June 1925
THE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
255
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w ( ^ TK( Books o f th e Bibli By G ertrude H artley
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JILLIAM Ew art Gladstone, England’s “ Grand Old Man, and prime m inister for many years, was a life-long studen t of the Bible. Numerous stories are told of his rem arkable fam iliarity w ith the Scriptures, the facility w ith which he used his knowledge, and his general devotion to all things pertaining to the Book of books. On one occasion Mr. Gladstone, as chancellor of the exchequer, was conferring w ith a delegation of directors of the Limerick & W aterford Railway Company. The depu
In F irs t and Second SAMUEL of Jesse's son we read; Ten tribes in F irs t and Second KINGS revolted from his seed. The F irs t and Second CHRONICLES see Jud ah captive made; But EZRA leads a rem nan t back by princely Cyrus’ aid. The city walls of Zion, NEHEMIAH builds again; W hilst ESTHER saves h er people from plots of wicked men. In JOB we read how faith will live beneath affliction’s rod. And David’s PSALMS are precious to every child of God. The PROVERBS, like a goodly strin g of choicest pearls appear;
tation included Joseph Robin son, an Irishm an of some prom inence. L ike many other mem bers of the Society of Friends, Mr. Robinson made it a prac tice to have w ith him a t all times a liberal supply of tracts, which he distributed in his courteous, kindly way, alike to rich and poor, high and low, suiting, in so far as he was able to judge, th e pamphlet to th e recipient’s needs. At the conclusion of the con ference, as the comm ittee was about to depart, Mr. Robinson stepped up to Mr. G ladstone’s desk, asked if he m ight leave w ith him a tra c t which he felt sure even so busy a man as he would read w ith pleasure, of fering him a leaflet entitled “The Books of the Bible.” W ith a smile th e prime m in ister took the little sheet, ran h is-e y e quickly over it, and exclaimed: “Mr. Robinson, this is rem arkable. An hou r ago Mrs. Gladstone and I were reading th e Bible, when she rem arked th a t she did not re call ever having seen an epi tomized statem en t of the Bible and its contents -written in
ECCLESIASTES teaches man how vain are all things here. The mystic SONG OF SOLO MON exalts sweet Sharon’s. Rose; W hilst Christ the Saviour and the King the rap t ISAIAH shows. The warning JEREMIAH apos ta te Israel scorns; His plaintive LAMENTATIONS th eir awful downfall mourns. EZEKIEL tells:; in wondrous words of dazzling mysteries, W hilst kings and empires yet to come, Daniel in vision sees. Of judgm ent and of m e r c y HOSEA loves to tell; JOEL describes th e blessed days when God w ith men shall dwell. Among Tekoa’s herdmen AMOS received his call. While OBADIAH prophesies of Edom ’s final fall. JONAH enshrines a wondrous type of Christ our risen Lord, MICAH pronounces Jud ah lost “ lost, bu t again restored. NAHUM declares on Nineveh ju st j u d g m e n t shall be poured. A view of Chaldea’s coming doom HABAKKUK’S visions give;' ; Next ZEPHANIAH warns the Jews to tu rn , repent, and live. HAGGAI w rote to those who
W ILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE E ngland’s “G rand^H ld M an”
t a xt saw th e temple bu ilt again, And ZECHARIAH prophesies of Christ’s trium p h an t reign. MALACHI was the last who .touched the high prophetic chord; I t’s final notes sublimely show the coming of the Lord. MATTHEW and MARK, and LUKE and JOHN th e Holy Gospels wrote, ■ J Describing how the Savior died, His life and all He taught. ACTS prove how God the apostles owned w ith signs in every place; Saint Paul in Romans teaches us how man is saved by grace The apostle in CORINTHIANS instructs, exhorts, reproves! lovesIANS Sh°WS th a t faUh ln Chrlst alone the F ath e r B B B | and PH IL IPP IANS te ll w hat Christians ought COLOSSIANS bids us live to God and for eternity. In THESSALONIANS we are ta u g h t the Lord will come from heaven; In TIMOTHY and TITUS a bishop’s ru le is given. (Continued on page 287)
verse. Our conversation was in terrup ted by your arrival, ahd here you have given me th e very thing of which we spoke. Sir, I th a n k you.” The au tho r of the lines referred to is unknown, bu t they were published by the Religious T ract Society, and have been widely circulated in America and Australia, as well as England. They read as follows: Books of th e Bible In F x n n n t HBBSWaS made by God’s creative hand; La?d°DUS Hebrews “ arched to gain the Prom ised g B B S B S contains th e Law, holy, and just, and good; NUMBERS records th e tribes enrolled— all sons of A bra ham ’s blood. a B r a v e f 6C0rds God’s m ighty deeds; Brave JOSHUA into Canaan’s land th e host of Israel leads. f t i t R t m r reenr / ebt t lli0r11- ^ t proyokes the Lord to smite, But RUTH records the faith of one well pleasing in His
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