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READING THE SCRIPTURES

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 10, 1862

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 20, No. 2.

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READING THE SCRIPTURES.

By J. CLARKE.

It was remarked by a very devoted and useful minister, many years ago, that if he found his mind at any time more entertained in literary pursuits, or in reading any book more than the Bible, he would immediately lay down the book and take up the Bible and peruse it with prayer until his love for the truths of God's word far outweighed his love for science, or indeed any other object. Then only would he venture to explore the various paths of human learning, lest(such was his love for literature) he might enter with such eagerness upon his studies, and become so engrossed with them, as to lose his love for the Book of books.
The Bible is the only sure and safe guide, and all that is good and pure flows from this fountain. It is to us our only anchor, our chart, our detecter, our guide; and all the gifts graciously promised to the church in the last days come to us as fruits of this fair tree; and as the tree of life in Eden yielded its timely fruit, so do the gifts and blessings of God come to man as falling in richness and plenty from this precious book of history, of law, of prophecy, of praise, of prayer, of faith, of hope, of love, of temperance, of patience, of purity, of wisdom, of humility, and all the virtues of heaven.
He who loves the Bible, loves its Author; and loving God, he knows the voice of the good Shepherd, and all his messages of mercy are loved, studied, meditated upon, heeded, and appreciated.
When the Christian lives in the light of God's countenance, then the Bible is studied and loved; but as the Bible is gradually neglected until the dust of days, or perhaps weeks, accumulates upon it, his soul starves and dies for want of that nourishment which the Scriptures afford.
It may be safely asserted, and every Christian's experience will go to prove the assertion, that *the continued, prayerful study of the word of God tends to elevate and strengthen the soul; while neglect of this exercise does invariably tend to lessen and enfeeble all holy and heavenly aspirations; and on the other hand such diligent study of God's word does tend to weaken and destroy the carnal emotions of the soul, while the neglect of God's word tends to encourage the carnality and general corruption of the human heart.
When the political paper, or the worldly conversation of an acquaintance, is more pleasurable than the perusal of God's word, there is good reason for alarm. Such a person need not wonder that his love for prayer and praise has waxed cold, that his Saviour is so far off, that he cannot discern him by the dim telescope of his faith; he need not wonder that he is powerless in exhortation and prayer.
Do you want a shield, a sword, a helmet? God's word is the armory, go there and get on the harness. Do you want medicine, or a physician, for your sin-sick soul? are you in want of judgment, or wisdom, or strength? There is the word of God for all these wants.
Have we a brother or sister languishing in spiritual decay? Are you cast down or discouraged? Perhaps this is the reason: instead of reading the Bible with prayer you are stupidly clinging to some stumbling-block with just such tenacity as Satan dictates.
God's word, when read aright, separates the soul from earthly things, and points upward to heaven. He who reads it thus breathes a purer and holier atmosphere, his mind is wrapped in a flame of angelic love, he soars above scandal and reproach, above the debt and credit of worldly employments, above the din of traffic and trade, above the hum of manufacture, above the noise of political strife and animosities, above the thunder of battles, and the laurels of the successful warrior; he is thinking, perhaps, of the host of worthies alluded to by Paul in his letter to the Hebrews, who are unconsciously resting, sleeping, waiting the last trumpet's sound, which wakes the righteous dead, and assembles the good of all ages for the feast which is prepared. O, what imagination can paint, what pen can describe, the glories of that day? Or he is pondering in solemn, tearful mood, the last scene of Jesus' life on this polluted earth, as he sat at Pilate's bar, and Herod's judgment-seat, as he bore the bitter sarcasm, the cruel jest, the buffet, the spitting, the crown of thorns, the old purple robe, and the final tragedy of the crucifixion. Oh cruelty! Oh madness! The madness, the folly of sin! Oh the cruelty of the master whom the world acknowledge!
Or he meditates upon the wonderful works of God in saving his people in all ages, his love for the lowly and the good; that God who would not let the blood of righteous Abel go unavenged; who would not let earth cover just Enoch, nor the angry waves overflow righteous Noah; who gave wisdom with many gifts to Abraham, to Joseph, to Moses, to Daniel, to Ezra, and who, under the ministry of John the Baptist, began to unfold the meridian glories of the "new covenant," and following down the history of the mighty Deliverer and his apostles, the scene that looms up before him of increasing glories and raptures, he longs for the day when the tyrant death shall be subdued, and the lawful captive be lawfully, triumphantly delivered.
On such themes as these, and many more, of heaven, the new earth, varied and beautiful, blending as with rainbow hues all harmonious, numberless, grand, and awful, or sublime, or pathetic, or joyous, or practical, or historical, or poetic, or instructive, or argumentative, as the Bible reader may need—all these, and far more, he may find in the blessed book; food for the hungry, rest for the weary, sight for the blind, health for the sick, wealth for the poor, wisdom for the foolish, and life for the dead.
Transcendently higher than pen can describe, are the joys of the lover of God's word, who meditates therein day and night, whose soul cannot grovel in earth's vanities; it would soil his wings, and put an end to his soaring. Could you induce the eagle to forego his flight heavenward, for a visit to a wild monster's den? Far sooner than you could induce the lover of God's word to turn to earth for that nourishment he derives from this sacred book.
"It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, And drives away his fear."
But he must descend to earth and mingle with the crowd; not for pleasure, but for business and usefulness. Not like the worldling, but like his Master, he is in the market-place, or at the carpenter's bench, or he is in debate, but not for strife. His countenance, lighted up with the truth, shows his heart is aglow with heavenly fire. Where did he get it? O, he has been reading, studying, his Bible, meditating upon it, and the fire has come down pure (not second-hand) from glory.
Think you to call him down now to dally with the Tobiahs, or the Geshéms, in the plains of Ono? Or can you get him now to repose in the embrace of Delilah? or induce him to join affinity with Ahab? See 2 Chron. xviii. No, not now. He will not yield now. You must first cool his love for God's word. Then possibly you may seduce him.
J. CLARKE.