How to Interpret the Bible.
"THE grand rule of interpreting, or explaining the Bible, is, to let the Bible mean as it says. It is a revelation from God, designed for the use of all classes of people. It would be an impeachment of the divine wisdom, to suppose the meaning of any part of it to be so dark and obscure, as not to be adapted to answer the end for which the Holy Spirit dictated it to the inspired penman. Timothy, from a child, had known the holy Scriptures; and why should it be supposed that other young persons should not be able to know them as well as he? To ascertain what any passage says, consider what the words mean, according to their common acceptation, and according to their usage elsewhere in the Scriptures; if they have more meanings than one, consider their connection and subject of discourse; and then conclude that the plainest and most obvious sense of the words, when used in such a connection and on such a subject, is most likely to be the true sense in the passage before you."