through  whom  he  will  make  known  his  will.  The
helm  governs  the  ship.  God  is  the  helmsman,  and
this  is  the  bark.  Amid  all  human  imperfections,  amid
the  veering  of  winds  and  the  tossing  of  the  waves,  the
helmsman  never  steers  wildly,  never  loses  his  control,
never  is  deflected  from  his  course.  Man's  book,  we
most  fully  believe,  has  God's  inspiration.
There  is  proof  that  this  volume  is  the  inspired  word
of  God.
1.  It  is  reasonaUe  to  believe  that  God  will  give  some-
where an  inspired  volume.  No  one  has  any  too  much
light  about  religion.  The  wisest  man,  the  loftiest  soul
among  the  Greeks  declared  that  "  the  great  want  of
the  race  is  a  book  inspired  of  God."  See  the  failure
of  men  without  it.  They  are  like  the  dove  sent  from
the  ark,  unable  to  find  rest  for  the  weary  feet.  Some
tell  us  that  reason  is  enough  without  revelation.  But
the  keenest  and  most  philosophical  mind  of  the  ancient
time,  the  Greek  mind,  was  busy  at  the  problem  of  reli-
gion for  centuries.  And  tlie  result  of  the  study  of  the
finest,  clearest,  most  penetrative  thought  of  the  race  is
seen  every  where  else.  In  literature,  in  the  jolastic  arts,
in  oratory,  that  mind  leads  still  the  world.  But  how
about  its  religion  ?  What  is  the  result  here  ?  Just  this  ;
that  the  traveller  seated  on  one  of  the  prostrate  columns
of  the  temple  of  Jupiter  Olympus  at  Athens,  is
compelled  to  remember  that  "Jupiter,  king  of  the
Gods,"  has  not  a  worshiper  on  earth  to-day  !


IS   THE   BIBLE   INSPIRED  ?  85

Is  reason  then  of  no  avail  ?  Very  far  from  that.
