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only barely mention this, though it is a Bible-reading in itself. The Bible is spoken o f as God’s seed. Luke 8:11; Jas. 1:21 “ The seed is the word o f G od;” W e are born o f the word, 1 Pet. 1 :23. W e grow by the word, 1 Pet. 2 :2. W e are cleansed by the word, John 15:3. W e are sanctified by the word, J oh n -17:17.. W e are pro tected by the word, Eph. 6:17, “ The sword o f the Spirit.” W e are edified by the word, Acts 20:32, “Able to build you up.” W e are illuminated by the word, Psa. 119:105^ “ Thy word is a lamp to my feet.” W e are converted by the word, Psa. 19:11, and we are satisfied with the word, Psa. 119:103, “ How sweet are Thy words to my mouth.” Surely a word that can do all this must have power in it. There is a Latin phrase, solvitur ambulando, which word o f God in experience is the greatest proof we can have, and if we allow the things I have mentioned to become part and parcel o f our. life, we shall know what the power o f God means. VIII. The Verification of the Bible. From the work o f the Bible in our own souls will come, this verification o f the Bible in our efforts on behalf o f others. If you want to verify the Bible, go out and win souls for Christ—do personal, work. I believe that a great number o f our problems are theoretical. They come from colleges, from studies and places where people sit in their carpet slippers and spin theories absolutely remote from human life. Go down into the slums and tell a man o f the Lord Jesus Christ, and get that man to ask, What must I do to be saved? and you will very soon get verification o f the Word o f G od ! And when you have that, you will not need any further testimony to its power. You will find that by proving it, and you will soon see what it does. A sailor had just returned from a whal ing voyage, and he was taken by a friend to hear an eloquent preacher. After the sermon, he said, “Jack, wasn’t that a fine sermon?” “Yes, it was shipshape,” said Jack; “the mast just high enough, the sails and the rigging all right, but I did not
see any harpoons. When a vessel goes on a whaling voyage, the great thing is to get the whales, but they do not come because you have a fine ship ; you must go after them and harpoon them. The preacher is the whaler, he is sent to catch them. Think how many sermons like that it would take to convert a sinner and make him cry out, W hat must I do to be saved?’ Think o f Peter on the day o f Pentecost; he referred to the prophecies, to the Incarna tion and the Resurrection o f Christ, and the outpouring o f the Spirit, and then when he had gained the attention- o f the crowd he drove the lesson home with: ‘Jesus whom ye crucified.’ That is the harpoon.” The great peril o f today is the separa tion o f the Spirit from the Word. The two are in reality inseparable. The Spirit of truth will guide into all truth. The Holy Spirit is not a frame o f mind, but a divine power, and it is a significant fact today, that so few books in Germany, England, and Scotland deal with the revelation o f the Holy Spirit in relation’to the Bible. It is impossible for a book that comes from the Holy Spirit to be without the power and the illumination o f the Spirit. It is impos sible for us to have-this Book that comes from God, without the assurance that God will guide and bless, every earnest reader. The reason why there is so much darkness and dulness, and the need o f Christian experience and insight, is that we take the Book and we forget the Author o f it, the Spirit o f God Who gave it. But when these two are together, the Spirit illuminat ing the Book, and the Book speaking the mind o f the Spirit, then the result is abso lutely certain for ourselves and for others. Let us, therefore, take heed to ourselves, and pray for spiritual light and guidance whenever we use the W ord .. “With prayer to Thee, Lord, may I read Whate’er shall to my Saviour lead, O let Thy Spirit now impart, A humble mind, a lowly heart; Be Thou my Saviour, Thou my guide,
That whfif I read may be applied, My danger and my refuge show, And let me Thy salvation know.”
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