OCR Text |
Show 4 FAITH AND CREDULITY. <br><br> received the law, the Lord said unto him: "Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever." Exodus 19:9. And all Israel came forth to meet God, and the Lord descended upon the mount, and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, the whole mount quaked greatly, and when the voice of the trumpet sounded long and waxed louder and louder, "Moses spake and God answered him by a voice." And God gave his law unto Moses and said unto him: "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven." Exodus 20:22. Truly these things were not done in a corner, nor behind a blanket, nor was the law spoken to the people in an unknown tongue, or written in strange hieroglyphics, as the mighty God came in majestic power to present to his people the issues of life and death. <br> No less open to the investigation of the world, no less authenticated, were the promises of the coming and the advent and mission of our blessed Saviour. Typified under <br><br> FAITH AND CREDULITY. 5 <br><br> the Jewish law and Jewish history, foretold by a long line of prophets, he had for his forerunner and herald who should announce his coming one of whom that Saviour said, "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist." And when Jesus was born an angel from heaven announced his birth and his mission, the glory of the Lord shone upon the earth, and there appeared to the shepherds a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men." And the shepherds and the wise men saw the young child, and the star which was moved by the hand of God through the heavens "stood over where the young child was." Openly before the eyes of his nation the Saviour performed his miracles, taught his disciples, finished his work, and yielded up his life. <br> Truly none of these things were done in a corner, nor hidden beyond the reach of credible witnesses. <br> For eighteen hundred years the Christian <br> [Continues on next page.] <br><br> |