STRONGHOLD OF TRUTH
47
is such a thing as the inspiration of selection. The Holy Spirit guided St. John to select out of the materials of our Lord's life, just that which is given us in the Fourth Gospel. You have in St. Luke's preface and St. John 20:31 this proof of selection. Then we also find the inspiration of accurate record. In the Bible we find the words of the devil. They are not true, although they are found in the Bible. We find the words of Job's friends. They are not true, but they are in the Bible. We find the words of God's enemies in the Bible. They are not true. The sentiment is wrong, biit the record of them is true. The sentiment is full of imperfection, but the record is full of perfection. That is the meaning of the inspiration of accurate record. We have to be very careful, therefore, so that if a man next Sunday preaches from a particular text, he must first inquire who said it. An old Welsh preacher once gave out his text this way: "Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life;" and then said, That is a lie! Of course it was. It is the word of Satan. Although in God's book, it is not true of itself, but the record of it is true. Let me say again, there may be imperfection in the sentiment, but no imperfection in the account of it. And so we have to distinguish very carefully in our use of Scripture. I know of a man who thought it appropriate to give a lady a ring on which was embossed the word lVIizpah. She was going on a long voyage, and it seemed suitable to say: "The Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another." But when afterwards that man read the story of the person who said these words, he saw that it meant this: "I cannot trust you out of my sight, and so the Lord Himself must watch you." If that man were giving another ring today, I feel sure he would not give one with Mizpah on it. That word and the corresponding words were given to one another by two suspicious men; and although the Chris tian Endeavorers speak of the Mizpah benediction, they have to do it without regarding the context. We must
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker