The Bible Is Attractive
By T.
NOTWITHSTANDING the fact that infidelity seeks to pour contempt upon the Bible, and would try to make it appear that the divine Book is very childish and elementary, some of the greatest thinkers of this world have been devout Bible students. Leading scientists, leading statesmen, leading educators, in fact, leaders in every walk of life, have been men who devoutly studied the Book of books. They have followed this study of the Bible because of its high ideals, because of its pure morality, because of the inspiration and hope that it held forth. Sir Isaac Newton was one of the world’s greatest scientists. It was he who discovered the law of gravitation, and made such a stir in the world because of his discovery. He has been kept before the world as one among its conspicuously great, and yet this same Sir Isaac Newton wrote books upon prophecy that are as profound and scholarly as anything he ever wrote on science. After he had stirred the world by his published statements concerning the law of gravitation, he said, in one of his dissertations on the prophecies of the Bible, that in order for certain of these prophetic declarations to be fulfilled, there would yet be a mode of traveling of which the men of his time had no conception. He even ventured to say that the knowledge of mankind would be so increased that they would be able to travel at the rate of fifty miles an hour. He who communed, through nature, with the God who is the Author of the great laws that govern the universe, when he came to commune with Him through His inspired words of prophecy, was able to see that those prophecies could never be fulfilled without modes of travel being provided that were far beyond anything in existence in Sir Isaac’s time. Voltaire commenced to hurl his vindictive epithets against the Bible and Christianity during the time that the venerable Newton was giving expression to his beliefs concerning the fulfilment of prophecy. And, in paying his respects to what Newton said concerning the mode of travel that would yet be developed, Voltaire said: “Now look at that mighty mind of Newton’s, who discovered gravity, and told us such marvels for us all to admire. When he became an old man, and got into his dotage, he began to study that book called the Bible; and it seems that, in order to credit its fabulous nonsense, we must believe that the knowledge of mankind will be so increased that we shall be able to travel at the rate of fifty miles an hour.” After thus passing his opinion upon Newton’s work, Voltaire gave vent to his pity and feelings of commiseration in the expression, “The poor dotard!” Both of these men have passed from the scenes of earth; but in the light of existing fact, who is to be called “the poor dotard,”—the man who reverently believed and studied God’s prophetic Word, or the man who spent his life in seeking to pour contempt upon it? It turns out that Newton had the right of it; and we will see that all those who follow the prophetic declarations of God’s word will ever stand upon the solid foundation that supports all the structure of truth. Newton could find that He who was the Author of the accurate and never-failing laws of nature was also the Author of the accurate and never-failing predictions of prophecy. The same One is the Author of both; and everything that comes from the hand of God is infinite in perfection, and may be depended upon with unwavering confidence.