The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1839-09-12
mo. 467.
From the Christian Intelligencer.
THE HOLY BIBLE-BY JOHN q. ADAMS.

hO III o. uiIu diAllOSh NllIN DOUh ut-
: serving universal recommendation is the
Bible. Such is my deliberate opinion -
The Bible IS the book, OF all others, to be
read at all ages, and IN all conditions of hu-
man life not TO be read once or twice or
three through, and then TO be laid aside,
but to be read 10 small portions of one or
two chapters, every day, and never be in.
termltIed, unless by some overruIing neces-
sity.
This attentive and repeated reading of
the Bible, IN smah portions every day,
leads the mind to habtual meditation upon
subjects of the highest interest to the vel.
fare OF individuals in this world, as we'll as
10 prepare him for that hereafter to which
we are all destined. II furnishes rules for
our conduct towards others in our social re.
latIons. 10 the commandments delivered
from SINAI, IN the lnimiable sublimity of
the Psalms and of the prophets, in the pro.
found and concentrated observation upon
human life and manners, embodied in the
Proverbs Of Solomon, in the so beautifully
set forth narrative Of facts, of the Book of
Job, an active mind cannot peruse a single
chapter and lay the book aside TO think,
and take 1t up again to morrow, without
finding in it advice for our own conduct,
which we may turn to useful account in the
progress of our daily pilgrimage upon earth;
and when we pass from the Old Testament
to the New, we meet at once a system of
universal morality founded upon one pre-
cept OF universal application, pointing US to
peace aud good will towards the whole race
OF man tor this life, and to peace with God,
and an ever blessed existence hereafter.
speak as a man of the world to men
of the world, and say to you Search the
Scriptures If even you tire of them in
seeking for a rule Of faith and standard of
morals search them as records of history.
General aud compendious history is one of
the fountains of human knowledge, TO which
you should all resort with steady and perse-
yerlng pursuit. The Bible contains the on.
y authentic introduction to the history of
the world and ln storing your minds With
the facts OF this history, you will immedi.
ately perceive the need Of assistance from
geography and chronology. These assls-
tances you may find 10 many Of the Bibles
published with commentaries, and YOU can
have no difficulty IN procuring them. Ac.
quaint yourselves with the chronology and
geography of the Bible that will lead YOU
10 general knowledge of chronology and
OF geography, ancient and modern, and
these will open 10 you an nexpressible foun.
tam Of knowledge respecting the globe
which you lnhabil and respecting the race
OF man to which you yourselves belong
You may pursue these inquiries Just so far
as your time and inclination will permit
Give one hour Of mental application. for
you must not read without thinking. or YOU
Will read to little purpose, give an hour of
JOINT reading and thought to the chronolo.
gy, and one TO the geography of the Bible,
and II It introduces you to too hard study,
stop here. Even for those Two hours YOU
will ever after read the Bible, aud any 9th.
er history, with more frult-more inteIL.
gence-more satisfaction. But, if these
two hours excite your curiosity and tempt
you TO devote part of an hour every dave
for year or years, to study thoroughly the
chronology and geography of the Bible, it
viii not only lead YOU far deeper than YOU
will otherwise ever penetrate into the
knowledge of the book, but it will spread
floods OF light upon every step you shall ey.
er afterwards take IN acquiring the knowl.
edge OF protane history, and upon the local
of every tribe of man, and upon
The name of every nation into which the
children of Adam have been divided.
There are many other subsidiary studies
o which you may devote more or less of
Tine tor the express purpose Of making your
Bible reading more Ineligible to yourselves.
t is book which neither the most lgno.
ant and weakest, nor the most learned and
Intelligent mind can read without improve.
nent.