The preciousness of the Word.
"The words of the Lord," etc. Thus the Bible bears witness to itself. We read often in Scripture of "the word of the Lord"—not so often of "the words" of the Lord. By "the Word of the Lord" is meant sometimes a particular command, promise, or prediction; but frequently—and usually in the New Testament—the substance or sum-total of Divine truth (Psalms 119:9, e.g.). But this phrase, "the words of the Lord," calls attention to the actual utterances in which this truth is recorded for us. So our Lord distinguishes (John 8:43) between his "speech," the particular form or method of his teaching, and his "Word," his doctrine.
I. THE INSPIRATION AND AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURES. "The words of the Lord." We must guard against such narrow, mechanical views of inspiration as would confine it to the Hebrew and Greek words in which it was written, so that one who reads a good translation would not have "the words of the Lord." "The meaning of Scripture," says Tyndale, "is Scripture." Inspiration is the Holy Spirit working in men and by men—not as machines, but as living, reasonable beings. We ought not to speak of "the human element' and "the Divine element" as separable or hostile. A great picture is but paint and canvas, informed, vivified by the thought and genius of the artist. You cannot say, "This part is paint, and that part is genius." So in the Bible. "Men of God spake"—there is the human element—"as they were moved by the Holy Ghost"—there is the Divine.
II. ITS TRIED AND PROVED TRUTH. The similitude is drawn from precious metal, whose worth and purity have been proved in the furnace, which separated the dross from the pure ore. The idea is not that we are to distinguish, in Scripture, dross from gold and silver, but that God has done so. He gives us not rough ore, but pure metal. But we may apply the image to the tests to which the Bible has been and daily is submitted.
1. The experience of those who have trusted it and gone by it. Those who have done this longest, most practically, with fullest faith, are the very persons most convinced of the truth and worth of the Bible.
2. Hostile criticism. For the last hundred years this has been especially fierce, learned, elaborate, determined, skilful. Had the Word not been pure gold, it must have perished in this fierce furnace. The result has been to shed a flood of light on the letter of Scripture, and to bring to light a mass of new and powerful evidence, bearing witness to its truth and genuineness. It stands both tests (1 Peter 1:23-25).
III. ITS PRECIOUSNESS. It is worth all the care and trouble God has bestowed, by his providence and inspiration, on its composition and preservation; all the help and illumination which the Holy Spirit continually grants to those who read it with faith and earnest prayer; all the study given to it by friends and foes (Psalms 119:72; Psalms 19:1-14 :20).
CONCLUSION. Is it precious to you? Is this the witness of your own experience? If not, it must be because you have not really tried it.
HOMILIES BY C. CLEMANCE