Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-03-29

but perhaps also ass;s, your advancement
in its knowledge and wisdom.
At your age, il - probable that you
hive still greater difficulties to understand
all TINT you read in tho Bible than have
at mine; and il you have 20 much self
observation as your letters indicate. you
will be sensible Of as much want Of alton
ton. both voluntary md invo untary, as ]
in myself. Intend, there
fore, for the purpose Of contributing 10 your
improvement and my own. 10 write you
several letters, in duo time IN follow this.
in which | shall sndeavos to show you how
YOU may derive tho most advantage to
yourself. from the parn.ai Of tho Scrip
lures. 1t 10 proba Bile, whom YOU receive
those letters. you will not. ut first roadin2.
entirely understand them; If that should
be tho cnse. ask your grand parents. or
your uncle or aunt. 10 explain them; II you
still find them too hard, put thom on file.
and lay shom bv for two or throe years.
after which read thom agnin. md you will
find them easy enough. 1t is essential. nv
sos. IN order that you my 70 through life
with comfort 10 yourself and usefulness to
your fellow creatures. that you should form
and adopt certain rules or principles for
the government Of your own Conduct and
temper. Unless you have such rules and
principles, there will be numberless oc-
casions on which you will have no guide
for your government But your passions.
In your infancy and youth, you have
boon, and will DO for some yenrs, undor
The authority and control Of your friends
and instructors; but you must soon come
to tho nge when you must govern yourself.
You have already como to that ago in
mnny respects; you know tho d herencc
betwccn right md wrong, and you know
some Of your duties, and tho obligations
you nre under 10 become acquainted with
them all. Ii is in the Bible you must learn
them; and from the Bible how to practice
them. Those dutics are to God. to vonv
fellow creatures. and IN Yourself. "ThOu
shalt lovo tho Lord thy God, with all thv
heart. and with all thy soul. and with all
thy mind. and with all thy strength. md
thy neighbor NJ thvself." On thcse two
commandments, Jesus Christ expressly
snys, "hnng All the La " and the Prophets"
TIM, is to say. the whole purpose "f Divine
Revelation is ~ incucnte them efficncious-
~ upon tho mind. Of mon. You will per.
ceive TINT I have spoken Of duties to your
self. distinct from those to God and to your
follow creatures; while Jesus Christ speaks
only Of two commandments. The rem
son is, because Christ and tho command
ments repeated by him, consider sclf-love
rs 81 implanted in tho heart Of every man
,by-tho law Of his nature. that il requires
no comma ndmcnts TO establish its influence
over tho heart; and 30 great do they know
its power 10 be, TINT they demand no other
measure for the love Of our noighhor, than
that which they know we shalt have for
ourselves. But from the love Of God. and
the love Of our neighbor result duties to
ourselves rs well as to them. and they are
all to be len rned IN equal perfection by our
searching tho Scriptures.
Lot US, then. search the scriptures; and
in order TO pursue our inquiries with mo-
,hodcal order. let US consider the various
sources Of information TINT wo may draw
from in this study. The Bible contains the
Revelation Of tho Will Of God. It con-
tains tho history Of tho creation Of tho
world, and Of mankind; a nd asterwnrd the
history Of ono peculiar milton, certainly
the most extraordinary nation that has
over nppc. rod on the earth. IL contains n
system Of Religion and Morality. which
We may examine upon its own merits, in
dependent Of tho sanction it receives from
boing the Word Of God; and it contains
humorous collection Of books, written at
different ages Of the world, by different
authors. which We may survey as curious
monuments Of antiquity and as literary
compositions. In what light soevcr we re-
gard it, whether with reference TO Reveln-
lion. to Literature. to History; or to Nor
ality-it IS m invalua bic and inexhaustible
minc Of knowledge and vir,uo.
shall number separately those letters
that mean to write you upon the subject
Of the Bible. and a.. after they are finish
ed. shall perhaps ask you to read them all
together. or TO look over them again my.
self. you mus, keep them on separate file.
! wish TIM, hereafter they may be useful to
your broshers and sisters. NJ we'll ~ to you.
As you will receive them as token Of a.
lection for you during my absence. I pray
that they may be worthy to be read BY
,aem all with benefit to themselves. Il
pieaso God TINT they should live to be able
to understand thcm.
From your nffection,te father.
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
An OLD LApY-ln 1859 there died in
the southeast part Of Newton. according
to a history Of the town. a Mrs. DAVIS. at
the advanced aOo IF TT voars and 115