It is possible, however, to treat this book in a manner so hard and literalistic that it shall become a hindrance rather than a help to the better knowledge of God.  The one fact that it brings vividly before us is that fact of progress in religious knowledge which we are now considering.  It shows us how men have gone steadily forward, under the leadership of the divine Spirit, leaving old conceptions behind them, and rising to larger and larger understanding of divine things.  Any treatment of the Book which fails to recognize this fact—­which puts all parts of the Bible on the same level of spiritual value and authority—­simply ignores the central truth of the Bible and perverts its whole meaning.

The truth which we need to emphasize in our use of the Bible is the truth that the same Spirit who gave the men of the olden time their message is with us, to help us to the right understanding of it, and to give us the message for our time.  Nor is his illumination confined to any guild or rank of believers; the day foretold by the prophet has surely come, when the Spirit is poured upon all flesh, and the prophetic gift may be received by all the pure in heart.

The one glorious fact of our religion—­a fact but dimly realized as yet by the church—­is the constant presence in the world of the Spirit of Truth.  If there is anything at all in religion, this divine Spirit is ready to be the Counselor, Comforter, and Guide of every human soul.  And we cannot doubt that the steadily enlarging conception of the character of God is due to his gracious ministry.

* * * * *

Such, then, are the sources from which have come that better knowledge of God which makes the religion of our time to differ from the religion of past generations.  And it will be seen that these three sources are but one.  It is the divine Reason and Love himself who has been revealing himself to us in the unity and order of nature, in the enlarging life of humanity, in the inspired insights and convictions of devout believers.  What we are looking upon is that continuing revelation of God to the world which has been in progress from the beginning, and which will never cease until the world is full of the knowledge of God as the sea is full of water.

With this great and growing revelation the church is intrusted.  Its business in the world is to take this truth about God, this new truth, this larger and fairer truth, which God himself, in the creation and through the incarnation and by the Indwelling Spirit, has been clearing up and lifting into the light, and fill modern life full of it.  This is the truth which modern life needs.  Religion is a permanent fact, but its forms change with advancing knowledge.  There are forms of truth which are suited to the needs of modern life.  God himself is always at work preparing the truth for present needs.  It is the function of the church to understand this truth, and make it known in every generation.