Tile present inquiry as to the objections based THEORY AND FACT, on criticism and science that have been raised against the accepting of the Scriptures as a, divine revelation to man, has at least made plain the danger that there is in all rational argument of ignoring the value and quality of facts. To the mind, the idea and not the filet itself appeals. Moreover, the theologian is as liable to this error in his theology as the materialist has proved himself to be in his argument from philosophy and science. And yet this confusion, just beginning to be recognized as undeniable one in some of the philosophy of the present day, is one which is never once found ill the Scriptures.
The Truth and Power of Scripture
If the Scriptures do make it claim which is unique and unparalleled in human literature, ancient or modern, so are the truth and power they contain equally unexampled.
They do not descend to discussing their own importance. Bat they state that which necessitates their being inspired, and that which is stated proves its own power to make its claim recognized.
The Witness of the Conscience to the Claim of Scripture
Because of that which is stated, every man knows the Scriptures at least place the claims of God before men; unless he denies that he has a conscience,—a denial which gives him but small reputation for telling the truth. Every man, too, recognizes the claim God has upon him as one that is right. The question for each one is, Has he ever considered yet what he knows to be right? Has he ever obeyed even such. Scriptures as he himself knows to be right'?
As to this, it can with utmost confidence be said, that if the. greatest skeptic listened' to what is in the Scriptures, and judged himself even as far as his own conscience recognized the judgment as right, he would not long he without knowing his own personal need of a Savior. By the manner in which he hides himself from the claim Ins conscience recognizes as a true one he is himself giving the strongest evidence possible of recognizing that the voice of God speaks to him in it.
Man has a conscience which recognizes that which is stated in the Scripture as God's word to him.
The Voice 'Of the One to Repentance
The question of the inspiration and authority of Scripture may he waived. This message comes to man simply "as the voice of one in the Wilderness.”—And let each give an honest and unequivocal reply, as to whether the message is from heaven or front men.
Man fears the message because he knows that the Scriptures will press home that which his conscience knows to be truth, but which lie would fain not hear. The manner in which the skeptic hides himself under a variety of excuses from learning from the Scriptures even that which his conscience knows to be a true demand, itself makes the strongest evidence possible that he does recognize the voice of God Speaking to him, but he desires to be let alone and to live without owning such a claim.
The Voice of the Son of God and Life
The believer as well as the skeptic' knows the power of the Scriptures to be divine. It was because of what is stated in them, that Ile became awakened to what his need really was. The solemn declaration that a man "must be born again” displayed to man his trite condition and had to be received as stating to man from God his true condition before Him. Because of hint who announced this necessity, either it has to be bowed to as such, or else all professions of confidence in the Son of God and in the Scriptures which testify of Hint, have to be openly abandoned.
By one who has “believed in the Son," His word is proved to accomplish that which answers to a “new birth," and to that alone. As truly as he knows has natural life if the reality of life is known from its joys, so truly does he know he possesses a new nature, with new intelligence, relationship and hopes He has a right to testily that he himself knows the words of Scripture not only to be true but to be divine.
The Voice of the Shepherd and Guidance
All that is stated in the Scriptures will be found to answer only to that which at the first he learned from God. By the truth the Scriptures contain, he proves that believing God's gospel concern ing His Son Jesus Christ must be taken as the ground of blessing before God, and that the Spirit's answers to the hearing of faith must be remembered as the only power in his life.
Those who have believed the Gospel have found a Shepherd or rather have been found of Him. His voice first reached then in the message that He had undertaken and finished ' all. And thenceforth they know that what does not speak of His grace Who has taken all providing for them into His own hand and laid them on his shoulder, is not His voice, but that of a stranger.
As long thus as the Scriptures, because of what they contain, Speak to the deepest need that the soul of man has and prove their truth sufficient to meet it,—speaking moreover in a manner and power wholly, divine,—so long will the glory of the Word abide, while that of Man rises and falls like that of the flower 'of the grass.
"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof faileth away; hut the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." 1. Peter 1:24-25.