Life in the Word 153 book which is written for a serious purpose begins to become obsolete before the ink is dry on the page. This may be made the occasion of boasting of the great progess of humanity, and of the wonderful advances of “s c ie n c e b u t the true signifi cance of the fact is that man’s books are all, like himself, dying creatures. The Bible, on the other hand, although it treats of the greatest and most serious of all subjects, such as God, Christ, eternity, life, death, sin, righteousness, judgment, redemption— is always the latest, best, and only authority on all these and other weighty matters' whereof it treats. Centuries of progress and “advancement” have added absolutely nothing to the sum of knowledge on any of these subjects. The Bible is always fresh and thoroughly “up to date.” Indeed it is far, far ahead of human science. Progress cannot overtake it, or get beyond it. Generation succeeds generation, but each finds the Bible waiting for it with its ever fresh and never failing stores of information touching matters of the highest concern, touch ing everything that affects the welfare of human beings. V. SCIENCE AND THE BIBLE Human teachers and teachings have, indeed, frequently set themselves in opposition to some of the statements of the Bible; and it has often been announced, upon human authority, that errors in history and in matters of science have been detected in the Bible. Some, indeed, have endeavored to save the reputa tion and authority of the Bible by saying that it was not written to teach men “science.” In a sense this is true. The Bible was not written to impart that kind of knowledge which “puffeth up,” but just the contrary. It was written to impart that kind of information which takes man down by showing him his true position as a ruined, perishing creature, under the con- demnation and power of death, and utterly “without strength,” that is to say, incapable of doing anything to deliver himself out of this deplorable condition. It declares that, “if any man
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