The guiding star

Front matter

S LIBRARY OF CONGIUBSS. S

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Introduction

The period of childhood is one of trust. Children must believe implicitly ; and it was evidently intended that they should receive instruction from their parents, in this way, on religious, no less than on other subjects. On this point the Bible is very explicit. Parents are made responsible for the correct belief of their children, just as they are for their good character ; and they may generally control the one as effectually as the other.

Christianity may be, and often is, thus received for a time, and may work its appropriate effects ; but to every thoughtful mind, the period of doubt, or, if not of doubt, of questioning, must come ; and happy is the child that is judiciously led from 1*

VI INTRODUCTION.

this point to the firm ground of an intelligent belief. With very many this is a turning-point in their moral history, and practically, it would seem to be here, that the evidences of Christianity are most needed.

The age at which doubts may arise will vary with the capacity and circumstances of the child. It would not probably be wise to induce an early habit of questioning, on subjects of practical moment, because these can produce an effect on the heart only as they are fully received. It is " with the heart" that " man believeth to righteousness," and where this belief is strong enough to preclude ox repress the questionings of the intellect, we would not ordinarily suggest difficulties for the sake of removing them ; but when these arise, a full statement of them should be encouraged, and they should be candidly and fairly met, before any habit of distrust is formed.

It is just here, that we believe there is a great work for parents and the church yet to do; and

INTRODUCTION. VII

here it is that a book is needed, containing a statement of the chief points of the Christian evidences in their simplest and most attractive form. Such a book would be a great blessing to many parents themselves. It would confirm their own faith, while enabling them to resolve, far better than they otherwise would, those doubts which even children will often entertain and suggest. It may not be possible — it is not— to bring the whole subject within the reach of very young persons ; but the best answers may be given to such objections as they will be likely to make, and an adequate ground may be early furnished for a positive and rational belief.

But while there is evidently so much need of a work of this kind, the common treatises on the evidences do very little for its supply. They were written for another purpose, — are too elaborate and extended.

The following work, intended to supply the want indicated above, was commenced some

VIII INTRODUCTION.

years since. It will be found to possess, in their full vigor, all those qualities which have given so wide a circulation to the previous works of the same writer. Ill health has prevented its completion until now. It is from the continuance of this ill health that these prefatory lines are written by the hand of another, who is confident that it is from something more than the partiality of friendship, that he anticipates for this work an extended usefulness. M. H.

Williams College, May 9, 1851.

Chapter I. Introductory

"I wonder what we shall have to talk about, Sabbath evenings, this winter," said Fanny to her brother James, one Sabbath, just after tea.

"I don't know. Perhaps mother will let us choose a subject, as we did last winter," said James.

n Yes, I dare say she will. But I should not know what to choose."

"I should. There is something I have been curious about, ever since I rode in the stage with father to W ■, last summer."

"Is there, indeed?" said Fanny, rising

from her half-recumbent position in the

rocking-chair. " What is it ? How strange

that you should never have said anything

about it before ! "

" That is because there never seemed to 2 be a good time for it. You know we have been travelling all this fall, and there has been no opportunity for long talks."

" Very true. But do tell me what it is, and what your riding in the stage had to do with it."

"What I wish to know is, how to prove that the Bible is the word of God."

" What a strange question ! Why, of course it is the word of God."

"It may seem of course to you, but it does not to everybody."

" How do you know ? "

"Why, there was a man in the stage who said he did not believe a word of it, and that the writers of the Bible were a set of impostors."

" Why, James ! how shocking ! I have heard about infidels, and I suppose he was one ? "

" Yes, father said so afterwards. But now how would you go to work to convince such a man that the Bible is inspired ? "

"I am sure I don't know," said Fanny, speaking slowly, and as if she were considering. "Why, you know it says in the Bible that holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And there are other — "

" Yes, but they won't answer. An infidel would not mind what the Bible says about itself."

" No, of course he would not ; that was a foolish argument. Well, then, there are the prophecies, — they have been fulfilled, you know ; mother always makes us notice that, when we read history."

"But this man who talked in the stage would not allow that any prophecies had been fulfilled. In those cases where it appeared so, he said that the prophecies were written after the things happened."

