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 our instruction,  and  none  of  which,  even  the  best, deserve the  name,  if  compared  with  the  Book — the Scriptures. For the  Bible  is  the  Book  of  books,  having God  for  its  Author,  and  for  its  matter  a  subject worthy of  Him — God  Himself. It differs  from  and  is superior  to  all  others  in  that  it  has  a  double  sense, the literal  and  the  spiritual. As a  history  it  is  the most universal  of  all — beginning  by  the  very  cradle of humanity,  following  its  past  vicissitudes  and illumining its  future  path  through  all  time  with  the search-light of  prophetic  vision. It is  at  once  a  repository of  history,  art,  science,  and  literature. The history, not  of  the  rise  and  fall  of  this  city  or  that — this nation  or  that,  but  of  the  building  up  and  tearing down  of  the  universe. Its preaching  seeks  to excite  emotions  more  than  human — divine. Philosophic speculation reaches  to  the  highest  stars,  but the Scriptures  lead  us  higher  still,  to  the  very  throne of God. There we  find,  too,  the  sciences — medicine, dealing not  merely  with  the  ills  of  the  body  but  with the wounds  of  the  soul;  and  law,  interpreting  for  us God's  last  will  and  testament,  and  settling  our  heirship to  the  kingdom  of  heaven. Nothing human  is perfect. No merely  human  agent,  be  he  ever  so great  or  holy,  but  can  strike  his  breast  and  say:  "  I have  sinned — forgive  me  my  trespasses,"  and  even Homer sometimes  nods;  but  the  Bible  recounts  the achievements of  God  whose  works  are  perfect,  and so perfect  is  the  style  of  the  original  that  to  assert there is  even  one  useless  word  in  its  pages,  is  called by St. Basil downright  blasphemy.