The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1912-04-26

ture is vocal 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 his
hand in that great war and turned the
stream of civilization into another
channel. The history Of all nations Is
abundantly replete with marked inter-
ferences of God. Promotion cometh
neither from the east nor from the
west. 1t is God who setteth up one
nation, and putteth down another.
The knowledge Of God that comes
to us from these sources, however, is
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 attri-
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 compari-
sons are concerned, whether you drag
the Bible down to the level Of these
up to the level OF the Bible. The effect
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, 1t is also the book from God. At
least this is the way in which it gives
its own account of its origin "All
Scripture Is given by inspiration of
God, is to say, is God
breathed" e Timothy 3:16). Again,
in 2 Peter 1:20-21, we read: Knowing
this first, that no prophecy of the
Scripture is Of any private interpreta.
ton Tor origin, for it seems clear that
1t is to theI source rather than to the
exposition Of the Scripture that ref
erence Is here made). For the
prophecy came not in old time by the
will of man; but holy men OF God
spake as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost" Here are some very clear and
definite statements concerning the
source of the Scripture. 1t Is this
"God-breathed" element that differen-
tiates this book from all other writings.
The Bible Is quite often referred to
as splendid literature"
Well, the Bible is that, but II Is more
than that--it is Scripture. Literature
is the letter; Scripture Is the letter
imbreathed by the holy spirit. Just as
in the creation of man we learn that
man became living soul when that
frame of dust, as II lay on the ground,
became inbreathed by the spirit of
life from God Man is dust inbreathed
by Deity; and II you take the spirit
OF life from man, he returns to dust.
So Is II with the Bible; II Is the let
ter, but Il Is the letter inbreathed by
Gods spirit that makes that letter
Scripture. And when you rob the Bible
of its inspiration you have nothing but
mere literature left--you have no
Scripture.
The message OF the Bible is a religi-
Gus message. It's aim and purpose Is
to bring man, who has been estranged
from God by reason of sin, back to the
God from whom he has been estranged.
The Scriptures, which are given by in
SEPARATION of God, are for the man Of
God, that he may be instructed in
righteousness; mark you, in righteous
ness, not In science, or art, or poetry,
or history. important as those things
are in themselves