The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-04-15

lA declare the glory
D of God, and the
| -. - armament shows
his handiwork. we
! do not for moment deny. Nature Ia
vocal with theology. Nor would We
think Of contradicting the statement
that God manifests himself through
history and providence. Victor 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 replete with marked interferences
OF God. Promotion cometh neither
from the east nor from the west. Il
| 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 fully to satisfy the hu-
| man heart. Nature tells us OF God.
but does not adequately describe him
10 us. We might infer from the di.
vine manifestations in history and
providence that God Is a great force
or 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
| dispieasing to him; what are his
ethical, moral and spiritual standards.
To these questions not nature, nor
history, 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 a 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 authors claim for himself what
Jesus Christ, and the inspired writers
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 COM
PARSONS 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 effect Is the same; you rob the
Bible OF its unique character and au-
thority. Let US be careful in this
matter.
The Bible Is not only the book OF
God, it is also the book from God At
least this is the way In which it gives
its own account Of it's origin: All
Scripture is given by inspiration OF
God"-that is to say. is God
breathed" QI. Timothy S:15). Again. in
II. Peter 1870, 81, we read: Know
ing this first, that no prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpreta-
ton Cor origin, for it seems clear
that 1t Is to the source rather than to
the exposition of the scripture that
reference 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 concern
ing the source OF the scripture. It ID
this "God-breathed" element that diff
ferentiates this book from all otner
writings The Bible Is quite often re
ferred to nowadays as splendid liter
ature" Well, the Bible is that. but IL
is more than that-it is scripture
Literature is the letter; scripture Is
the letter inbreathed by the hoiy spir-
it. Just as In the creation OF man We
learn that man became 3 living soul
when that frame Of dust. as il lay on
the ground. became inbreathed by the
spirit of life from God. Man is dust
inbreathed by Deity; and If you take
away the spirit of life from man. he
returns to dust So is it with the
Rible: 1t is the letter, but 1t is the &
letter inbreathed by Gods spirit that 8
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 re-
ligious message. Its aim and purpose
is to bring man. who has been es-
tranged from God by reason of sin,
back to the God from whom he has
been estranged. The scriptures. which
are given by inspiration of God, are
for the man OF God. that he may be
instructed In righteousness; mark you.
IN righteousness. not in science. or
art, or poetry. or history. important as
these things are In themselves We
come to the Bible to ind God.