,transcribed from the #ahhc ,church of ,england ,book ,society edition by ,david ,price1 email ccx#jgdpglaf4org ,,witnesses ,,to ,,truth4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,edward ,,hoare1 ,m4,a41 ,,vicar ,,of ,,trinity ,,church1 ,,tunbridge ,,wells2 ,,and ,,honorary ,,canon ,,of ,,canterbury4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,authorized ,,edition4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,england ,,book ,,society1 #aa1 ,,adam ,,street1 ,,strand4 #ahhc4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,difficulties #e ,,the ,,races #ah ,,the ,,jews #cc ,,palestine #de ,,scoffers #ei ,,the ,,sacraments #gj ,,difficulties4 ,,the ,bible has been compared to a river in which a child may wade1 and an elephant swim2 by which is meant that it is full of practical truth so plainly revealed that a little child may rejoice in it1 while at the same time it is full of truth so deep that the loftiest intellect of man is very soon out of its depth in the study of it4 ,thus there are few things more beautifully simple than a living faith4 ,it is the unquestioning trust of one who loves his ,god and ,saviour2 the calm repose of the dependent heart on ,one who has summed up ,his ,gospel in the words 8,come unto ,me40 ,thus there are thousands1 and tens of thousands1 of happy believers who have accepted the great salvation just as ,god has given it2 and who1 without perplexing their minds about matters which they cannot understand1 most thankfully receive what ,god has revealed1 and rejoice in it with their whole hearts as belonging to themselves and their children4 ,as little children they receive and trust1 the result of which is that they rest in their ,saviour as a child rests in its mother's arms4 ,i believe there are those by whom such persons are despised1 and by whom they are regarded as weak1 foolish1 and contemptible2 but they have the joy of the ,lord1 and1 instead of being despised1 they may well be envied by those who1 in the consciousness of superior intellect1 consider themselves qualified to despise their folly4 ,but1 while we rejoice in this simple and childlike ,christian faith1 it is vain to deny that in 8the deep things of ,god0 there are difficulties1 and that there are other minds to whom these difficulties are a source of real and grave perplexity4 ,i am not now speaking of those who delight in magnifying difficulties1 and whose only object in reading their ,bible is to find out something at which they may cavil2 but ,i am speaking rather of thoughtful men who respect religion1 and are not opposed to truth2 who have never set their face against the ,gospel2 and to whom it would be a real cause of heartfelt thanksgiving if they were able to receive1 in the simplicity of faith1 the great salvation revealed to them in the ,word of ,god4 ,they have no wish to be unbelievers2 their hearts are not set against the truth2 and they believe enough to make them long to believe the whole4 ,but there are some things that perplex them1 and there are certain difficulties which they cannot quite get over4 ,now1 without the slightest hesitation or disguise1 ,i fully and frankly admit that there are very serious difficulties in the revelation of ,god1 and difficulties which ,i believe it is not in the power of the human intellect to solve4 ,when1 therefore1 a person says that he cannot understand all that is revealed1 ,i agree with him4 ,if he add that on that account he cannot believe1 ,i altogether dissent from his conclusion2 but as to the existence of difficulties he is undoubtedly right4 ,we1 who believe1 know perfectly well1 and fully admit1 that there are things in divine revelation which we are altogether unable either to explain or understand4 ,think1 for example1 of the divinity of our blessed ,lord and ,saviour1 and the perfect union of a divine and human nature in ,his one sacred person4 ,i am not afraid to state plainly my firm conviction that no human intellect can explain it4 ,if ,he were only an appearance of ,god ,himself that would be intelligible2 or if ,he were only man endued with very high qualifications1 that again would be within our reach2 but that ,he should be in ,his one person both perfect ,god and perfect man1 or1 in other words1 both infinite and finite1 that ,i believe to be far beyond the reach of human explanation4 ,it is the same with the doctrine of election1 and its union with human responsibility4 ,the two appear to be opposed to each other1 but1 notwithstanding that1 they are both found in the ,gospel4 ,how can it be explained8 ,how can it be8 ,i cannot tell4 ,some people meet the difficulty by cutting out one side1 and some by cutting out the other2 but neither one process of excision nor the other can satisfy a really thinking mind4 ,and the difficulty remains1 for we find both sides in ,scripture4 ,who1 again1 can explain a resurrection8 ,we see in spring that wonderful revival of life which is a type of it4 ,but who can explain the thing itself8 ,what physician1 or what scientific philosopher1 can explain how the dead shall be made alive8 ,whenever it is done it must be done by some power of which man knows nothing1 so that the resurrection of the dead is something which1 to the knowledge of man1 appears impossible4 ,then again1 in conclusion1 look around on all the sin and misery of the world4 ,we know that it is explained in the ,scriptural account of the fall1 and that there is a remedy provided in ,christ ,jesus4 ,but there is something inexpressibly appalling in the facts4 ,here is this beautiful world1 that appears to have been created as a happy home for holy inhabitants1 filled with sin1 misery1 ruin1 pain1 anguish1 remorse1 strife1 sickness1 and ultimately death4 ,and when we think of the words1 8,in the beginning ,god created the heaven and the earth10 and when we contrast the ,creator with the present condition of creation1 there is enough to fill the heart with amazement1 and to make the thoughtful man exclaim1 8,how can these things be80 ,now with this full and frank acknowledgment of difficulty we are brought face to face with the question1 ,what effect should these difficulties have on our faith8 ,should they shake it1 or should they confirm it8 ,should they lead us to give up the ,gospel1 or should they establish our trust1 and induce us to cleave to it more stedfastly than ever8 ,some people will say1 8,give it up10 and will tell you1 because there are difficulties to settle1 to settle down in sceptical distrust6 ,but surely they are not wise in giving such advice1 nor in acting on such principles4 ,they certainly do not act so in common life1 and such conduct is not in harmony with the wisdom of the world4 ,can you explain how a little thin vapour rising up from boiling water can force a long line of heavy-laden carriages through the country at the rate of fifty miles an hour8 ,but you rely on the arrangements of those who can1 and1 trusting them1 you do not refuse to take your seat in the train4 ,can you explain all the deep currents of the ocean1 or how it is that water became endowed with such properties as to bear up a great1 heavy1 iron ship8 ,but you trust those who have constructed the vessel1 and1 without attempting to understand the construction1 you do not hesitate to go to sea4 ,can you explain the chemical properties of medicine1 or how it is that it will act on your system and do you good8 ,but you trust a physician1 and you take it4 ,can you explain how it is that the will1 that secret1 hidden1 indescribable power within you1 makes your hand move in obedience to your wish8 ,but would you on that account think it wise never to move your limbs8 ,the fact is that in practical life we are surrounded in all directions with things which we cannot explain1 and problems which we cannot solve4 ,we cannot escape from such difficulties2 they meet us at every turn4 ,but in daily life we never think of them4 ,our practical conduct is not affected by them4 ,we see what we have to do1 and we do it4 ,we take our place in the train1 we go on board the ship1 we send our telegram1 we eat our food1 and we move our limbs1 without ever endeavouring to solve the mysteries which underlie all that we are doing4 ,now all ,i ask is that men should act on the same principle with reference to the ,gospel4 ,there are1 as ,i have said1 difficulties1 and if you never act until they are solved1 a weary time you will have to wait4 ,but there is also a plain1 simple1 clear word of invitation2 there is a great salvation prepared1 presented1 and proclaimed4 ,there is a way of life so clearly taught that he may run that readeth it4 ,so the wise course is to say1 8,difficulty or no difficulty1 ,i accept the invitation10 and to act practically just as you do with your food or your medicine4 ,your physician gives you medicine1 and1 though you cannot explain how it will act1 you take it in trust4 ,so your ,god gives you ,his salvation1 and your part is to accept ,his gift1 and leave it to ,him to solve the deep mysteries of ,his hidden will4 ,but ,i cannot leave the subject there1 for ,i am prepared to maintain that these difficulties should confirm the faith1 and to claim them even as 8witnesses to truth40 #a4 ,they are witnesses to the truth of the ,scriptures1 for in them we are told that we are sure to meet with them4 ,while1 as ,i have already said1 the way of life is presented so clearly that he may run that readeth it1 there is at the same time the perfectly clear statement that we must expect to find difficulties in the revelation of ,god4 ,only look at ,st4 ,peter's description of ,st4 ,paul's ,epistles in #b ,peter iii4 #af4 ,in that passage he associates those ,epistles with the other ,scriptures1 and plainly declares that they contain some things 8hard to be understood40 ,are we then to be surprised if1 in reading them1 we meet with things 8hard to be understood10 or if we meet with men who venture to cavil at them1 and so wrest them to their own destruction8 ,i am prepared to maintain that if in ,st4 ,paul's ,epistles1 and the other ,scriptures1 there had been nothing 8hard to be understood10 then ,st4 ,peter himself would not have spoken truth4 ,the difficulties in the writings of ,st4 ,paul are necessary to the complete truth of the ,epistle of ,st4 ,peter4 ,so ,st4 ,paul himself plainly teaches us that our knowledge in this world is only partial4 ,only refer to his language in #a ,cor4 xiii4 #ab4 ,there are two facts there stated--first1 that our vision is indistinct1 and then that it is limited4 ,it is indistinct1 for we see through a glass darkly1 or through a dull refractor2 and it is limited1 for we know only in part4 8,now we see through a glass1 darkly2 but then face to face3 now ,i know in part2 but then shall ,i know even as also ,i am known40 ,are we to be surprised then if we do not enjoy a full1 clear1 sun-light vision of the whole8 ,and is not the indistinctness of our vision a proof of the truth of the ,scriptures8 ,so we meet in the ,scriptures with the full recognition of the selfsame difficulties that arise in modern times4 ,these difficulties are no new discoveries of the sharpened intellect of the nineteenth century1 but are as old as the ,gospel itself4 ,do you find a difficulty in explaining the perfect union of a perfect ,godhead and a perfect manhood in the one person of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ8 ,i acknowledge frankly1 8,so do ,i40 ,i am not afraid to acknowledge that ,i cannot explain it1 and that ,i believe no one can4 ,but my point is that the ,scriptures have prepared us for it1 and that it is the very difficulty which our ,lord ,himself presented to the ,pharisees when ,he said1 8,if ,david then call him ,lord1 how is he his son80 7,matt xxii4 #de47 ,do you find a difficulty in the doctrine of 8election10 and are you unable to reconcile the gift of life to a chosen number with the perfect equity of the universal government of ,god8 ,if so1 remember that there is nothing new in such a difficulty4 ,it is as old as the ,gospel itself1 and it is fully recognized in the ,scriptures4 ,nothing can be more perfectly clear than the statement made respecting it in ,romans ix4 #a-ac1 or than the full recognition of the difficulty in verse #ad--8,what shall we say then8 ,is there unrighteousness with ,god8 ,god forbid40 ,so1 once more1 with the resurrection4 ,does it appear impossible that the dead should rise again8 ,are you unable to conceive the possibility of a body1 lost in the ocean1 burnt in the flames1 or corrupted in the grave1 being restored to unity1 life1 and vigour8 ,i grant you that it does seem impossible4 ,i see the difficulty as much as any of you4 ,but let no man suppose that this difficulty is new1 or the discovery of it the result of his own independent intellect2 for in the ,scriptures of truth we are fully prepared for it4 ,we are not taken by surprise1 for we were warned of it #ahjj years ago in our ,bibles2 for there we read1 in verse #ce of the great resurrection chapter 7#a ,cor4 xv471 8,but some man will say1 ,how are the dead raised up8 and with what body do they come80 ,possibly there may be1 at this present time1 some whom ,i am addressing1 actually fulfilling that prophecy1 and so living amongst us as unintentional 8witnesses to its truth40 ,but1 whether there are or not1 my point is that the difficulties themselves are 8witnesses to the truth of the ,word of ,god40 ,the ,bible says1 plainly and repeatedly1 that there are things 8hard to be understood10 and1 therefore1 if ,i were to meet with nothing of the kind1 and if everything contained in ,st4 ,paul's ,epistles and the other ,scriptures were perfectly plain1 the only conclusion at which ,i could arrive would be that those ,scriptures had not given a true description of the fact4 ,now1 however1 ,i find them in this most important matter perfectly true4 ,the objection of the sceptic only leads me to trust my ,bible4 ,if there were no difficulties1 then ,i should begin to be afraid that my ,bible could not be from ,god4 ,but now the infidel himself is one of the best 8witnesses0 that ,i can put into the witness-box1 and the very argument which he brings against the possibility of the fulfilment of the promises of ,god is an evidence1 as clear as the noonday sun1 of the wisdom1 the foreknowledge1 and the perfect acquaintance with the human understanding1 with which ,god inspired1 #ahjj years ago1 7by ,his ,holy ,spirit7 the ,scriptures of truth4 ,it reminds me of the words of the apostle--8,let ,god be true1 but every man a liar40 ,but this is not all2 for not only are these difficulties exactly what are revealed in the ,scriptures1 but they are also exactly what1 as thinking men1 we ought to expect in a divine revelation4 ,let us think what we mean by a divine revelation4 ,we mean1 the communication from an infinite ,god to fallen man1 of ,his own plan for the salvation of the sinner4 ,now what would a reasonable person expect in such a communication8 ,he would expect ,him to inform us of all that concerned our own action1 and to make plain to us the way of life in which it is ,his will that we should walk2 but he would not expect ,him to indulge our craving after full information respecting ,his own hidden being1 or the mode and power by which ,he would carry out ,his promises4 ,he would expect ,him to make ,his promises plain1 but he would not expect ,him to explain to us ,his divine plan for their fulfilment2 he would expect ,him to do exactly what ,he has done in the case of the resurrection--promise it faithfully1 and so lead us to trust ,himself1 without giving any explanation as to the mode or the instrumentality by which that promise should be fulfilled4 ,and this is exactly the principle which ,he ,himself has laid down in ,his own ,word1 as when ,he said 7,deut4 xxix41 #bi71 8,the secret things belong unto ,god10 i4e4 they are hidden in the depths of ,his own infinite mind2 8but those things which are revealed belong unto us1 and to our children for ever1 that we may do all the words of this law20 i4e4 all that ,he has revealed we may freely make use of1 and even our little children may learn in it the blessed secret of a ,father's love4 ,but does it not follow that the moment we attempt to reach into the secrets of ,god we are perfectly certain to meet with difficulty8 ,we get out of depth directly1 and are like people who cannot swim4 ,for how can the human mind1 for one moment1 expect to solve the mysteries of the deep things of ,god8 ,how can it aspire either to fathom its depths1 or to scale its heights8 ,think for one moment what man is1 a little creature on this little ball of earth1 here for a few years1 and then passing away for ever4 ,and think what ,he is1 8the high and lofty ,one that inhabiteth eternity1 whose name is ,holy10 the 8everlasting ,god1 the ,creator of the ends of the earth40 ,and is it likely that man should be able to put as it were into the balances the deep mysteries of ,his eternal will8 ,when ,zophar thought of it he said 7,job xi4 #g1 #h71 8,canst thou by searching find out ,god8 canst thou find out the ,almighty unto perfection8 ,it is as high as heaven2 what canst thou do8 deeper than hell2 what canst thou know80 ,when ,david thought of the knowledge of ,god1 he said 7,psalm cxxxix4 #f71 8,such knowledge is too wonderful for me2 it is high1 ,i cannot attain unto it40 ,when ,st4 ,paul was meeting the objection of those who cavilled at the righteousness of the government of ,god1 he met them with the words 7,rom4 ix4 #bj71 8,nay1 but1 ,o man1 who art thou that repliest against ,god8 ,shall the thing formed say to him that formed it1 ,why hast thou made me thus80 ,and when the ,sadducees put a difficult puzzle on the subject of the resurrection1 our ,lord ,himself silenced them with the words1 8,ye do err1 not knowing the ,scriptures1 nor the power of ,god40 7,matt4 xxii #bi47 ,and were they not all right8 ,shall the finite sit in judgment on the infinite8 the created on the ,creator8 the man of to-day on the ,god of all eternity8 ,and are we to doubt ,his revelation because we cannot fathom the depths of ,his wisdom nor the hidden mysteries of ,his being8 ,nay1 rather1 are not those very depths witnesses to the divinity of ,his revelation8 ,if it were all so shallow that any young man could wade in it without wetting even his ancles1 might we not then believe that it came from some shallow mind no deeper than his own8 ,if it contained no mysteries1 might we not begin to doubt whether it really came from a mysterious ,god8 ,so these difficulties of which we hear so much in modern times1 these difficulties on which so many of our young men are so perfectly ready to decide1 and on account of which they are even tempted to cast aside the revelation of ,god--these very difficulties are to us who believe1 divine 8witnesses0 to the divine authorship of the whole4 ,had the ,book been a man's book1 drawn up by man to commend itself to the mind of man1 it never would have had in it those high and holy mysteries by which we see the intellect of man altogether baffled4 ,man's mind would have produced nothing which man's mind could not comprehend4 ,we may rejoice1 therefore1 in 8the breadth1 and length1 and depth1 and height20 and1 instead of being dismayed or disheartened because we cannot fathom the unfathomable depths of the unfathomable counsels of our ,god1 we would rather say with ,st4 ,paul1 8,who hath known the mind of the ,lord8 or who hath been ,his counsellor80 and cling1 with more tenacity than ever1 to this sacred and holy ,book1 thus shown by its very mystery to be superhuman and supernatural1 nothing less than a revelation from ,god4 ,,the ,,races4 ,,our subject now is one of almost unlimited extent1 for we are to call as 8witnesses0 the races of the world4 ,we are to take the evidence of ,europe1 ,asia1 ,africa1 and ,america1 and of all the nations1 tongues1 peoples1 and languages that are dispersed throughout them2 and we are to consider the evidence which they bear to the inspiration of the ,scriptures4 ,as some limit must be put to such an enquiry1 ,i propose to confine our thoughts to the study of one passage of ,scripture2 viz41 ,gen4 ix4 #be-bg1 8,cursed be ,canaan2 a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren4 ,and he said1 ,blessed be the ,lord ,god of ,shem2 and ,canaan shall be his servant4 ,god shall enlarge ,japheth1 and he shall dwell in the tents of ,shem2 and ,canaan shall be his servant40 ,some people appear to speak with great disrespect of the ,pentateuch4 ,it is well1 therefore1 to take from it an ancient prophecy1 and to study first the historical truth1 and secondly the prophetical accuracy of these remarkable words4 ,i4 ,,the ,,historical ,,truth4 ,it is not an uncommon thing in these days to set science in opposition to the ,scriptures1 and to speak as if the one were opposed to the other4 ,as a general rule1 the persons who do so are persons who have a very shallow acquaintance with either1 for the truly scientific man1 and the true student of the ,scriptures1 are both so conscious of their own limited attainments in the face of the vast fields of unlimited knowledge which are still unexplored1 that they are sure to feel humbly on the subject1 and to be very shy of bold assertions respecting matters that they do not understand4 ,but1 instead of science being opposed to the ,scriptures1 we are quite prepared to call in science as a witness to its truth2 for science is the study of the creation of ,god1 and it would be indeed strange if ,his own works were at variance with ,his ,word4 ,so we will turn now1 if ,god permit1 to one of the great results of modern scientific discovery1 and see what testimony it bears to the truth of the ,pentateuch4 ,the particular branch to which ,i would refer is what is called 8,ethnology10 or the study of the nations of the world4 ,this is comparatively quite a modern science1 for it is only quite lately that the world has been thrown open to the investigation of scientific men4 ,the two means by which it has been thrown open have been the steam-engine1 and ,christian missions4 ,the steam-engine has enabled investigators to travel in all directions1 and ,christian missions have led to the study of hundreds of languages that were previously unknown4 ,the history of one of these languages is worth recording4 ,when the late ,mr4 ,darwin visited the islands of ,tierra del ,fuego1 in the celebrated voyage of the ,beagle1 he considered the inhabitants to be below ordinary manhood1 and to have no language4 ,but a devoted missionary1 settled amongst them1 has not only found that they have a language1 but he has learned it1 reduced it to writing1 and translated into it the ,gospel of ,st4 ,luke4 ,it has been printed by the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 and is now read amongst the people4 ,mr4 ,darwin1 being a truly scientific man1 was so deeply interested at the discovery of his own mistake1 that for the last few years of his life he subscribed #e a year to the ,south ,american ,missionary ,society4 ,thus the missionary movement has brought about a vast increase of scientific knowledge respecting the languages of the world1 and scientific men have had before them a mass of fresh material to which their predecessors had no access whatever4 ,the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society has circulated the ,scriptures in no less than #bej languages1 by far the greater number of which had never before been reduced to writing4 ,by this means there has been an immense impetus given to the researches of scientific men4 ,the two points to which especial attention has been directed have been the structure of language1 and the formation of the skull4 ,on these two points men of science have most carefully collected information from all quarters of the globe--north1 south1 east1 and west2 and they have endeavoured to group1 or classify1 the various scattered nations of mankind4 ,and now ,i come to the most remarkable and assuring fact1 that1 after patient1 laborious1 and most elaborate scientific comparison1 they have come to the conclusion that all the nations of the earth may be grouped into three great families1 and have probably descended from three original centres4 ,they name these three great divisions the ,aryan1 the ,semitic1 and the ,turanian4 ,but we need not trouble ourselves about the names4 ,the classification itself is the matter of supreme importance2 for in this discovery of the nineteenth century we find the full confirmation of the account1 written by ,moses more than #c1jjj years ago1 of the three sons of ,noah surviving the flood more than #d1jjj years ago4 ,in that narrative we find the account of mankind starting afresh under three heads1 ,shem1 ,ham1 and ,japheth4 ,since that time there have elapsed more than #d1jjj years1 and now1 in this nineteenth century1 after all the changes that have taken place1 we find a body of learned and unprejudiced men1 enabled by the discovery of steam to discover amongst mankind1 as we now exist1 precisely the same threefold division that is described in the ,scriptures as having taken place in the days of ,noah4 ,now how are we to explain this fact8 ,what is the cause of this strange coincidence8 ,it is utterly impossible that the ,mosaic record should have been constructed in order to suit the scientific discoveries of our own day4 ,and those who honour science would be the last to admit that men of science have constructed their system on the lines of the ,mosaic record4 ,but1 there is one word that is a key to the whole1 one word that is the connecting-link between the fifteenth century before ,christ1 and the nineteenth century after ,him2 between the statements of the ,scripture and the researches of science1 and that one word settles all4 ,that one word is ,truth1 truth in science1 and truth in ,scripture2 truth in the ,word1 and truth in the works of ,god4 ,but we have not yet done with history1 for the tenth chapter of ,genesis gives us some idea of the direction in which these three great families spread themselves over the surface of the globe4 ,a moment's thought will be sufficient to show that it must be next to impossible to trace these descriptions now4 ,vast changes have taken place during the #d1jjj years that have elapsed4 ,cities have sprung up and disappeared2 whole nations have risen to power1 and passed away2 names have changed2 there have been migrations1 invasions1 captivities1 and dispersions2 so that the different families have in many cases been strangely intermingled4 ,but still there is a certain outline given in the ,pentateuch1 and a certain outline agreed upon by the men of science4 ,now look at this outline4 ,begin with ,japheth4 ,amongst his sons we meet with three well-known names1 all connected by ,ezekiel 7xxxviii47 with the north2 viz41 ,mesech1 ,tubal1 and ,togarmah1 leading us to suppose that his descendants most probably spread along the ,north of ,europe and ,asia2 and in ,genesis x4 #e it is added1 8,by these were the isles of the ,gentiles divided in their lands2 every one after his tongue1 after their families1 in their nations0--an expression invariably used for ,europe1 and all countries approached from central ,asia by sea4 ,now1 curiously enough1 that very district1 ,europe and ,northern ,asia1 is regarded by the men of science as the head-quarters of those whom they call the ,aryans4 ,as for ,shem1 there is no difficulty in ascertaining his head-quarters1 for ,abraham was his lineal descendant2 and we know that from the river of ,egypt to the river ,euphrates was the country given him by ,god4 ,that country1 therefore1 was his starting-point2 and accordingly men of science tell us that ,western ,asia1 including ,palestine and the adjacent countries1 must have been the home of the great ,semitic family4 ,again1 therefore1 there is the closest possible agreement between ancient history and modern discovery4 ,the case of ,ham is not so perfectly clear4 ,according to the book of ,genesis he appears1 if we understand the names1 to have spread in two directions--eastward towards ,southern ,asia1 and also south-west to ,gaza1 the gateway to ,africa4 ,though ,africa is not mentioned in that passage it is clear that the descendants of ,ham spread over the isthmus of ,suez into that continent2 for in ,psalm cv4 #bc1 #bg1 ,egypt is actually called 8the land of ,ham40 ,and now once more ,i turn to the men of science1 and ,i find that these very districts are thought by them to be the ancient homes of those they call ,turanians4 ,now1 let it be well understood1 ,i do not say that these outlines are never crossed1 and that the races are not found in many cases to be intermixed4 ,but what ,i do say is1 that in their great local outlines the arrangements of the men of science correspond1 in a very remarkable manner1 with the arrangements which we gather from all that we can learn from the ,scripture history4 ,once more then modern discovery bears its testimony to ,scriptural accuracy1 and we welcome the men of science as unanswerable 8witnesses0 to historical truth4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,prophecy4 ,thus far we have not gone beyond the historical truth of the ,pentateuch2 but now let us turn to the