The Bible.

 
THE new boarder looked up from the book he was reading, and, addressing the young man of the house, said, “Have you a Bible you can lend me for a few moments?”
“A Bible!” said he; “what do you want with a Bible?”
“There are a few scriptural quotations in this book I am reading, and I desire to refer to them. In my haste I have left my Bible at home,” replied the boarder.
“We have one somewhere about,” said the young man, “but I seldom use it; look into the next room, perhaps it is there.”
The boarder, who was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and had come from a neighboring town only a few days before, went into the next room and, seeing the servant, asked the same question. Surprised, she too exclaimed, “A Bible? I don’t know; we never read one from one year’s end to another. I’ll look and see if I can find one.”
Rummaging amongst the books, she at length brought a Bible out from the bottom of them all, and handed it to him.
Now perhaps the reader will think that these people who set so little store on the Bible were exceptionally wicked; but such was not the case. The young man thus addressed was a regular church-goer, a member of the choir, a partaker of the sacrament, also a member of the local church missionary committee. When, however, he was spoken to about the Scriptures, he evinced the utmost indifference as to their importance, being evidently ignorant of their Divine origin and the eternal blessings they offer to those who obey them, or the eternal doom of those who neglect them.
Such indifference to God’s Word in this favored land of England is appalling. In countries like Spain or Russia, for instance, which seem to be under the power and influence of priests whose aim it is to keep people in a state of ignorance, such a thing would not be strange; but in a country which has been so richly blessed for generations in having liberty to print, publish, and read the Bible, such indifference is shocking to any who love the Lord Jesus, and know something of the value of God’s Word. There may be very few homes without Bibles in this favored land, but, alas! many of those who have them show by their ignorance of God’s ways that they are seldom, if ever, read.
The Bible is the Word of God, God’s message to men. As another has remarked, “The moment we open the Bible, the eye rests upon the words, ‘God said’; and the same words, or similar expressions, such as ‘The Lord spake’ and ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ are found 501 Times in the Pentateuch, 292 Times in the Historical Books and Psalms, 11:11 Times in the Prophets, or 1904 times in the Old Testament; besides almost innumerable allusions to the words contained in these ancient Scriptures as, in fact, the words of Jehovah.”
In the New Testament, the words of the Lord Jesus fully prove them to be God’s Word. “The word which ye hear is not Mine but the Father’s which sent Me” (John 14:2424He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. (John 14:24)); “I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me” (John 17:88For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. (John 17:8)). He was the living Word; God manifest in the flesh; and throughout His brief sojourn here, again and again He turns to the Old Testament writings and sets His seal to their truth in such words as these: “And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me” (Luke 24:4444And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44)); “If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.” Many other kindred sayings are scattered throughout the Gospels.
The apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” &c. To the saints at Rome he writes, “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:44For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4).).
The apostle Peter tells us that “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:2121For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21)); and that “the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which, by the gospel is preached unto you” (1 Peter 1:2525But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. (1 Peter 1:25)).
Truly, indeed, do “the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork” (Psa. 14:11<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.>> The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (Psalm 14:1)), and even this testimony of His eternal power and godhead leaves men without excuse (Rom. 1:2020For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:20)). But in the Bible God makes Himself known, and His sovereign grace comes out to man in his lost condition (“for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”), revealing to him One who is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and who cannot look on iniquity, and yet who can, in virtue of the work of His beloved Son, come down and dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit and trembleth at His word.
The Bible has a unique place. God speaks by it to us. Its claims over men are absolute, and it demands implicit obedience. By it God offers “glory, honor, and peace to everyone that worketh good,” and “tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil” (Rom. 2:9,9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; (Romans 2:9) ED). God’s salvation, concerning His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, is fully set forth by it. If that blessed Word be neglected, the way of salvation cannot be known.
“How shall we escape,
if we neglect so great salvation?” (Heb. 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3)). Reader, if you “neglect,” there is no escape for you; and if God were to call you away by death this moment, or if Christ were to come “in the twinkling of an eye” for His saints and thus close the door, your doom would be forever sealed.
Oh! be warned in time; neglect not God’s offers of mercy another moment. Heed now His gracious warnings, for in one Way or another He is warning you every day. Your very heart, like a muffled drum, is beating its own funeral march to the grave; every breath you draw, every fleeting moment, brings you nearer eternity. God waits in long-suffering mercy, not willing that you should perish, but that you should come to repentance. Won’t you come now? He will receive you with open arms and bless you richly for eternity.
Soon He must cease His calling, and if you are still in your sins, if you have neglected His Word in grace, you will be compelled to hear it in judgment: “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at naught all My counsel, and would none of My reproof: I also will
laugh at your calamity;
J. S.