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Tribute to the Bible

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 27, 1871

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 38, No. 2.

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Tribute to the Bible.

Who composed the following description of the Bible was never known. It was found in Westminster Abbey, nameless and dateless:—
A nation would be truly happy if it were governed by no other laws than those of this blessed book.
It is so complete a system that nothing can be added to it.
It contains everything needful to be known or done.
It affords a copy for a king and a rule for a subject.
It gives instruction to a senate, authority and direction to a magistrate.
It cautions a witness, requires an impartial verdict of a jury, and furnishes the judge with his sentence.
It sets the husband as the lord of a household, the wife as a mistress of the table—tells him how to rule and her how to manage.
It entitles parents to honor, and enjoins obedience on children.
It prescribes and limits the sway of the sovereign, the ruler, and authority of the master—commands the subject to honor, and servants to obey, and promises the blessings and protection of the Almighty to all that walk by its rules.
It promises food and raiment, and limits the use of both.
It points out a faithful and eternal guardian to the departing husband and father—tells him with whom to leave his fatherless children, and whom his widow is to trust—and promises a father to the former and a husband to the latter.
It teaches a man to set his house in order, and know his will; it appoints a dowry for his wife, and entails the right of the first born, and shows how the young branches shall be left.
It defends the right of all, and reveals vengeance to every defaulter, overreacher, and trespasser.
It is the first book and the oldest book in the world. It contains the choicest matter—gives the best instruction—affords the greatest pleasure and satisfaction that were ever enjoyed.
It contains the best laws and most profound mysteries that were ever penned; it brings the best comforts to the inquiring and disconsolate.
It exhibits life and immortality from everlasting, and shows the way to glory.
It is a brief recital of all that is to come.
It settles all matters in debate, resolves all doubts, and eases the mind and conscience of all their scruples.
It reveals the only true and living God, and shows the way to him, and sets aside all other gods, and describes the vanity of them and of those that trust in such; in short, it is a book of laws, to show right and wrong; a book of wisdom, that condemns all folly and makes the foolish wise; a book of truth, that detects all lies and confronts all errors; and a book of life, that shows the way from everlasting death.
It contains the most ancient antiquities, strange events, wonderful occurrences, heroic deeds, and unparalleled wars.
It describes the celestial, terrestrial, and infernal worlds, and the origin of the angelic myriads, human tribes, and devilish legions.
Search the Scriptures.—Sel.