Beadle's Dime National Speaker, Embodying Gems of Oratory and Wit, Particularly Adapted to American Schools and Firesides: Speaker Series Number 2, Revised and Enlarged Edition
General
Beadle's Dime National Speaker, Embodying Gems of Oratory and Wit, Particularly Adapted to American Schools and Firesides: Speaker Series Number 2, Revised and Enlarged Edition
Recitations
All human constitutions, social, ecclesiastical, and civil, are
changeable, and contain provisions for change; but, the Bible is
unchangeable. Instead of any provision for change, it is guarded,
at all points, against change. The writer of its first five books
declares in the last of the five: "Ye shall not _add_ unto the word
which I command you, neither shall ye _diminish_ from it, that ye may
keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you."
And, in like manner, the author of its last five books, declares in
the last of the five: "If any man shall _add_ unto these things, God
shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if
any man shall _take away_ from the words of the book of this prophecy,
God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the
holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." And
so Isaiah, standing midway between Moses and John, exclaims: "Lift up
your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the
heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old
like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner;
but My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not be
abolished." Therefore, it is only in accordance with the testimony of
all His witnesses, that Christ Himself avers: "Think not that I am
come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy,
but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass,
one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be
fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not
pass away."
THE ONE GREAT NEED.--_Ibid._
Tell me, oh, tell me, what is it we need? Do we need health, or
genius, or learning, or eloquence, or pleasure, or fame, or power?
Do we need wealth, or rank, or office? Does any one of us need to
be chaplain, or clerk, or representative, or senator, or speaker,
or vice-president? an officer of the army or navy? a member or head
of any department? a foreign minister? a cabinet officer? or even a
successor in the line of presidents of the United States? Is such our
need? Ah, no! we need salvation.
What did I say in the beginning? Did I not say we need elevation? as
men, Americans, and Christians, we need elevation: in our persons and
families, states and churches, we need elevation. Certainly I did thus
speak, and meant all I said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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