ONCE said to a Christian lady, "Is the Bible really true?" Without a moment's hesitation she answered, "Of course it is true." But when I asked her how she would proceed to prove it to be true, she could not answer me. Could you?

      If I were to ask you where the Bible came from, who wrote it, and when and where, you might not be able to tell me readily. And yet these questions can be answered by those who have had time to study the subjects which they raise.

      There are thousands of people all over the world [9] who love the Bible as the best of all books. It is their daily companion and friend. They accept it as the inspired Word of God. They come to it for comfort when they are sad, for guidance when perplexed, and for instruction in those matters of the soul and God which they cannot obtain elsewhere. It has quickened them into new life, and been to them one of God's agents in kindling on the altar of their hearts those flames of immortal glory which reach beyond the bounds of time. It inspires many of them to deeds of love and sacrifice, which make the world richer and better. The poor among them read it, and learn to sing songs of joy and gladness in their poverty. The rich among them read it, and many of them discover that they are stewards for God, and that the gold and silver which they hold belong to Him. The tempted and the tried find it a source of new strength and hope.

      Among these people are many of the excellent of the earth. Thousands of them would suffer any loss rather than part with the Bible. In the first centuries of the Christian era many were cast into prison rather than give up their Scriptures to those who were engaged upon the impossible task of exterminating the Bible. Numbers of them suffered death itself rather than dishonor the Word of the living [10] God. Among the masses of the people to-day there are multitudes who have the same loyal love for the inspired Book, and if occasion demanded it, would endure death rather than dishonor it.

      And yet many of them could not answer my questions. It is to help such as these that I write these pages. I want them to know that the Bible which we have is substantially the same as that possessed by our Lord and His Apostles and the Christians in the first century.

      There is one thing of which we are all sure--the Bible is here. Wherever it came from, whoever made it--we possess it. True or false, good or bad, of men or of God, inspired or uninspired, it is among us.

      Our fathers had it before us. Their copies of the Scriptures are in our possession, not a few of them marked and made precious with the tears they shed upon the pages, hallowed with the breath of their prayers. Their fathers had it, too. Where did they get it? In order to discover its truth, we will

      The River Thames flows through London. It bears on its bosom the ships of all nations, which carry the merchandise of the world. Below London it flows into the ocean, and puts the nation in touch with all parts of the globe. It is interesting to follow it backward, and see it as it flows through quiet [11] valleys, past ancient cities and many a mile of peaceful scenery. Londoners do not like their old river any the less when they discover that it has its source as a small stream among the distant hills, and grows to be the noble river it is as it passes London after many other rivers and streams have flowed into it. In like manner, we shall, love our Bible no less, but more, when we know how it came into the world and grew to be the noble book it is.

      I shall have to take you on journeys to different cities and distant lands. We shall have to visit many libraries, examine old books and parchments, consult ancient records, and peep into some churches venerable with age. We shall have to visit ancient monasteries, and sit beside some of the old monks who are now safe in the better land.

      We want to know, as far as we can learn, how to answer the following questions:

      I. Is the Bible really true?

      II. Where did our Bible come from?

      III. Is our Bible the same which the ancient Christians read daily?

      IV. Were the contents of our New Testament in our hands, in the hands of the Apostles and their friends and followers before the first century had closed?

      V.--Is the Old Testament which we peruse the same which our Lord had? [12]

      We shall deal first with the New Testament, and then with the Old, and then we shall trace the history of our English Bible. May the spirit of God who inspired the holy Apostles help us and guide us in the way of all truth! [13]

[HWGI 9-13]