Books produced by our fellow-men- of intelligent, learned, gifted persons -are read with pleasure or profit once, twice, thrice it may be, according to their value. We have understood their meaning, their object, their lessons, and further reading would yield nothing more. The book is set aside.
Not so with THE BOOK. It spans the whole history of man upon earth. The simplicity of its language, the naturalness of its narratives, of its biographies, of its histories, appeal to us as a book of truth. Even in speaking of wonderful and deepest subjects, as Creation, the incarnation of the Son of God, His life and works of power on earth, redemption by His "blood, His resurrection and ascension to glory-all is told in simple language, free from the profusion of adjectives which we are so prone to use in connection with great subjects or mighty issues. The narrator is above human excitement-he is in the hand of One above man as the heavens are above the earth.
But this is very far short of the marvels of the Scriptures. As the particles of gold along the stream reveal to the experienced eye mines of unexplored wealth in the neighboring mountains, so do the Scripture narratives, histories or biographies, with the whole Jewish system of sacrifices and ordinances, point to greater and better things than what lies upon the surface:the material and natural things point to spiritual and enduring realities. Here are mines of much unexplored wealth which only the wisdom and knowledge of God could have provided and stored for the blessing and instruction of His people. To such things our Lord could point His wandering disciples on their way to Emmaus, on the day of His resurrection, when, "beginning at Moses and all the prophets"- in both type and prophecy-" He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Is it any wonder that they afterwards confessed to each other, " Did not our hearts burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures ?" (Luke 24 :25-27). In the strength of this, and in their joy to know Him as their living Lord, they soon rejoined their company. Does not the truth of Scripture and the person of Jesus still unite His disciples?
The Power of the Truth
Until a century ago the truth of the Lord's coming as the Church's present hope had been all but forgotten. The "virgins" had all fallen asleep, and "the blessed hope " lay buried under various traditions in opposition to that hope.
Then came the Voice, as a wind from heaven, reawakening faithful souls to the Lord's own promise:"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will-come again and receive you unto Myself." And lo, the books of prophecy were reopened. The hopes of the Church and the promises to Israel; the distinctions between the heavenly calling of the Bride and the promises of blessing and glory to Israel upon earth, were distinctly set forth in their order according to Scripture.
As might be expected, the Adversary soon exercised his ingenuity to offset the power of such truth. If the truth could not be denied, he might discredit it by introducing and mixing with it various pretensions, such as "gifts of tongues," miraculous powers, apostolic and prophetic assumptions mixed with insidious errors as to the person of Christ, as in Irvingism, and more modern forms of these errors. But the lamp of truth soon exposed these impositions and branded the errors as the product of the father of lies. The truth, overwhelmingly opposed in the great House of worldly profession, has maintained itself amid it all, until nearly all those who bow to God's word confess to the recovered truth-the Church's blessed and near hope, disentangled and distinct from the promises to Israel, now also looming up as at hand.
The New York "Prophetic Conference"
A conference on the Lord's coming, as the hope of the Church, and of Israel's restoration to their land according to prophecy, and the outlook of present events, was held in New York in the latter part of November. The large "Carnegie Hall," with a seating capacity of 3,500, was entirely filled every day of the conference, with some hundreds unable to be accommodated. It gives joy to say that the whole range of prophetic truth spoken upon was well and truly presented by various and well-known speakers connected with various Protestant denominations. It is another proof how the ears and hearts of God's people have been reopened to prophecy in its various lines and applications. A complete report is announced as in press Copies may be ordered from this office. Price, in paper covers, 50 cents.; cloth, $1.00.