Around the home table

Author's Preface

Mich lias been said and written about the subof the following chapters. But the matter is cither in such voluminous form as not to be accessible to the ordinary home, or it is scattered so promiscuously about amid the great mass of literature — "here a little, and there a little" — that only hen.- and there bits of it reach the class of readers designed to be reached with this little volume.

Though this is preeminently a literary age — an age in which it may truly be said, " of making xii. 12) many books there is no end," — yet Dot every home can be supposed to own a library. Many < an not afford it, others do Dot care for it. And yet it is commonly presumed that all Christians ate, to a Certain extent, conversant with the fundamental doctrines and principles of their

Christian profession. Whether we presume too

much in this or not, is not for us to say. Suffice

that Christian intelligence is

illy admitted to be the preCUrSOl to .1 wlioh -

6 AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

some spiritual growth. The need of the age, therefore, is a simpler and more specific treatment of the vital points of Christian doctrine and living. Hence, it is the author's purpose to place within the reach of every home that which is so vital to their highest interests, and to present it in such simple and practical form as to be easily comprehended by the most ordinary reader. And if in so doing he can contribute anything toward the amelioration of God's people in their homes, and to the efficiency of their service there; or perchance lead some from their sins to peace with God, he will be more than satisfied.

Respectfully yours,

J. C. Jacobv.

September, 1892.

Preface To Second Edition

H of a preface than that of our first edition is entirely unnecessary except to say that this second edition is published in response to the numer- [nests for it. After a careful revision of the former text and a prefix of two chapters (The Inspiration of the Scriptures and The Immortality of the Son! 1 , both SO vital to the complete round tial to the larger range of Christian intelligence in the ordinary Christian home, we offer out readers our present edition in the ardent •.hat every reader may find it instructive, I inspiration t<> a nobler and more life.

J. C. Jacoby. (7)

Introduction

It was Bacon who said, "Reading makes the

man." The contribution of our reading to the formation of character and to the use we make of it in our lives is undoubtedly greater than many

Blippose. When every one's account is brought to the final settlement it will be discovered that the kind of reading we did counted in the scales for good or evil. Everybody is reading now. The t boy, the thoughtless girl, the criminal, young or older, alike will be found to be familiar with the soiled "paper cover," often full of exciting nr ad alas! how often of evil suggestion. How few realize what an insidious snare there is in much of the reading done to-day.

| to thought oi passion. The

in every instance must be put down to profit

The reading in our homes Is really a vital

thing. It> influence isoflen subtle. It does not

sound a trumpet at it-- coming. Its touch is gentle,

but when it is evil ita retribution often has the

IO INTRODUCTION.

rage of a storm in it. Parents give attention to the education and the health of their children when they are often sadly indifferent about their reading.

Quietly hundreds and thousands of the young to-day are becoming the victims of a kind of reading that is hostile to all that is noble and essential to right living. To say the least, it is often averse to anything that is serious and reverent. The appetite for that which is flippant, sometimes vulgar, in its suggestions, is having for many in this reading day, a keen edge put upon it. Like the drink habit, every day adds to the demand made for more, until in not a few cases, debauch and ruin follow. Any book that offsets or would in any way counteract this evil should be heartily welcomed in the homes of the people. The author of "Around The Home Table" has furnished such a book. It is not a theological treatise, but it is decidedly Christian and scriptural from the first to the last page. In doctrine it is strong and safe. Its mission is to impart instruction very much needed. What better could father or mother do than to read aloud a portion of it on each Lord's Day. A single page of it every morning, along with the open Bible, would furnish a wholesome

INTRODUCTION. II

lion and a safeguard tor all the responsibilities and happenings of the day. The style of the book is simple and pleasing. Its chapters are timely and adapted to all. The aged and the young alike will find a sufficient help in it under all conditions. It has in it a devotional element. Thoughtfully read it will edify the Christian, impart wise counsel to the perplexed, quicken the : :nce of the erring, and enkindle an urgent in those who have grown weary in well-<i<

there is in it that which will impart who in any measure have eonie to share the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. The writer of this introductory note could heartily wish that "Around The lb. me Table" might find a place in a multitude of homi o become a

1UOUS and gracious beatitude to all who it.

We bid the messages it brings Godspeed.

M. R.HI 'DBS.

-. tgia

Chapter I. Inspiration Of The 9criptures

•' All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." 2 Tim. iii. 16. "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Pet. i. 21.

That the Bible is the world's most wonderful book is a well-nigh universal admission. No such book has ever been written in any age of the World's history as the Bible. And hence that it has been given by inspiration of God is questioned by persistent skeptics only.

While scholars are oot wholly agreed as to the manner or method of the inspiration of the Bible

the following definitions may aid our readers in forming simpler and clearer conceptions of God's

plan of communicating His will toman: "By inspiration of the Scripture we mean that special divine influence upon the minds of the Scripture writer-, iii virtue of which their productions, apart

from transcriptions, and, when rightly

reted, constitute an infallible and sufficient I 13)

14 AROUND THK HOME TABLE.

rule of faith and practice." (A. H. Strong, Sys. Theol. p. 95.)

"The supernatural action of the Holy Spirit on the mind of the sacred writers whereby the Scriptures were not merely their own, but the Word of God." (A. R. Faussett, Bib. Cyclo. p. 308.)

"Inspiration is that divine influence by virtue of which the truths and facts given by revelation, as well as other truths and facts pertaining to God's kingdom, are spoken or written in a truthful and authoritative manner." (H. B. Smith, Int. to Christ. Theol. p. 204.)

" Inspiration is the divine communication of the permanent truths of the kingdom of redemption, in an organic way, to the writers of Scripture, which gives these writers their unique place in the offices of His kingdom." (G. T. Ladd, Doc. of Sac. Script, vol. II. 464.) Inspiration is the divine influence exerted on the writers of the Bible by which they were guided, enlightened and preserved from error (J. A. Brown, D. D., LL. D., Lect. On Theol. p. 210.)

In whatever form these several authors have given expression to their thoughts, but one idea predominates; namely that "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.' 1 ''

INSPIRATION OP THE SCRIPTURES. 15

these "Holy men of God" were thus moved WC are not told, nor does it matter. The great Gerhard h d, however, that these "Holy

of God" were men whom God elected and called for the express purpose of committing to writing, through them, His revelations, and that were properly called " The Amanuenses of God."

There are however several different theories as to the extent and method of the inspiration of the Scripture-, prominent among which are but two which tim ice will permit our mention:

The first is that of " The Plenary Inspiration of the Scriptures" which means that the whole letter of the S inspired ; that its words were

immediately dictated by the Holy Ghost, and are

literally the words of God and not of men. According to this theory, "the writers of the Bible ban the penmen of the I [< >lj control they vibrated as the the harp in the hands of the musician:

ce of mechanism touched by

1 hand." I h . mother has put it,

the Bible, every word of it, every

•. i- the dinet utl the Mosl

>f inspiration which we mention here is that the writers of the Bible spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost— the Holy Ghost dictating only the thought but not the word. According to this theory the Holy Ghost so completely filled and controlled the minds of the writers with the thought to be expressed that they could not err — it was virtually and truly the mind of God expressed in words by human lips and penned by human hands. By this theory no difficulty is found in accounting for the idiosyncrasies of the respective writers. But without detaining our readers with a discussion of the relative merits of these two theories, one thing to our mind is evident, namely, that God moved and directed these men to give to the world a correct revelation of His will, plans and purposes, so that men need not err if they would know and do His will. Hence we feel inclined to give attention to the more practical side of this subject by giving some reasons for believing the truth of the Scriptures, " All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." Why do we believe that the Bible is inspired? This is the important question. The declarations at the head of this chapter are not mere assertions. They are stubborn facts. But now that our readers may feel sure that their faith in the Bible as an inspired Book is well grounded let us look at the Bible.

INSPIRATION OK THE SCRIPTURES. IJ

I. As an Inexhaustible Treasury of Truth. John Quincy Adams once said: "In whatever light we regard the Bible, whether with reference to revelation, to history, or to morality, it is an and inexhaustible mine of knowledge irtue." Another has said: " The scholarship of the ages has gone to the Bible for light and information on all subjects." Philosophers, as- :ier> and scientists alike have gone to this lc of Books" for the fundamental laws and principles underlying their respective lines of work. Tlie philosopher has found in it all the fundamental principles lor the best system of philosophy; the astronomer has found in it the great laws and principles of the solar system; and the scientists have to her mill-- of truth to satiate their desire for the true pri:. 11 science. Or as another

laid: "Tin- great body of modern scientists the Bible their refuge. It is the mighty ship in which they have ploughed their way through aCC and >ailed over all its tossing

ft is the great depository of all truth. The - tiled modern science,

j nay, the who!. ■all have fled to the Bible omrnon tn all truth, 1 ' And what is most wonderful about it all is that the strongest and keenest minds which have ever blest the world with their research have, with life-long efforts, endeavored to fathom the depths and bounds of the truth of the Bible, at last to stand in utter amazement at the as yet unexplored mines of truth. And having been . thus subjected to the most scrutinizing research, the Bible still remains the same inexhaustible treasury of truth, discovering to the world daily truths new and fresh — truths equally wonderful and inspiring as any ever before discovered. No human mind has ever yet looked to the bottom of this mine of truth.

It is said that the learned Dr. Charles Elliott was a life-long and persistent Bible student, and when in his seventy-seventh year, just a month before his death, having read the Old Testament through in three weeks, while intently reading his Bible one day his daughter asked him, "Father, what are you reading?" he promptly replied, "I'm reading the news, daughter." To him the Bible was, after a life-long research, a book of news. Professor Dana says : "The grand old book of God still stands, and this old earth, the more its leaves are turned over and pondered, the more it will sustain and illustrate the sacred Word." From the pen of Professor Hitchcock we quote the following testimony: "All along the outskirts of science infidelity has, from time to time, erected her imposing ramparts and opened fire upon Christianity from a thousand batteries. But the moment the rays of truth were concentrated upon these ramparts they melted away." Goethe is quoted as saying: "It is a belief in the Bible which has served me as the guide of my moral and literary The great Rousseau said: " I must confess that the majesty of the Scriptures strikes me with -hnient." Coleridge testified: "I know that ble is inspired because it finds me at greater depths of my being than any other book." Patrick Henry, pointing to the Bible, said: "Here is a book worth more than all other books which were ever printed. 11 The great Doddridge is quoted as having said: "Men are indebted to the Bible for Ige which they have acquired. And yet, strange to say, they have nevei gone very far h neath the surface of this Uook of God for all which they know."

But how unlike this are all the books of human composition ! The well composed tragedi Euripides; the densely written histories of Thu- 1 1 with every syllable pregnant with thought;

the works of Lysias with their well formed and concisely written sentences ; the great Phocion, with his special faculty of saying ("multum in parvo") much in few words; besides Homer, Plato, and others; and the productions of the master minds of modern times, such as Butler and others have all been mastered. Every nook and corner of them has been perused and mastered by other human minds. But could we take but one telescopic view of the as yet unexplored field of divine truth in the Bible, like the disciples on the mount of transfiguration, or Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damascus in the presence of the post-incarnate Christ, we should fall with our faces to the earth in utter amazement and awful reverence. But whence came this inexhaustible — this infinite mine of truth? If men had composed it surely human minds of equal strength could fathom the utmost depth of its truth. But the fact that this has not been done is " prima facie" evidence that it has been given by a superhuman mind — by inspiration of God. For truths of infinite magnitude can be given alone by the infinite mind. And so we read, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God ;" " Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holv Ghost."

INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES J I

But another impress of divinity in this Book of Books is found,

II. In its Prophecies.

Prophecy may be defined as " a miracle of knowledge." The prophecies of the Bible are many and very wonderful ; and are of such a character as to make it impossible to account for them on any other ground than that of inspiration. A miracle may be defined as "a supernatural act" — an act which can not be devised by human wisdom nor performed by human strength. And so these —these miracles of knowledge — can be accounted for only on the ground of supernatural No human mind has been able to pierce the veil and look into the distant future with such certainty and accuracy as the prophets of antiquity 'one. Many of their prophecies have already

been fulfilled with wonderful precision, while others are now in course of fulfillment. The menof only a few of those which have already been fulfilled will answer our pur;

the fate of Babylon was written in prophecy long before it actually became an event in hist •;. . The prophet Isaiah (xiii. i

wrote a- definitely as the pen of the modern historian concerning the destruction of this ancient city. "And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation; neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. But the wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged." This prophecy was uttered about seven centuries before Christ. A little later (about 595 B. C.) we have the prophecy of Jeremiah (li- 3 6 > 37) concerning the same fate of this ancient city. "Therefore thus saith the Lord; behold I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry. And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant."

In these prophecies we have stated the fact that this ancient city should become a place of utter desolation. Daniel (v. 25-31; gives ns an account of the destruction of Babylon in connection with his interpretation of Belshazzar's dream. The fulfillment of the former prophecies here recorded by Daniel took place about fifty-seven years after the prophecy of Jeremiah, and about one hundred and seventy-four years after that of Isaiah. Aside from Daniel's account of the fulfillment of these prophecies, profane history bears testimony to the fact that Babylon was laid in utter ruins, and became a dwelling-place for the wild beasts. Ridpath, one of the world's most authentic historians, gives us '.lowing graphic description of Babylon's capture: (Hist of the World, Vol. I., p. 296) 11 Meanwhile, the Babylonians, in contempt of an enemy whom they supposed to be foiled in his unusual preparations for the great The yonng prince, Belshazzar, gave himself sion, A thousand nobles

: banquet at the palace.