"Did he?" said Fanny, beginning to look puzzled and troubled. " But you don't believe what he said, do you ? "

"No, of course not. But still I should not know how to argue with such a man."

" Neither should I, I am sure. But how strange it is that I never thought of that question before ! It is like my you remember, when father asked me why a stone thrown up into the air came down again, I was astonished that he should ask the reason for what appeared to me so plain. But when he insisted on my telling why, I could not give any reason, except that things always did so — which is no reason at all, you know."

" Yes, and he told us, at the same time, how apt we are to suppose we understand a thing, if we have seen it happen a great many times, and are used to it."

"Just as we are used to hearing the Bible spoken of as the word of God, and so take it for granted, without ever asking how it is known to be his word. I am very glad you thought of that question, James, though at first I did not suppose I should be interested in it."

"I am not afraid of not being interested enough. But there is one thing I am a little afraid of."

"What is that?"

"Why, I am afraid the proof cannot be made out so clear as I should want to have it, if I were arguing with an infidel. I should want to have it as clear as daylight ; and I am sure I do not see how it is to be made so: do you?"

"No; I don't see anything about it now, especially as we cannot prove it from the Bible itself. But still, I do not feel afraid about it ; father and mother would not believe it, unless it were true."

"Here comes mother, at any rate," said James. "Now we can ask her."

The request was soon made, and as soon granted.

"But," said their mother, "on one condition. I shall exact very close attention ; for, without it, you will neither be interested in our conversations, nor profited by them."

This was readily promised ; and the next question was, when should they begin.

" This evening — now — may we not, mother?" said Fanny. 2*

"No, my dear, I think not, and for two reasons. You know I never wish to give you information on any subject, till you have exercised your own minds about it.

And then I shall wish to have time to think of the subject myself, and arrange what I have to say to you in proper order."

" But I don't know how to think about it, mother," said Fanny, mournfully; "I am sure I have not a thought in my head, and I don't believe James has."

"Well, my dear, do not look so dolorous about it," replied her mother, smiling. "I will tell you what two points I wish you especially to reflect upon during this week. Thejirst is, whether it was probable, beforehand, that God, having created man, would make any revelation, or send any message to him. The second is, supposing him to make a revelation, what tokens or signs he could give, which would prove to men in all ages that it was from him."

Fanny looked rather perplexed. "May we talk about it together, mother?" asked

she.

" Certainly, as much as you like."

11 Come, then, James ; let us come into

this corner of the room, and begin to think

Chapter II. Probability Of A Revelation

" Mother, we have thought of ever so many things to say, about those questions you gave us," said Fanny, the next Sabbath evening.

" Things to say! — questions to ask, I suppose you mean," interposed James, in his usual rather blunt manner.

" Yes, questions; for we could not be sure that our thoughts were right."

" Very well," said their mother, smiling; "I shall be glad to listen to remarks, or answer inquiries, as may be required. So, you found a good deal to think about, did you?"

"Yes, mother, a great deal. We could not decide, at first, whether it was probable, beforehand, that God would make any rev-

PROBABILITY OP A REVELATION. 15

elation to man. James thought it was ; but it does not seem very clear to me."

"And why did you think so, James?"

11 Because, mother, I cannot see why God should have made men at all, if he meant to leave them to themselves, and not have anything to do with them afterwards. I should think, if he made them, he would wish to govern them, and give them laws ; and he could not do that without making a revelation."

" Very true, James. The supposition that God, after creating men, would leave them to themselves, and take no further interest in them, appears, then, to be inconsistent with his tvisdom. And would it seem to be consistent with benevolence?"

"But, mother," interrupted Fanny, "I beg your pardon, — but please to stop a moment ; there is something which puzzles me.

I — I—"

"Well, my dear, go on."

"I cannot tell very well what I mean, but it seems to me that you are taking it for granted that God is wise and good; yet how should we know it, without the Bible?"

" I see what you mean, my dear. Yes, I am taking it for granted that God is wise and good, because we have evidence enough of both these perfections, in his works ; and every man who admits the existence of a God will admit it. The supposition that the vast universe was created by a foolish or a malevolent being is so perfectly absurd, that I believe no man can be found who entertains it."

"O yes, mother, I see I was wrong; I know well enough that God's wisdom and goodness are evident from his works, but I had got puzzled about it."

