The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-06-11
Knowing the Scriptures.

It seems almost absurd in these enlight-
ened days to speak of defective knowl-
edge OF the Scriptures among Christians,
when copies of the Bible are in every
home and the commentary is not confined
to the clergyman's study; when the best
thoughts on, and the best interpretations
OF, the Word of God are spread before the
people in every conceivable form. Relig-
ious papers are multiplied in these days,
and at least portion of their columns is
devoted to the Interpretation of Scripture
by the most learned and the most godly
teachers in theology. Sunday-school
literature is scattered like the autumn
leaves. Children's papers and teachers
helps and leaflets of Scripture lessons are
almost as numerous as the sunbeams, and
yet the thoughtful observer can hardly
help seeing that there is great deficiency
in peoples acquaintance with the Bible.
1t becomes every religious teacher and
every Christian parent to ask the question,
Why is this ? A generation ago, we think,
Gods Word was more familiar to the re-
hgious and the moral elements of society
than it is to-day. The citation of text
was not as difficult, nor the finding of
passage, without concordance or marginal
reference, as great task as it is at present.
Why is this The answer might appear
In the fact that half century ago felig-
ious topics were more discussed by the
common people than they are now. All
the texts on a given subject were at peo-
pies fnger-ends y; and in the family
circle, or when Christian neighbor met
neighbor, some religious question of the
day afforded ample ground for religious
conversation. Then, too, the Word of
God, pure and simple, was the book for
the home, for the Sunday-school and for
the house of God. In the Sunday-school
also the Bible, the whole Bible and moth
ing but the Bible, was the book for the
teacher and the scholar. The lesson was
not served up piecemeal in fragmeutary
snatches from here and there, few know
ing where, but each one learned to find in
his own Bible the particular prophecy,
gospel, epistle or psalm and he was not
very likely to forget either the lesson or
the book in which it was found. Both in
the family circle and in the Sunday. school
much time was devoted to the recitation
of the Word of God, chapter by chapter,
and frequently entire books were repeated
from memory. No proper child ever
adorned Christian home without learn
ing by heart many of the psalms of David,
much of the Proverbs and portions of
Isaiah and of the Gospels. Thus these
precious portions of the divine Word were
laid up in the memories, if not in the
hearts, of the young. By this one can see
at glance that the work of the Sunday.
school was not to entertain or "address
the dear children" but to teach them the
holy Scriptures, which are able to make
them wise unto salvation. And in this
way from child the language and prin-
ciples of the Word were familiar, so that
the rising generation was furnished with
inspired truth, and many were apt to
teach, apt to converse on religious truth,
and apt to conduct family worship or to
lead publicly in prayer. In order to be
thoroughly furnished to every good work
we must study the Word of God itself.
We must read it daily in private and in
the family. We must use it in the class
and in public worship, so that the truth
may be doubly impressed upon us through
the eye as well as the ear. We must
commit the Scriptures to memory, in
order to become familiar with the Ian.
guage of the Bible. IT we do this we
shall be able and "ready always to give
an answer to every man that asketh us
reason of the hope that is in u.s." The
Word will be lamp unto our feet and
light unto our path, and we shall be able
to say, with David, "Thy Word have hid
in mine heart that ght not sin against
thee."-Rev. r. FL. Craig, in New York
Observer.