There was splendor within and darkness without It Wfl :n. While the revel was

•u the wild abandonment of vie , tin- bai pening the

the city. The river

ii.i moan. The invaders hurried along the banks to the wall of the city. There was no alarm. The river had left on either side a broad space of bare ground. The Persians passed in without opposition. The noise of the festival resounded afar. The river gates were seized by the invaders, who now sounded the tocsin and began the assault. It was a gigantic massacre. The drunken Babylonians fled in all directions. The prince Belshazzar and his nobles were slain at their banquet, and dawn found the victorious Persians in complete possession of the city. * * * " The beauty of the Chaldees' excellency faded like the shadow of a pageant from the great canvas of history, and the glory of Babylon began to hide itself under the dust and ruin of the ages."

These prophecies, with their fulfillment, are so remarkable that no one has attempted to account for them except on the ground of their inspiration. But Nineveh is another illustrious example of the same sort. Both Nahum (i. 8; ii. 8, 13) and Zephaniah (ii. 13, 14) prophesied concerning its destruction about seven hundred years before Christ. Profane history says that the Medes and Chaldeans took Nineveh and laid it in utter ruins 605 B. C, or 95 years after the prophecy was uttered. To this Weber (Outlines of Universal ry, p. 10) adds this testimony: 4 'A hundred and twenty years after the reign of Salmanasser, Nineveh was taken and destroyed by the Medes and Chaldeans, and the visitors divided the land among themselves. * * * Antiquities and works of art are still dug up from the ground where Nineveh once stood." Xo human mind, uninspired, has ever been able to peer into the future, with any degree of certainty and precision for a day. Indeed the Bible has spoken plainly concerning it. " Boast not thyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." ( PlOV. xxvii. 1 ). And yet these prophecies uttered, varying from a half to almost two centuries prior to their fulfillment, were as concise and accurate as any historian could possibly describe them after they had actually become events of history. But

■hall we account for all this except OU the ground of inspiration? Ah! The divine mind alone can look into the future and view it as if it

□ the past Por to the divine mind tl. and the future are alike. Pot truly, " One day

is with th< .. thousand years, and a thou-

one day " tz Pet iii. 8).

Hut let us next note Borne of the propl

work < .; Chi ist for further illustrations of this thought: In Genesis (iii. 15) we have the initiatory prophecy of the work of redemption by Christ, and of His final triumph over the work and power of the devil. A fearful conflict is here prophesied. The seed of the woman (Christ) shall bruise the serpent's head; and the serpent (Satan) shall bruise His (Christ's) heel. But in the conflict "The Lion of Judah " should have a glorious victory. That our Lord has fulfilled this prophecy in His work of redemption of the world from sin and the power of Satan unto God, and "in bringing life and immortality to light among men," needs no argument to prove. The daily experience in the common lot of men is the indubitable argument in this case. A little later in this book (Gen. xlix. 10) the time of Christ's coming is foretold: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh come." Judah did hold the scepter or royal authority till Shiloh came. But the evening of Judah's reign and the dawn of Shiloh' s advent were well-nigh simultaneous events in history. But within a generation after Christ's crucifixion, according to His own prediction, Jerusalem was destroyed, the whole civii and ecclesiastical state subverted, and all dis-

INSPIRATION OF THl- SCRIPTURJ 27

tinctiun among the poor harrassed remnant put to confusion; and its subjects scattered abroad over the face of the earth. And to this day they have been even more destitute of the scepter and a lawgiver than during their Babylonian captivity.

The Evangelical prophet (Isaiah xl. 3, 4) directed

the thought of the people to the forerunner of

Christ. "Tl:e voice of him that crieth in the

wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make

:.t in the desert a highway for our God." In

the gospel by Matthew (iii. 1-3) we have the record

of the fulfillment of this prophecy. "In those

came John the Baptist, preaching in the

wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye, for the

f heaven is at hand. For this is He

that v. of by the prophet I tying,

'The ■ :e crying in the wilderness,' ' etc.

