Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-03-30
Communicated for the New York Tribune.
e., -r-- LETTERS , ~
From Hon. John Quincy Adams to his Son,
On the Bible aud its Teachings.

LETTERS ~
From Hon. John Quincy Adams to his Son,
On the Bible und its Teachings.
LETTER NO. III.
The second general poirt of view, in which
propose for you to consider the Bible, to the
end that may ''throughly furnish you unto all
good works. is in the historical character
To a man liberal education, the study of
history is not only useful, and important, but
altogether indispensable, and with regard to the
history contained in the Bible, the observation
which Cicero makes respecting that of his own
country is much more en-. phatically applica-
Bile, ''that it is not SO much praise worthy TO
be acquainted with as il is shameful to be igno-
rant Oft History, so far as it relates to the
actions and adventures of men, may be divided
III five different classes. First, the History of
the world, otherwise called Universal History:
Second, that OF particular nations: Third, that
of particular institutions Fourth, that of sin
gle families; and Fifth, that of individual men,
All these classes of history are to be found in
the Bicle, and it may be worth your while to
discriminate them one from another. The Uni
versal History Is short and all contained in the
first eleven chapters of Genesis, together with
the first chapter of the first book of Chronices,
which is little more than a genealogical list of
as it includes the history OF the creation, of the
fall of man, of the antedeluvian world and the
flood by which the whole human race, Except
ting Noah and his family were destroyed, but
as 1t gives very precise account of the time
from the Creation until the Birth of Abraham
This is the foundation of Ancient History, and
In reading proane historians hereafter. would
advise you always 10 reflect upon their nara
tives with reference to it, with respect to the
chronology. A correct idea of this is so nee
essary TO understand all history, ancient and
modern, that may hereafter write you some
thing farther concerning it: for the present
shall only recommend TO your particular atten-
tion the fifth and eleventh chapters of Gene
Sis. and request you to cast up and write me the
amount of the age of the world when Abraham
was born. The remainder of the book of GEN
esis, beginning at the 18th chapter, is history
of one individual (Abraham) and his family
during three genera tions of his descendants, af-
ter which the book of Exodus commences with
the history of the same family multiplied into
nation; this national and family history is
continued through the books of the Old Tesla
ment until that of Job, which is of peculiar
character, differing in many particulars from
every other part of the Scriptures. There is 40
other history extant which can give so interes-
ting and correct view of the rise and progress
of human associations, as this account of A bra
ham and his defendants, through all the vicis-
STUDIES TO which individuals, families, and ma
tions are liable. There is no other history
where the origin of whole nation is traced up
to single man, and where connected train of
events and regular series of persons from gen.
erations is preserved. As the history of fam
lily, ii is intimately connected with our reli-
gious principles and opinions, for it is the fam
lily from which Tin his human character) Jesus
Christ descended. 1t begins by relating the
commands of God to Abraham, to abandon his
country, his kindred and his fathers house; and
and go to land which He would show him.
This command was accompanied by two promi-
SEES, from which, and from their fulfilment
arose the digerences which | have just noticed
between the history of the Jews and every 9th
er nation. The first of these promises was
THAT God would make Abraham great ma
ton and bless him:sthe second and incompar-
ably the most important was, that Sin him all
the families of the earth should be blessed. -
This promise was made about two thousand
years before the birth of Christ, and in Him
had its ful6llment. When Abraham in obedi-
ence 10 the command ofGod had gone into the
land of Canaan, the Lord appeared unto him
and made him third promise, which was that
he should give that land to a nation which
should descend from him, as possession, this
was fulfilled between five and six hundred years
afterward. In reading all the historical books
of both the Old and New Testaments, as well
as the books of the Prophets, you should always
bear in mind the reference which they have TO
these three promises of God to Abraham. All
the history is no more than narrative of the
particular manner, and the detail of events by
which those promises are fulfilled
In the account of the Creation, and the Fall
OF Man, have already remarked that the NOR
al doctrine inculcated by the Bible is, that the
great consummation of all human virtue con-
4 slsts in obedience to the will of God. When
va come hereafter to speak of the Bible in its
ethical character, shall endeavor to show you
the intrinsic excellence of this principle; but
shall now only remark how strongly the prin-
ciple itself is illustrated, first in the account
the Fall, and next by the history of Abraham
In the account of the Creation, we are informed
that God after having made the world. created
the first human pair, and gave them domin
ion over every living thing that moveth upor
the earth. He gave them, also, ''every herb
bearing seed, and the fruit of every tree fo
meat" and all this, we are told, ''God saw wa:
very good.' Thus the immediate possession o
every thing was given them, and its perpetual
enjoyment secured to their descendants, on con
dition of abstaining from the ''fruit of the tire,
acknowledge OF good and evil. 1t is altogethe
immaterial to my present remarks whether The
narrative is to be understood in literal or al
legorical sense, as not only the knowledge, bu
the possession of created good was granted;-
the fruit of the tree, could confer upon then
| no knowledge but that of evil, and the command
was nothing more than to abstain from tina
knowledge-to forbear from rushing upon thei
own destruction 1t is not sufficient to say
that this was command in its own nature
light and easy; 1t was command to pursue
the only law of their nature, to keep the hap
piness that had been heaped upon them with
out measure; but observe-it contained tn,
principle of obedience-it was assigned to then
: as duty-and the heaviest of penalties wa
denounced upon its transgression. They wer
t not to discuss the wisdom, or justice of thi
2 command; they were not to inquire why it hat
been enforced upon them, nor could they hav'
the slightest possible motive for the enquiry
unqualified felicity and Immortality were al
! ready theirs; wretchedness and death were alon
forbidden them, but placed within their reacl
as merely trials of their obedience. They vic
lated the law; they forfeited their JOY and i'm
L