Year: 1877

l., Il.


commence tonight series OF sermons on
the Bible. This evening l shall endeavor to
show that there were many things the world
needed to know that il never could have known
without special revelation from Heaven.


/. FIRST, then, the Bible was needed to teach
US the attributes OF God. One person reason
ing from the works of nature may conclude
that God is perfect being. The planets re-
volve with mathematical precision. There is
the regular succession Of day and night. The
seasons rotate systematically. This order in
creation would seem to indicate the perfection
OF God. But to all this there is another side.
In close proximity to your beautiful meadow is
the swamp unfit for cultivation and breeding
disease. Why did not God make Michigan so
that people could live here without having
the chills


One person, from the works of nature, az
firms that God is 4 good being. The air is just
adapted to our lungs. The soil is 80 productive
of needed food. The lightning dashes athwart
the sky and purifies the atmosphere. The
oceaps are conveniently located to carry our
commerce. But here, also, nature makes an
other statement The air so adapted to our
lungs carries the dread malaria so destructive
Of human life. The soil 80 productive of the
needed food brings forth the poisonous herb.
The lightning which purfes the air burns our
buildings or strikes us dead without moments
warning. The ocean that carries our commerce
to distant ports often proves treacherous to
the trust imposed in her, and swallows millions
OF the human family.


The fact is that without the Blble man knew
nothing about God. He worshipped nearly
everything as God. Plutarch tells us that wars
we're waged because the people of Que country
would eat fish held sacred by another nation.
4 Roman soldier who accidentally killed q cat
one of the gods-was put to death for sac
relege. When dog died every person in the
house dressed IN mourning and tasted until
night. There is somewhere picture OF one OF
the kings OF Egypt worshipping his own coffin I!
Paul in his address TO the Athenans speaks OF
the race "As seeking the Lord If happily they
might feel after him and find him." The race
in Its quest of God was like children playing
blind mans buff With blinded eyes they
rea he'd ont this way and the other, hoping
that by some accident they might find the God
that was indeed to them unknown.


2. A revelation was needed to teach us the
relation OF the soul to the body. The ancients
were for the most part persuaded that mind
and matter we're not the same, but they had no
well defined conception Of the relation Of the
soul TO the body. But the Bible tells us plainly
that there is the material and immaterial man.
:" Fear not them that kill the body (the material
many but are not able to kill the soul"-the
immaterial. Stephen at his martyrdom cries
4" Lord Jesus receive my spirit"-the imma-
terial man, for the material man, the body,
was in the hands OF the infuriated mob. The
Bible was needed to tesch us this distinction
between the soul and the body.


s. The Bible was needed to teach us the con-
ditions Of pardon. The ancients believed that
SIN was deserving Of punishment. When they
did wrong they had remorse and fear They
had their burnt offerings and sacrifices to atone
for their sins. But they did not know that
pardon would be granted nor what the cond-
tions OF forgiveness we're. Before the etudy
Of medicine became science it was the GUS





tried in vain all home remedies, to lie at the
gate that every passer-by might suggest some
means OF cure. This was all experiment. Such
was the condition Of the race relgiously before
the gospel came. Man, leprous with Gin, lay
at the gate while each philosopher as he passed
by suggested some remedy. But the Bible
came uttering no uncertain sound "In whom
We have redemption through bis blood even
the forgiveness Of SINS"


4. The Bible was need ed to assure US Of the
immortality OF the soul. Reason has many
good arguments in favor Of the souls immor
taity, but reason alone only goes 30 far as to
say that such doctrine is probably true Hear
what the best. minds, unaided by the Bible,
said upon this subject. Cyrus said: g know
not how to persuade myself that the soul lives
in this mortal body and ceases to be when the
body expires, am more inclined to think
that it acquires after death more penetration
and purity" Socrates said to his judges after
they had condemned him to die: "And now
we are going, to suffer death. you to enjoy
life. God only knows which is best" Cicero,
speaking OF the souls immortality, said: 81
do not pretend to say that what affirm is az
infallible as the Pythan oracle 1 speak only
by conjecture" Seneca said /" Immortality,
however desirable, was rather promised than
proved by these great men,.


See the doubt and uncertainty here: " am
more inclined to think" "God only knows, Z"
Il speak only by conjecture" Promised
rather than proved" How refreshing TO turn
from this guess work to the statement of the
Bible " For we kaoIo that il our earthly house
of this tabernacle were dissolved we have
building of God, house not made with hands.
eternal in the heavens"


g. The Bible was needed to tell us the nature
and significance of death. We dread TO sae
our friends die. We do not like to think Of the
time when we ourselves shall die We rather
not talk much on that subject. But draw
contrast between the death OF an ancient pagan
and the death Of cne to-day by the light of the
Bible. The pagan in his sickness suffers in
tense PHYSICAL pain, and he can see no reason
for all that agony. The one dying by the light
Of the Bible also suffers, but he reads: "For
T. o.