Testimony o f the Scriptures to Themselves 41 bom again by God’s Word. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” It is God’s Revelation that faith hears, and it is on God revealed that faith rests. (2) The Bible is the Word of God. I t comes to us announced by miracles and heralded with fire. Take the Old Testament—Mount Sinai; take the New Testament—Pente- cost. Would God Himself stretch out His hand and write on tables in the giving, and send down tongues of fire for the proclamation of a Revelation, every particle and shred of which was not His own? In other words, would He work miracles and send down tongues of fire to signalize a work merely human, or even partly human and partly Divine? How unworthy of God, how impious, how utterly impossible the supposition! (3) The Bible comes clothed with authority in the high- handed and exalted terms of its address. God in the Bible speaks out of a whirlwind and with the voice of Elias, What grander proof of literal inspiration can be than in the high- handed method and imperative tone of prophets and apostles which enabled them—p oor men, obscure, and without an influence; fishermen, artisans, publicans, day-laborers—to brave and boldly teach the world from Pharaoh and from Nero down? Was this due to anything less than God speak- ing in them—t o the overpowering impulse and seizure of God? Who can believe it? Who is not struck with the power and the wisdom of God? “His words were in my bones,” cries one. “I could not stay. The lion hath roared, who will not fear; the Lord hath spoken, Who can but prophesy ?” (4) The Bible is the optime of authority, because it is from first to last a glorious projection on the widest scale of the decrees of God. The sweep of the Bible is from the creation of angels to a new heaven and new earth, across a lake of fire. What a field for events! What an expanse
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker