The Bible is a book of facts, not of opinions, theories, abstract generalities, nor verbal definitions. It is a book of awful facts, grand and sublime beyond description. These facts reveal God and man, and contain within them the reasons of all piety and righteousness, or what is commonly called religion and morality. The meaning of the Bible facts is the true biblical doctrine. History has, we say, to do with facts—religion springs from them. Hence, the history of the past, and the anticipations of the future, or what are usually called history and prophecy, make up most of all the volumes of inspiration. Of all the books written, there is only One book written describing, explaining, and revealing the ONE BEING with whom all who have ever existed or will exist will deal, GOD!! He cries in the beginning of inspiration—“I Am that I Am.”
“I lift up My hand to heaven and say, “I live forever.” “The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no searching of His understanding.” “Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord.” “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place; with him also that is of contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” ‘I beseech thee show me thy glory; and He said, I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” “And the Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and in truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin, and that by no means acquits the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and fourth generation”—“and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.” “O Lord God of Israel, who dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone; thou hast made heaven and earth. Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our Aleim is one Jehovah—the Lord our God is one Lord.” “Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou king of saints.” “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou alone art holy?” “He is our Rock: His work is perfect, for all His ways are judgment; a God of truth and without iniquity: just and right is He.” “Glorious in holiness, fearful in praise, doing wonders.”
Such are a few—a specimen of the Divine declarations concerning God, repeated and re-echoed by the purest and most intellectual beings in heaven and earth!! It is from His word and His works we learn the being and perfections of God. As we form a character of man from what he says and what he does, so learn we the Divine character. “The heaven declare His glory, and the firmament His handiwork; day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.” Creation reveals the power, the wisdom, and the goodness of God—-Providence proclaims also His justice, truth, and holiness. Redemption develops His mercy, condescension, and love; and all those proclaim that God is infinite, eternal, and immutable. God appears before the universe of intellectuals in the threefold attitude of Creator, Law giver, and Redeemer; and, although each of these involves and reveals many of His Excellencies, still in each department three are most conspicuous; Creator, Lawgiver and Redeemer. In each and all of which departments He is infinite, immutable, and eternal
