Reason History And Revelation
It may be said with truth that the Bible is a book which reads History,
and the perplexities of Man, in the light of one great postulate, viz.
that there is a God. The natural sequences, which are now partially
explained by scientific discoveries, are in the Bible attributed to
God's guidance: and of course there is no contradiction between the
two. Science explains something of the ways of God's working: from it
we
earn something of His principles, and also of His methods: when we
are surest of scientific laws, we are then confronted with the
assumption that there is, or that there is not, a God. The Bible is
the Book of Faith--Faith that there is a God. But, since it interprets
History, it plainly recognises History, as one of God's Lesson Books.
Also, since it appeals to Reason, and is consistent with Reason, it
recognises Reason, as another of the Lesson Books. In the present
chapter we indicate some of the Lessons to be learnt in these three
Books of God.
Much has been written, especially in recent times, showing the
marvellous working of what we call, at one time, the Laws of Nature,
and at another time, Laws of God. There is infinite interest, to a
thoughtful {101} mind, in the reading of Bell On the Hand, Argyll's
Reign of Law, Maury's Physical Geography of the Sea, even when
further discovery has improved upon their explanations. It must always
be remembered that God has given us Reason and Knowledge, as well as
Faith. Reason leads us to the threshold of Heaven, and Faith admits us
to the Presence. History assures us that Jesus Christ lived in Judaea,
founded Christianity as a Kingdom not of this world, and transformed
the Kingdoms of this world: Faith admits us to Personal Communion with
Him through the Holy Spirit.