Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-07-16
Eyow 10 SfutIy the Bible.

cours.d en- "IIow to Study tho Bible. Ihe
lcc.pro excited mu,h interest, aud seemed 10
embolq - many suggestions Of great praot!cai
value lhst an atlcmpt is hare mato 10 repio-
due, lis chief pcin!s with, it is hkely' some
slistt additions aud possibly some slight mod
li,a,ions os 20 uotcs wero taken. Vi eotsS'
lha topics Cannot be presca'cd 10 the txaos or
der oil tho delivery.
WHAT TIE BIBLE CLAIMS FOB ITSELF.
Ps, x;i. G, tells us "rtc words Of the L9rd
scc nurc wcrd;; es silver tiled in p furnace q
Garth purified seven timer" Fiji aid n,aDy
like passagcs claim for God 3 Scrd perfect lfec'
dem from nj! Eduix;u7c Of error. Nov, ms
Of ccu;sc, caGuot be claimed for the Eoglsh
version, or any ether uade by uulnsrircd mln,
but only ior the original Scriptures as they
came from tho psn cf those Inspired by the
Holy Chest to write them. Bot If To oou!a
get The original copies Eo should lad t0em W.
mixed, iolaliiblo truth. In the lapse OF ages
ard through the ignorance and sometimes lnc
tsmpcripg Of lrarsclibcrs, the copies OF tho
| Sefiptures in our possession hsve departed from
| this original standard Of per!cc: purity. But
| it is comfort to know from comparison 81 the
many ttx.s ard versions Thict! God has rro
served to u5, that no loss Of any vita! or iua
damantai doctrine CT truth OF Gods Wor3 mas
resulted from the weakness or tbs E!csedness
| CT those through whose agency 1t bus hccn
| handed down to our day.
TIE BIBLE TIE WORD OF GOD.
This collection, consisting Of "sixIy six separate
| books, written at various Intervals. during o
| period Of about 1900 years" aad 10y authors
| of various occupations, as lawyers, gcocEals,
iadges, kings, priests governors, farmers, shep-
herds, hcrdsmcp, fishermen, soldiers, physl'
cisns and tax galhcrcrs; icc!uilrg every va
1icty Of intellectual cndoHnen!J and literary
attachment and social position '-.his collection
CT books, claims 10 BIO orc book. Its onencss
| lies 10 the fact thut it is the rea! txpresslon-
INC whole book s-of the thought OF One
Mind, and that mind is Gods! And The
thought in G;d's mind which gives peTVadipg
unity to the book is embodied 10 Tho L?rd
Jesus Christ. Jesus is The Truth. lie ls the
Alpha ard Omega cfSerpture. The theme before
the Spirit MUD 10 every part oil tho Bible -
Christ. Christ himself said. "Search the Scrip
lures, tor 10 them &c thick ye have eteraa ne
and they arc they which testify OF Me. For
had 20 believed Moses, ye wouli have believed
M; for be wrote CT Nj" Johnv, 50. Al. Anu
what marvellous sanction does the horu give
ia the II y verse 10 the written Wor1 Du:
if &c believe cot his writings, how sha!! ye be
Iicye nv wOrjs?' Aud SEQ hcw Gu auoher
accession aitcr he was risen from the dead, With
a sill wider sweep OF view, ho binds together the
whole of tho Old testament Scriptures IN q
neryadiog unity Of thought about llllseif.
Nod beginning at Moses and oil tho prophets,
he expcuodci TO them in all the Scriptures the
things concerning himself" Luke XIV -.
Romans iii. ., claims for The Jews great al
vautape over others, "chithg because that unto
them were committed tho oracles Of Gcd. The
oracIts Of God arc tho authoritative comnunl.
cation OF His niud and will. This tEen Is the
character OF The Old Testament. AID he word
Of God plays wonderful part ia tue Kingdom
OF God. 10 Luke viii the seed whose SI@tng
pcrpctuaIcs aod extends the Kingdom 81 GGd
is tic word OF God (ycrsc III. Tho devil,
Gods great cncmy. seeks to lekc this word out
o. the hearts Of those who hear it, Tor tic well
knows that, If they believe this word, they shall
b., saved (vcrsc 12). 10 bo saved is to hear
this word Of God 10 good ard honest heart,
and keep it, and bring forth f,ult With ratl%ne,
(rcr.c ~. Those who hear the word Of Gcd
and DO it, become akin 10 Chris! verse 81 J.
O.hCr Scriptures asser! The samn great pirt tor
tic wcrl oil God. "Of his owu viii besat he
US with the Tord Of truth" Jamca i, -. "lIc
lug bora arau BOT Of coirlptlb!c seed, but Of
iucur,urliblc, by the w1rd Of God" | Peter i,
% Ii is through the use Of tho word - the
Spirit that cur spiritual life bellas AMI !" tie
usa OF the same meaps is it perfected. "llu',
bands love your wives, even as Cnris! lI39 loved
tao Church, aud gave himself fur If, t!at he
might saGctify aud cleanse il With tho sashlC;.
OF water by The word, that lie might prcscu. Ii
to himself glorious Church, cot having SPOT,
or Wriukle, or any such thing, hut that Ii
should be holy end without blCmish. Enh. '.
.j-27.
| TIE WHOLE BIBLE IS TO BE STUDIED.
AL Scripture is given by Inspiration 81 God
and Is profitable Tor d0Ctilac. Tor r2pEoof, for
o1rrec!iou. for obstruction ia righteousness :;
that the mau OF God may be perfect, ihor.
iii, lG. Ii this bo said 10 cover Gully the Old
Testament, these words Of Jesus cmbray, also
the New. Fer | have given unto them (hiJ
discipcs) thn words which Thou gavast Inc
aud they have received them aud have known
surely that c2mo out from Thee, end they
have believed that Thou diist send nc" john
xvii, S. but tho Comforter, which ia The
Holy Chest, whom The Father will sind 10 my
usmc, be shall teach you oil things, and briOg
all things to your remembrance, whatsoever L
havo said unto YOU" John xiv, &c. How
belt when be. the Spirit of truth. is come, he
will guide you into all truth, i Il and he viii
shcw you thirg' 10 come" John xvi, Is.
| We cannot, therefore, without loss, ncgi1c!
tho ,tudy Of aoy part Of the word OF Gcd
either Of the Old or The New Testament 1t is ell
necessary to give Us tic complete view OF
ChIis.'s person and Tcrk, which the Spirit
wishes US to have. The written word is the
perfect, because the divine reflection OF the
e!cricu Of tho Living Word, tho Lord Jesus
Christ.
HOW TO USE TIE SCRIPTURES IN oUi: IEET
| INGS-glBLE EXAMPLES.
Ezra bad great Bible reading. Ncb. viii.
All the people gathered themselves as enc man
irto the street tina. was before the water gate.
Ard Ezra, tho priest, brought tho law before
the congregation beth Of men aud women, aud
| all that could hear with understanding. And
he read theren from the morning. until MID
day before tho men and the women, aud these
that could understand ard the ears of all the
people we're attentive unto the book OF tho law.