THE SCRIPTURES ARE PERFECT.
By Elder S. N. Haskell
FOR the first twenty-five hundred years there was no written word. God's great textbook was nature. Through his works men learned of him. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." Ps. 19:1-3. But what is the glory of God that is taught by the heavens? When Moses prayed, "I beseech thee show me thy glory," God said, "I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." Ex. 33:18, 19. Then Christ, angels, and God's Holy Spirit, who were man's instructors for the first two thousand years, from the heavens, taught man God's character as a forgiving, merciful, and loving Redeemer. This was the gospel of Jesus Christ. In nature, both before and after the fall, in the curse brought on the earth, and by the curse itself, God revealed the plan of redemption. Every act of Christ in any and every age of the world was only a divine revealing of himself. The great apostle reasons from this standpoint when he would prove the gospel which he preached had gone to all the earth and all had heard the word of God. He first prefaces his statement with what men say: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, unless they be sent? as it is written; How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Having quoted men's arguments, he proceeds to show that all have heard this gospel. "But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world." Rom. 10:14-18. The reader will notice the last expression, "Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world," is a quotation from Ps. 19:4, and has direct reference to the voice of the firmament, the sun, moon, and the stars. But why need we the written word if the gospel was in nature? and why cannot we see it the same as was taught by God and his divine agencies, for the first one-third of the world's history? The answer is evident. This was God's first method of instructing men, but when men became so sinful that they worshiped nature, and from this nature worship sprang the whole system of idolatry, instead of the God of nature, then God revealed himself in the written word. And in the first books which God gave through his servant Moses, we find this remarkable passage: "And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven." Deut. 4:19. The inclination of the people to worship nature, which God designed should be only a revelation of himself to them, was so great he gave the special caution, "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead; so they are without excuse." Rom. 1:19, 20. It was thus that God would have taught all mankind if they had been mindful of his instruction. But as their hearts became hardened, then God gave them the law, in which was a revelation of the same gospel. Consequently, law was simply an unfolding of the same gospel that was taught in nature. The writings of the prophets were still a further unfolding of the same truths. We pass down about two thousand years more, and then the Lord takes all this perfection that was first in nature, and second in his word, and places them in humanity. So that Christ, which was the Word made flesh, appeared on this earth and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory as the only begotten of the Father. Those that were with him and beheld him testified of him, and we have their testimony. This is also the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is one and the same story only manifested in different ways. The words of God wherever they are found are Christ revealing himself to mankind. The true character of Christ was altogether lost sight of when Christ walked this earth, and this was why he was not appreciated. It became necessary for Christ to come in humanity that the world might know God and learn his character as it is. Oh, what matchless love of God is this! Because man rejected him and lost sight of him in nature, then he revealed himself in his written word; then because men by their wickedness and wrong habits had again entirely lost sight of him, so that even his professed followers stood directly in the way of his getting at the people, Christ came representing the Father in all his perfection in humanity. He took upon himself human nature, with all its liabilities, so that men might see what it would be if they would be Christians. "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." "For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Heb. 2:16-18; 4:15, 16. He thus becomes the ladder that Jacob saw with its bottom on the earth and its top upon the throne of God. Man therefore through the merits of Jesus Christ can be a partaker of his divine nature, and in his worthiness may become holy. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" Rom. 11:33. Therefore to reject Christ is to reject God. It is to refuse the goodness and mercy of God that have been coming to mankind for the last six thousand years. Every act of Christ's life contained an underlying principle that taught lessons for all who would learn of him. The Bible is the greatest educator there is in the world, because it is the perfection of God. It unfolds the mystery of God. It reveals to us everything that will elevate, ennoble, and purify the character. "Every chapter and every verse in the Bible is a communication of God to man. We should bind its precepts as signs upon our hands, and as frontlets between our eyes. If studied and obeyed, it would lead God's people, as the Israelites were led, by the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night." But we need the same Spirit which gave the word that we may understand it. Of the disciples we read, "Then He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures." Before this opening they had understood the fulfillment of the prophecy as it related to the theory of Christ's coming, but they had not understood the spiritual meaning of what Christ had taught them. As they were to take up Christ's work, it was necessary that their minds should be opened to understand the Scriptures. "The more we walk in the light of the truth the more we shall become like Christ in spirit and character and in manner of work, and the brighter the truth will become to us. As we behold the increasing light of revelation, it will become more precious than we first estimated from a casual reading or examination. The truth as it is in Jesus is capable of constant expansion, of new development, and like its divine Author will become more precious and beautiful. It will constantly reveal deeper significance and lead the soul to aspire for more perfect conformity to its divine standard. Such an understanding of the truth will elevate the mind and transform the character to its divine perfection." The entire system of Jewish religion was the gospel of Christ presented in types and symbols. Surely when Christ comes man will be without excuse.