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


,~- fho0 Hon. John q. Adams
80 - 06S Son,
sf - TxE ssLs Aso Irs TEACHINGS.
cs..s.eassd ~ the New York Tribune.
yggi'f7f LETTER I.
'a'stH ST. PxrxzssUaG. Sept. 1911.
M DsAs Sos: - your lestes Of the l6sh
.lasussy, ~ your mother. you mentioned
~ voe reed to your aunt chapter in the
nhic. o. . section Of Doddsidgs's Annosn.
,a;ups every evening. This information
eaye ne seal pleasure; for 20 grcat is my
scaeestion Cos the Bible. and 20 strong my
heIisf that. whom duly read and medi,oted
a. il 10 Of oil books in tho world, that
which contributes most 10 m. ke men good.
viss and happy shat tho earlier my chill
Isen begin to road it. tho moro steadily
.hsy pursue tho practice Of reading ii
throughout sho,s lives. the more lively and
!. eonfidsns viii bs my hopes that they will
trovo useful ci.izens to their country. re-
spoe,abIo members Of society. and renl
Messing 70 thcir parents. But hopo you
have now arrived at an age to understand
that reading. oven in the Bible. is a thing
!. 10 issolf neither good nor bad. bu, that Nil
jhe good which can DO drawn from it IS by
10 lss and improvement Of wl,nt you ha We
tssd. with tho help OF your own reflection.
Young people sometimes boast Of how
many books and how much they have read;
wbsn, Instead Of boassing they ough. to be
hshamcd Of having wnstod % much time n
10 iittlo profit. advise you, my son, in
whatever you road, and most Of oil in road.
Inn tho Bible. that il 10 for tho purpose oil
making you visor and moro vistuous.
have myself for many yenrs mnde it n
bsaciice to read through tho Biblo once
Every year. | have always attempted tc
read il with the samc spirit and temper OF
mind which now recommend to you; that
,is, with tho intention and desire that i, mn v
contribute to my advancement in wisdom
and virtue. Ny desire is indeed worry i'm
PERFECTLY successful; for. iiko you. and like
ths Apostle Paul. IL find law in my
members. warning against the Ia VS. Of my
mind" But as know that il is my m.
lure to be imperfect. % know that il Is
my duty to aim at perfection; nnj foeIine
and dcpIoring my own frailsios. con only
pray Almighty God for tho aid Of his
Spirit to strengthen my good desires. and
20 subdue my Propensitios to OWL; for il is
from Him cvory good md perfect gift
desccods. My custom is, to rcnd four or
five chapters every morning, Immediately
silss rising from my bed. II employs
about on hour Of my sino. and seems to
mo the most suitable manner Of beginning
tho day. But. as other cares, duties and
occupations engage tho remainder Of il,
have perhaps novor sufficient portion ofmy
simo in meditation upon what have rend.
Evcn meditation itself is often fruitIcss.
unless it has some special object in Wow;
useful thoughts oftcn arise in tho mind. md
pass away without being remember rcd or
applied to any good purpcse-like the .oed
sesitercd upon the surface Of tho ground,
which tho birds dcvour, or tho wind blows
away. Or which rot without taking roo,
however good the soil may be upon which
they are cast.
We are all, my dear George, unwilling
10 confess our own faults. even to ourselves
and when our own cOnscienccs arc too
honest 10 conceal ihcm from w, our self.
love IS always busy, other in attempting
10 disguise them to Us under falso AMI de.
iusivo colors. or in seeking out excuses and
apologies 10 reconcile them to our minds.
Thus. although am sensible that l have
not derived from my assiduous perusai OF
tho Bible, land might npply tho samo ro
mnrk to almost ryshirg slso ,hat do.
all tho benefit that might arid ouRht, m
~ constr ntly ondcavoring 10 persuade my
self that it is not my own fault Some
iim~s say to myself. do no: understand
what ! have read; cannot help it; I die
not make my own underssn nding; ,here are
nssy things in tho Billie "hard 10 under
csasd. No St. Pstor expressly says Of Paul.
EPistlcs;-somo arc hard in the Hebrew
and somo in tho Greek-tho original Ian
gusges in which tho Scriptures were writ,
Ten; some arc harder ssill In the sransIa
tions. ! have boon Obliged to lead wan
dering life about the world and sea rceiy eve,
have at hand tho book which might help me
IN surmount those difficulties. Conscience
sometimes puts the question whether nv
not understanding many passages is no
owing tu my want Of attention in readip,
shem. must admit that it is; full proc
Of which is, that evcry timo ! read IN,
Book through understand some passage.
which ] never understood before. enc
which should have done. at former road
ing. had il bccn effected with a sufficien,
degree Of attention. Thon. in answer ,c
!
always command my own attention. and
hover can n tho deerec that I wish.
My mind 10 oft.times 50 full Of othc,
things, absorbed in bodily pain. or encross
ID by passion. OF distracted BY plea sure, q,
exhausted by dissipation. that canno. give
TO proper daily employ ment ITO attention
which e'adIy would. and which is abso
lsssly necessary 10 mako il '.frui:ful q
kood works." This acknowledgment, o
my veakness 10 just; but for how mucl
OF Am s.ill accountable to God, hard
" dare acknowledge to myself. 10
bodily paint How often vas that brouQh
upon me BY my own imprudence or folly
Was II passionl Heaven has given I,
every human being the power Of CONTROL
ING his passions. and il he neeleets or lose.
y, tho f.u'. j. his own. and he must b,
.asvesaola for Il. Wac il pleasurei WI,
did I indulge il! Was i, dissipation. Thu
In tn mosf inNxcuaa HE of ali. "a. - -.