Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-01-09
1.-THE bible"
Expounded by Colby
College President

~ = Weesr<s Addresses ,nters.,.a
Gathering Of Men At Supper Maid
THURSDAY Evening in Y. M. c. A.
Assembly Hall
A. J. Roberts. president Of co,bv
college. addressed an audience Of "a
interested men in the Assembly han
or the Z. n. G. A. Thursday evening
after a bountiful supper had been
sesved' taking as his subject The
Bthle."
One OF the famous Y. NJ. C, A. SUD-
pers, noted for their excellence was
served At $50 and enjoyed to its full
est extent by those attending its
good qualities being doubly enhanced
ny the solicitious attentions to the
o!aers needs of Miss Beulah and An
ME Stiles.
When the ice cream had disap-
peared and no more was forthcomin.
FRANK Condor. secretary of the w
spoke briefly to tho assemble ana
INTRODUCED PresideM A. ]. Roberts
OF Colby college.
president Roberts, taking "Tha
Bible as his subject. spoke on some
OF the reasons why we are not SO
9amilasr with the Bible as the people
OF 1osmer years. One reason, he
asserted. was that the Bible has suf-
tered from competition. That is,
tnere are so many other things to
read that our attention had been de-
tracteo from the Bible. In other
Gays books, maEaxines and such were
not 80 abundant as they are now and
mothers used to tell their little ones
stories from the Bible, but now a
child must have fairy stories, and Us
they grow up. have the maya
1fnes and many other things to read.
We do not realized how little reading
there was in those days.
In the older days people believed
that novel reading was wrong. but
tnere Is SO times as much novel read
ing now and 100 times as much news
paper reading. Then, there is less
Bible reading in the Sunday schools
now, for in the sther days there
weren't any Of tho attractions that
Gre found necessary to hold the
younger people in the Sunday schools
nowadays. In those days Sunday
school meant the reading and learn
inS OF passages from the Bible, the
singing OF hymns, etc.
In the churches, too, there is less
heard OF the Bible, for a clergyman
these days frequently refers his re-
marks back to other literary contem-
poraries, even to magazines or news
papers, while in other days the
clergymen backed up their assertions
with passages from the Bible.
There are very few families in this
era whose daily worship is main
tanned for it would be very difficult
nowadays to keep a family togeth-
er long enough to read passages from
the Bible. But it was just these fam
lily prayers that made the children of
former days familiar with the Great
Book.
A good many OF us, IL we are hon
est with ourselves. consider the BIZ
bic a dull book, yet. perhaps our way
OF reading 1t may have something to
do with this. We read passages by
chance just az the book opens be-
fore U and We do not read whole
chapters at a time as 1t was meant
to be read. II We should take amy
other book and read it az We do the
Bible there is no doubt but what it
| would just as uninteresting.
We cannot doubt its great educa-
tional and cultural worth when we
read what 1t has done for others
Some Of the greatest figures in Amer
lean biography will bear this out
Lincoln's life is only one instance OF
the influence Of the Bible. We cannot
overestimate its cultural and educa-
, tional value.
One reason we like the Bible, af-
ter we come to read it, is that you
and ! are there on every page, the
human nature Of the stories told ap.
abound in that marvellous display OF
| what we call human nature. II WI
wish to study this there is no better
book than the Book Of Proverbs.
No day should go by without VI
reading from some really good book
and in the selection Of the good book,
the Bible is much more safer for our
| Intellectual beings. Those who are
| trying to be good Christians withou,
an elaborate system Of theology
should read the four Gospels, for in
these. and these only. will be found
| the answer.