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. >U> WEEKLY L A N C A 6 1 L H. h. O. A 1/ G U S T 13, 1 9 0 2 K8TABLN HIED 1852
Some Wonders of the Bible.
Address of Hov. J. K. Hull Hefore
the Waxhaw and Shiloh
Bible Society Aug. 2.
[Published by Request. ]
It is a pleasure tor mo to bo
present today. I am glad to
make an address to the Wuxbaw
and Shiloh Bible Society.
The compound name which
designates your society is an honorable
one. Both Waxhaw and
Shiloh are honorable names in the
twe branches wf the Presbyterian
church which they represent.
There is much of historical interest
in the. place in which we
meet: The Waxliaws was one of
,? 11 , A
me urn parts or tne up-country
settled, and here one of the first
churches was organized.
To me there is an element of
personal interest in this place
from the fact that one of the tirst
pastor's of this church, the Rev.
William Richardson, who lies
buried in yonder cemetery, was
the organizer of the. church of
which 1 hare been pastor for
eight years.
But the thing that makes this
occasion most plcasaut of all is
that 1 am asked to make an address
on the Bible. The Bible is
the he6t and most wonderful book
in all the world, andK 1 wish to
point out to you today some of
the wonderful things about that
book.
1. It is wonderful in the variety
of its contents. It contains
history, biography, poetry and
philosophy as well as religion.
There* is no more interesting history
than the history of Israel as
it is recorded in God's word.
There are no more thrilling biographies
than those of Jacob,
Joseph, Moses, David Daniel and
Paul. No poetry has ever so
touched the human heart as the
psalms of David. Other pooais
attract for a time, but the psalms
of David are as fresh as they
were when they were penned
three thousand years ago. There
is no philosophy more practical
tha the book of Proverbs. The
whole Bible is a store house of
religion.
2. The beauty and variety of
style in the Bible is as remarksable
as the variety of i*s contents.
There is no finer specimen of eloquence
than is to be found in the
eighth chapter of Romans There
is nothing more pathetic in all
literature than the lament of
David over Absalom. There is
nothing more exquisitely beautiful
than the 13th chapter of 1
Corinthins, which describes that
^charity which suffereth long and
is kind." There are no grander
descriptions than the Savior't
description of the last judgtnenl
and SGUio of the dascriiittnnti in
the book of Revelation.
3. The Bible is wonderful in
its harmony. Jt is mude up of
ixty-six books, written by c
groat number of men, written
over u period of more than fifteen
hundred years. The rule i9 thai
no two men left to themselves
ever write on the same subject
with perfect harmeny, and tb<
greater the number of writers the
greater the discord. Men do not
usually hold the same opinion foi
any great length of time. On<
generation burns witches, aud th<
next gen ration looks upon theii
act with horror. The pbiloaophj
of h hundred years ago is ante
quuted today. Men usually change
their opinion* iu their lifetime.
The views of the old man are very
different from the youth. And
yet in the Bible, made up of so
many books, written by so many
hands, and written over such a
vast period of time, there is perfect
harmony. Christ is the central
figure, and the wholo Bible is
written around him. In Genesis
wo have the promise of a deliverer
when we are told that the
seed of the woroa- will bruise the
serpeuts head. We got still clearer
information as wo pass through
tho historical books. Ir. the pro
phots the descriptions are most
minute. 44IIe is despised and re
jected of men, a man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief." In
the Gospels we have the records
of the Savior's life on earth. In
the Epistles we have *he meaning
of his life and death set forth*
4'He died for our sins, and rose
again for our justification." In
Genesis we have the tender plant.
Tho plant grows in tho historical
hooks. Its growth is most luxu*
riant in tho prophets. It blooms
in the Gospels. It bears its fruit
in the Epistles. This wonderful
harmony and symmetry shows
that the Hible is not the work of
man, but tho work of God. It
is like a vast cathedral. The plan
j of the cathedral is made by a master
architect. Great numbers of
men are employed to do nil kinds
of woi k for a great many years.
