The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-06-09
SUNDAY MEDITATION
A Study for International Sunday
II DHH
Schools, June 10, 1892.
Subject: The Names of the Bible as Gath
cred from Ps. 1f9.
INTRODUCTION

In the absence of any specific lesson, 1t being
Review Sunday, we have chosen to consider
the names applied to the Holy Scriptures The
Church Text Book is the Bible. 1t has many
names. These rise largely from the varied
purposes which the Book serves. We have so
much occasion to refer to the Volume that it is
well we have such a series of titles for it, every
one significant, almost every pointing to
some special office work of the Sacred Volume
The Bible has held large place in the affec-
tiOns of ali dcvout people. The Communications
of the Book would themselves fill volumes
Almost every great nam and woman has said
good word for the Sacred Scriptures.
The lecturer, Andrew Lang in Boston,
January of this year. said: L long for the
constantly-new studies, Boston shall turn to
that old Bible, which made the life of the
Fathers strong and true; and reading it-only
with larger, other eyes shall feel the power
of its slow unfolding of Gods truth and of its
eliminating life of Christ; and, rooted there.
shall grow to nobler nights of thoughtful
Christian character than ever before. That is
what this community most wants"
Sir Walter Scott has the following lines in
reference to the Bible:
within that awful volume lies
The mystery of mysteries!
Happiest they of human race
To whom God has granted grace
To read. 10 fear, to hope, to pray,
TO lift the latch and force the way;
And better had they neer been born,
Is Who read TO doubt or read to scorn."
Byron copied these lines into his own Bible.
John Milton (1603-1674), referring to the in
telligibleness and excellence of the Bible, OF
its poetry, its oratory, and its politics, said {:
God having to this end ordained his Gospel
to be the revelation of His power and wisdom
in Christ Jesus. And this is one depth of His
wisdom. that He could SO plainly reveal SO
great measure of it to the gross, distorted ap-
prehension of decayed mankind. Let others,
therefore. dread and shun the Scriptures for
their darkness: | shall wish / may deserve TO
be reckon among those who admire and
dwell upon them for their clearness. There are
no songs comparable to the songs Of Zion, no
orations equal to those Of the Prophets, and no
politics like those which the Scriptures teach. "
SUBJECT: THE NAMES OF THE CHURCH TEXT
Book.
The English Names
Almost all books have variety of appella-
tons by which they are known. This is well.
We have to speak SO often of the Bible that IL
we were obliged invariably to use the same
seem quite monotonous.
1. The Alphabetic List Of Name&
We have tho following names:
/. Bible (The).
9. Book (The).
g. Book Divine.
a. Book of God Tor Of the Lord).
5. Book of Life.
g. Holy Bible Tor Book.
z. Holy Library (Tha)
g. Holy Scripture Tor Scrptnres).
g. Holy Writ Cor Writingj.
TO- Law and Gospel.
il. Sacred Word
II. Scriptures (Thc)
II. Word (of God or of the Lord).
2. Miscellaneous English Names of the Bible.
q. We proceed first to give names found In
Psalm 119.
That is a wonderful Psalm. There is some
word as a substitute for the Scriptures in all
the 176 verses, except in verses 122 and 1872
A few so render verse 122 as to understand
the word "good :" In The sense of the Script.
ures and some havo believed the word
name" in verse 132, another expression syn
onymous for the Bible. We choose, however,
to omit from our list the words "good and
name" found in verses 122 and 1872 Though
the Hebrew language has only about 5000
words, we find in this single Psalm, in the
original 10 different expressions to be under
stood as substitutes for tho word Scriptures
In the outline below the first column gives
the number of different words used In said
Psalm for the Holy Scriptures the second COL
umn gives in alphabetical order words so used
the third column gives the first verse in which
each such word is found; the fourth column
states the number Of times each such word oe-
ours; the fifth column Is list of the Hebrew
words Anglicized: