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ATTRACTIONS OF THE BIBLE.

CHAPTER I

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BIBLE AS A
CLASSICAL BOOK.

Introductory-The Bible as a Classic-The Bible adapted to Childhood-The Bible in the School and College-The Bible in our English version-The Bible in the four great Classic Tongues-The Bible as related to the State and its Schools-The Bible the Palladium of American Institutions-The Bible and the Church of Rome-Concluding remarks.

1. INTRODUCTORY.

In the following pages, addressed mainly, though not exclusively, to our educated youth, it is proposed to present an outline of what may be called the Incidental Attractions of the Bible; or, in other words, to set forth its claims both as a classic, and as a book of general education. As a book of religion, around which cluster all our hopes of immortality, the Bible has merits of the very highest order; and these, with every serious mind, will be, as they ever ought to be, its greatest attractions. But, aside from the religion which it reveals to us, and the good news of salvation which it brings us, the Bible has other attrac tions.

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It is the book of our learning, not less than our religion; the basis of our civilization, not less than our salvation. It is the charter of our rights and liberties, as truly as it is the oracle of our faith, the manual of our devotions, and the anchor of our hopes. It has moulded into shape, and it has quickened into life, the whole body of our secular learning, as well as our theology. It has breathed its own vital spirit into all our science, literature, legislation, philosophy, social and political institutions. It has led the van of ancient and of modern civiliza

tion in its march around the globe. It has been the great well-spring of living water, out of which have issued all the glad streams of intellectual and moral health, that are now found flowing in every civilized land beneath the sun. Thus far, it has been the great educator and civilizer of man; and it is, doubtless, destined to be his greatest educator in all time to come, his most effective civilizer in every dark abode of heathenism throughout the world.

But, whilst it is chiefly as a book of religion, and especially of religious education, that the Bible has spread civilization among the nations; still it is true, that regarded simply as a book of learning, of taste and genius, of history and eloquence, it has exerted an influence which cannot be too highly estimated. As such, it has claims which commend themselves to every cultivated understanding. Independently of all its higher glories—the knowledge which it gives us of the way to heaven, and the hope with which it inspires us of a blessed immortality-there are attractions which may be felt and appreciated even by the irreligious and the worldly-minded. And these, it is our purpose to group together in one distinct and connected view.

Our object will be to speak of the book of God, as a pro

duction of inspired genius and classic taste; to illustrate the beauty of its diction, the wide variety of its biography, and

sublimity of its thoughts, the compass of its history, the vast the infinite range of its imagination; to reveal something of its immeasurable wealth, as a field of knowledge, a mine of wis dom, a model of eloquence, a master-piece of poesy, a fountain of influence, a text-book of instruction; and thus to render it, so far as we shall be able, attractive to all, especially to the young. In other words, we propose to walk around about Jerusalem, to mark well her bulwarks, to admire her beauty, to gaze upon the outer glories of her temple.

As ancient Israel was the glory of all the earth, Jerusalem the glory of Israel, and her temple the glory of Jerusalem, even so is the Bible now to Christianity, and to the world. It is the most glorious, outward, and visible heritage, which has come down from the past. It stands to the Christian and to the Church, as the temple did to the Jew. It is the throne of power. It is the symbol of all greatness. It is the shrine of all good. It is the centre of universal attraction. It is the radiating point of all blessed influences. It contains all the holy records. Within it are found the patterns of things in the heavens-the Ark, the Testimony, the Mercy-Seat, the Manna and the Budding Rod, the Cherubim shadowing with wings, and the Shekinah.

But it is not to gaze upon any of these glories of the inner sanctuary that we are now come. It is to stand before the beautiful gate of this mount of vision; to look around upon all the wonderful adornments of this hill of the Lord, the gold, the silver, the marble and the precious stones, with that kind of enthusiasm which the traveller feels upon the Athenian Acropolis, or the Roman Capitoline. The Bible

is our mount of vision, and its outstanding beauties now attract our view.

It is thought that these characteristics of the Bible may be illustrated by a comparison with other books, by a reference to passing events, by a description of ancient scenes in our current phraseology; that they may be presented in a somewhat modern popular dress, which, while it shall not offend the taste of the scholar on the one hand, nor the piety of the Christian on the other, may attract the attention of our educated youth; and thus become the means of leading them to a better acquaintance with this Divine book. At all events, such is our hope. For in these days of fiction, when the world is so easily turned upside down by every new writer of tales; when history philosophy, and even theology, stoop to the writing of a two-volumed novel as their best achievement; when there are so many books, leading our youth away from the Bible, and creating a distaste for its sacred, truth-loving pages-whatever may be said, be it ever so little, to create a better taste, and lead them back to this book of books, will be so much gained for the cause of sound learning amongst us.

There are many persons who will read a page or chapter, attracted by the sight of some well-known historical name, or some familiar line of poetry, who would otherwise pass it by unread. In like manner, may we not hope, that some of our young friends, allured by a chance illustration from history, or allusion to current events, or comparison of the sacred and profane writers, or favorite quotation from the poets, or, it may be, mere suggestion that there is more science in this venerable book than they had ever given it credit for, will be led thus to peruse it for themselves; to peruse it with growing interest, until, advancing from the less to the greater, and from the outer to

the inner sanctuary, they find for themselves that other attrac tion, which is its chief glory-even a Saviour who is God over all blessed forever. Such, at least, is our desire.

In every generation, prejudice has put the same question respecting this book, which was asked respecting the Master himself at the beginning: "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" And to every sincere, though prejudiced Nathaniel, we cannot do better than to answer in the words of Nathaniel's friend: "Come and see." If you will come and see, if you will read and examine the book for yourselves, our office shall be to act as an humble guide, who, having gone over the ground before, would tell what scenes of beauty and sublimity, and more than earthly glory, we have found in this rich land. We will act the part of Philip, and show to you what others have shown to us.

Still further, it shall be our aim to avoid everything of a controversial and sectarian character. We wish to speak as a address all to whom the

friend of the Bible; and as such, to Bible is addressed. Nothing gives us a more heart-felt pleasure, than to come out, as often as we can, from the inclosures of denominational peculiarities, and stand in the wide, open field of our common Christianity. In exhibiting the attractions of the book of God, we rejoice that it is our privilege to speak in such a way, that all the friends of evangelical truth may feel at home with us, saying: This, too, is our book, this is our heritage forever, the lamp of our feet, the guide of our youth. may all look upon the Bible as we look upon the broad domain of nature, or upon the blue heavens above. It is common property. It is all ours. It all belongs to each of us, because our Father made it. We breathe a common air; we gaze upon the same loveliness; the same landscape smiles in beauty at our

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