I ;ire the eyes of a seer to recognize

the fulfillment of this prophecy in the preaching

and work of John the Baptist as preparatory to our

advent and work in the progress of the ex-

the plan of redemption,

bretells th • Christ's birth more than seven hundred years before

it earn to M his

triumphal entry into . Dearly live bund* d years before the actual scene occurred; and in almost the same breath (xi. 12) His betrayal for thirty pieces of silver. And even David's prophetic eyes were not closed upon the doleful scenes of Calvary. But looking far out into the distant future he described the scene of mockery and revelry as vividly as it was possible for an eye-witness to portray the actual scene.*

These prophecies have all been fulfilled with wonderful accuracy, and their fulfillment attested to by both sacred and profane historians. They are simply such unmistakable and self-evident " miracles of knowledge" as all the world is forced to own, and as such prove beyond a question to all reasonable minds the inspiration of the Scriptures.

But let us follow these thoughts with a brief consideration

III. Of The Splendor Attending The Birth, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ.

A miracle may be defined as U A supernatural act, t'hat is, an act which cannot be accounted for by natural causes, but requires a supernatural agency, without the sphere of nature." With this definition in mind let us view

* Compare Psalm xxii. 7-1S with Matt, xxvii. 39-43.

i. The Scene <>/' our Saviour's Birth. We find ourselves at once in the midst of an innumerable multitude of people. Bethlehem, the City of David, is thronged to its utmost capacity. There is no longer any room in the inn for the ingathering multitudes. No room in any inn could be found for Joseph and Mary. With many others of their company they find shelter with the beasts of burden. The shades of night gather about them. The wearied multitude, shrouded in the darkness of night, is hushed in silence. But amid the sleeping throng is cradled anew-born babe in a manger. It is Christ, the Lord of prophecy. Not far out the hill country of Judea the humble shepare watching their flock. " And lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they [raid. And tin- Angel of the Lord said Onto them, Pear not, foi behold I bring you good tiding ' joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto yon IS born this day in the City of David :our, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a Sign unto you; >'e shall find the b U

■thes lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with tlu- Angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising ( i'xl, and Baying,

Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, peace good-will toward men. And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, let us now go even to Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us. And they came in haste, and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger." Luke ii. 9-17.

"On that night, indeed, it seemed as though the heavens must burst to disclose their radiant minstrelsies; and the stars and the feeding sheep, and the ' light amid the sound in the darkness and stillness,' and the rapture of faithful hearts, combine to furnish us with a picture painted in colors of heaven." Ah! But the scene is not yet complete. In yonder firmament there arises a star in all the brightness and splendor of heaven. The eyes of the Wise men of the East are fixed upon it. They behold in its twinkling the glory of the Lord. As if directed by the finger of God they come to Jerusalem, inquiring of Herod, the king, "where is He that should be born King of the Jews ? For we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him. * * And lo, the star, which they saw in the East, went before them till it came and

INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPT! I: 31

stood over where the young child was." Matt ii. 1-9.

Amid tlie indifference of a world unconscious of its deliverer, God led these Wise men from the the miraculous glory and splendor attending the birth of our Lord and to worship Him in His humble cradle. Ii was a most mar- Die indeed. But from this scene of matchless splendor let US turn,

2. To the Scon- of OUT Lord's Crucifixion.

a sad but no less wonderful scene than

rmer. It took place only six miles from the

place of the former scene. It was in the city of

lem. Not unlike in the former scene, the

city was thronged t-> its utmost capacity. The

multitude had gathered for the feast of tin

. the midst of this great concourse

the wicked Jews pressed their way

v. ith one whose back

■ m tin- scourging

I at their hands. They weie wending their way towards a place without the city called On 1 I lie place three

suspended

• the head of the middle one waa the superscription, ' ' This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." A scene of mockery which challenged description followed. Jesus agonized and expired. But, lo, even the sun would do obeisance to its Maker in this doleful hour by veiling its bright light. What consternation must have filled the hearts of this great concourse of people as they were suddenly left in midnight darkness at noonday ! How the guilty conscience of Caiaphas, the High Priest, must have quailed as the veil of the temple was suddenly rent in twain from the top to the bottom ! What confusion must have prevailed in those crowded streets in this thick darkness for three long hours while the earth was quaking and trembling to its very centre; and the rocks are rent in pieces! Many great and good men have died and passed away, but never has the world witnessed such a display of miraculous splendor and power. No wonder the testimony came from among the by-standers, "'Truly this was the son of God." And David prophesied truly (Psalm cxviii. 23), "This is the Lord's doing: it is marvelous in our eyes."