The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-06-16
lie Not Man Ma de.

Bible Not Man Made.
Then the speaker considered some OF
the objections to the Bible usually
brought forward by infidels. He show
ed that it is a weak argument indeed
which credits priests and knaves Will
| writing the Sacred Book. If Catholics
had made the Bible. they would natur
ally have put into it many thing
| which are not there; for instance. they
would have told about the Mass. aboni
Purgatory, hell-hre and eternal tor
| ment, of which there is nothing said
/ they would also have intimated thai
| we should use beads and images il
worship; they would have had some
| thing about the immaculate conception
OF the Virgin, and about ST. Peters
being the first pope, etc.
If. on the other hand. Presbyterians
had written the Bible, they would have
put in great deal about Hell. about
| elect and non-elect infants. etc. Meth
odists would have left out all about
| Election making ones calling and
election sure. the Very Elect. etc.-fol
they do not know what TO do with
| these texts Our CalviniStic friends
would have left out the texts about
free grace: for these do not fit witt
their ideas of election All these de
nominations would have inserted some
thing In regard to 1.-The trinity fol
they all hold that this doctrine Is the
very essence of faith. although it Is moi
mentioned even once in the Bible. Tho
Pastors conclusion is that clearly the
denominations did not make the Bible
From its own standpoint. the speaker
continued the Bible is very simple ard
fully explains itself He did not wisN
to be misunderstood as 'poking fun
at the denominations; for he realizes
that these dear people mean well. and
he loves all who love the Lord. But
he believes that the whole world is
greatly injured by the false concep
tons of Gods character handed dowr
from the Dark Ages. and that many
people are going after sin today wht
would. If they had a right knowledge
Of God, be following after righteous
ness. Many men have been led to
drinking and all sorts of debauchery
and sin merely by reason of not seeing
the real God: for If any one see Him.
he is sure to love Him. Mankind are
SO made that worship is natural.
Notwithstanding the six thousand
years of falling there is In every mans
brain, unless he be an idiot. the quail
ty of reverence, which impels him to
desire to worship his Creator But.
according to St Paul's argument in
his letter to the Romans. although man
was created perfect, there came n
time In the history of the fallen race
when men We're unwilling longer to re
tain God in their minds: and then the
Almighty gave them over to reprobate
minds. to do improper things. and to
sink lower and lower In degradation
Then 1t was that the doctrines of de-
mons" were inculcated into the human
mind. so as to keep men In ignorance.
darkness and superstition. The god
/ of this world blinds the minds Of
those who believe not-blinds them by
these various false doctrines which
once Gods people believed
The Pastor then gave the two views
Of the Almighty which once obtained
in the thoughts Of many Christians
One side OF our minds. as ii were, pic
tured God as the great representative
of Satanic energy. bent upon destroy
ing nearly all the creatures whom He
had brought into the world The 9TH
err side, somehow, imagined Him as
kind, loving and merciful But we did
not know how to balance these two
sides. Fortunately for us. however.
we got the devilish side subordnated.
and thought of God as loving, and by
going to Him daily in prayer we tried
to forget the devilish part The whole
world has been more or less in this
condition.
But, thank God! said the Pastor. we
are In the time when the path of the
just is shining more and more unto the
perfect Day. That Day is now so near
that we can almost see its dawn. In
little while the Church Of Christ viii
have been fully gathered-out Of every
people, nation. kindred and tongue
out of all denominations.
Full Assurance of Faith.
The Pastor then explained how the
consecrated people of God may have
full assurance of faith In His Word
God tells us that by nature we We're
children of wrath even as others; that
Christ tasted death for the whole
world, and that by and by He will
give human life, restitution life, to all
who will receive it; but that meantime
the call is for those who will separate
themselves from the world and be "a
peculiar people. Jealous of good works
of everything that is Gods will and
ready to lay down their lives in doing
that will. Those who know that such
Is the teaching of Scripture have a
good basis for faith Those who have
taken the steps of repentance of
sin, of trusting in the Redeemer for
salvation, of consecrating themselves
to God, now have by faith all those
graces of character reckoned to them
which the world will actually receive
during the thousand years of the Reign
OF Christ. To the consecrated the Fa-
Their has fulfilled His promise bv civ
Ing them measure of His Holy Spirit
Lest any should misapprehend his
meaning, the Pastor explained that the
Holy Spirit is not now manifested in
the same way that it was in the early
Church. At that time 1t was mani
Tested In miraculous way-with out
ward evidences, such as tongues. mira
cles of healing. etc. attesting that
those who received these gifts We're
acceptable to God as members of His
Church and had been begotten of the
Holy Spirit. But after thaChurch had
been established there was no further
need of such manifestations. Through
out the remainder of the Gospel Ace
the Holy Spirit has manifested itself
only by the fruits Of righteousness
meekness. gentlencss. patience. broth.
erly kindness-love. When the mirac-
ulous gifts ceased these fruits ana
graees of the Spirit continued.
The Pastor concluded with an exbor.
tation that the people of God see to II
that they daily grow in grace and in
knowledge. becoming more and more
like the Lord Jesus in character. ON
Lord said that every tree is known by
its fruits. Are we bearing good fruil !
he asked Are we having more and
more fellowship with God and with
our Lord Jesus? Are we getting into
deeper and broader sympathy With all
of the Household of Faith? Are We
coming more and more into sympathy