".I will now repeat my question. Would it be consistent with benevolence for God to leave men without a revelation ?"

"I should think not," said James.

" Why not?"

"Why. if men cannot be happy without doing right, it must be necessary to their happiness to know what is right. And a benevolent being would give them whatever was necessary for their happiness."

"But, then," said Fanny, "could they not have found out what was right, and what was wrong, for themselves ? I thought conscience was given for that."

"So it is, my dear; but conscience, since man has fallen, is not an infallible guide.

It needs to be enlightened by the word of God. There are some duties and some sins about which it leaves us very much in the dark; and even in regard to those duties which appear the plainest, as the reciprocal duties of parents and children, we find that men without the Bible have committed the greatest mistakes."

"Yes," said Fanny, "I remember that in heathen countries the parents very often kill their children as soon as they are born."

"And children kill their parents, when they are old and cannot work," said James, "by stuffing earth into their mouths, or by burying them alive."

"Yes/" observed his mother, "and we might easily spend the whole evening in mentioning facts which prove that a revelation was needed, to enable men to distinguish right from wrong. But this would be anticipating a point we shall come to again, by and by. Let us go on now to something else. Could anything have been known, with certainty, of the immortality of the soul, and & future state of rewards and punishments, without the Bible?"

Fanny looked doubtful. James answered, after a little hesitation, that he believed Plato and Cicero thought the soul was immortal.

"So they did," said his mother; "or rather, so they wished to do. But their hopes and wishes were far from attaining to certainty, and these men were but two out of millions. The common people knew nothing of such a doctrine, and never could have known it, without the Bible. Much less did they know anything of a heaven or a hell,

PROBABILITY OP A REVELATION. 19

at all resembling the heaven or hell of the Bade."

"And there is still another thing," said James, "which we could not have known without the Bible ; we could not have known that there is a God."

"O James! I am sure we could. You forget what mother was saying about it this very evening, and how father is always talking to us about seeing God in his works."

" Yes, to be sure, now we know from the Bible that there is a God, it is very easy to find proofs of it in his works ; but the question is, how much those poor, miserable heathen, who kill their children as soon as they are born — how much would they know about God, if they were left to themselves? What do you think, mother?"

"I think the question resolves itself into one oi facts ; — how much do those heathen know about him ? What is known is the proper test of what may be known. It is vain to study the faculties of the mind, and 3 decide from them what man might discover of God; the question is, what has man, when left to himself, actually discovered?

And if it is found that his conceptions have always been low, false and degraded, then it is evident that a clearer revelation was needed than that made in nature."

" But, I suppose the reason men have had such low conceptions of God, is because they are wicked," said James. "If man had remained innocent, he might, perhaps, have gained a true idea of God from studying nature. Don't you think so, mother 1 "

" All that can be learned from nature, he might have learned, certainly."

"Then, if men had not sinned, they would not have needed a revelation, would they?" asked Fanny.

"That does not follow with certainty.

They certainly would not have needed one so much as they now do, nor for precisely the same reasons. But it is difficult to suppose that man, a finite and dependent creature, could ever have been happy without some intercourse with his Maker. There is reason to conclude, even from the brief narrative we have in the Bible, that God did maintain a frequent and familiar intercourse with Adam before he sinned."

u And it seems to me very natural that he should," said James.

"But," continued his mother, "the most important reason why a revelation was needed has not been mentioned yet. There is one kind of knowledge necessary to fallen man which he could not have gained at all from the works of nature. Do you know what I mean ? "

"I suppose you mean the knowledge of Jesus Christ," said James.

" Certainly ; and without this, all other knowledge would be useless."'

"But, according to that, mother," said Fanny, "all the people who lived before Christ, even the good people among the Jews, must have perished."

"Not so, my dear; for the Bible contained predictions of Christ, before he came.

You know Christ himself says, ' Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. 5 ; '

" But still, mother, the predictions of Christ were so obscure — "

" Yes, they were obscure; but they were, no doubt, interpreted to believing hearts by the Spirit of God. Besides, it was not necessary that men should understand all about Christ, in order to be saved through him.

It was enough that they knew, in general, that he was to make propitiation for sin."

