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By Joseph S. Exell · 1887 · 1,353 illustrations
The Biblical Illustrator is a 56-volume reference work compiled by Joseph S. Exell in the late 19th century. Each passage of Scripture is illuminated with historical anecdotes, biographical sketches, analogies from nature, and homiletical observations drawn from ancient and contemporary sources. These illustrations have been carefully restored from the original public-domain text and rewritten for clarity and accessibility — preserving the historical depth while removing Victorian OCR artifacts.
Moses' honesty is remarkable—he records the magicians' genuine successes in their experiments, lending credibility to the account.
The Psalmist's declaration captures a profound spiritual truth: the transition from darkness to light, from despair to joy.
The Lord keeps His people in six distinct ways.
Wickedness and peace are mutually destructive terms—not because God arbitrarily withholds peace, but because wickedness itself is incompatible with it.
Exell (1887) distinguishes three dimensions of this mystery.
Righteousness most effectually answers the end and design of government itself.
Yet this concealed garment bore immense significance: it manifested the priest's personal purity before Yahweh, distinct from the outer vestments that bore Israel's names before the Lord (Leviticus viii.
The Psalmist's cry, "Let me not be put to shame" (Psalm 25:2), rests upon confidence that those who wait upon Jehovah will not be abandoned.
His death reveals four dimensions of Christian triumph: First, Stephen displayed boldness in confession—his enemies could not resist the power radiating from his unwavering testimony before the council.
The human heart reveals its corruption most plainly in how it despises true Christianity while admiring false religion's pageantry.
This truth dissolves anxiety through seven pillars of reasoning.
The prophet teaches that an evangelical law—the law of Christ, the law of faith (Isaiah 42:3)—proceeds from God Himself, bringing both righteousness and salvation to the children of men.
Each was made according to His sovereign purpose, functioning as links between His eternal decrees and His redemptive acts—the voice of the decree becoming the herald of the act.
This is not mere formality—it establishes three pillars of authentic church unity.
Bishop Butler clarifies this critical distinction: resentment becomes sinful only when it exceeds its proper end.
We may lawfully wish for one another extended years; this desire is no infirmity.
Exell, in his 1887 *Biblical Illustrator*, offers a vivid comparison: as the thirsty man needs only be directed to water—"There's the water, drink"—so the anxious soul requires but one directive: "Faith cometh by hearing." Elaborate explanations about reservoirs and river...
Rees preached last in North Wales, a friend said to him—one of those who are always reminding people that they are getting old—"You are whitening fast, Dr.
Bishop Ryle offers a piercing parallel: the bankrupt cannot finance another's recovery; the imprisoned cannot liberate a fellow prisoner; the shipwrecked sailor cannot rescue his drowning comrade.
The Lord does not merely turn away; He *releases Himself* (*aphistemi*), detaches Himself, shakes off an encumbrance without righteousness.
Not yet are all things in subjection to humanity, yet this sovereignty shall come.
To those imprisoned both in darkness and in chains, the Lord Jesus speaks: "Show yourselves; rise, and come out of the darkness; hide away no longer, come forth into the light, and enjoy it." Consider the characters mentioned in this...
First, it suggests the true measure of workers in the Church's progress.
First, the natural seed of Israel—*sperma* (offspring)—recalls the nation called out of Egypt under Moses.