At last the cathedral stands forth
in all its beauty. It is brought
to completion only because one
mind is controlling it all. Just
o, so many books, written by so
many bands over such a vast poriod
of time make one harmonious
whole, because God was controlling
it. Ilia mind was guiding the
writers. This is the only explanation
that can bs given for the
wonderful harmony that pervades
the Bible.
4. It is'wonderful in its methi
od of teaching. There are few,
if any, modes of teaching truth
not found in the Bible. It teaches
i by precept, by example, by warning,
by history, by parable, and
i by miracle
Precepts are found on almost
every page. "Thou shult have
1 no othor godq before me." "Thou
, shalt not make unto thee any
graven image." "Thou shall not
, take the name of the Lord Thy
i God in vain." "Remeaiber the
i Sabbath day to keep it holy."
"Honor thy father and thy
! mother." "Thou shall love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart,
with all thy soul, with all thy
strength, with ull thy mind, and
; thy neighbor as thyself." "Be
i ye kind ono to another, tender
hearted, forgiving one another,
i even as God for Christ's sake
; hath forgiven us." "Grow ic
i grace, and in the knowledge ol
the Lord and Savior Jesui
, Christ."
Examples too are very numeri
ous. The lives of good men are
i recorded to show us how to live,
i The chief example, however, it
t the Lo: d Jesus Christ. His ex*
ample comes to us with all the
t force of a command. "For oven
j hereunto were ye called: because
3 Christ also suffered for us, lenv[
ing us an example, that ye should
follow in his steps." When w<
> seo how Christ lived, we knov
3 how to live.
r l'hero aro warnings as well m
/ examples. In a country tillei
- with dangers, not only are thoi
I
Have Bargains
All t he Time
In E very Line
I 9
!Here Are a Few
THAT AR| "HUMMERS."
V
1000 yards striped and check'
ed Dimities, worth 12 1-2 eh
CV - 'A- *
now S ets.
1000 yards Ginghams, wortl
0 ets, now 4 cts.
8 or 10 pieces Grenadette
newest thing for ladies unlinec
skirts, former price 25 cts, nov
15 ets.
10 pieces Point de Bruxelles
former price 30 ets, now 23.
30 pieces Scotch Lawns, fas
colors, cheap at 5 cts, now 3 1-S
I
cents. 4
tCie* SHOES!
SHOES
, We also have a lot of shoe
> that we have thrown on onr bar
' gain counter and are selling at i
' sacrifice.
I
i 'Lancaster lereuUIr (o.
r
t
/
"As tho hurt p&uteth nfier the
water brooks, so pnn*eth my soul
iftcr thee, O Mod. My soul
Ihirsteth for Mod, for tho living
Mod." Tho soul struggling with
ilespondcney can find expression
for its feelings in the satno psalm:
"Whv art thy cast down, O my
soul* and why art thou disquieted
within mef hope thou in Mod: for
;
I guide posts, hnt there are danger
signals as well. There are many
danger signals in the Bible. The i
lives of bad men, and the follies 1
of good men, are recorded as 1
warnings to us. Aclinn is a warn- <
ing against covetousness. Nebuchadnezzar
is a warning against
pride. lie said, "Is not this i
great Babylon I have built?" That
day he was driven forth to live
among the beasts of the tield.
Judas, who sold his Master for
thirty pieces of silver, is a warning
against avarice, l'etor is a
warning against self-confidence.
The history in the Bible is most
instructive. The history of God's
dealings with Israel shows us
haw God deals with his people as
a whole. The history of A braham
tenches us that we have no
continuing city here. The history
of Joseph teaches us how God
makes the seeming evils of life
, work out for our good. Tho history
of Moses teaches us how God
leads his people. Tho history of
Dauiel teaches us how God delir-i
era his people. The history of
? Paul teachos us thnt God's grace
is always sufficient for us. The
history of Abraham teaches ns
that the way of the transgressor
is hard.
Almost every conceivable truth
is set forth in the parables.
Teaching Wy parables was a favor
ito mode of teaching with the Sa
vior. With a parable he would
illustrate a obscure truth, or drive
homo to the heart a needful one.