prophecy1--that most remarkable prophecy of ,noah1 in which he foreshadowed the future destiny of the great families4 ,let us consider the three prophecies in the order in which they stand4 7#a47 ,canaan4 ,there is something inexpressibly awful in the words respecting ,canaan1 and they are full of instruction respecting sin4 ,they show what an awful thing sin is in the sight of ,god1 and how superficial is man's estimate of its guilt2 for here is a whole race laid under a solemn curse in consequence of the sin of its head4 ,as ,adam brought a curse on the world1 so ,ham brought one on ,canaan4 ,the curse inflicted in that case was bondage1 and the prophecy was that ,canaan should be a servant of servants to both his brethren3 i4e4 to both ,shem and ,japheth4 ,and now look at the fulfilment4 ,take first a period about #a1jjj years after the prophecy was given1 when the ,canaanites were still in the promised land1 and ,israel1 the descendants of ,shem1 came up from ,egypt4 ,the conflict then was between ,shem and ,canaan1 and what was the result8 ,the greater part of the ,canaanites were destroyed1 and those that remained were reduced to abject slavery4 ,the prediction was fulfilled1 and ,canaan became the slave of ,shem4 ,but some may say that all that was a long time ago1 and only matter of ancient history4 ,let us then turn to our own times1 and consider facts that are within our own observation4 ,how is it that our own ,west ,indian islands are peopled with negroes8 ,is it not because we ,english made slaves of the ,africans1 or1 in other words1 because ,japheth made a slave of ,canaan8 ,how is it that there is a negro population amounting to #d1jjj1jjj in the ,united ,states8 ,is it not for the name reason1 that ,japheth made a slave of ,canaan8 ,how is it that up to the year #ahjg1 when the slave trade was abolished1 the ,west ,coast of ,africa was made the hunting-ground for all the leading nations of ,europe8 ,what was it but the simple fulfilment of this prophecy1 in which it was foretold that ,japheth should make a slave of ,canaan8 ,and now turn to the ,eastern coast of ,africa1 and the present negotiations now going on in ,egypt4 ,one of the great difficulties of these negotiations arises from the horrors of the ,east ,african slave trade4 ,there is an extensive trade in slaves being carried on at this very time all along the ,east ,coast of ,africa4 ,there are gangs of miserable victims being driven at this very hour to the principal slave markets4 ,and who are the great offenders in that most nefarious and wicked traffic8 ,the ,arabs1 some still living in ,arabia1 and some settled in ,egypt at the time of the great ,arab invasion of the country4 ,and who are the ,arabs1 and to which race do they belong8 ,i believe it is agreed by all parties that they are ,semitic1 or from ,shem4 ,so that the result is that poor ,canaan has been enslaved by both his brethren--on the west by ,japheth1 and on the east by ,shem2 and however deeply we deplore the woes of ,africa1 and however earnestly we should arise as one man to urge our rulers to use their powers to put down the accursed trade1 we must look on the fact of its existence with reverent wonder1 and learn from those miserable slave gangs a most solemn lesson as to the abiding truth of the prophecies of ,god4 7#b47 ,but now let us turn to ,shem1 where we have a brighter prospect2 for on the mention of his name the prophet exclaims1 8,blessed be the ,,lord ,god of ,shem10 or rather1 8,blessed be ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,shem40 ,now here we have not merely an act of praise1 but a prophecy2 for there is a clear prediction that ,jehovah should be the ,god of ,shem4 ,canaan and ,japheth might worship devils and false gods1 and bow down before man-made idols2 but the ,god of ,shem should be ,jehovah ,himself1 and ,shem should be distinguished by the fact that ,jehovah should be his ,god4 ,and is not this precisely what has happened8 ,up to the time of our blessed ,saviour what nation was there in the world that worshipped ,jehovah except the seed of ,abraham8 ,it was the sacred calling of that family to stand out alone as witnesses before an apostate world to the great principle--8,thou shalt worship the ,lord thy ,god1 and ,him only shalt thou serve40 ,it was ,shem1 and ,shem alone1 that worshipped the one self-existent1 omnipotent1 omnipresent1 and everlasting ,jehovah4 ,the great prophecy1 therefore1 was most literally fulfilled in fact4 ,but if we understand the name 8,jehovah0 as applied to the promised seed of the woman1 the ,saviour who was to come1 the fulfilment is still more remarkable2 for it was in the line of ,shem that the ,coming ,one appeared4 ,no trouble is taken in the ,scriptures to record the genealogies of either ,ham or ,japheth1 and they terminate with two generations4 ,but the sacred line of ,shem is carefully preserved4 ,we have every link given1 from ,adam to ,abraham1 and after that from ,abraham to the ,lord ,jesus2 so that if we thus understand the title ,jehovah1 the prophecy would mean1 ,blessed be the ,coming ,one1 the ,lord ,jesus1 the ,christ1 the ,god of ,shem2 and we should see in it the prophecy that the coming deliverer1 the deliverer promised to ,eve1 should arise out of the family of ,shem1 so that in him and his seed should all nations of the world be blessed4 ,i need not stop to point out how exactly this prophecy was fulfilled in the birth of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ about #b1cjj years after it was spoken by ,noah4 7#c47 ,but now for ,japheth4 ,the meaning of the name is generally considered to be 8enlargement10 and the prophecy is that he should be enlarged4 ,the meaning of this must be1 that he should be gifted with what may be termed a spreading power4 ,his great characteristic is to be expansion1 or1 the enlargement of his borders4 ,now think for one moment of ,europe and ,europeans4 ,think of ,europe as the home of the sons of ,japheth according to the ,scriptures1 or of the ,aryans according to the men of science4 ,and may we not appeal to any one who will take the trouble to look around the world at this present day1 and ask whether this power of spreading is not one of the most peculiar and exceptional features of the ,european family8 ,ham and ,shem are not spreading anywhere2 but ,japheth everywhere4 ,why1 look at this little island of our own--one of the very least of the 8isles of the ,gentiles0--and see how its people have spread4 ,not only has it peopled the vast continent of ,america1 but it possesses at this present time such a colonial empire that the sun never sets on the dominions of our ,queen4 ,most truly and most remarkably in our own case has ,god enlarged ,japheth1 and so made ,england a 8witness to the truth0 of the prophecy which ,he gave through ,noah no less than #d1jjj years ago4 ,but there still remains that last clause1 8,he shall dwell in the tents of ,shem10 and1 as we ought never to speak too dogmatically respecting the prophetic ,word1 ,i am free to admit that it is not perfectly clear in what sense it should be understood4 ,it may refer to the spreading of the ,europeans into all the nations of the world1 and so dwelling in the tents of ,shem2 and if there were nothing more than our own settlements in foreign lands1 there would be the most complete fulfilment of the prophecy4 ,but surely there is more4 ,and especially there is one remarkable fulfilment1 which ,i cannot help thinking must have been intended in the prophecy4 ,now let us remember that the ,lord and ,his coming is the centre1 or turning-point1 of the whole prophetic ,word4 ,let us not forget how we found that the prophecy respecting ,shem appeared distinctly to foretell ,his advent4 ,now when the predicted time came1 and the promised ,jehovah appeared1 why did ,he not take ,his place on the throne of ,david1 and why did ,he not reign in the tents of ,shem8 ,the ,holy ,land had all been given to ,abraham1 and belonged to the family of ,shem2 but when the ,lord1 the ,god of ,shem1 came1 there was neither throne nor kingdom for ,him1 and ,he had not even where to lay ,his head4 ,how could this be8 ,and what had become of the royal throne8 ,the answer is most remarkable4 ,the ,romans were on it1 or1 in prophetic words1 ,japheth was dwelling in the tents of ,shem4 ,the ,romans were sons of ,japheth1 and by them the ,lord1 the ,god of ,shem1 was supplanted on ,his throne4 ,but1 though that was a clear1 literal1 and most remarkable fulfilment of the prophecy1 ,i cannot help thinking that in these words the ,spirit of ,god referred to something higher4 ,when ,st4 ,james was speaking of the call of the ,gentiles at what has been termed the council of ,jerusalem1 as recorded1 ,acts xv4 #ae1 he quoted the words1 8,i will build again the tabernacle of ,david40 ,the conversion of the ,gentiles was compared1 therefore1 to their admission into the tabernacle of ,david4 ,and so the safety of the believer in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ is compared by ,david himself to the shelter of ,god's tabernacle1 as1 e4g41 in ,psalm xxvii4 #e1 where we read1 8,in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me40 ,now1 bearing in mind the great fact that ,jehovah is the ,god of ,shem1 and that the predicted ,redeemer came from ,shem1 may we not believe that the tent1 or the tabernacle of ,shem1 was the prophetic figure of the safety provided in the promised ,son of ,god8 ,the word ,shem means 8name10 and there may be something in the passage not unlike those other words1 8,the name of the ,lord is a strong tower2 the righteous runneth into it1 and is safe40 ,now if the passage were so understood1 it would lead to the conclusion that ,japheth would shelter himself under the ,jehovah of ,shem1 and so dwell1 as it were1 in his tent1 or under his tabernacle4 ,it would lead us to expect a salvation through the ,jehovah of ,shem1 bestowed on ,japheth in such a way that ,japheth should become possessor of ,shem's inheritance4 ,now if that view of the prophecy commend itself to your judgment1 remember that ,noah spoke more than #d1jjj years ago1 and then look at the present position of the world4 ,in what quarters of the globe do we find at this present time the most general recognition of the ,god of ,shem8 ,which of the continents are most prominent in the honour paid to ,his name8 ,certainly neither ,africa nor ,asia2 neither ,ham nor even ,shem itself4 ,beyond all controversy the two great ,christian continents that are dwelling under ,jehovah of ,shem are the two peopled by ,japheth2 viz41 ,europe and ,america4 ,explain it as we may1 the facts are most remarkable4 ,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ came from ,shem1 and1 according to the language of scientific men1 was ,semitic1 whereas by far the great majority of those who believe in ,his ,name are from ,japheth1 or1 according to men of science1 ,aryans4 ,shem has rejected its own ,saviour2 but ,japheth has received ,him1 so that1 under our own eyes1 and at this present time1 ,japheth is dwelling in the tents of ,shem4 ,i know well how grievous a perversion of truth there is throughout ,europe1 and ,i do not for one moment maintain that the worship is pure2 but still the name of ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,shem1 as manifested in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 is avowedly honoured1 and we sons of ,japheth are at this present moment abiding in ,his tent4 ,now how are we to explain all this8 ,how are we to explain the agreement between the conclusions of modern science and the historical fact of the threefold division which occurred more than #d1jjj years ago8 ,how again are we to account for the fulfilment of the prophetic ,word8 ,how do we explain the fact that1 in exact accord with the prophecy1 ,canaan is the servant of servants2 that it was from ,shem that the ,lord appeared2 that ,japheth is at this day remarkable for enlargement2 and that we ourselves at this very moment are assembled to worship in the house of the ,god of ,shem8 ,it is impossible to believe that the book of ,genesis was written to suit the conclusions of modern science2 for these conclusions were utterly unknown at the time of its composition4 ,it is impossible to believe that it is the result of design in our scientific men1 for such an idea would indeed dishonour science4 ,it is equally impossible to believe that the agreement was the result of chance or accident2 for there are far too many points1 both in the history and prophecy1 to render such accidental coincidence possible4 ,it is like a complicated lock which can only be opened by the key that was made to fit it4 ,no2 there is only one solution of the problem4 ,as for the history1 science agrees with it1 and therefore confirms its truth2 and as for the prophecy1 it could have had its origin in no human calculation of the future2 for how should ,noah make any calculation respecting the state of this nineteenth century8 ,but all is plain if we believe it to be inspired4 ,he who inspired the prophecy1 ,he saw the end from the beginning4 ,he knew all1 and by the lips of ,noah he foretold what he foreknew2 and thus we are brought to the conclusion1 so plainly stated by ,st4 ,peter--8,the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man2 but holy men of ,god spake as they were moved by the ,holy ,ghost40 ,,the ,,jews4 ,i ,,am about1 if ,god permit1 to speak now of1 by far1 the most remarkable people in the world4 ,in the last chapter we studied the ,races1 and found that through the labours of scientific men the three patriarchs of #d1jjj years ago reappear in this nineteenth century as most important 8witnesses to truth40 ,we put1 as it were1 ,shem1 ,ham1 and ,japheth into the witness-box1 and the result of their testimony was that ,noah was inspired1 and the ,bible true4 ,such a subject as that has a tendency to lose power through the vastness of its extent4 ,our reading is not sufficiently wide1 nor our minds sufficiently large1 to enable us to take in the whole4 ,we are dependent1 moreover1 on scientific men2 and it is a strange thing1 but a fact1 that those who talk most of science are generally the least disposed to receive the conclusions of scientific men1 when those conclusions differ from their own4 ,but now ,i am about to call witnesses1 in the examination of whom we do not want the help of science2 for in their case there are no scientific difficulties4 ,their evidence is within reach of us all1 and if we choose we may test it for ourselves4 ,i am not about to speak of what happened #d1jjj years ago2 but of what is going on