"Mother, do you suppose that if one of the heathen should do the very best he could, according to what his conscience told him, he would be lost for not having heard of Christ?"

"I think the case of Cornelius is instructive on that point. He was a just man, and did his duty, so far as he knew it; and Peter was therefore sent to give him the instruction he needed about Christ. And Peter expressly declares that he had learned from this instance that, 'in whatsoever nation, he that feareth God and doeth righteousness is accepted of him. 5 "

"At any rate," said James, "we have found reasons enough why a revelation was needed."

" And if it was needed, then it was probable" observed his mother.

" Yes," said Fanny, " it seems very plain to me now."

" The other question is still left," said her mother, "and we will reserve it for next Sabbath evening." 3*

Chapter III

WHAT SIGN COULD GOD GIVE TO AUTHENTICATE A MESSAGE FROM HIMSELF ? — EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL EVIDENCES.

" Mother," said Fanny, at their next meeting, " I do not see why any one should wish to deny that the Bible came from God."

" I do, plain enough," said James. " I am sure I have hardly been able to keep from wishing so myself, sometimes."

"Why, James! What do you mean?"

"Why, when Mr. A. preaches such sermons as he did this morning, for instance, and makes it so plain that nobody can go to heaven who does not repent, and when I feel that I cannot repent, then I begin to think, c What if the Bible should not be true, after all V and if it were not wicked, I should wish that it were not."

"O, James!" said Fanny; and after this she was silent. His mother was silent too,

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL EVIDENCES. 25

pained, though not surprised, at this evidence of the state of her son's heart, and lifting up her soul in prayer to God that He would renew and sanctify him. After a time she said, " James has expressed the feelings of every unrenewed heart, when it is made to feel that the law of God breathes nothing but condemnation and wrath against the sinner.

And you can see, in this way, how men become infidels. They begin by ivishing the Bible were not true ; and then they try to find arguments to prove that it is not so. You can easily see that if a wicked man were to make a Bible for himself, it would be a very different one from the Scriptures."

"I suppose," said Fanny, " it would let him do just what he liked."

" Yes, that has always been the character of pretended revelations. And if they have forbidden some indulgences, they have allowed othets, to make up for it; as Mahomet did."

"Then, after all, mother," said Fanny, "it seems to me that this very thing is a

26 THE GUIDING 8TAR.

proof that the Bible is from God. For if it had been invented by men, they would have made such a one as they liked."

"Very true, my dear; I am glad you have made that reflection. And now, what have you to say about the question I gave you ? "

"Why, mother, we could not think of anything ; or, at least, we thought of a great many things, but they would not any of them doP

" Explain yourself more clearly, my dear."

"I mean we could not think of anything that God could give to men which would prove to them that the Bible was his word.

Because, whatever he gave them, the men that lived afterwards, you know, might have denied that he did give it."

" Yes, unless it was something which God alone could give. But put out of your head the notion of a thing, in the first place, and consider what power God could have given to the writers of the Bible, which no other

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL EVIDENCES. 27

men had, and which, therefore, would prove that their message was from him."

" What power ? O, now I see ! you mean the power of working miracles."

" Yes, that was a credential or token from God, — just as if your father, being absent, and wishing to send a message to me by a stranger, should give him a ring, or miniature, to show to me, which I knew to be in your father's possession."

" Yes, that would be an excellent plan," said Fanny.

"And, so far as we can see," added her mother, "it is the only credential God could have given, that would have been sufficient."

"The miracles might be a token to the people who saw them," said James; "but how could they be to the rest of the world, who have lived since ?"

"Why," said Fanny, "those who saw them might write accounts of them, as they have done."

" Yes, but seeing a miracle is one thing, and reading an account of it is another.

For my part, I should not believe any account of a miracle that should be published in these days; I should .want to see it with my own eyes. And you know what papa

said, when Mr. B told him about the

boy who was magnetized, and who did such wonderful things ; — he said he should want the testimony of his own senses, before he could believe there was not some trick or mistake about it."

