New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-04
THE STUDY OF TIE BIBLE.
rAe Re-, Dr. HossrI osssby ~ fosrA Areaes PSsbyri


Church
At the Fourth Avenue Presbyterian Church
the Rev Dr. Toward CROSBY tho pastor preached upon
The Study OF the Bible" lie took his text from Jjna
" 37 "selrch the Scriptures; for IN them yc think 20
have eternal life, aud they they yhlch testify OF
Me-" In the course OF his sermon, Dr. Crosby said:
The almost unanimous verdict Of tho Greek iahers
settles the first verb OF this passage as an uperAiye
and not indicative. A paraphriso OF the context
would bs this: "YOu unbeeying Jews do not believe IN
Me you do not receive the written Word God
which IA His representative upon earth: You osensby
hold fast TO that Word, Iou glory In ~ you
have for It blind, ido.atlods a.''shmen', sa9
lie N some magical ne. But yon do not penetrate
vou 40 not come 10 Mo as You would do n you re-
ceiyed and searched tho word properly, Which every
where tesnos Of Ne, and In this way provides tue
eternal hfe when suppose TO be attained ny s1o ss
in their hands yet wholly ineic.cous-a bright mans
tightly sna, up IA an r t o@ r r e iP lees
from this confinement aud let their divine m
nnenoe IN upon their souls. God had not given
them a vain or defective revelation. IL was complete
and able 10 make every man wise unto nlvitlol' AZ
grace, aud could only be erroneous or imperfect rs
Gods sympathy could outstrip HIS wisdom dnl pONer
H. therefore t failed to disclose Jesus ANA His SILVA
ton to the Jewish mud II because mat mind wis
biased-had Instructed itself resOutely within IT, low
and selfish Drejuiices. aud was satisfied 10 mold tae
Scriptures as u grand estate 10 own and boat Of
refusing to consider IL mno To No.@
the IL was IN tho INST century OF thiS era
the 1t to the Israel OF Moses or DAVIS
day God has not improved upon his hr,t plan. In
prOVement II entirely human; Is the MARI 81 feeble
meas, aud although man Is changing history NAV de-
mand new forms OF prOyiienua, details 10 GOPs
gracious government yet tus principle whereby He ap
pies HIS grace cannot change IL i to-y "a jester
day. IIo presents to His written Word a. IS
Word presents the personal Word, aud tno human
LUX between tue Two Is the minds -oif'n'
Tue search involves earnestuess, reverence and eX-
pectation, and thus donors the Divine Hand when *
tends the Divine Gift Tue requisite search, therefore,
formed part Of the wise economy 0t God toy winch lhe
inWOrkS
ton) the righteousness and holiness OF tho believing
soul As md Christ Is to search the Word, 50 to Md
Christ In HIS funess the WOr 300 Is doptns
TIE soul has thus one endless occupation before H. Iuo
Scriptures have not exhausted their tune.,on
converted heart finds thAt the agent 1f
conversion Is the ageHt OF sanctihcatl0n. Ine Holy
spirit, VINO, through tho wOrI. gave 10 tue our ened
soul the cOnsOiItiOus OF the cross, hOutl IN ~ ne
Word pours out upon TIC relieved aud rJl1Ltng spus
the ceaseless OF the Chrsl-ie. Tue sun "
who has found thsstream OF revelation does not 0rhk
finds his daily health In tho refreshing wafer
The Church Is to conserve tho Scriptures because hey
mistake conserving the mere letter. ani hrncs Lee
came corrupt The Scriptures are not tue letter. Dat tho
spirlt beueath tho letter. reached ~ the leer Tao
Church. tnen rightly the iptures whru. W
dgent investigation through aud beneath tue letter.
the varied truth of God fast ~ lis lie by tHoG.
sand cords OF knowledge and affection. VITA ts 'l;w,
thea OF the study OF tue letter or scripture as Tue
following the nj InctOu OF the savior II tue text We
may three classes ~ difficulties Whleh iNhe
this and 20 the solution OF winch the careful "ud
concentrated search Is essential.
Tue first difficulty the apparent want OF harmony In
the different portions Of the sacred voluine TINS nas
been the ay0ntc battle-ground OF uh iely. H3re it
uses with effect It's dTgein dd SpccieDi. and makos
It's crafty oouquests Ino EOnslIc und Jonovsic ehap
tiers Genesis irFeconcabe; the Pcutatcuch bears
marks Of postMOsdic origin IN its aldsIOIs TO
the character and the death OF the law.
iyer the Chronology Or the h1tor'GHL 'ogk no IL
ogies OF Jesus ere In direct conflict; all the accounts oil
inscription the cross arc dscreplnt; indeed. tao
antagonism James aud Paul teach, as respects one
another, contradictory doctrines and the New Tesla
ment presents system or salvation aud etcrual life
WHOLLY iucoussteut with that OF tho OH Testament.
These the chief charges tnat are made where primo
mai ry Of our race prld Idcie evidence Is all that mon
care TO have against anything they wish 10
and repeat themselves ia every age. 40 niSes
these and their pernlcous effects knoweoIe
ted tue truth is necessary. I1e NINA must take
range through so years from Moses to Jonn ana tA
history aud ma ional economy OF the jewish people as
we'll those OF the great Kingdoms OF the N,e, tn9
idlosyncrasy Of each sacred writer under ne divine
aflltus. 1t must explore tue anaIosIes ia eA-
rent discrepancies. IL must learn TO weigh words
as they are given us IN the semlno and hS-
dice OF translation IL must md the special o0j5et
that before writer's mind, aud these special or
cumstances which his utterauces nrst TOOK place
must review the awsof authorship ana enitotShip aI
determino their Iuhlcnce upon tue sacred OOOhs ~
must become familiar With the great LANDMARKS OF GIRO
uoogy and be able to establish tue sucIr0nSns OF to
Scripture narrative Onlyiu this way can scoilng mn
denly be answered. aud the piOus mud DC edlhej w
discovery OF the perfect harmouies " the DIVINE Word
second difficulty is AKIN TO the htst, ana can 20
easily compared with It. Il Is the oOscurty OF the teh.
IL dees not appear contradict ITSELF Out Us very
meaning Is a puzzle. The ordinary reader sees onyh
chaos, and either looks the passage ti he mus
some plain TO satisfy him. or no performs mo
dangerous task OF guessing where he mas no uase'
aud so makes the scripture 20 speak iis.y.
TO overcome this difficulty We need all ths sP
pIanoes which requisite la reading IIo
alleged discrepancies OF the Word and these are 70 70
used In an intenser degree. History and geograpuy
must be ransacked ana arranged IN the nina iheo
tai habits aud styles of thought must DO IamAsr1
Digotry and narrowness must DO abandoned lOr oVsa
view OF the aud eperous sympathy Tor huna"
de veopment everywhere. Especially are the $40 an-
guages OF Scripture 10 Do carefully studsd-tho sero
OF Hebrew, whose obscurity lies IN ITS p0Nelp.
and the flexible aud beautiful 1reek. Shoss