now1 of what took place last year1 and what any one may see for himself1 if he will take the trouble to go to ,houndsditch or ,petticoat ,lane4 ,there he will find a most remarkable people1 eager1 quick1 and intelligent1 exceedingly different from the rest of the inhabitants of ,london1 and separated from their fellow-townsmen by a social barrier1 which is very seldom overstepped4 ,these remarkable people are the ,jews4 ,now there are five undoubted and indisputable facts respecting the ,jews that ,i propose1 if ,god permit1 to bring before you1 and may ,he be pleased to help our study to the confirmation of our faith1 and to the increase of our interest in ,his own ancient people6 7#a47 ,their ,expatriation1 or their expulsion as a nation from their country4 ,now it is a curious fact1 that there is no other nation in the world which has such a right to its own country as the ,jews4 ,other nations claim their country simply through the right of occupation4 ,we live in ,england1 and our fathers lived there before us1 so we consider it ours1 and are ready to lay down our lives for its safety4 ,but we have no title-deeds1 and we have no documents to prove that it is ours4 ,but it is very different with the ,jews4 ,they have the clearest possible documentary evidence of their covenant right to ,palestine4 ,there is not a person in any town who has a better title to his house than the ,jews have to their country4 ,it was distinctly given to them by ,god ,himself1 as we read in ,gen4 xv4 #ah4 ,and yet after having occupied it for fifteen centuries1 and after having shown the utmost courage and determination in its defence1 they were driven from their homes by their ,roman conquerors4 ,their city was sacked1 their temple burnt with fire1 their country laid desolate1 and they themselves scattered homeless through the world4 ,the result is that at this present time there are many more ,jews in ,london than there are in the whole of ,palestine4 ,now these are plain1 well-known facts1 and facts so well established that they are beyond the reach of contradiction4 7#b47 ,dispersion4 ,when their home was broken up in ,jerusalem they were not carried elsewhere as they were when they entered it1 like a hive of bees moved from one garden to another1 but they were dispersed in all directions4 ,from that day they have had no resting-place anywhere1 and they have never since had what we may term a central home4 ,they have had no head-quarters1 and1 although they cluster more thickly in some places than in others1 they have on the whole gone forth as lone wanderers on the face of the earth4 ,the result is that1 go where you will1 you are sure to meet with ,jews4 ,they are sometimes driven about by persecution1 and sometimes attracted by trade2 but we need not study the cause of their movements4 ,they are found in all the continents--,europe1 ,asia1 ,africa1 ,america1 and ,australia2 in new settlements and old countries1 in all climates and amongst all races2 and as the seed is scattered over the field1 so the ,jewish people are dispersed through the world4 7#c47 ,distinction1 or ,distinctiveness4 ,it appears to be the general law of human nature1 that when different races live together they become1 before long1 fused with each other4 ,there may be exceptions1 as there are in certain cases2 but there is always some cause to account for it4 ,in ,india1 for example1 there is very little fusion between the ,english and the ,hindoo2 but then it must be remembered that no ,english ever settle in ,india as their permanent home4 ,so in ,america there is not much fusion between the ,european races and the negroes2 but there again we must remember that there is the almost impassable barrier of the difference of colour as well as the slave curse on ,canaan4 ,but in ordinary cases there is always fusion1 and when there is no such barrier the races soon amalgamate4 ,in our own country1 for example1 there are ,britons1 ,romans1 ,saxons1 ,danes1 and ,normans2 but who can distinguish them8 ,we are all merged into one race1 and the distinction of our nationality is totally lost4 ,who could pick out from any congregation the ,roman1 the ,dane1 or the ,norman8 ,but the ,jew remains distinct4 ,there is nothing to keep him separate1 but separate he remains4 ,he is rich1 and enterprising1 and talented1 and often exceedingly handsome2 but he does not amalgamate1 and he remains to this day as distinct from us all as he was when he first landed on our shores4 7#d47 ,reproach and persecution4 ,notwithstanding the wealth and great ability of the ,jewish nation1 they have always been a people under reproach4 ,in trade1 if people wish to describe any one as covetous1 grasping1 and avaricious1 it is not an uncommon thing for people to say that he is 8a regular ,jew10 and thus1 whatever a person may be in himself1 the name 8,jew0 is a term of opprobrium throughout the world4 ,but reproach is not all1 nor nearly all2 for they have had to endure the most terrible persecutions4 ,they have been treated most barbarously by the nations amongst whom they have been scattered4 ,it has mattered little whether they have been living amongst ,pagans1 ,mahommedans1 or spurious ,christians1 though ,i fear it must be admitted that the treatment by spurious ,christians has been the worst4 ,but ,i need not dwell on these horrible atrocities2 for they are fresh in our own memories4 ,we have only to go back to the newspapers of last year to learn what the poor ,jews endured in ,southern ,russia4 ,their property was plundered1 their homes burnt1 their daughters--oh1 ,i cannot tell you the horrors6--and their whole families cast out on a pitiless world to perish from cold1 hunger1 and nakedness2 and all this in the face of the whole of ,europe in this enlightened nineteenth century4 7#e47 ,preservation4 ,but in the midst of all this they have been preserved4 ,kindness has not fused them1 reproach has not shamed them1 and persecution has not destroyed them2 so that after eighteen centuries they are in the midst of us still--still scattered through the world1 still remaining a separate people1 still under reproach and persecution1 but still moving amongst us as an active1 intelligent body of men2 in the midst of us1 but not of us2 living in ,england1 but not ,englishmen2 the subjects of another dynasty1 the proprietors of another land1 and the scions of another home4 ,now ,i wish to put it to all thinking and observing men1 ,can they refer me to any other people in the world in which these five facts are found to meet8 ,do they know of any other people that was ever so completely removed from its home1 that was ever so effectually dispersed amongst the nations1 that has been kept so distinct1 that has endured such reproach and persecution1 and that1 notwithstanding all1 has been so long preserved8 ,there have been amongst other races conquests1 massacres1 and migrations2 but ,i venture to affirm1 without the slightest hesitation1 that you may search history from one end to the other1 may ransack its pages for all that you can find respecting the nations1 and ,i venture to affirm1 without the slightest fear of contradiction1 that you will not find one in which any of those facts have taken place as they have with the ,jews1 and still less one in whom in this most extraordinary manner they have all been found to meet4 ,but now comes the question1 ,how is all this to be explained8 ,what is it that has made the ,jews such an exceptional people8 ,what is it that has made their experience so entirely different to that of all the other peoples upon the earth8 ,i ask the infidel to tell me if he can1 but ,i know he cannot2 ,i ask the man of science to explain it on scientific principles1 but ,i know he cannot4 ,but ,i ask the believer to explain it1 and he can do so in a moment by the simple answer1 8,it is the hand of ,god40 ,but some man may say1 8,how do you know that it is the hand of ,god8 ,what proof have you that it is ,his doing80 ,a perfectly clear proof that it is impossible to deny4 ,there is a sixth fact quite as plain as the other five2 i4e41 that all the five facts were predicted in the prophecies1 and that centuries before the dispersion took place it was clearly foretold in the prophecies of the ,word of ,god4 ,these facts were all foretold in prophecy1 and therefore we are firmly persuaded that they were all brought about by ,god4 ,the fulfilment of prophecy is a proof that the whole is of ,god4 ,in proof of this let us refer to a few passages4 ,i spoke of the fact of their expatriation1 or expulsion from their own land4 ,now what did ,moses say of it fifteen hundred years before it happened8 ,only mark his words3 8,ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it40 7,deut4 xxviii4 #fc47 ,i spoke of their dispersion amongst the ,gentiles4 ,now what did ,moses say of it8 8,thou shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth40 7v4 #be47 8,and the ,lord shall scatter thee among all people1 from the one end of the earth even unto the other2 and there thou shalt serve other gods1 which neither thou nor thy fathers have known1 even wood and stone40 7v4 #fd47 ,i spoke of their distinctness4 ,now what did ,balaam say of it8 8,the people shall dwell alone1 and shall not be reckoned amongst the nations40 7,num4 xxiii #i47 ,and though these words were spoken no less than three thousand three hundred years ago1 do they not predict exactly that which you may see this very day in ,london1 ,liverpool and in every other great city of ,europe8 ,i spoke of reproach and persecution4 ,and returning to ,deut4 xxviii41 what do we there find8 ,in verse #cc you find the prediction of persecution and spoliation4 8,the fruit of thy land1 and all thy labours1 shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up2 and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway40 ,and in verse #cg the reproach in foretold3 8,and thou shalt become an astonishment1 a proverb1 and a byeword1 among all nations whither the ,lord shall lead thee40 ,the last fact of which ,i spoke was the preservation1 the long preservation1 through those eighteen centuries of unequalled trial2 and again we turn to ,moses1 and find him saying1 8,and yet for all that1 when they be in the land of their enemies1 ,i will not cast them away1 neither will ,i abhor them1 to destroy them utterly1 and to break my covenant with them3 for ,i am the ,lord their ,god40 7,lev4 xxvi4 #dd47 ,now all these passages are taken from the ,pentateuch1 the earliest book of the ,scriptures2 and ,i have referred especially to them because some people appear to speak with disrespect of the ,pentateuch4 ,but here we see the ,pentateuch prophecies fulfilled in this nineteenth century in so remarkable a manner that no observant man can deny it4 ,but if people prefer prophecies of a later date they shall have them2 for time makes no difference to truth1 and the inspiration of the ,scriptures extends through its whole length4 ,we find that they have been driven from their country1 and can no longer inhabit the land which is their own4 ,now what did the prophet ,isaiah say8 8,then said ,i1 ,lord1 how long8 ,and ,he answered1 ,until the cities be wasted without inhabitant1 and the houses without man1 and the land be utterly desolate1 and the ,lord have removed men far away1 and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land40 7,chap4 vi4 #aa1 #ab47 ,we found that they are scattered amongst all the nations of the world4 ,now what did ,god predict by the mouth of ,ezekiel8 8,the whole remnant of thee will ,i scatter into all the winds40 7,chap4 v4 #aj47 ,we found that1 though scattered1 they are preserved as a distinct and separate people4 ,now what did ,god foretell by the prophet ,amos8 8,for1 lo1 ,i will command1 and ,i will sift the house of ,israel among all nations1 like as corn is sifted in a sieve1 yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth40 7,see ix4 #i47 ,we found that in their dispersion they have been the object of cruel reproach1 and have endured much fierce persecution4 ,now what said ,jeremiah1 the prophet of ,god1 in chap4 xxix4 #ah8 8,and ,i will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth1 to be a curse1 and an astonishment1 and an hissing1 and a reproach1 among all the nations whither ,i have driven them40 ,but we found also that1 notwithstanding all1 they have been preserved in a most marvellous manner2 so that at the end of eighteen centuries they are still amongst us a separate people1 and preserved in the providence of ,god4 ,and is it not all explained by that wonderful prophecy of ,jeremiah8 8,if those ordinances depart from before me1 saith the ,lord1 then the seed of ,israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever40 7,chap4 xxxi4 #cf47 ,such passages might be multiplied to almost any extent1 as they abound throughout the prophecies2 and ,i have merely selected a text from the ,pentateuch and another from the later prophets to illustrate each of the five facts to which we all are witnesses4 ,and are they not sufficient8 ,how was it1 ,i ask1 that these great prophecies were given1 some fifteen hundred years1 and some five hundred years1 before the dispersion8 ,was it accident8 ,was it calculation or guesswork8 ,how should the writers have calculated1 or1 how should they have guessed8 ,one thing is perfectly plain4 ,they could not have been written after the event2 for ever since that time the ,jews have been dispersed over the world1 and in all their dispersions have carried with them these prophecies4 ,if they were forged afterwards1 how did the forger get them into circulation amongst all the scattered ,jews throughout the world1 and that before there was a printing-press8 ,they must have been written before the event2 and before the dispersion what human mind could calculate the condition of the ,jews after eighteen centuries of wandering8 ,think calmly over it4 ,consider well the five facts2 test them both by history and the statements of modern travellers2 and ,i cannot doubt for one moment that the conclusion of any thinking and intelligent man must be that the history of the ,jewish people has been ordained of ,god1 and that the ,scriptures foretelling it were inspired by ,his ,spirit1 ,i cannot imagine how it is possible to avoid the conclusion that it is ,his hand which has ordered all in ,his sovereign providence1 and ,his ,spirit which has so clearly and so unmistakably foretold it all in ,his ,word4 ,while1 therefore1 we grieve over the ,jew1 and long to see1 not only the nation safe in ,palestine1 but the individual safe in his own ,messiah1 we consider it no small gift in these