"It is very true," said his mother, "that more evidence is required to convince us of things in themselves improbable, or contrary to the common course of nature, than of those which are in accordance with our own experience. But there is an amount of evidence which would convince us that any event, however improbable in itself, really happened ; and convince us as fully as the evidence of our senses would have done. Besides, the probability of a revelation being admitted, miracles are not improbable ; since they furnish the only token

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL EVIDENCES. 29

God could have given of the credibility of a revelation. And we shall soon see that there is a wide difference between the miracles of the Bible and the wonders of mesmerism, both as to their strangeness, and as to the amount of testimony in their favor."

"But there is another difficulty, still, mother. Other people, besides good men, have worked miracles sometimes. You know the magicians of Egypt did so."

"No; it is generally thought by learned men that there is nothing in the language of the Bible to authorize the belief that they really performed any miracles. They were a class of men whose business it was to counterfeit such wonders, by legerdemain, or sleight-of-hand ; and to a certain point they could imitate in this way the wonders performed by Moses."

"O mother," said Fanny, "like that juggler we saw last winter, Signor — what's his name? — I am sure the things he did appeared like miracles. I could hardly believe the evidence of my own senses. Don't you remember, James, how he — "

" Yes, I remember all about it. But, then, after all, it does not make any difference whether men can really perform miracles without help from God, or whether - they only appear to ; for, if people cannot distinguish between true and false miracles, they cannot know which are a sign or token from God, and which are not."

"All these objections anticipate what we are coming to by and by," said his mother.

"In fact, I ought not to have given you that second question to think about, as it has led us out of the track I wish to follow. The train of thought suggested by our startingpoint would lead us to consider the internal evidences first."

"Internal evidences? What are they, mother?" asked Fanny.

" To go back to the illustration we used before," said her mother; "is there any other way in which I might know that a letter came from your father, besides its be-

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL EVIDENCES. 31

ing accompanied by a ring, or some other outward token?"

"Why, yes, mother; you would know whether it was in his hand-writing or not."

"Yes, and whether it was his style or not," said James, — " whether it sounded like his other letters, and whether he wrote about our affairs as if he understood them."

" And if the letter revealed any traits of character," added his mother, "I might compare them with what I knew of your father's character. Well, now suppose that the hand- writing and style of the letter were your father's, exactly; that there was a perfect agreement in the sentiments and opinions and feelings, therein expressed, with those of your father ; that it showed an intimate knowledge of all our concerns, and that it was moreover accompanied by a ring which I knew to be in your father's possession, — would not all these evidences together remove every doubt from my mind, and 4 convince me that the letter was what it purported to be?"

" Certainly, you could not doubt after that/' said James.

" These are the kinds of evidence we have that the Bible is from God; and all of them together, excepting the ring, constitute what are called the internal evidences. We have seen that a revelation was probable. We next advance a step further, and say, ' Here is a book which professes to be such a revelation.' Let us examine it, and see whether it bears those marks, internally, which we might expect in a revelation from God. And, as a preparation for the next conversation, you may try to find out what some of those marks are."

" How much there will be to talk about ! " exclaimed Fanny.

" Yes," said James; "all I am afraid of is, that there will not be time to talk about them all."

Chapter IV

PLAN OF THE BOOK. DOES THE REVELATION MADE OP GOD IN THE BIBLE HARMONIZE WITH THE REVELATION MADE IN NATURE?

"What a hard subject you gave us, mother !" said Fanny, as soon as they were seated, the next Sabbath evening. "There was so much to think of that I did not know where to begin, and never should have come to anything, if James had not helped me."

" How did he help you ? "

"Why, he said that the Bible was just the same as a letter from God to us ; that is, it professes to be ; and we can try it in the same way in which you said you could try a letter from father. But then, after all, most of the things you named about the letter would not apply at all here — hand-writing and style, for instance."

" Hand- writing, certainly not ; but why not style ? We might surely expect, in the style and composition of a message from God, some marks of sublimity not found in human productions. "

"Yes, to be sure, mother; so we might.

But then again, as to the opinions and feelings and character, you know we could not tell — "

"Why, Fanny!" interrupted James, "you forget all that we said the other evening about the character of God being shown in his works. I am sure we can compare the Bible with nature, and see whether they both teach the same things."

"Yes," observed his mother, "that is the first particular named in the plan I have here ; " unfolding a sheet of paper, as she spoke.

"What, mother, have you a written plan for our conversations ? n asked Fanny.