The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-10-13
MEETING Of BIBLE
SOCIETY HELD SUNDAY
Eloquent Address by DIR. ]. III.
Thayer.
CHURCH WELL FILLED.
Rev. DIR. T.. II. Hodges Offered
Prayer, After Which DIR. Thayer
Took Charge.

The annual session of the Lancas-
ter Bible Society was held Sunday
evening in the Presbyterian church
Despite inclement weather, the
church was well filled and the meet
ing was very interesting one. At
ter the singing of hymn, Rev. E. T.
/ Hodges, made an appropriate and
earnest prayer for the spread
of the Gospel Then followed the read
| ing of the first chapter of Pauls'
!2istle to the Romans by Rev. j. H.
Thayer. Then after the singing of
another hymn, DR.. Thayer delivered
the following scholarly address, TAX
ing for his theme, The Bible"
We have come together tonight
o bear witness to our belief in and
support of, the propagation of thaS
book which we call the work of God.
/ This Society, together with numer-
Gus others, has been working for
/ yecrs and years to help supply funds
whcrew.th the book known as the
/ Bible might be sent to these who
sit in darkness md in the shadow
of death.
Therefore, it is eminently fitting
that upon such an occasion as this,
we should direct our attention, as
well as our thoughts, to this, the
most remarkable book, in all the
world.
The question naturally arises:
How shall we regard the Bible?
From what angle shall we look at
it? "One might bring to the study
of this remarkable volume a cult
waited taste, and ask: What place
does the Bible occupy In literature?
And this would indeed be a protita-
BILE inquiry. For, as literature pure
and simple, it is and has affected our
language, and is to be found literal
ly in all Of our literature. But we
must pass by this aspect of the sub
jcct.
Then, too. it might be interesting
to notice this book as the written re-
mains, the literary remains, of q
noble people. 1t is hard to divest our
selves of prejudice, and yet calm
consideration of the Bible will prove
to any candid mind that in this book
we have the greatest piece OF liter
ature produced by n great people.
Whatever, then, might have been,
and still may be, the failing of the
70 c, hn
come from attaining that place for
which God appointed him, how much
of real national integrity he may
have lost; we should never be un-
mindful of the fact that this book,
in both of its testaments is essen
TALLY product OF his mind, and of
his hand. He. above all other peop-
les, has given the religious text
book to the world.
And it is not great step from this
aspect of the Bible to a considera-
ton of it as affecting istory And
when l speak of the Bible affecting
history, of course refer to it's ideas
and it's teachings. Think of what the
world was when tho Jew first start
ed on his journey, and think now of
what il has become. ] suppose that
we might say that every great re-
form movement which has swept the
earth can ultimately he traced to
the influence of the spirit of this
Book. That every movement for the
upbuilding of humanity has its
roots in this wonderful volume. The
inspiration for nobler. better and
higher living, the impulses which
have finally lead to the overthrow
of tyranny and evil, the aspinStions,
longings, hopes, the all of good and
purity which has appeared i'm the
history of mankind Is traceable to
the ideas as we'll as the teaching of
the Word of God.
When we turn from these things
we are confronted with the wonder
full history of the volume itself. We
bnd it between two covers, but it is
really a library itself. Over sixty
book are contained therein, each sep
arate and distinct, each having it's
individual history, but each going
to make up a glorious whole And
there is no study so facinating as
that which deals with the origin and