sceptical days that we have him living amongst us as one of a separate people1 and so bearing an unconscious testimony to the truth and inspiration of the prophecies of ,god4 ,but ,i cannot stop there2 for it is not the inspiration of the ,scriptures only to which the ,jews bear unconscious testimony1 for they are witnesses also to the faithfulness of ,god4 ,here they are after eighteen centuries of dispersion1 during which they have lived without a king1 and without a prince1 and without a sacrifice2 during which they have been exposed to isolation1 to temptation1 to reproach1 to spoliation1 and to most unjust persecution2 but not one grain has been lost from the seed1 and here they are1 ,jews still4 ,aye1 and what is more wonderful than anything1 they are thus preserved in mercy1 notwithstanding all that they have done1 even in the rejection of their own ,messiah4 ,how could it be1 and how can such preserving mercy be explained8 ,just turn to one text out of many that may unlock the mystery4 ,it is written1 in ,psalm cv4 #db1 8,he remembered ,his holy promise1 and ,abraham ,his servant40 ,there was ,his own covenant given to ,abraham1 and our heavenly ,father is faithful to it still4 ,three thousand eight hundred years have not exhausted ,his faithfulness1 and even the sin of the ,jew has not prevailed over the fidelity of our ,god to ,his friend4 ,oh1 what a lesson does this teach us as to the faithfulness of our ,god6 ,will ,he break the covenant which ,he has made with us in ,christ ,jesus8 ,will ,he depart from the promise which ,he has ratified in the precious blood of the chosen ,messiah8 ,is not the covenant with ,christ as sure as that with ,abraham8 ,and though we may be deeply conscious how unable we are to stand1 and still more deeply conscious how unworthy we are to be preserved1 may we not rest in the peaceful assurance of ,his covenant grace1 and apply to all ,his people in ,christ ,jesus these wonderful words in ,jeremiah xxxi4 #cg3 8,thus saith the ,lord2 ,if heaven above can be measured1 and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath1 ,i will also cast off all the seed of ,israel for all that they have done1 saith the ,lord08 ,,palestine4 ,,can stones speak8 ,can rocks make their voice to be heard8 ,the ,lord said of ,his people on ,his entrance into ,jerusalem1 8,if these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out40 ,and this is very much what those very stones are now doing2 for the stones of ,palestine are beginning to speak with a voice so clear and decisive that it seems a perfect marvel that any thinking man should be able to resist their evidence4 ,now therefore1 if ,god permit1 we will study their testimony2 we will put the rocks into the witness-box1 and endeavour calmly to learn from them what they teach us of the truth of ,god4 ,there are three subjects on which their evidence is conclusive--the geographical accuracy1 the historical truth1 and the prophetic inspiration of the ,scriptures4 ,let us examine them on all three points1 and may that divine ,spirit who inspired the word of ,his own great grace bring it home to our understandings and our hearts6 ,i4 ,,the ,,geographical ,,accuracy4 ,we must remember that a large portion of the ,old ,testament consists in the history of that chosen line which connected the ,lord ,jesus ,christ with ,abraham1 and that the country which we generally call 8,palestine0 was given to that family as their home4 ,it was in that country that ,abraham sojourned1 and that his family lived for the #a1djj years between the ,exodus and the ,advent4 ,it is obvious therefore that the history of that family during all those centuries must abound in allusions to the different places in that country1 and as the history enters very much into social life1 we must naturally expect very frequent allusions to the places in which the people lived4 ,it is important for us also to remember that the history was not one book written by one author at one time1 but that much of it was evidently contemporary history2 so that there were different books written by different authors at different times1 beginning with ,moses #c1cjj years ago1 and ending1 as some suppose1 with ,ezra1 or ,nehemiah1 about #b1cjj years ago4 ,now the question is1 8,do the various allusions to places which lie scattered up and down the history agree or disagree with what we know of those places from observation on the spot80 ,through the patient labours of some eminently scientific men working for the ,palestine ,exploration ,fund1 we know a vast deal more of the country than has ever been known since the dispersion of the people4 ,we have before us the result of a most careful scientific survey1 from which we may learn in perfect confidence the evidence of the rocks4 ,what we have to do therefore is to lay side by side the evidence of the rocks and the evidence of the ,books--to compare the two carefully1 and to ascertain whether or not the 8witnesses0 agree4 ,the ancient rule was1 that 8out of the mouth of two witnesses shall every word be established40 ,here then there are two witnesses--the rocks and the ,books--do they or do they not agree8 ,let us begin with the ,book of ,joshua1 a book recording the original invasion of the country1 and the distribution of the land among the tribes4 ,in the ten chapters1 beginning with the #acth1 we have a full account of that distribution1 and a clear definition of the boundaries of eleven tribes1 with a list of forty-eight cities assigned to the sons of ,levi4 ,this list and these boundaries have been most carefully examined by the officers of the ,palestine ,exploration ,fund1 and the remarkable result is that they can trace almost every place mentioned in ,joshua2 and what is more remarkable still1 8there is scarcely a village which does not retain for its desolate heap or its modern hovels the ,arabic equivalent for the name written down by ,joshua #c1cjj years ago40 ,in many cases there is nothing more than a cluster of a few wretched ,arab huts1 or a heap of shapeless ruins2 but so complete has been the identification that there is no doubt left respecting ,joshua's boundaries2 and if the ,jews were to return to-morrow1 and in returning were to observe the distinction of the tribes1 those officers could at once point out to them their several homes1 and show them exactly what portion of the country was originally assigned to them by lot4 ,this general fact is quite sufficient to prove the general accuracy of the geography of the ,book4 ,but the general fact does not stand alone1 and there are countless details which are almost more conclusive than the close agreement which we find existing between the list by ,joshua and that by scientific men4 ,let us consider one of these details1 and examine one neighbourhood in the light of modern science4 ,the neighbourhood shall be that of ,bethel and ,hai4 ,respecting ,bethel1 no one1 ,i believe entertains a doubt4 ,it was named by ,jacob 8,bethel10 or the house of ,god4 ,it was afterwards called 8,bethaven10 or 8the house of vanity10 in consequence of the idolatry of ,jeroboam2 and the extensive ruins now found there are called ,beitin4 ,now ,bethel does not stand alone1 for it is frequently connected with ,hai2 so that ,abraham's second halting-place1 as recorded in ,gen4 xii4 #h1 was on a mountain 8having ,bethel on the west1 and ,hai on the east40 ,there were two ranges of hills running from north to south1 with a valley between them1 and on a hill standing in that valley ,abraham pitched his tent1 and built an altar unto the ,lord4 ,now1 as ,i have just said1 there is not the slightest doubt about the identification of ,bethel4 ,but what are we to say of ,hai8 ,in ,joshua viii4 we have an accurate description of its capture1 and every detail of the attack can be verified on the spot4 ,but we cannot find the name4 ,there is a heap1 or mound1 on the slope of the hill1 which no doubt marks the site4 ,but the name ,hai is completely lost4 ,the name given to the mound is ,tell4 ,now ,tell is the word for heap1 so that ,tell ,ashtereh is the heap of ,ashtaroth1 and ,tell ,kedes the heap of ,kadesh4 ,but to this heap there is no such name attached1 and the only name is ,tell4 8,tell0 alone marks the spot4 ,and now turn to ,joshua viii4 #bh3 8,and ,joshua burnt ,hai1 and made it an heap0 7i4e4 a ,tell7 8for ever1 even a desolation unto this day40 ,the name given by the modern ,bedouin is exactly that of the ancient record1 and the testimony of the stones is in perfect agreement with the scriptural narrative4 ,but this is not all4 ,i have already pointed out that the hill between ,bethel and ,hai was ,abraham's second halting-place2 and if we turn to ,gen4 xiii4 we shall find1 in verses #c1 #d1 that after he had been down into ,egypt he returned to that same spot1 and there once more he called on the name of the ,lord4 ,it was there that he made ,lot the generous offer of the choice of the land1 and that 8,lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of ,jordan40 ,but at first sight this seems impossible1 for between ,bethel and ,jordan there is a lofty range of hills running from north to south1 and completely obstructing the view2 and so the merely superficial observer might say that the ,book was wrong4 ,but before we come to any such decision we must consult the stones4 ,and what will they say to us8 ,go up the heights above ,bethel on the west1 and they will tell you that there is no view of the plain of ,sodom there4 ,go up on the eastern side to the ,tell that once was ,hai1 and there is no view there4 ,but now go to the mountain having ,bethel on the west and ,hai on the east1 the very spot where1 according to the #acth chapter of ,genesis1 ,abraham and ,lot were standing2 and there through a gap in the hills you see the very sight that tempted ,lot1 and you look on the plains of ,sodom1 as ,lot looked on them not much less than #d1jjj years ago4 ,and what makes the agreement still more wonderful is that the ,book was written by one who was not an inhabitant of the country1 and who had never stood on that mountain-top4 ,it is obvious from the history that ,moses was never there1 and accordingly it is obvious from the ,book that it was written on the eastern side of ,jordan4 ,in all the ,books written in ,palestine the expression 8,beyond ,jordan0 is employed to describe the eastern side4 ,but it is not so with the ,book of ,genesis4 ,in chapter l4 #aj there is the mention of the 8threshing-floor of ,atad10 where ,joseph and his company made a mourning for ,jacob1 and in verse #aa this place is said to be 8beyond ,jordan40 ,but ,atad was on the west side of ,jordan1 for it was amongst the ,canaanites1 and is believed by learned men to have been between the ,jordan and ,jericho4 ,to ,moses1 therefore1 approaching ,canaan from the east1 it was 8beyond ,jordan40 ,to any pretender writing after the occupation of the promised land it would have been 8on this side ,jordan40 ,but to ,moses1 who died on the eastern side1 and never set his foot on the western side1 it was 8beyond40 ,he may have seen it from ,pisgah1 but that was all4 ,he never set his foot there1 for he never crossed the ,jordan4 ,so he never set his foot on the mount between ,bethel and ,ai2 but he wrote with the most minute geographical accuracy4 ,and thus we have the testimony of the stones that the ,book of ,genesis was not only the ,book of truth1 but1 may we not add1 that ,moses was inspired by ,god ,himself to write with such perfect truthfulness of places which he had never seen8 ,this one instance must suffice as an illustration of geographical accuracy1 and we may hasten to consider the second point2 viz43-- ,,ii4 ,,historical ,,truth4 ,to this ,i turn with deeper interest1 because it has been denied4 ,voltaire1 for example1 describes ,palestine as one of the worst countries of ,asia1 comparing it to ,switzerland1 and says it can only be esteemed fertile 8when compared with the desert40 7,,keith1 p4 #ajf47 ,there cannot be one moment's doubt that in such statements he exceeded fact4 ,but others have pointed to the desolate hillsides1 and asked the question whether such a country could ever have supported a population as dense as that of ,norfolk or ,suffolk4 ,now let there be no mistake on this subject2 for we are fully prepared most freely to admit that the hill country1 as we now see it1 could not possibly support a large population1 and that there is a dreary1 barren desolation about it which is wholly unlike the descriptions of rich fertility which abound through the ,scriptures4 ,one of these descriptions will be sufficient2 viz41 ,deut4 viii4 #g-i3 8,for the ,lord thy ,god bringeth thee into a good land1 a land of brooks of water1 of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills2 a land of wheat1 and barley1 and vines1 and fig trees1 and pomegranates2 a land of oil olive1 and honey2 a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness1 thou shalt not lack anything in it2 a land whose stones are iron1 and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass40 ,now ,i am not in the least afraid of saying plainly that such a description as that is not true of modern ,palestine4 ,it is not a good land flowing with milk and honey2 it is not a land of vines and oil olives2 it is not a land from which a large population could eat bread without scarceness4 ,i read that there is not a vine to be seen between ,eschol and ,beersheba1 and that there are very few olives to be found anywhere4 ,what then are we to say8 ,was the historical description true1 or was it not8 ,were the people deceived1 or was ,god true to ,his ,word8 8,let ,god be true1 but every man a liar40 ,on this point let us ask the stones1 and let us take the testimony of the rocks4 ,but in doing this we must not be content with taking a tourist's ticket1 and hurrying as fast as possible along the beaten tracks2 but we must accompany our scientific men in their investigations2 and if we do so1 what shall we find8 ,in the first place we shall find scattered through the country the ruins of an enormous number of villages4 ,the ,exploration ,fund have actually entered on their map no less than #b1ggj names4 ,it is perfectly clear therefore that there was once a very large and densely-packed population4 ,then in the next place the careful observer will perceive that those hills which are now so barren were once covered with terraces so as to preserve the soil4 ,dr4 ,keith says that on one hill he counted no less than sixty-seven such terraces one above another4 ,then if you examine these terraces you find a countless number of cisterns and water-courses