How could the lovo of God be
^ more beautifully act forth than
it is done in the purable of the
Prodigal Son? How- could ' the
duty of man te his fellow man be
more improtsibly taught than is
^ done in the parable of the Good
Samaritan? How could the contrast
between true humility and
self righteousness bo more strikingly
prescutod than it is dono in
' tho parable of the Pharisee and
Publican? X
* The miracles as well as the parables
teach spiritual truth. 1
J will take but ono example?the
healing of the paralytic. A paralytic
was brought by four determined
men, and let down before
tho Master. The Master said,
1 shall yet praise him, who is thfi_
heulth <>f toy countenance, and
tnv God." The soul, conscious
of the blessings of God and overflowing
with gratitude, can find
tit expression of its feelings in
the 103rd psalm: "Bless the
Lord, O my soul, and all that is
within me, bless his holy name."
flow could the soul burdened
with sin ultcr a more appropriate
prayer than the olst ps.ilm?
"Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy loving kindness:
according to the multitude of thy
tender mercies, blot out my transgressions,
purge me with hyssop,
and I shall be clean: wash me, and
I shall be whiter than snow.
Create in me a clean heart, O
God: and renew a right spirit
within me?cast 1110 not away
from thy presence; and lake not
thy Holy Spirit from me." The
soul surrounded with dangers, yet
still trusting in gcd can cry out
with Datid: "Yea, in the shadow
of thy wings will 1 make my refuge
until these calamities he
overpast."
In the Bible there is a message
for men in every condition of
life. To the poor this message
is sent: "When the poor and
needy seek for, water, aud there
is none, and their tongue faileth
for thirst, I the Lord will' hear
tliciji, 1 the God of Israel will
not forsake them". Is. 41:17.
This is the message sent to the
rich: "Charge them that are rich
that they he not high minded,
nor trust in uncertain riches, but
in the living God". I Tim. G:-17.
This tho message sent to the
weary and heavy laden: "Come
unto aio all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest &c." To the desolate
and afflicted this message is sent:
"Let not your heart bo troubled;
on believe on God, believe also
on 1110 &c". "And God shall
wipe all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death,
I nouner sorrow, nor crying,neitnar
shall there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed
away". To those who are hungering
and thirsting for righteousness
this message is sent: "1 am
the bread of life: he that cometh
to me shall never hunger, and he
that believcth en me shall never
thirst". To widows and orphans
this message is sent: "A father
to the fatherless and a judge unto
the widows, is God iu his holy
habitation". The Bible is suite-*
ble to every class of men . It is ^
tho book for the ignorant. In it
the plan of salvation is made so
plain that a wayfaring man,
though a fool,need not err therein.
It is the book for tho learned. In
it there are problems that have
never been solved bj men. Dr.
Robert J. Breckinridge said that
he could master in a fow weeks
[Concluded on fourth page.]
Genuine (Lamped C. C. C. Never sold In buB(
1 Beware of the dealer who tries to sell
; "something lust as good."
9 "Son, bo of good cheer; thy sins
be forgiven thee." But there
happened to be certain scribes sitting
there. They reasoned in
? their nnnds, "Why doth this man
thus speak blasphemies? Who
y can forgive sins but God only!"
* The Master saw into their hearts,
and replied, "Whether is it easier
to say to the sick of the palsy,
Thy sins bo forgiven thee; or to
say, Arise, take up thy bed, and
walk? But that ye may know that
the Son of man hath power on
earth to forgive sins, (he saith to
the sick of tho palsy) I say unto
1 thee, Arise, take up thy bed, and
2 go thy way into thine house."
His healing of the paralytic
showed that ho was no impostor,
c that ho had power to do what ho
claimed to do, that ho who claimed
to forgive sins had the po ver.
t Wo can now see the numerous
methods the Bible has of presenting
truth. This fact also leads
us to the conclusion that the Bible
is not tho work of man, but of
God.
5. Tho Bible is wonderful in
its adaptation to the needsof men.
In the Bible men can find oxpros p
sion for every proper longing of
the heart. The soul's lon^inj* for
a closer walk with Go<l can find
expression in the 42nd psalm: