Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/62

 s 6 The Pl&n of the Ages*

that we could not reasonably decide that these prophets were parties to any league of priests, or others, to fabricate false- hood in the name of God. Reason in the light of fads contradicts such a suspicion,

If, then, we find no reason to impeach the motives of the various writers of the Bible, but find that the spirit of its various parts is righteousness and truth; let us next proceed to inquire whether there exists any link, or bond of union, between the records of Moses, those of the other prophets, and those of the New Testament writers* If we shall find one common line of thought interwoven throughout the Law und the Prophets and the New Testament writings, which cover a period of fifteen hundred years, this, taken in conned ion with the charafter of the writers, will be a good reason for admitting their claim that they are 'divinely inspired particularly if the theme common to all of them is a grand and noble one, comporting well with what sanctified com- mon sense teaches regarding the chiiwdcr and attributes of God,

This we do find: One plan, spirit, aim and purpose per- vades the entire book. Its opening pa^es record the cre- ation and fall of man ; its closing pages toll of man's recov- ery from that fall; and its intervening pages show the suc- cessive stei of the plan of God for the accomplishment of this purpose. The harmony, yet contrast, of the first tlwe and the last three chapters of thp .Bible is striking. The one describes the first creation, the other the rvnewrd or restored creation, with sin find its pcnal-am-,e removed; the one shows Satan and evil entering the world to deceive anil destroy, the other shows his work undone, the destroyed ones restored, evil extinguished and Satan dbrt roycd ; the one btnvs the dominion l<wt by Adam, the other shows it restored ami forever established by Christ, and CJcl'a will done in earth as iu heaven j the one shows in the producing

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