cut in the rocks1 proving clearly that there was once a careful system of irrigation2 and then1 in conclusion1 near many of the villages there is found an olive-press1 apparently used by the whole village1 while up amongst the terraces there are multitudes of smaller wine-presses1 apparently cut in the rocks by each proprietor for his own use4 ,in confirmation of this evidence ,i have been informed by one for many years a resident in ,jerusalem1 that the inhabitants are dependent for firewood on the roots of the vines and the olives still found on the desolate hillsides4 ,the roots remain1 though the trees are gone1 and those roots unite in their testimony with the rocks amongst which they are found4 ,the evidence therefore of the rocks is irresistible4 ,the people are scattered through the nations1 and the rain has washed down the toil from the broken terraces2 but the rocks remain2 and the proof is as clear as any proof can be of anything1 that there was once a teeming population and a high state of cultivation1 that the country was once a land of vines and oil olives1 and that it was a land maintaining a prosperous1 thriving1 and painstaking people4 ,thus the rocks agree with the ,book4 ,those barren hills themselves supply the evidence of their former fertility1 and the stones cry out that the grand old ,pentateuch is historically true4 ,,iii4 ,,prophetic ,,inspiration4 ,but we have not yet done with those barren hills2 for we have not yet exhausted their evidence4 ,some may enquire how it is that a country which was once so fertile is now become so desolate2 and the answer may be given that the villages have been burned1 the terraces neglected1 the cisterns broken1 and the water-courses choked1 which is all perfectly true4 ,but that is not enough to satisfy a real enquirer4 8,how was it10 the thoughtful man will ask1 8that the villages were burned and the terraces neglected80 ,in the answer of this question the rocks can give us no assistance1 and we must depend entirely on the ,book2 but there we find the whole mystery solved4 ,the fact is1 that the whole country bears witness to the truth of prophecy4 ,the present state of things is exactly what ,god foretold in ,his ,word4 ,it is perfectly true that the mountains are dreary1 barren1 and desolate2 perfectly true that it is no longer 8the land flowing with milk and honey1 the glory of all lands20 but it is equally true that the change which has taken place is exactly that which ,god foretold in the ,scriptures4 ,what did ,moses write three thousand three hundred years ago8 ,turn to ,leviticus xxvi4 #cc3 8,and ,i will scatter you among the heathen1 and will draw out a sword after you2 and your land shall be desolate1 and your cities waste40 ,what did ,isaiah say1 writing about two thousand five hundred years ago8 ,turn to ,isaiah vi4 #aa3 8,then said ,i1 ,lord1 how long8 ,and ,he answered1 ,until the cities be wasted without inhabitant1 and the houses without man1 and the land be utterly desolate40 ,turn to chap4 xxiv4 #c3 8,the land shall be utterly emptied1 and utterly spoiled2 for the ,lord hath spoken this word40 ,or to chap4 xxxii4 #ab1 #ac3 8,they shall lament for the teats1 for the pleasant fields1 for the fruitful vine4 ,upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers2 yea1 upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city40 ,what did ,jeremiah say1 writing about two thousand three hundred years ago8 ,turn to ,jeremiah iv4 #bf1 #bg3 8,i beheld1 and1 lo1 the fruitful place was a wilderness1 and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the ,lord1 and by ,his fierce anger4 ,for thus hath the ,lord said1 ,the whole land shall be desolate2 yet will ,i not make a full end40 8,the spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness3 for the sword of the ,lord shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land3 no flesh shall have peace40 7,chap4 xii4 #ab47 ,and what did ,ezekiel1 writing about the same time1 predict of the condition of ,palestine during the dispersion1 and until the restoration of the people8 ,turn to his address to those hills of which we have been speaking1 in ,ezekiel xxxvi4 #c1 #d3 8,therefore prophesy and say1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,because they have made you desolate1 and swallowed you up on every side1 that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen1 and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers1 and are an infamy of the people3 therefore1 ye mountains of ,israel1 hear the word of the ,lord ,god2 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god to the mountains1 and to the hills1 to the rivers1 and to the valleys1 to the desolate wastes1 and to the cities that are forsaken1 which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about40 ,here then we have the whole mystery solved1 and the whole thing explained4 ,in ,his sure ,word of prophecy our heavenly ,father told us what ,he would do1 and the desolate hills of ,palestine bear witness that ,he has done it4 ,we may long to see them clothed once more with the vine and the olive1 and we may profoundly pity their lawful proprietors1 who look on their lawful home--once so beautiful1 but now so desolate6 ,but yet we cannot look even on that desolation without thanksgiving1 for it is an evidence to all thinking men of the certain truth of ,god's inspired ,word4 ,those who refer to those desolate hills as an argument against the truth forget that the desolation to which they refer is a conclusive proof of the truth of the prophetic ,word of ,god4 ,thus we are carried by this third proof far beyond either geographical accuracy or historical truth4 ,a book may be geographically accurate1 or historically true1 and yet not be inspired4 ,but no man can foretell the future4 ,no man can look forward #c1jjj years4 ,no man1 therefore1 could span over all those centuries and tell us ages ago what would be the condition of ,palestine in this nineteenth century4 ,but ,god has done it4 ,we thank ,god1 therefore1 for ,his ,word1 and we thank ,him also for the testimony of the rocks4 ,nay1 more1 we may thank ,him even for the sneers of such a man as ,voltaire1 for the very sneers are a proof to the students of the ,scriptures that ,god's prophecy is being fulfilled1 and that ,god's ,holy ,word may be trusted as divine4 ,but we must not leave the subject there1 for we are taught a most solemn lesson as to the desolating power of a righteous ,god4 ,he who has reduced those fertile hills to desolation1 cannot ,he equally desolate the soul1 and reduce the poor ruined heart to a similar condition of barren hopelessness8 ,and will ,he not do it if ,his great salvation be neglected8 ,i know that it is the fashion to believe that ,he is too merciful to punish2 but for my own part ,i find it much more easy to believe that he is too true to declare that which he has no intention of performing4 ,if the ,word of ,god be true1 8,verily there is a ,god that judgeth the earth10 and we cannot doubt that to the guilty sinner ,he must prove 8a consuming fire40 ,but1 thanks be to ,his ,holy ,name1 if the warnings be true1 so also are the promises4 ,if the judgment be certain1 so also is the salvation4 ,if the minister of wrath be sure to fulfil the ,word of judgment1 so also is the blessed ,saviour perfectly sure to fulfil the promises of life4 ,if the law condemn with infallible certainty1 so also does the ,gospel proclaim that the claim of the law is satisfied in the great propitiation by the ,son of ,god2 so that any one1 even the least and most unworthy of ,his people1 may peacefully rest in the certainty of ,his never-failing ,word1 and abide in perfect peace1 and perfect safety1 in the perfect truth1 and never-failing covenant of ,god4 ,,scoffers4 ,i ,,propose to call the evidence of an unwilling witness1 and to ask the scoffer himself to bear his 8testimony to the truth0 against which he scoffs4 ,there is no better evidence than that which is given unwillingly--than that of a man who is put into the witness-box in order to prove one thing1 and when closely examined is compelled by the force of truth to prove the opposite4 ,now as a general rule the scoffers desire to dishonour the ,scriptures2 they ridicule its statements1 and deny its inspiration4 ,but ,i am not sure that1 if carefully examined1 they will not be found to confirm the ,word4 ,let us then carefully study their evidence1 and may ,god the ,holy ,ghost bring it home to their hearts and our own6 ,but before we examine the modern scoffers1 we must turn to what the ,word of ,god has said respecting them4 ,rather more than eighteen hundred years ago the apostle ,peter wrote two letters1 the first addressed to scattered strangers1 and the second to those who had 8obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of ,god and our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ40 ,in this second ,epistle he gave a divine prophecy to all such persons1 and told them from ,god what they were to expect in the latter days4 ,he taught them quite clearly that when they were approaching the end they were not to expect to be like some beautiful ship 7with its sails set and its flags flying7 sailing gallantly into the harbour1 with a bright sunshine1 a flowing tide1 and a prosperous breeze2 but rather like some weather-beaten craft1 battered by the storm1 beating up against the gale1 and almost overwhelmed by the breakers on the bar4 ,and it teaches also that one of the trials of those last days will arise from scoffers4 ,as in navigation the chart may teach that there are dangerous rocks near the harbour mouth1 so the prophecy says that when we draw near to the coming of the ,lord1 there will arise certain persons who will not be afraid even to scoff at the revelation of ,god4 ,let us first examine the prophecy1 and then we shall be prepared to compare it with the fact4 ,it assures us then of the fact that there will be scoffers1 and it gives us a fourfold description of their character4 ,we shall find it in #b ,peter iii4 #c-e3 8,knowing this first1 that there shall come in the last days scoffers1 walking after their own lusts1 and saying1 ,where is the promise of ,his coming8 for since the fathers fell asleep1 all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation4 ,for this they willingly are ignorant of1 that by the word of ,god the heavens were of old1 and the earth standing out of the water and in the water40 7#a47 ,they will scoff4 ,now1 as a general rule1 a scoffer is not a reasoner4 ,it requires some knowledge and logical power to argue1 but any fool can scoff4 ,in fact1 it seems the peculiar attribute of folly2 for we are distinctly told that 8fools make a mock of sin40 ,now in this passage it is clearly foretold that in the last days men will scoff4 ,but when ,st4 ,peter wrote the words he must have thought it almost impossible4 ,for let any man look around at the visible effects of sin--the ruin1 the misery1 the wretched homes1 the miserable wives1 the pitiable children1 the sickness1 poverty1 crime1 violence1 and every species of abomination resulting from sin--and can any wise man scoff at sin8 ,or look at the majesty of ,god1 at ,his omnipotence1 ,his omnipresence1 ,his omniscience1 ,his infinitude1 ,his holiness1 ,his sin-abhorring character1 and it seems impossible that there should be anyone bold enough to presume to scoff at the ,most ,high ,god4 ,or look at ,his love in ,christ ,jesus2 in the provision of such a salvation for sinners such as we are2 in providing such a ,lamb for the burnt-offering2 in making to the guilty such an offer of such a salvation on such terms of magnificent generosity1 and can it be possible that any man should scoff at that8 ,will they scoff at the love that prompted it1 at the sacrifice made for it1 or at the pardon and life presented through it8 ,we might as well expect to see the condemned criminal scoffing at a free pardon from the ,queen4 ,but notwithstanding all that1 the prophecy says plainly that in the last days there shall be scoffers4 7#b47 ,the next clause throws further light on their character2 for it teaches that they will walk after their own lusts4 ,now 8lust0 does not mean merely the low1 vicious1 depraved passion of the profligate2 but the word in old ,english expresses exactly the meaning of the ,greek--the appetite or will of the natural man4 ,a person1 therefore1 may be what 8the world0 calls a moral man1 and still be walking after his own lust4 ,such characters are described by the prophet ,isaiah in the words1 8,we have turned every one to his own way40 7,chap4 liii4 #f47 ,and again1 chap4 lxvi4 #c1 8,yea1 they have chosen their own ways40 ,they make of themselves their own god4 ,they set up their own understanding as their teacher1 and their own will as their law4 ,their religion consists in one letter of the alphabet1 that one most absorbing letter1 8,i40 8,i know10 8,i think0 8,i choose10 8,i will10 8,i am10 and 8,i act as ,i think proper20 and thus it is that their own will becomes their only god4 ,oh what a miserable god6 ,oh1 what a contrast to the life of him who knows his ,saviour6 to the blessedness of the man whose life is hid with ,christ in ,god1 and whose daily prayer is1 8,thy will be done60 ,but though it seem almost impossible1 the words of the prophecy are perfectly clear that the rise of such characters will be amongst the anxious trials of the latter days4 7#c47 ,but this is not all2 for the next clause shows they will scoff at the hope of the ,advent1 and they will say1 8,where is the promise of ,his coming8 for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation40 ,this does not mean1 8,where shall we find the promise in the ,scriptures80 but rather1 8,what has become of it8 ,everything is going on just as it always has done1 and ,he is not come yet4 ,the winter comes and goes1 the sun rises and sets1 the business of life goes on as in former days1 and the ,lord has not yet appeared2 so what are we to think of the promise80 ,st4 ,peter points out the true answer to all this2 viz41 that ,god's time must not be measured by man's scale2 for that 8one day is with the ,lord as a thousand years1 and a thousand years as one day10 and he might have added that prophecy of our ,lord ,himself1 in which he taught us that everything will go on exactly the same right up to ,his return2 viz41 8,for as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking1 marrying and giving in marriage1 until the day that ,noe entered into the ark1 and knew not until the flood came and took them all away2 so shall also the coming of the ,son of man be40 7,matt4 xxiv4 #ch1 #ci47 ,it is most