the ridicule 81 Porphry.
n carried m, book safely through he
darkness 81 the middle ages. 10 over
come the powerful assaults Of Boiling
broke. Shnfishury. Middleton. Hobbies,
and Noitairc. 10 defeated Raur.
Strauss. an Renan. % outiived tho
Bradlaurhs IN England and the fnger-
soils in America. and that same
mighty infuefre will triumph over
every enemr until the book has full
hllcd 10 nt rposo. and tho arch angel
~ Almighty GOD rrociainns over land
and sea that time shall DO no more"
Mr. Werdling viii conclude the
course ~ lectures this evening. when
he delivers his famour Discourse on
rs Death the End o." Many persons
regard This a. the greatest lecture -
the course and u is likely that a
large audience viii Doe present.