Bible Truths Illustrated by J. C. Ferdinand Pittman

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BIBLE TRUTHS ILLUSTRATED
and dropped silent tears as he read then for the first time, with
an understanding heart, its comforting messages. There is some
mysterious emanation or power that finds its way to the soul in
reading the Scriptures under such circumstances ; and how ill
can any man afford to reject that which is such a balm in his
sorest need!— H. W. Beecher.
81. If the Bible were like a collection of stones, we might
select some and put aside others, as less valuable and beautiful;
and although in such selection we might make great mistakes,
we should still be in possession of something more or less complete.
But the Bible is like a plant, and all its parts are not
mechanically or accidentally connected, but organically united,
and hence a law of life rules here : and he who reveres life will
neither add nor take away from the beautiful plant which the
Father hath planted in and through Christ by the Spirit. . . .
Nobody asserts that a man would be killed if you cut off his
hair and his nails. But there is a vital union of all his members.
If you cut off my little finger, I shall survive it; but it is my
little finger you cut off, and it is a loss, a disfigurement. So with
the Bible. It is not like a piece of cloth that you can clip and
cut. It is a body, animated by one spirit.
BIGOTRY
Adolph Saphir.
82. Bigotry is defined as "blind and obstinate devotion to a
particular creed or party"; "fanatical belief—blind zeal." One
has said that bigotry consists of "a tenacious adherence to a
system adopted without investigation, and defended without argument,
accompanied with a malignant, intolerant spirit towards
those who differ."
Here, then, is something in direct antagonism to the genius
of the religion of our Lord. Detestable in nature, pernicious in
influence, it should be shunned as a pestilence.
The bigot is always sure of the infallibility of his creed, and
never sure of the orthodoxy of others. It can almost be said
that he entertains no doubt of the heterodoxy of all, save himself
and a very limited number of kindred souls. All others are
blind; worse than that, they have wilfully blinded their eyes to
truth, and obstinately continue in error.
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