Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Ill RELATION OF THE BIBLE TO THE SOUL The value and importance of the Bible are generally acknowledged. We call it the book of books, the Holy Bible; the divine book, the book of life. We generally, at least in theory, regard it as differing from all other books that have been, are, or shall ever be, in respect to its origin, design and utility. Other books we refer to the free action of the human mind, this to a direct action of God’s own spirit. Other books we take for what they seem to be worth. If they interest us we read them, if their doctrines appear reasonable we accept; if false or inadequate we reject them, never fancying we sin by using reason as the last standard whereby to measure their merits or defects. But with the Bible a different method is pursued; men read it as a duty, assent to its doctrines without understanding them, admit its binding authority, even when its precepts consist not with the universal sense of justice, but seem arbitrary. Thus attempts are made to justify some of the sanguinary laws of Moses, and the alleged command made to Abraham to sacrifice his son. The Bible is honored above all other books. Men form societies, make great personal sacrifices ? the poor servant girl contributing her hard earned shilling to circulate this book in other lands. It is in all hands. It is a well known friend in the poorest cottage. It is admitted to the proudest palace. It has a place in the pedlar’s crowded pack, and cheers him when herests from his toil, and sits down dusty and faint upon his burden. It goes with the pilgrim who ventures untrod lands; beguiles his toil, comforts his sorrows, and kindles his hopes. Perhaps there is not a Christian bark afloat on the ocean that sails without a Bible. Now this lofty place, this universal reception, i…