important that we bear this well in mind2 for there is an undoubted tendency in us all to settle down into an undefined feeling that things that have gone on without a change will go on still without a change1 and so to allow our hope of the ,advent to grow weary1 or to burn itself out through delay4 ,there is this tendency in even the ,christian mind1 and in all probability there are few amongst us who have not felt the need of watching against the temptation4 ,so in this prophecy the scoffer is predicted as availing himself of this natural tendency in our hearts1 and turning it against the promises of ,god2 as attacking the ,christian in ,his blessed hope2 as striving to shake the faith of believers2 and as endeavouring to pull down those who are looking for the ,lord to the dreary level of utter hopelessness on which he finds that he himself is standing4 ,it seems a very cruel thing1 and ,i often think that if ,i were an infidel ,i could not endeavour to shake the faith of other men4 ,it seems a horrible thing1 that because a man is without hope himself1 he should endeavour to take away hope from others2 and a most especially horrible thing that he should endeavour to poison the minds of children1 and so harden their young hearts against the reception of the truth of ,god4 ,but though it seem so cruel1 so unnatural1 and so contrary to any principle of ordinary benevolence1 the prophecy teaches quite plainly that so it will be in the 8latter days40 7#d47 ,but there is one more feature in the description2 viz41 this1 that these scoffers are 8willingly ignorant40 ,the ignorance here predicted has special reference to the creation and the flood2 but the point to which ,i would draw your most especial attention is the willingness of its character4 ,ignorance in many cases is the result of circumstances1 and in some of grave misfortune4 ,there are some who long for knowledge1 but have no opportunity of obtaining it2 and there are many others who1 though they show no such thirst1 cannot be blamed2 for they have never known enough even to excite an appetite4 ,but the prophecy describes men who are determinately and wilfully ignorant2 who are ignorant1 not because they cannot know1 but because they will not4 ,they are like those persons described in ,romans i4 #bh3 8,even as they did not like to retain ,god in their knowledge40 ,such are the people described in this prophecy--persons who are profoundly ignorant of the whole purpose of ,god in ,christ ,jesus2 who know absolutely nothing of that knowledge of the true ,god and of 8,jesus ,christ1 whom ,he has sent10 which the ,lord ,himself declared to be 8life eternal20 and who do not wish to know it1 but had rather remain without the knowledge4 ,the result is1 that they will read no ,christian evidence1 will care for no books but those of infidels1 and will never search their ,bible1 unless it be to find out something which they may make the subject of their mockery4 ,such is the willing ignorance most clearly predicted in this prophecy4 ,there are1 therefore1 four points clearly predicted in the character of those persons who1 according to prophecy1 must be expected in the 8latter days40 ,they will scoff2 they will walk after their own will2 they will call in question the ,lord's coming2 and they will be willingly ignorant of ,his inspired truth4 ,what then should be the effect on our own minds when we see the fulfilment of this prophecy8 ,should it shake our faith1 or strengthen it8 ,should it lead us to doubt our ,bibles1 or to rest in them as the truth of ,god8 ,when we found that ,noah's great prophecy respecting ,shem1 ,ham1 and ,japheth was fulfilled1 what was the effect8 ,it assured us that the ,pentateuch was true1 and the ,bible inspired4 ,when we found a whole series of prophecies respecting the ,jews and ,palestine were literally fulfilled1 what again was the effect8 ,it assured us that the ,bible was true1 and those prophets inspired4 ,so now1 if we see with our own eyes the clear fulfilment of ,st4 ,peter's prophecy1 what again must be our conclusion8 ,what but that the ,bible is true1 and that the apostle ,peter was inspired8 ,thus it is that the scoffer against the truth becomes a witness for the truth1 and the man who would insult our ,god by what he calls 8profane jokes0 is unconsciously and unintentionally bearing testimony to the ,god whom he insults4 ,if there were no such scoffers in these latter days1 then indeed we might begin to doubt the inspiration of the prophetic ,word4 ,if the ,jews had remained settled in their own country1 and had never been dispersed among the nations1 then we might have doubted the inspiration of the prophets respecting them2 and so1 if there were no infidels and no scoffers1 then we might call in question the inspiration of the ,scriptures that predicted them4 ,but now1 as the ,jews are witnesses to one class of prophecy1 so are the scoffers to another2 and while we grieve for the poor men1 and most heartily desire to see them saved with the great salvation1 we may be at the same time thankful for their evidence1 and may accept their scoffing is an unanswerable testimony to the prophetic truth of the inspired ,scripture4 ,but that is not all4 ,for when we have such a prophecy1 so full in its prediction1 and so clearly proved by its fulfilment to have been inspired by ,god1 we are bound by every principle of allegiance to ,him to listen to ,his counsel and act on ,his warning4 ,if we believe ,his ,word1 the least we can do is to be on our guard2 and if ,god has predicted scoffers1 we ought to be prepared to meet them4 ,this is the application which the apostle ,peter makes of his own prophecy1 and the passage is a remarkable instance of the application of a prophecy by the prophet who was employed to give it4 ,turn1 then1 to verse #ag of the chapter1 and there you find him saying1 8,ye therefore1 beloved1 seeing ye know these things before0 7i4e41 that you are fully warned beforehand71 8beware lest ye also1 being led away with the error of the wicked1 fall from your own stedfastness40 ,he points to a danger against which we should watch1 and a standard at which we are to aim4 ,the danger is that1 8being led away with the error of the wicked10 we should 8fall from our own stedfastness40 ,the standard is1 that we 8grow in grace and in the knowledge of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ40 ,but if we are to act on this advice1 it is clear that we must be armed in the understanding4 ,it is not enough that we feel emotion2 but we want to be able to give a reason for the hope that is in us--to know what that hope is1 and to know also the strong foundation on which it rests4 ,most especially would ,i urge this on our young men4 ,as you go through life you are almost certain to meet with scoffers1 and when you do you do not want to be like them1 willingly ignorant4 ,our position is perfectly impregnable6 ,we have a rock under our feet which nothing can shake4 ,we have facts which cannot be disproved1 and an accumulation of evidence which is not to be found respecting any other book in the world4 ,but we must not let our weapons remain locked up like old armour in some baronial hall1 but we must have them out1 and use them with vigour4 ,they are made of the best of steel2 but we must take care that there is no rust on the blade1 and so be able to meet the scoffer2 not by scoffing1 but by the sword of the ,spirit1 remembering well the assurance of ,scripture1 that 8the weapons of our warfare are not carnal1 but mighty through ,god to the pulling down of strongholds40 ,but it is not in the understanding only that we require to be armed1 for ,i believe there is no armour like the heart's experience of the love of ,god in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the happy1 consistent1 thankful believer1 he is not afraid of the scoffer4 ,he knows whom he has believed1 and he is persuaded that he is able to keep that which he has committed to ,him against that day4 ,he pities the scoffer1 therefore2 but he is not afraid of him except for the harm that he may do to others4 ,he has felt the strength of the rock under his feet1 and he is not going to be driven from it on to the shifting sands of unsettled infidelity4 ,oh1 may ,god grant to every one of us strong assurance in the grace wherein we stand6 ,may ,he keep us in the hearty enjoyment of an abiding union with ,christ ,jesus our ,lord6 that so1 strong in the ,lord1 and in the power of ,his might1 we may stand fast in ,him2 redeemed by ,his blood2 born again by ,his ,spirit2 called by the ,holy ,ghost2 justified in ,his righteousness2 forgiven through ,his atonement2 and made heirs according to the hope of eternal life6 ,if that be granted1 we can afford to be scoffed at2 and if that be ours1 we should be stirred in the very depths of our soul to fresh energy as the witnesses for ,christ4 ,the scoffer himself is a witness to ,him1 inasmuch as he is a living1 speaking1 visible proof of the fulfilment of the prophetic ,word4 ,but it is not so that we must bear our testimony4 ,he is a witness to truth by his denial1 we by our confession2 he by his insult1 we by our reverend faith2 he by denying the coming of our ,lord1 we by expecting it2 he by the assertion of his own will1 we by the surrender of ourselves to the will of the ,lord4 ,so it is that we may realize the full meaning of the words of our ,lord1 8,ye shall receive power after that the ,holy ,ghost is come upon you1 and ye shall be witnesses unto me40 ,,the ,,sacraments4 ,,it was one of the principles of the ancient ,jewish law1 that 8in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established40 ,i have already exceeded that requirement in having brought before you no less than five 8witnesses0 to establish the truth and inspiration of the ,scriptures2 but ,i propose1 if ,god permit1 to conclude my series with two more3 ,they shall be very simple witnesses1 and to the eye of man quite insignificant4 ,they shall not have in themselves any apparent power of testimony2 but yet ,i believe they are intended to speak in words of irresistible argument to all thinking men1 and ,i trust will carry home to the hearts of those who are not 8willingly ignorant0 the most conclusive evidence of the truth of ,god4 ,i refer to the two ,sacraments of the ,lord's appointment--,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper4 ,in #a ,john v4 there appears to be a distinct reference to the ,jewish rule1 and there are three witnesses mentioned as bearing testimony upon earth--8the ,spirit1 and the water1 and the blood40 ,the passage is not an easy one1 and it behoves us to speak with caution4 ,but ,i cannot help believing that by 8the ,spirit0 is meant the testimony of the ,holy ,ghost in ,his inspired ,word2 and by 8the water and the blood10 the two ,sacraments1 ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper4 ,it is to the testimony of these two latter witnesses that ,i now propose to refer2 but we must remember there is nothing in either of them of a conspicuous or ostentatious character4 ,in neither one nor the other is there anything like a material monument1 nor anything to attract the attention of 8the world20 there is no erection of granite or marble1 nor any inscription like those on the stones from ,nineveh2 but they are both simple acts of the simplest possible character4 ,a little water is all that is visible in the one1 and a little bread and wine in the other2 and yet1 though so simple1 so insignificant1 and so absolutely without any visible monument1 for the last eighteen hundred years they have been bearing their testimony as 8witnesses0 for ,christ4 ,let us then conclude our series by the examination of their evidence1 and let us consider two points3 7#a7 ,their present position2 and 7#b7 ,when and how did they acquire it8 ,may ,god so bless our study by the ,holy ,ghost as to bring home conviction to all our hearts and understandings4 7#a47 ,their present position4 ,in order to realise this we must not confine our thoughts to our own personal enjoyment of our own sacred privileges4 ,we may come to the ,lord's table as individuals1 and find in the sacred feast such 8a strengthening and refreshing of our souls0 as may be to us the most conclusive and satisfactory evidence of the certain reality of the grace of ,god2 but our personal experience would be no evidence to others1 and our own enjoyment would not be regarded by the sceptic as a proof2 it would be evidence to ourselves1 but not to him1 nor to the world at large4 ,we must therefore take a wider range1 and consider only such evidence as lies within the cognizance of all observing men4 ,for this reason ,i have selected their position in the ,church of ,christ at this present time4 ,i am not about to ask you to consider past history1 but present facts2 facts that may be tested by every one1 facts belonging to this enlightened nineteenth century2 and what ,i ask you to do is quietly and patiently to investigate facts4 ,taking then our standpoint in this year of our ,lord1 #ahhc1 we find that the ,church of ,christ has been extending for just #ahej years1 and that throughout that time it has been spread by countless agents1 and in countless manners1 in every direction throughout the world4 ,starting as it did from ,palestine1 it has now taken root on every continent1 and it has borne the sacred ,name of our blessed ,saviour into every quarter of the globe4 ,but while there has been this world-wide spread of ,christianity1 and while there is at this present time this widely-extended acknowledgment of the ,name of the ,lord ,jesus1 it is at the same time perfectly obvious that there are within the ,church of the baptized immense diversities both of creed and practice4 ,there are different ,churches standing aloof from each other4 ,there is the ,church of ,rome in conflict with what is called the ,greek ,church on the one hand1 and with us ,protestants on the other4 ,what is commonly called the ,greek ,church consists again of many branches1 or is rather an aggregate of many independent ,churches not united under any one head4 ,there is the original ,greek ,church1 the ,russian1 the ,syrian1 the ,coptic1 and the ,abyssinian4 ,so in the ,church of ,rome there are various orders1 besides the great division between the secular and regular clergy2 while we all know1 to our heartfelt sorrow1 how those who are united in their love for the great ,scriptural principles of ,protestant truth are still divided into various denominations4 ,thus1 looking at the ,church of ,christ as a whole1 we find it spread into so many places that it encircles the world2 