everlasting-gospels.gif The Boy Preacher Rides Again
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May 9  The Boy Preacher Rides Again

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Out of the month of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise. Matt. 21:16.

The young preacher was understandingly fearful of meeting ministers. That dread soon found fulfillment when the minister who had cancelled his meetings decided to visit Loughborough at an informal gathering of those who had been attending his meetings.

"Well,' said the older pastor, 'you had quite a hearing last evening.'

"Yes, and they seemed much interested,' I said.

"'They were proably curious to hear a boy preach, but did I understand you to say last night that the soul is not immortal?'

"I answered, 'I said so. . . .'

"He then asked, 'But what do you do with punishment, the death that never dies?'

"I was surprised and said, "I don't know of any such scripure. Half of your quotation is in the Biblek and the other half is from the Methodist hymnal.'

"With much earnestness, he insisted, 'I tell you what I quoted is in the Bible! It's in the twenty-fifth chapter of Revelation.'

"I replied, 'I guess you mean the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew. Half your text is there. it says of the wicked that they will go into everlasting punishment.'

"'Oh yes,' he agreed. 'That's all right, but the text I quoted is in the twenty-fifth chapter of Revelation.'

"'Then it is about three chapters outside of the Bible,' I said, 'for there are only twenty-two chapters in Revelation.'

"'Let me take your Bible and I will show it to you,' he said.'" To the astonishment of all he pursued his quest, only to end up in a fuddle. At that point he returned the Bible and excused himself, noting that he had another appointment.

We may smile at the rather homely story, but it reflects the fact that backwoods and frontier religion in ineteenth-century America was often quite primitive. The preachers in rural areas were often self-taught. And that was true for both the Adventists and their detractors. In such a context Bible knowledge often carried the day.

Much has changed since those days. But not the importance of knowing the Bible. God's Word is a special gift from heaven. And yet how many in our more enlightened age are still almost as ignorant of it as the minister in Loughborough's story. There is no better time than today to make regular Bible study a part of our daily life.

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In Christ's parable teaching the same principle is seen as in His own mission to the world. That we might become acquainted with His divine character and life, Christ took our nature and dwelt among us. Divinity was revealed in humanity; the invisible glory in the visible human form. Men could learn of the unknown through the known; heavenly things were revealed through the earthly; God was made manifest in the likeness of men. So it was in Christ's teaching: the unknown was illustrated by the known; divine truths by earthly things with which the people were most familiar(COL, 17). 
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