The miracles of Jesus - Classical Christian Literature by Athleo.net

92 TOUCHING THE BORDER
May not the Bible we cherish be reckoned as a
robe of Christ of exceeding preciousness Is it not
full of His name and presence from the first pregnant
promise given in Eden to our first parents down the
stream of time to the last chapter which tells of His
final enthronement in glory And when touched by
the humble, meek, and reverent student, is it not
found to be charged with truth and wisdom, which
flow freely into the disciple's soul, filling him with joy
unspeakable This robe is like the garments of the
King as described in the rapturous psalm of the old
Hebrew hymnal " : All thy garments smell of myrrh
and aloes and cassia." It is decorated and ornamented
by the hands of the most gifted poets, statesmen,
philosophers, and historians the world has ever
known ;
it is instinct with divine life and influence ; it
is fragrant with sweetest perfume. Ever the spring
of a glorious national life, ever the moulder of high
and noble character, ever the inspirer of human
liberty and progress, and all these because Christ is
in it, first and last, all pervading and all prominent,
the source of purity and happiness to all who in
sincere and humble frame consider its precepts.
As in regard to the Person of Jesus, so also as to
this glorious Christly robe. There are many who
crowd upon it and gain no blessing from it. They
criticise it, they deny it, they treat it perfunctorily,
they hurl against it epithets of contempt. For these
we have no harsh words, but we pity and mourn over
them. But the earnest soul touches by faith, and inspiration
flows forth, until poets sing like Milton, and
imagine like Bunyan, and think
like Ruskin, and live
like Baxter, and die like the glorious army of martyrs.