Enduring Beauty

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  “Beauty is the quality which makes to endure. In a house that I know, I have noticed a block of spermaceti lying about closets and mantel-pieces, for twenty years together, simply because the tallow-man gave it the form of a rabbit; and, I suppose, it may continue to be lugged about unchanged for a century. Let an artist scrawl a few lines or figures on the back of a letter, and that scrap of paper is rescued from danger, is put in portfolio, is framed and glazed, and, in proportion to the beauty of the lines drawn, will be kept for centuries. Burns writes a copy of verses, and sends them to a newspaper, and the human race take charge of them that they shall not perish.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson. (1803–1882).   Essays and English Traits.

Where God gave His Word

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from my friend, Dr. John Williamson:

"While preparing a Sunday School lesson, I stumbled across a remarkable verse. The psalmist wrote, "He declares his words to Jacob, His statutes and his ordinances to Israel" (Psalm 147:19). The author is encouraging his readers to sing in praise of the Lord God, and he tells us a very important truth. The source of God's Word had one and only one geographic spot of origin. He gave his word to Israel.

Think of the variety of religions and religious viewpoints today, from where did they originate? Islam came out of Arabia. B'hai emerged from Iran. Mormonism is indigenous to the United States. Hinduism and Buddhism are native to India. Shinto is Japanese. Yet, where did God give his Word?"

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