and broken up into so many sections that it is hard to trace what we may term any visible corporate union4 ,there is separation as to place1 and divergence as to ,church organisation4 ,but now we come to the wonderful and indisputable fact that1 notwithstanding all this separation and all this divergence in all countries and many systems1 wherever we find the name of ,christ there we find ,his own two ,sacraments2 and wherever we meet with ,christianity there we are sure to meet with ,baptism and the ,holy ,communion1 ,god's two witnesses to ,his inspired truth4 ,this is sufficiently wonderful if you think merely of the geographical extension of the ,church4 ,the visible ,church is spread amongst different nations1 in different climates1 and with different habits2 some of which are leading the way in civilization and science1 while some are sunk in barbarism2 some leading the thoughts of the world1 and some apparently never thinking at all2 some absorbed in trade1 and some so completely without trade that they have not even a currency4 ,in some there are old churches that have existed for centuries1 and in some churches of modern formation recently called into being through colonization and missions2 and yet1 though the two ,sacraments are so perfectly simple that there is nothing in themselves to spread or perpetuate themselves1 wherever you go you find them4 ,place and space have made no difference4 ,go to ,europe1 ,asia1 ,africa1 or ,america1 it makes no difference2 wherever you go there you find ,god's two ,sacraments essentially bound up with the ,christianity of the people4 ,but what is more wonderful still1 the divergences in the faith have not destroyed them4 ,there are different ,churches most earnestly opposed to each other1 as the ,church of ,england to that of ,rome1 and the ,church of ,rome to that of ,constantinople2 but all have the two ,sacraments4 ,so at home there are various denominations1 sadly disunited1 and in some cases1 ,i fear ,i must say1 opposed2 but yet amidst them all there remains this remarkable fact1 that1 with one or two perfectly insignificant exceptions1 they all observe these same two ,sacraments4 ,and what makes this more remarkable still is the fact that throughout ,christendom there are immense diversities of opinion on the particular subject of these ,sacraments2 and there is scarcely any subject around which controversy has raged more fiercely4 ,both ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper have been the subject of sharp contention2 and they have both been misinterpreted1 misrepresented1 and misused4 ,desperate heresies have been attached to them both1 and they have become the battle-field for most determined theological conflict2 but1 notwithstanding all this confusion of tongues1 the great fact still remains1 that after eighteen centuries of conflict1 here they are still4 ,controversy has not destroyed them2 perversion has not put an end to them2 separation has not divided them2 but in the midst of all disturbing forces they remain4 ,wherever you find ,christianity1 there you find them4 ,in all parts of the world1 and in all ,churches on the face of the earth1 they are inseparably connected with the confession of ,christ2 and1 as a matter of fact1 there is not a ,church in ,christendom which in some mode or other does not observe them both4 ,now in the study of this fact we must remember1 as ,i said at the outset1 that they are not like solid marbles set up by some great men1 and so remaining as national monuments2 but they consist in very insignificant actions1 and their existence depends on their being observed by millions of insignificant individuals4 ,they are preserved1 not by state authority or church councils1 but by the loving hearts of millions of scattered individuals1 who1 though it may be in much confusion1 desire to act on the bidding of their ,lord4 ,thus they become exceedingly like the rainbow spanning the heaven4 ,that beautiful bow1 the token of the covenant1 is formed by the reflection of the sun from unnumbered millions of minute drops of falling rain4 ,each drop is in itself a mere speck1 a nothing1 falling rapidly1 but shining as it falls2 and all these millions of falling drops combine to form the one beautiful arch1 which remains perfectly still1 and bridges the interval between earth and heaven4 ,so these two ,sacraments are maintained throughout the world by the faith and piety of millions of insignificant and short-lived individuals1 each one undesignedly fulfilling his own little part2 while the grand combination of all these millions of little individualities maintains in all places and in all ages the twofold token of the everlasting covenant of ,god4 7,,ii47 ,thus far ,i have spoken simply of facts1 of facts open to the observation of all men1 and1 as far as ,i know1 denied by none4 ,i cannot imagine that even an infidel would deny any of them4 ,i may proceed then to my next question3 ,when and how did these two ,sacraments acquire this position8 ,as a matter of fact they are observed throughout ,christendom2 when then were they introduced1 and how did this observance begin8 ,to this question our answer is simple2 for we believe that they were ordained by ,christ ,himself1 the one as ,his last act before ,his crucifixion1 and the other before ,his ascension4 ,to us therefore who receive the ,scriptures the whole thing is perfectly clear1 and the fact is explained by the principle that all who receive the ,lord ,jesus ,christ must receive1 in obedience to ,his will1 the two ,sacraments which ,he ,himself ordained4 ,but suppose there were any one who did not receive the ,scripture account1 it would be extremely interesting if such an one would endeavour to explain the introduction of either ,sacrament1 and would tell us who introduced it1 and when1 and how4 ,if any person were now to endeavour to invent a third ,sacrament he would find it very difficult to obtain for it a general acceptance through the world4 ,the ,church of ,rome endeavoured to establish a new dogma respecting the ,pope's infallibility1 and what was the result8 ,they split off a large body of their own people1 and they totally failed to introduce their dogma amongst any of the other churches of ,christendom4 ,in this respect the divisions of ,christendom tend greatly to confirm the evidence of the ,sacraments2 for they show the complete impossibility of the introduction of these ,sacraments at a later date than that claimed for them in the ,scriptures4 ,if ,protestants had invented them1 ,roman ,catholics would never have received them2 or1 to go back to a later date1 if they had been invented by ,rome they would never have been received at ,constantinople4 ,the ,church of ,god is like a multitude of channels1 all radiating from one centre4 ,if you pour water into one channel you produce no effect on all the others1 for the water will not pass across from channel to channel2 but if there be a spring in the centre itself1 then they are all filled together1 for they all draw from one fountain-head4 ,just so it is with the ,sacraments4 ,if they had sprung up in any one branch of the scattered ,church1 they might have remained there2 but there is no power on earth that could have carried them across into the other branches4 ,so that now1 as they are found in every branch1 and in every part of every branch1 the only possible explanation is that they have come direct from the fountain-head2 that therefore the ,scriptural narrative is perfectly true2 and that they were founded1 as there recorded1 by our ,lord ,himself1 and none other4 ,as they came from ,christ1 the original centre1 they spread through ,christendom2 as they were founded by the ,author of ,christianity1 they are observed wherever ,christianity exists4 ,if any one doubt this conclusion1 let him tell us where1 when1 and by whom they were first invented1 and how after that they were spread through the world4 ,but we have not done yet2 for if we believe that the two ,sacraments were founded by our ,lord ,himself at the time and in the manner recorded in the ,scriptures1 there are certain very important results which follow4 ,let us confine our thoughts to the ,lord's ,supper4 ,it was clearly declared at the time of its institution to be a memorial of the death and passion of our blessed ,lord and ,saviour4 ,it was founded1 moreover1 on the night before ,his suffering1 and that amongst men who were eye-witnesses of all that passed4 ,such is the statement of the ,scriptures1 which we now follow up by the fact that1 from that day to this1 wherever the name of ,christ is named1 there has never been a break in the observance of that memorial4 ,now what is the plain1 simple1 and obvious conclusion from all this8 ,is it not surely this1 that the facts actually took place8 ,the ,lord's ,supper is a memorial of the crucifixion1 and it was founded among persons who were eye-witnesses of the whole transaction4 ,now if these facts had never occurred1 and if the ,book recording them had not been a true ,book1 how could the memorial have ever got its hold on the ,church8 ,the truth of the ,book is proved by the existence of the memorial4 ,the ,book and the memorial are bound the one to the other4 ,they stand and fall together2 they cannot be separated4 ,but the memorial may be seen throughout ,christendom as a visible fact4 ,it is1 and always has been1 co-extensive with ,christianity4 ,it is at this present time open to the observation of any one2 so1 seeing the memorial1 we believe the ,book1 and are fully1 perfectly1 and historically satisfied as to all the great facts of the crucifixion4 ,but we must not stop there2 for the memorial is not merely a proof of the facts of the crucifixion1 but is also a proof of the doctrine of the cross4 ,we have found that the memorial could not possibly have been introduced at any subsequent date1 but that its institution must be traced up to the fountain-head1 even to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,himself1 and those words of ,his1 8,do this in remembrance of me40 ,but this is not the whole of the passage1 and we must not forget those other words1 8,this is my body1 which is given for you10 and1 8,this cup is the new testament in my blood1 which is shed for you40 ,the memorial1 therefore1 is not merely a memorial of the death1 but of the purpose of it1 and of the great principle which underlies the whole4 ,it is a monument of those two sentences1 8given for you0 and 8shed for you40 ,if it were a granite column instead of a simple service1 these would be the two sentences to be engraved upon it2 or if men wished to make the inscription shorter still1 they might be content with two words1 and write 8,for you20 for these two words contain the pith and marrow of the whole matter4 ,it is not1 therefore1 merely the fact that ,he died of which the ,lord's ,supper is a divinely-appointed witness1 but the fact that ,he died as a vicarious satisfaction for sin--8a propitiation for our sins3 and not for ours only1 but also for the sins of the whole world40 ,it is well for us1 therefore1 to look carefully at the certain and undeniable fact1 that in this nineteenth century the ,lord's ,supper is observed in some form or other wherever the name of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ is known2 to consider well the utter impossibility of its being introduced at any period subsequent to the foundation of the ,gospel1 or by any person except by ,him who said1 8,this do in remembrance of me20 and so to accept the assurance of its testimony that the body there given was given for us1 and the blood there shed was shed for us4 ,divine atonement then is the great truth visibly signed and sealed to us by ,god's divine memorial2 and when we kneel together before that table of ,his1 we may accept for our own soul's everlasting peace1 not merely the fact that ,he died1 but the truth that ,he died as a propitiation for our sins2 that ,his body was given in our behalf1 or for us1 and ,his blood shed in our behalf1 or for us2 and that therefore1 without any further propitiatory sacrifice1 or any supplementary mode of reconciliation1 believing in ,him1 we are perfectly1 immediately1 and eternally free4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,england ,,book ,,society1 #aa1 ,,adam ,,street1 ,,strand4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,works ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,canon ,,hoare1 ,m4,a41 ,,published ,,by ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,england ,,book ,,society1 #aa1 ,,adam ,,street1 ,,strand1 ,,london4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,just ,,published4 ,,witnesses ,,to ,,truth4 ,authorized ,edition4 #hj pages1 crown #hvo1 in tinted paper cover1 #i;d42 neatly bound in cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 ,,contents4--7#a7 ,difficulties2 7#b7 ,the ,races2 7#c7 ,the ,jews2 7#d7 ,palestine2 7#e7 ,scoffers2 7#f7 ,the ,sacraments4 ,,conformity ,,to ,,the ,,world4 ,third ,edition1 revised4 #fd pages1 imperial #cbmo1 in tinted paper cover1 #d;d42 in limp cloth1 neat1 #i;d4 ,,contents4--7#a7 ,introduction2 7#b7 8,the ,world20 7#c7 ,conformity to the ,world3--,general ,principles--,recognition of the ,distinction--,dress--,society--,friends --,amusements2 7#d7 ,the ,conclusion4 ,,baptism3 ,,as ,,taught ,,in ,,the ,,bible ,,and ,,the ,,prayer ,,book4 ,seventh ,edition4 #df pages1 imperial #cbmo1 in tinted paper cover1 #c;d42 in limp cloth1 neat1 #h;d4 ,,published ,,by ,,hatchard4 ,,rome1 ,,turkey1 ,,and ,,jerusalem4 #agth ,thousand4 #afmo1 paper cover1 #as42 ,cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 ,,palestine ,,and ,,russia4 #eth ,thousand4 #afmo1 paper cover1 #as42 cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 ,,redemption4 ,a companion volume to 8,sanctification40 ,square fcap4 #hvo1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,sanctification4 ,third ,edition4 ,square fcap4 #hvo1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,doctrine ,,of ,,the ,,lord',s ,,supper1 as ,taught by the ,church of ,england4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 paper cover1 #f;d4 ,,inspiration3 ,,its ,,nature ,,and ,,extent4 ,new ,edition1 revised4 #afmo1 paper cover1 #as42 cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,communion ,,and ,,communicant4 ,new ,cheap ,edition1 revised and enlarged4 #ahmo1 paper cover1 #c;d42 or #bs4 #f;d4 per dozen4 ,,by ,,the ,,late ,,mrs4 ,e4 ,,hoare4 ,,the ,,christian ,,mother2 ,,or1 ,,notes ,,for ,,mothers' ,,meetings4 ,second ,edition4 ,cloth1 #as4 ,,published ,,by ,,elliot ,,stock4 ,,the ,,new ,,departure4 #a;d4